Fireball XL5

Did You Know?

• An audio play, Journey to the Moon, was produced by APF in association with Pye Records and released as a 7-inch vinyl EP in February 1965.
• A black-and-white comic strip drawn by Neville Main was printed in TV Comic from 1962 to 1964.
• Four annuals featuring comic strips and text stories were published by Collins between 1963 and 1966.

Premise

Set in 2062, the series follows the missions of Earth spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol (WSP). The crew includes Dr Venus, a space medicine authority; engineer and navigator Professor Matthew Matic; and co-pilot Robert, a transparent anthropomorphic robot. XL5 patrols Sector 25 of charted space and is one of at least 30 Fireball XL vessels. The ship has a gravity activator and consists of two detachable sections: a winged nose cone called Fireball Junior for planetary exploration, and a main section with navigation bay, laboratory, workshops, lounge, and crew quarters. The WSP is based at Space City on an unnamed South Pacific island, headed by Commander Zero. XL5's deep-space patrols last three months; the ship launches from a mile-long rail and lands vertically using retro-rockets. Until the episode "Faster Than Light", XL5 travels at sub-light speeds, powered by a nutomic reactor providing Space Velocity 7. Crew take oxygen pills instead of spacesuits, and use neutrini radio for instantaneous communication.

Characters

Colonel Steve Zodiac, with Paul Maxwell providing his voice, commands and pilots Fireball XL5. Dr Venus, a French space medicine specialist voiced by Sylvia Anderson, was personally chosen by Zodiac for the crew. Professor Matthew Matic, voiced by David Graham, handles engineering, navigation, and science duties. Robert the Robot, voiced by Gerry Anderson via an artificial larynx, is a transparent co-pilot and the most advanced mechanical man on Earth, invented by Professor Matic. Zoonie the Lazoon, voiced by David Graham, is Venus's lazy, semi-telepathic pet from Colevio who initially only says "welcome home" but later mimics others. Commander Wilbur Zero, voiced by John Bluthal, commands the World Space Patrol from Space City and respects his team. Lieutenant Ninety, voiced by David Graham, is the inexperienced assistant controller often scolded by Zero. Jock Campbell, voiced by John Bluthal, is Space City's Scottish chief engineer. Eleanor and Jonathan Zero are the commander's wife and son. Captain Ken Ross, voiced by John Bluthal, pilots Fireball XL7 and frequently needs rescue. Mr and Mrs Boris and Griselda Space Spy, voiced by David Graham and Sylvia Anderson, are a villainous Russian couple. The Subterrains, voiced by John Bluthal and David Graham, are hostile aliens from Planet 46.

Production

One, titled Century 21, was commissioned and produced as Fireball XL5; the rejected proposal, Joe 90, involved a boy dreaming of space missions. The only shared creative element was Professor Matic. Century 21 drew inspiration from the early 1960s Space Race and was originally set in 2962, later changed to 2062. The spaceship name changed from Nova X 100 to Fireball XL5, with "XL" taken from Castrol XL engine oil. Thirty-seven of the 39 episodes were written by Alan Fennell, Anthony Marriott or Dennis Spooner. Script supervision was by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, who also wrote the first episode and "Space Monster". Filming at APF's Slough Trading Estate studios began in February 1962, using three stages: two for puppet filming and one for special effects. Two puppet filming units allowed episodes to be shot in pairs by different crews. Each episode involved a week of principal photography on the main puppet stage, followed by inserts-filming on the secondary stage, coinciding with two weeks of effects shooting.

Broadcast and reception

Fireball XL5 holds the distinction of being the only Supermarionation series that a US network picked up, with NBC running it on Saturday mornings from 1963 to September 1965. Back in the UK, ITV kept it in regular rotation until 1974, then gave it one more run in 1985. More recently, Talking Pictures TV started airing it again in June 2023, and American viewers can catch it on MeTV Toons starting 25 July. Critics have praised its ambition, with Jim Sangster and Paul Condon calling that ambition the show’s charm. Matthew Millheiser of DVD Talk described it as straightforward, clean fun that doesn’t talk down to kids and remains entertaining for adults. Anthony Clark sees it as the beginning of truly great Anderson puppet shows, noting that the humour, action, and Barry Gray’s music lift the series above its rough edges, making it more playful and energetic than the similar but slicker Stingray.