Product Details

• Actors: David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Paul Maxwell, John Bluthal, Gerry Anderson
• Writers: Gerry Anderson
• Format: Animated, Box set, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: February 25, 2003
• Run Time: 1014 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007J6DN
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,978 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #24 in	Movies & TV > Television > British Television > British Cult Television

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Producer Gerry Anderson is something of a legend in his native England, based primarily on the popular TV series Thunderbirds, its various spinoffs, and this, its 1962-'63 predecessor. All were produced in "Supermarionation"; i.e., they're puppet shows--not especially sophisticated ones (to say the least), but ones that many viewers seemed to adore. This five-disc boxed set contains all 39 episodes of Fireball XL5, totaling nearly 17 hours (plus extras).

The stories concern the efforts of captain-hero Steve Zodiac and his crew (including Steve's love interest and a talkative robot, voiced respectively by Anderson's then-wife Sylvia and Anderson himself; the pair were also cowriters) to protect "Sector 25" of the solar system from alien invasion. They battle killer rays and alien criminals, visit mysterious planets, and escape from all manner of perilous circumstances... they use ray guns and fly around with "thrust packs" and on "jetmobiles" (reducing the need for walking, which puppets don't do so well)... in other words, typical sci-fi fare. But while the animation is laughable (little attempt was made to disguise the strings that hold up puppets and props alike) and the effects primitive, there's no denying the show's campy charm (indeed, people who study such things consider it to be an important influence on the sci-fi genre in general). Is it a bit too much of a good thing? Probably not for anyone willing to make the investment. DVD extras include photos, a couple of featurettes, and audio commentary on two episodes (voice actor David Graham on "The Doomed Planet" and director Alan Pattillo on "Space City Special"). --Sam Graham

Product Description
In the year 2063, the World Space Fleet is extending mankind's reach beyond the solar system. Leading the charge is the incredible spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by the dashing and daring Colonel Steve Zodiac. With his steadfast crew--the brilliant professor Matt Matic, the lovely space doctor Venus and Robert the Robot--Steve patrols the vast reaches of Sector 25, where strange races inhabit distant planets.

In 1962, legendary producer Gerry Anderson (Space: 1999, UFO) turned his attention to space for the first time. The result was FIREBALL XL5, a rarely-seen gem that paved the way for later supermarionation masterpieces like Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons. This definitive collection includes all 39 black and white episodes of FIREBALL XL5, digitally restored and presented in their original production order.

Return to Galactic Sector 25 as FIREBALL XL5 flies again in this DVD set.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As nostalgia, this is great, July 2, 2003

By	Jmark2001 (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Kennedy was in the White House when this aired. No one had heard of the Beatles yet. All televisions were black and white and most ran on cathode tubes. I was 7 years old. This is a great treat to anyone who wants to relive the children's programs of their youth. It is not sophisticated like "Thunderbirds", though. Thunderbirds had effects that still make you wonder how they did them. It also had scripts that approached B movie quality. Fireball is in black and white and is quite primitive by comparison. Still, it will make you want to grab some milk and cookies and watch with delight.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This show made an impression on me as a four-year-old, March 6, 2003

By A Customer

I would have been three or four when this show was on the air. But yet the few episodes I must have seen stuck with me strongly enough that I tried for years to find out what it was. The only thing I remembered was "Fireball." A year or so ago, the Gerry Anderson Thunderbirds set came out on DVD. Based on the cover photos, I thought maybe this was the show I had enjoyed as a small child in South Dakota. When I heard about the Fireball XL5 release it all clicked. End result: I ordered this set and have watched about six episodes. Nostalgia aside, it's really a fun look back at what must have been and exciting space adventure for kids back in 1962. The stories are what grabbed me originally and I must say, they aren't at all bad. You can see a lot of influence on Star Trek in this effort. Is it cheesy? Of course! But in the best way. It's a glimpse into the excitement of the JFK-era space race that must have captured every person's imagination in the early 1960s.

One of my friends said of the cover - "It looks so old!" But the transfers in this box are pretty amazing for a 41-year-old show. The intro to the show ("OK Venus?" "OK, Steve!") are the perfect start to each episode and a chance to boldly go where no puppet (these shows are filmed in "Super Marionation") has gone before. If you're someone who likes clever stories and is willing to put up with Black and White video from 1962, I think you'll have a blast!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait, March 18, 2003

By	W. Jones (Mantua, New Jersey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It took 41 years, but we finally have them all, and in glorious black & white! I loved these as a 6 year old and appreciate it even more now. Looking back at these, I see their influence on more mainstream shows like Star Trek (Space City's chief engineer was even Scottish...beam me back to '62 Scotty!). The re-mastering is superb, the bonus stuff is great. I wish there had been some sort of guide book in the set with info about the episodes, but all-in-all it's still a great set. A must-have for fans and campy fun for everyone else.