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Fireball XL5 Special Edition in June

12 June 2009

The year is 2062 – 2063, the peace of the universe is maintained by World Space Patrol's finest rocket ship, the eponymous Fireball XL5. The memorable crew comprises of the glamorous doctor Venus, middle-aged navigator and engineer Professor Matthew Matic and Zodiac's transparent co-pilot Robert the Robot, who bears the voice of series creator, the great Gerry Anderson. This brave, gallant crew is led by the heroic Colonel Steve Zodiac. They explore various exotic planets and other life forms and protect the innocent from sinister intergalactic villains such as Mr. and Mrs. Space Spy.

Since the programme's very first transmission on October 28th 1962, young audiences – not to mention a good number of adults – all over the world were held enthralled by the adventures of Steve Zodiac and his crew. Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation marionettes were first introduced in Four Feather Falls (1960), and since then a wondrous tradition in entertainment was born. The marionettes were used again and again in immensely popular children's shows such as Supercar, Thunderbirds.

Fireball XL5 DVD cover

Fireball XL5 Special Edition will be released on UK DVD on 29th June 2009 by Network DVD at the RRP of £59.99. This 6 disc set includes all 39 episodes from the iconic series, complete and uncut plus exclusive extras including a 60-page book and new documentaries.

Special Features are:

  • A Wonderland of Stardust: a brand new documentary about the making of Fireball XL5 featuring contributions from creators Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson, as well as numerous members of the crew including David Elliott, Alan Pattillo and Brian Johnson;
  • Drawn in Supermarionation: This new, exclusive documentary chronicles the comic strip adaptations of the early AP Films series and features contributions from director of merchandising Keith Shackleton and artists Bill Mevin, Mike Noble and Colin Page;
  • A Day in the Life of a Space General: A brand new, colourised edition of Fireball XL5, taken from a new HD transfer of the original film elements;
  • Bill Mevin's Supercar Home Movie: Previously unseen footage filmed by TV Comic artist Bill Mevin during production on Supercar;
  • Special limited edition packaging;
  • Zoom ice lolly commercials;
  • Image Galleries;
  • PDF Material;
  • 60-page book written by TV historian Andrew Pixley.