Fireball XL5

Fireball XL5
Production
Released by	ATV
Producer	Gerry Anderson
Directed By	Gerry Anderson David Elliott Bill Harris John Kelly Alan Pattillo
Music Director	Barry Gray
Special Effects	Derick Meddings
Details
Medium	Black and White
Episodes	39
Duration	25 Minutes
Original Air Date	28th October 1962
Series Guide
Previous	Next
Supercar	Stingray

Fireball XL5 is a science-fiction television programme; it had a run of 39 episodes during 1962 and 1963. It was the second of Gerry Anderson's shows to be given the Supermarionation label and also his final black and white show; it is also notable as the only show to feature the voice talents of Anderson himself (as Robert). Set in the 21st century, the show follows the adventures of protagonist Steve Zodiac and the crew of the space ship XL5 as they patrol Sector 25 of the galaxy on behalf of the World Space Patrol.

Fireball XL5 featured strong science fiction plot lines using plot devices such as time travel, teleportation, hypnosis, and alien possession. This was juxtaposed with the poetic license taken when dealing with real scientific concepts which saw characters able to live and speak in a vacuum after taking an oxygen pill; this was presumably to do with the difficulty and cost associated with changing the puppet's costumes, articulated by Gerry Anderson in various DVD commentaries.

Theme Music

The ending theme to this classic series, "Fireball," was released as an HMV single in 1963. Sung by Australian Don Spencer, Fireball reached no.32 on the UK top 50 in April 1963. It was arranged and conducted by Barry Gray with accompaniment directed by Charles Blackwell.

Regular Cast

Steve Zodiac
(Paul Maxwell)

Venus
(Sylvia Anderson)

Professor Matic
(David Graham)

Robert the Robot
(Gerry Anderson)

Zoonie
(David Graham)

Commander Wilbur Zero
(John Bluthal)

Lieutenant Ninety
(David Graham)

Episodes

(Production Order)

1. Planet 46 (Episode)
2. Hypnotic Sphere
3. Planet Of Platonia
4. Space Magnet
5. The Doomed Planet
6. Plant Man From Space
7. The Sun Temple
8. Space Immigrants
9. Space Monster
10. Flying Zodiac
11. Spy In Space
12. XL5 To H2O
13. Space Pirates
14. Last Of The Zanadus
15. Space Pen
16. Convict In Space
17. Wings Of Danger
18. The Triads
19. Sabotage
20. Prisoner On The Lost Planet
21. Flight To Danger
22. Space Vacation
23. Mystery Of The TA2
24. Robert To The Rescue
25. The Forbidden Planet
26. The Granatoid Tanks
27. Dangerous Cargo
28. 1875
29. The Robot Freighter Mystery
30. Drama At Space City
31. Whistle For Danger
32. Faster Than Light
33. The Day The Earth Froze
34. Invasion Earth
35. Ghosts Of Space
36. Trial By Robot
37. A Day In The Life Of a Space General
38. Space City Special
39. The Fire Fighters

(Broadcast Order)

1. Planet 46 (Episode)
2. The Doomed Planet
3. Space Immigrants
4. Plant Man From Space
5. Spy In Space
6. The Sun Temple
7. XL5 To H2O
8. Space Pirates
9. Flying Zodiac
10. Space Pen
11. Space Monster
12. Last Of The Zanadus
13. Planet Of Platonia
14. The Triads
15. Wings Of Danger
16. Convict In Space
17. Space Vacation
18. Flight To Danger
19. Prisoner On The Lost Planet
20. The Forbidden Planet
21. Robert To The Rescue
22. Dangerous Cargo
23. Mystery Of The TA2
24. Drama At Space City
25. 1875
26. The Granatoid Tanks
27. The Robot Freighter Mystery
28. Whistle For Danger
29. Trial By Robot
30. A Day In The Life Of a Space General
31. Invasion Earth
32. Faster Than Light
33. The Day The Earth Froze
34. The Fire Fighters
35. Space City Special
36. Ghosts Of Space
37. Hypnotic Sphere
38. Sabotage
39. Space Magnet

 

Spacecraft

• Fireball (craft)
• XL5

Planets

• Planet 46

Theme Songs

• (Singer):

I wish I was a spaceman

The fastest guy alive

I'd fly you round the universe

In Fireball XL5

Way out in space together

Conquerors of the sky

My heart would be a fireball, a fireball

Every time I gazed into your starry eyes

We'd take the path to Jupiter

And maybe very soon

We'd cruise along the Milky Way

And land upon the Moon

To a wonderland of stardust

We'd zoom our way to Mars

My heart would be a fireball, a fireball

'Cause you would be my Venus of the stars

Gallery