jvs@iwsl7.UUCP (08/15/83)
I saw while reading the netnews that someone else remembers the old kid's show "Fireball XL-5". And all these years I thought I was crazy. I recall this as being a saturday morning kid show. It was a space adventure that used puppets as characters (something like "Davy and Golieth" but a little better puppet wise). Anyway, I only got to see this show 3 or 4 times when I was ten. I thought then that I was going to start watching it faithfully, then it wasn't on anymore. I don't remember any of the stories but I always wonderd what happend to this show. I dimly recall the theme song, at least I remember liking it. I think the first words were "I wish I were a spaceman" or something like that. Anyway, does anyone else know anymore details about this show. John V. Smith
msc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (08/16/83)
Fireball XL-5 came from the same stable as Supercar, Four-Feather Falls,
Stingray, Joe-90, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds, and, more recently, UFO
and Space 1999. I.e., it was produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for
Sir (now Lord) Low (oops! I mean Lew) Grade at Associated Television in
England.
XL-5 was launched on some kind of catapault and some sort of under-carriage
used to fly off the end of the catapault when it was launched. I also
remember one of the crew was a robot with a transparent body, so you
could see all the mechanisms.
ATV and especially these programs gave rise to the expression "mid-Atlantic
productions". That is, programs made in England but with characters with
(presumably phony) American accents so they could sell the show to the
U.S. tv market. Which of the Anderson's programs actually made it to the
U.S.? I noticed that Showtime was recently showing Stingray and I think
HBO once showed Thunderbirds.
--
Mark Callow, Saratoga, CA.
...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!
...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!msc
decwrl!qubix!msc@Berkeley.ARPAmarkp@tekmdp.UUCP (Mark Paulin) (08/16/83)
When the long-forgotten memories of Fireball XL-5 were dragged to the surface last week by mention of the show here, they brought with them a memory of a toy I had as a kid -- it was called the SSP (or somesuch) "Sonic Blaster". This thing looked like a black plastic bazooka tube about 3 inches across with a red handle to be used to pump it up with air. It would fire a ball of air about 15 feet -- the ad showed the device being pumped up in a smoke-filled room and then discharged in clean air, and you could *see* the ball of smoke come shooting out of the thing. I just wondered if anyone else remembered this weapon... Or does anyone else remember "Six Finger" (Six Finger, man alive -- How did I ever get along with five?), a plastic finger which could conceal myriad gizmos (each sold separately) like a little dart, or a flashlight, or...? I was a kid once... Mark Paulin ...tektronix!tekmdp!markp
esj@ihuxl.UUCP (08/16/83)
I remember the show you're talking about but I don't remember the name; it could have been Fireball XL-5. I think in the beginning they had a little corporate musical intro and the letters ITC (is that Lew Grade's company?) and then they had the pilots of a group of ships acknowledging something and launching. I also vaguely remember buying a model kit of one of the ships. Then again, maybe I've had too much caffeine today, ihnp4!ihuxl!esj
boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (10/11/84)
> From: pyuxn!mbets 5-Oct-1984 06:45:15 > I agree with Ron Wanttaja. Fireball was the greatest > puppet show. Wasn't there a mermaid or something on that show > who's name was Marina? Gee, maybe you don't agree with him after all! You seem to be confusing FIREBALL XL-5 with STINGRAY. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA