DVD Review: Thunderbirds (on Blu-ray) Are Go!

On June 9th, Timeless Media Group will release Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's classic TV series Thunderbirds on Blu-ray for the first time. The most popular of the Andersons' Supermarionation TV shows has led to at least three theatrical films, a revival TV series, and hundreds of toys and games. However, the series' dedicated fans have been eagerly anticipating a Blu-ray set that captures--in exquisite detail--the colorful, imaginative world of International Rescue, its fantastic Thunderbird machines, and, of course Lady Penelope and Parker.

Gerry Anderson with two fan favorites.

In 1964, following the success of the Andersons' submarine series Stingray, Gerry Anderson approached British television mogul Lew Grade with an idea for his next venture. In the 45-minute documentary "Launching Thunderbirds" (included as a bonus in the set), Anderson explains that he wasn't sure Grade would want to finance an expensive show about a family that executes elaborate rescues. Grade's reaction was to grab Anderson by the scruff of the neck, drag him into a room with a light bulb, point at it, and state he'd finance a show about a light bulb if that's what Anderson wanted to make.

The house on Tracy Island.

In a departure from their previous outings which focused on a single principal male hero, the Andersons made Thunderbirds an ensemble series. Widower Jeff Tracy lived on his own South Pacific island with his five sons, each of whom was named after an American astronaut: Scott (named after Scott Carpenter), John (John Glenn), Virgil (Virgil Grissom), Gordon (Gordon Cooper), and Alan (Alan Shepard). Jeff and his sons comprise International Rescue, an independent team that uses high-tech vehicles and equipment to rescue anyone in need. One of the sons, usually John or Alan, monitors radio distress signals from a space station called Thunderbird 5 (it's a tough job since the T5 rotation lasts for a month at a time).

The well-named Brains.

The island's other residents include: Brains, the nerdish genius that created the high-tech wizardry; Jeff's mother; the family manservant Kyrano; and Kyrano's daughter Tin-Tin, who is Alan's girlfriend. The final members of the team are International Rescue's "London agent" Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her butler/chauffeur "Nosey" Parker, a former Cockney thief. As others have pointed out, the initial premise recalls the Western TV classic Bonanza, with the strong-willed widower interacting with his sons. However, as the series progressed, the other characters started playing large roles in the plots, especially Lady Penelope. Brains participated in some rescue missions like the one in "Lord Parker's 'Oliday" and Tin-Tin even played a key role in the espionage episode "The Cham-Cham."

Unlike the other Supermarionation series, Thunderbirds was one-hour long. It was originally conceived as a half-hour show, but when Lew Grade saw the pilot episode, he was so enthusiastic that he told Gerry Anderson to expand it into an hour. Grade, who always had his eye on the international markets, thought Thunderbirds might sell better overseas in the longer format. The challenge for the Andersons was that ten episodes had already been completed or were deep into production based on the half-hour format. Therefore, they had to go back and revise the scripts and shoot additional footage. As a result, some of the early episodes seem padded with subplots that don't propel the action with the same urgency as the earlier Stingray or the later Captain Scarlet. However, given the show's large cast of characters, the longer running time eventually works to Thunderbirds' advantage.

Thunderbird 2 lowering a pod.

Of course, for many fans, the "stars" of Thunderbirds are the five "crafts," which are each piloted by one of the Tracy sons. Thunderbird 1 is a rocket-like plane, typically flown by Scott, used for quick response missions. It is stored beneath the family's swimming pool, which slides open as Scott takes off. Virgil flies Thunderbird 2, a large storage craft that can transport pods containing various vehicles and equipment required for rescue missions. As it emerges from the side of a mountain to launch, fake palm trees fall to the side so the massively wide craft can pass. Thunderbird 3 is a space rocket piloted by Alan or John. Gordon navigates the submersible Thunderbird 4, which is small enough to be stored in one of the pods. Finally, there's the aforementioned space station Thunderbird 5.

Sylvia Anderson and Lady Penelope.

Among the the human characters, the breakout "star" was Lady Penelope. Although there had been strong female characters in other Anderson shows (e.g., Marina in Stingray), Lady Penelope--with a major assist from Parker--seemed to grab the viewers' attention. She was feminine, but decidedly tough, just like her pink Rolls Royce with the FAB 1 license plate. Her famous car, which was modified by Brains, featured two pop-out machine guns, a turbo-charged engine, hydrofoils for traveling on water, skis for traveling on snow, and bullet-proof tires. As for Lady Penelope, she was modeled after Sylvia Anderson, who provided her voice.

Although there are some strong rescue episodes (the pilot "Trapped in the Sky" is a humdinger), my favorites expand the typical rescue formula with Lady Penelope often playing a key role. "The Perils of Penelope" has Penny (as Jeff calls her) trying to find a kidnapped professor aboard a monorail. In "The Cham-Cham," she masquerades as a singer at a ski resort called Paradise Peaks and winds up channeling Marlene Dietrich as she warbles an original Barry Gray tune. And, in a non-Lady Penelope episode, giant 'gators attacked a swampy mansion in "Attack of the Alligators," which was inspired by the Bob Hope comedy The Cat and the Canary.

All 32 episodes of Thunderbirds are available from Timeless Media in a set of six Blu-ray discs or eight DVDs. I reviewed the Blu-ray set, which features pristine prints with vibrant colors. In addition to the documentary mentioned above, the bonus features include a vintage publicity brochure.

Timeless Media Group provided a copy of Thunderbirds for review.

DVD Spotlight: Joe 90

After the dark Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson launched the youth-oriented Joe 90 TV series in 1968. Joe 90 replicates the lifelike puppets, elaborate miniature sets, and--to a lesser extent--the espionage themes from Captain Scarlet. However, the similarities end there, with Joe 90 centering on a nine-year-old lead character--sort of the British answer to Jonny Quest. Like Jonny, Joe's father, Dr. Ian McClaine, is a genius scientist.


Joe in the BIG RAT.

Unlike Jonny, Joe becomes the subject of one of his father's experiments! With Joe sitting inside a device called the Brain Impulse Galvanoscope Record and Transfer (BIG RAT), his father transfers his brain patterns to his son. For a limited time, Joe can recall and apply Dad's knowledge (e.g., Joe can answer any physics question). The amount of time that Joe can retain another person's knowledge can be extended with a pair of specially-equipped glasses.

When "Uncle" Sam Loover of the World Intelligence Network (WIN) witnesses this experiment, he immediately sees the potential for using Joe to perform intelligence missions. Dr. McClaine protests initally, but eventually allows Joe to become a WIN agent.

Joe wearing his special glasses.

On the surface, Joe 90 works nicely as an imaginative Jonny Quest variation. However, on closer examination, it presents a very different view of childhood. Joe has no friends his own age, he lives in an isolated house with his father, and he's often placed in harm's way by a trusted family friend. In one episode, a mission requires him to hide inside a box of armaments being hijacked. Sam even issues Joe his own handgun (one designed for his small friends). Joe not only engages in shoot-outs with the bad guys, but he's also willing to use a hand grenade to kill one (we don't see the Mafia-like kingpin die, but it's obvious no one could have survived the explosion). Hey, Jonny Quest never killed anyone!

Angela watching another agent die.

Action set pieces are a staple of the Andersons' Supermarionation productions and Joe 90 does't disappoint in that area. However, the series places a greater emphasis on human relationships (perhaps in response to criticism directed at the action-oriented Captain Scarlet). In the episode "Three's a Crowd," Joe learns that his father's new girlfriend, reporter Angela Davies, is an enemy spy. After Joe confronts her, Angela breaks up with Dr. McClaine, as Joe watches silently from the shadows. From his expression, it's unclear whether Joe feels sad for his father or perhaps relief that the person who came between father and son is no longer a threat.

On 14 April 2015, Timeless Media Group will release a DVD boxed set of all 30 episodes of Joe 90. Bonus features includes a Gerry Anderson interview and two commentaries, one by series director Ken Turner and the other by designer Mike Trim. As with Timeless Media's previous Gerry Anderson releases, the picture quality is excellent. You can view our unofficial trailer for Joe 90 and the other Supermarionation boxed set by clicking here.

Timeless Media Group provided a review copy of Joe 90.

DVD Spotlight: Fireball XL5

Fireball XL5 holds a special place among Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation TV series. It was the first to be shown in the U.S. and the only one to be broadcast on network television. I was among the youngsters that watched Anderson's space adventure on NBC on Saturday mornings in the mid-1960s. With its intricate miniature sets and sci fi themes, it stood apart from the cartoons and live-action repeats (e.g., Fury) that filled the juvenile TV schedule. (For a description of Supermarionation, see our post on Stingray.)

On March 10th, Timeless Media Group will release all 39 episodes in glorious black and white. The DVD boxed set also includes: audio commentaries on two episodes; a twelve-minute interview with series creator Gerry Anderson; a documentary on the colorful Fireball XL5 comic strips; and a nine-page publicity brochure that accompanied the series' original broadcast in 1962 (shown at right).

Set 100 years in the future, Fireball XL5 chronicles the adventures of blonde-haired Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol Fleet. The XL5 is a 300-foot spacecraft with crew quarters, a lounge, a research laboratory, and weaponry. The nose cone of the XL5--known as Fireball Junior--detaches from the mother ship and can be used for landing on other planets. Steve's fellow crew members include: Doctor Venus (voiced by Sylvia Anderson); Professor Matthew Matic (who sounds like Walter Brennan!); and Robert the Robot (voiced by Gerry Anderson through a voice box).

Doctor Venus.

Venus is a doctor of "space medicine" and, as the brochure describes it, possesses a "Continental accent." She was the first of several prominent female characters in Anderson's children's TV series, setting the stage for Marina and Atlanta in Stingray and Lady Penelope (also voiced by Sylvia Anderson) in Thunderbirds.

The Fireball XL5 missions range from escorting important alien leaders to summits to restoring plant life on an alien planet to foiling espionage plots devised by the notorious Mr. and Mrs. Space Spy. Other XL ships appear in some episodes, such as when Steve and crew rescue Fireball XL7 in "Space Magnet." There are also additional recurring characters, to include Commander Zero, Lieutenant Ninety, and Venus' sometimes-telepathic pet Zoonie the Lazoon.

In the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson TV series chronology, Fireball XL5 followed Supercar (1960-61) and preceded Stingray (1964-65). It builds on some of the elements from Supercar, specifically the emphasis on a fantastic vehicle, the elaborate launch sequence, the presence of a pet (Supercar had Mitch the Monkey), and even some of the plot lines (e.g., espionage is a recurring plot theme in many Anderson series).

The terrific XL5 launch sequence--the highlight of the opening credits.

However, Fireball XL5 was also influential in its own right, introducing several concepts that permeate later Anderson shows. It established the concept of a global organization that protects the Earth (which was even carried over into Anderson's nifty 1970 live-action series UFO). It eliminated the necessity for a child character and, as mentioned earlier, introduced one of the first television sci fi heroines in Doctor Venus. It also may have introduced the "oxygen pill," which allowed the XL5 crew to breathe in outer space without suits. This use of oxygen pills preceded the 1964 sci fi film Robinson Crusoe on Mars, in which Friday used them to breathe on Mars. (Of course, the pills had a practical application for the puppeteers on Fireball XL5--the marionettes didn't have to be put into space suits!)

Robert the Robot.

Composer Barry Gray, who first began working with Gerry Anderson in 1956, composed the music. The show's end credits feature his song "Fireball" (aka "I Wish I Were a Spaceman"), which was recorded by Australian singer Don Spencer as a single. It's the only song from an Anderson TV series to reach the U.K. record chart, peaking at #32 in 1962.

Although the colorful Stingray remains my favorite Supermarionation series, the Fireball XL5 boxed set is a must for fans. The image and sound quality are excellent and it's an enjoyable series. So, as Steve tells Venus in the opening credits: "Let's go!"


Click here to view the Cafe's unofficial trailers for Fireball XL5, Stingray, and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Timeless Media Group provided a copy of the XL5 DVD set for our review.

DVD Spotlight: Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

The most visually impressive of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation TV series comes to video on February 10th when Timeless Media Group releases a boxed set containing all 32 episodes of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Originally broadcast in Great Britain in 1967-68, Captain Scarlet is also dramatically different from predecessors such as Stingray and Thunderbirds. The Andersons' earlier efforts were action-oriented children's shows, peppered with some semi-dramatic elements for parents who watched with their kids (e.g., the love triangle in Stingray). In contrast, world leaders are assassinated in Captain Scarlet and even the hero is killed--multiples times (click here to view our unofficial trailer).

Captain Black reminds me of George
Lazenby as 007.

The first episode establishes the premise when a security force from Earth destroys what it believes is a dangerous alien base on Mars. However, the mysterious Mysterons reveal that the base was harmless. In retaliation for this unprovoked aggression, the Mysterons launch a prolonged "attack of nerves" on Earth. The aliens possess the power to reverse matter; they can recreate an object that has been destroyed or a life form that has been killed. The "new" entity is under control of the Mysterons. They use this power to transform people into their agents and killers. Thus, Captain Black--who destroyed their Martian base--becomes one of the Mysteron operatives.

Captain Scarlet and the World President.

So does Captain Scarlet, a member of the world security organization Spectrum. During an assassination attempt on the World President, Scarlet falls 800 feet to his death from the top of an elevated car park. However, inexplicably, Scarlet recovers from his fatal injuries and becomes "indestructible." No longer under control of the Mysterons, he becomes Spectrum's "greatest asset" in its fight against the Mysterons.

Destiny Angel was modeled after Ursula Andress.

As with many of their shows, the Andersons created a richly-detailed futuristic world for Captain Scarlet. Spectrum operates from a huge, airborne craft called Cloudbase, which serves as its control center and launching pad for the "interceptor jets." It has its own acronyms, such as S.I.G., which stands for "Spectrum is green" and means an acknowledgement like "roger" or "10-4." Spectrum's operatives are known by colorful codenames names like Colonel White, Captain Blue, and Lieutenant Green (a color spectrum, get it?). The fighter pilots are all female and known collectively as the Angels. Destiny Angel is their leader and the other pilots are Harmony, Symphony, Melody, and Rhapsody. Of note, Harmony (Japanese), Melody and Lieutenant Green (both African American) were among the first ethnic regular characters in mainstream British television.

From a technological perspective, Captain Scarlet is more visually realistic than its predecessors. In shows like Stingray and Thunderbirds, the puppets had disproportionately large heads because that was the location of the solenoid motors used to sync the voice track and the puppets’ mouths (see Stingray). For Captain Scarlet, the motors were moved to the puppets’ chests. In addition to overhead puppeteers, a floor puppeteer was added for some scenes to make movements look more natural.

An Interceptor jet.

Ironically, despite the emphasis on realism, the characters in Captain Scarlet seem more wooden than in earlier shows. Part of that can be attributed to the darker nature of the series. As mentioned before, Captain Scarlet “dies” on a regular basis and other characters are shot, perish in explosions, etc. In a fast-paced, half-hour show, it just wouldn't work to go from a deadly assassination to a funny scene with Oink the Seal Pup (one of my favorite “characters” from Stingray). Still, it's a less charming series than the previous ones, even though there's no denying that the miniature sets are incredible and there's nary a dull second in any episode.

Captain Blue, voiced by Ed Bishop.

The voice cast features two notable performers: Francis Matthews and Ed Bishop. Matthews was a member of the Hammer Films "repertory," appearing in The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1964), and Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966). He provides Captain Scarlet's voice, doing a pretty good imitation of Cary Grant. The voice for Scarlet's sidekick, Captain Blue, belongs to Canadian actor Ed Bishop. He would later find fame as Commander Straker, the head of S.H.A.D.O. in UFO (1970-71), the best of Gerry Anderson's live-action TV series.

Timeless Media's DVD boxed set includes sharp, bright transfers of the original episodes. There are plenty of bonuses, to include: interviews with director Alan Perry, puppeteer Mary Turner, and writer Shane Rimmer; audio commentary from Gerry Anderson on two episodes; and an excerpt from an Anderson interview.

A scene from New Captain Scarlet.

Although Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ran for just one season, it continued to attract new fans thanks to syndicated repeats. As a result, in 2005, Anderson launched a computer animated series called Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet. It was essentially a reboot of the original and lasted for two seasons of 13 episodes each.

So, are you ready to watch Captain Scarlet and the rest of Spectrum battle the Mysterons? I say: "S.I.G.!"


Timeless Media Group provided a review copy of this DVD set.

DVD Spotlight: Stingray--Submarines, Marionettes, and a Love Triangle

Imagine a science fiction TV series about an organization called the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP), which battles underwater threats from its West Coast headquarters in the year 2065. Commander Samuel Shore, who travels via a "hoverchair" due to paralysis, runs WASP with assistance from his daughter Atlanta. She's in love with Captain Troy Tempest, the handsome pilot of the super submarine Stingray. Troy returns her affections to a degree--but he's also attracted to Marina, a mute young woman from an underwater civilization. In fact, each episode ends with a love song about Marina ("What are these strange enchantments that start whenever you’re near?").

Now, imagine that all the characters are "played" by marionettes on miniature sets. That's Stingray, a fanciful 1964-65 British series created by innovative television producer Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia. On January 13th, Timeless Media Group will released a 50th anniversary edition of Stingray: The Complete Series. This five-DVD boxed set includes all 39 half-hour episodes, plus an interview with Gerry Anderson, a making-of featurette, and audio commentaries on several episodes from the Andersons and others.(Click here to view our trailer on YouTube.)

Troy Tempest and his co-pilot Phones.

By the 1960s, Gerry Anderson was well-known in his homeland for unique children's shows that incorporated an ingenious marionette process dubbed "Supermarionation." A key element in this process was the use of a solenoid motor located in a puppet's head that was synchronized to an audio filter. Thus, each puppet's mouth moved in response to dialogue on a pre-recorded tape. The size of the motor required the puppet's head to be disproportionately larger than the rest of its body. The puppets averaged 22 inches in height. Their movements were controlled by thin wires operated by puppeteers--one per character--working on a bridge eight feet over the miniature set.

Sylvia and Gerry Anderson with Troy.

Gerry Anderson's early juvenile hits included Supercar and Fireball XL5 (which NBC broadcast in the U.S. on Saturday mornings). With Fireball XL5 taking place in outer space, it only seemed logical for Gerry and Sylvia to create a show about a super sub.

Stingray was their first color series and also their most sophisticated one to date. The marionettes had interchangeable heads that were used to convey different emotions. The biggest challenge, though, was that much of Stingray took place underwater. On one of the commentary tracks, Gerry Anderson explains how the illusion of filming underwater was achieved and the dangers it created:

We used to film through a specially constructed aquarium in which we had different-sized fish. In order to give the illusion that Stingray was traveling underwater, we ordered the aquariums to be made by the same people who made aquariums for the London Zoo and so naturally, we thought the thing would be done properly and everything would be safe. When they arrived, we spent the first morning filming through the aquarium and everything seemed to work perfectly. Then fortunately, the crew broke for lunch. As they walked through the studio door in the corridor, there's this enormous bang as the aquarium exploded through the pressure of water and, of course, jagged pieces of glass blew out in all directions and the fish landed on the floor and all died. We were very lucky, because had the crew been there, I think there could have been a very, very serious accident. It's something I always think of when I see Stingray traveling, seemingly underwater.

Troy Tempest and James Garner.

The 20-minute documentary "The Thing About Stingray..." is a special treat for the show's fans. Director John Read, art director Bob Bell, special effects technicians, and puppeteers provide fascinating details about Stingray's creation and production. For example, the appearance of hero Troy Tempest was modeled after actor James Garner. The fine wires used to manipulate the puppets created some logistical challenges, such as Troy and his fellow cast members couldn't walk through a doorway--the door frame would have interfered with the wires. Anderson thought the puppet's walking movements looked awkward, so the crew employed some creative ways to minimize walking shots (e.g., puppets walk behind furniture, use of the hoverchair).

Atlanta was voiced by Lois Maxwell
(Miss Moneypenny to Connery's 007).

The Stingray TV series lasted for 39 episodes and was sadly eclipsed by the Andersons' next two endeavors: Thunderbirds (1965-66), the biggest hit of the Supermarionation shows, and Captain Scarlett and the Mysterons (1967-68). Still, in my opinion, they didn't top Stingray, which mixed lively adventures with witty comedy (e.g., in the last episode, Troy wins "Aquanaut of the Year" and reminiscences about his greatest escapades). And, of course, let's not forget about the Atlanta-Troy-Marina love triangle!

The mysterious Marina.

Despite the success of his marionette TV series, Gerry Anderson wanted to move into "live action" films and television. He almost got his big break when Harry Saltzman, who owned the James Bond film rights with Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, asked Anderson if he'd be interested in producing Moonraker in 1969. Nothing came of the discussions, though. According to some sources, Anderson later settled a lawsuit against Broccoli, claiming some elements of his Moonraker treatment were used.

Still, Gerry Anderson got his wish when he made the intriguing theatrical film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun in 1969. From there, he produced the cult TV series UFO (a personal fave), Space: 1999 with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, and The Protectors starring Robert Vaughn.

Incidentally, the pretty closing song "Aqua Marina" was performed by Gary Miller. He had previously scored six hits on the UK record chart, with his biggest song being the theme from Richard Greene's Robin Hood TV series. Sadly, "Aqua Marina" wasn't a hit--though perhaps that was a good thing for Atlanta, who didn't have a song at all.

Classic TV Science Fiction A to Z

Astro Boy originated in a 1952 manga.

A - Astro Boy. This Japanese 1960s import about a boy robot was a favorite of mine as a youth. I thought it was cool how his feet turned into jets when he flew! A new version of the series appeared in 2003 and a theatrical film in 2009.

B - Blake's 7. This 1978-81 British cult series about space rebels still has a strong following. I mentioned it on Twitter recently and the comments came flying in.

A lethal blow from a Cybernaut!

C - The Cybernauts from The Avengers. These karate-chopping, killer androids appeared in two episodes with Mrs. Peel & Steed and then popped up a third time in an episode of The New Avengers.

D - The Daleks from Doctor Who. Super-villain Davros created this race of cyborgs, which were introduced in 1963 and have made periodic appearances ever since (to include the theatrical films Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.).

E - The USS Enterprise (of course!). Note that there have been multiple spaceships with that name in the Star Trek universe.

The Great Gazoo.

G - The Great Gazoo, the troublesome alien from Zetox, who appeared in the last season of The Flintstones; he was voiced by Harvey Korman.  (In case you're not a Gazoo fan, there's also Gemini Man, a revamped version of 1975's The Invisible Man with Ben Murphy taking over for David McCallum.)

H - Hymie, the literally-minded robot played by Dick Gautier on Get Smart. If Maxwell Smart told Hymie to "get hold of himself," Hymie would literally take hold of himself. Hymie was originally created by KAOS, but was reprogrammed into a CONTROL agent.

I - The Invaders. No one believed former architect David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) when he told them about these crafty human-looking aliens bent on taking over the Earth. It didn't help that dead aliens glowed orange and disappeared (in one memorable episode, two aliens swallow cyanide pills to avoid capture). Also worthy of a mention for "I" is the sitcom It's About Time--if only for the catchy song.

J - The Jetsons. After Hanna-Barbera scored a big hit with an animated, prehistoric variation of The Honeymooners, they launched this futuristic take. I always enjoyed it, but its original run only lasted one season.

K - Khan from the original Star Trek. Hey, how many television villains--who appeared in just one episode--were successful enough to be the subject of their own theatrical motion picture? Yep, Khan (as played by Ricardo Montalban) was in a class by himself!

Marta Kristen as Judy Robinson.

L - Lost in Space. The first of three Irwin Allen sci fi series on this list, Lost in Space is probably the mostly fondly remembered. It did feature a spiffy robot with a classic phrase ("Danger, Will Robinson!")--plus Marta Kristen!

M - My Favorite Martian (a slight favorite over My Living Doll). Ray Walston was a delight as Uncle Martin, an anthropologist from Mars who crash lands on Earth and who moves in with the newspaper reporter (Bill Bixby) who discovered him. It lasted for three seasons. As for My Living Doll, it starred curvy Julie Newmar as an android named Rhoda.

N - "Nanu nanu," Mork's famous greeting from Mork & Mindy. Need we say more?

Robert Culp listens to his hand.

O - The Outer Limits. This acclaimed anthology series featured some classic sci fi episodes (check out our post of the The Five Best Outer Limits Episodes). Our favorite was "Demon With a Glass Hand" starring Robert Culp and a prosthetic electronic hand that provides timely guidance as he battles aliens.

P - Captain Christopher Pike, the commander of the Enterprise prior to Captain Kirk. He was played by Jeffrey Hunter in the episode "The Menagerie" (which was actually revamped footage from an earlier Star Trek pilot).

Q - Quark. Richard Benjamin starred in this quirky 1978 series about an outer space garbage collector worked for the United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol). (Another nice choice for "Q" is The Questor Tapes, an intriguing made-for-TV film from Gene Roddenberry.)

R - Red Dwarf. A radiation leak aboard a small mining spaceship killed everyone aboard except Dave, a low-ranking technician, and a cat. Dave emerges from suspended animation three million years later...as the last human in the universe. Oh, and this cult British series is a comedy!

Bain and Landau look concerned.

S - Space: 1999. Originally intended as the second season of UFO (see below), this expensive series never found an audience despite "stealing" stars Martin Landau and Barbara Bain from the hit show Mission: Impossible. Sci fi fans remain mixed towards it, though it has slowly been gaining in popularity.

T - Time Tunnel. As the narrator reminded us weekly: "Two American scientists are lost in the swirling maze of past and future ages, during the first experiments on America's greatest and most secret project, the Time Tunnel. Tony Newman and Doug Phillips now tumble helplessly toward a new fantastic adventure, somewhere along the infinite corridors of time."

U - UFO (it's pronounced "u-foe"). Unbeknownst to most of Earth's population, a full-blown alien assault is underway. Thank goodness, we're protected by the Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defence Organisation in Gerry Anderson's imaginative, funky British series.

The Seaview.

V - Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. My favorite TV show as a kid, these exploits of the submarine Seaview were based on a 1961 theatrical film produced by Irwin Allen. While the plots became repetitious during the show's four-year run, the first two years were Allen's best TV work.

W - Doctor Who (could it be anything else?).

X - XL-5, the model of the spaceship in Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's "supermarionation" series Fireball XL-5. Its pilot was Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. By the way, all the character were marionettes!

Y - Yogi's Space Race. Someone come up with another "Y"--please! I like Yogi, but there must be a better choice.

A Zanti convict.

Z - "The Zanti Misfits" episode of The Outer Limits. Were there any aliens on television in the 1960s that were creepier than the insect-like Zantians?

Additions and corrections to our "A to Z" lists are always welcomed!