samkydd

Andy Saunders the customiser from Poole built a car based on blueprints of a 1950s Ford concept car which never saw the light of day way back then. The curved front and rear windscreens, which you can't see properly in the photo, are shaped like Supercar's and are Renault 25 rear windows. The style and characteristics of Supercar and this one by Andy seem quite similar. It has been used in TV commercials (Maynard's Wine Gums) and often appears at car shows near here. I think it's been to

Goodwood as well, and
the weekly Sunday afternoon Classics on the Prom gathering behind the Bournemouth BIC. The car is an amazing achievement and it drives too!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Dame Starry

I don't believe I ever read of any humans being harmed in the making of the series! I imagine it was uncomfortable though.

('Marionettes'? Getting a bit posh, ain't we?)

YDSL x.

Lord Brett

I must say, as long term fan of Anderson's work, I think the new Captain Scarlet is actually better than the original series. The design work on the original version was terrific, but too often the 'realistic' design of puppets were too static and lacking in personality. Had ITV properly publicised the show, rather than burying it with a Saturday morning kids show, it would have done well.

batman

The CGI Captain Scarlet is produced in 'Hypermarionation'. I have both series on DVD and think it is fantastic. The animation is superb and the action sequences, especially those involving the new vehicles are stunning. It hasn't got the charm of the puppet series but is very entertaining. The Boy Wonder now prefers it to the puppet series.

Bats.

Happy Birthday Daddy .... I love you!



BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Steve Crook

Ah, that'd be it then, Hyper, not Super-marionation. It was only on screen briefly as I was sitting down (that's my excuse anyway)

Yes, the vehicles looked good but I thought the "people" looked very poorly created. Especially their arms and the way they moved them. They all seemed to be the wrong length for their bodies and they moved them as if they had movable elbows and wrists

But each to his own

Steve

Automotivehistorian

I was one of those! My glasses were probably squarish not round by '68!

I have seen that car at Beaulieu and was very impressed with the handiwork. I gather that apart from the Supercar there was a black flying car?

Although not a puppet series per se I did and always do like UFO. In the late Seventies I met Ed Bishop in my office and we briefly chatted about the series. I got the impression then, pre-fandom, that it was something he wanted to forget. He had just appeared in IT AIN'T HALF HOT MUM as an American officer which I remarked on. Nice guy.

batman

Gerry Anderson was unhappy with the look of the people in the early episodes so took the project to another CGI studio. You can see a big difference between the look of the people in the early and the later episodes.

Bats.

Happy Birthday Daddy .... I love you!



BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Panavision

Morning, luvvies! Open roof doors! My mum bought me a Supercar for 10/6d when the programme was running. It was a semi-rigid plastic toy, and I loved it! I've heard that Mike Mercury was modelled on James Garner. Johnny

Lord Brett

Actually, I think they scrapped all the footage from the original CGI team and started from scratch. The big difference in later episodes (apart from the virtually all-British team becoming more experienced and honing their skills) was that they went virtually all motion-capture for more realistic movement, instead of using mo-cap for some scenes and 'traditional' CGI for others.

batman

Cheers M'Lord, the improvement in quality is very noticeable in the later episodes. It's a shame the third series never materialised. Do you know of any future Anderson projects?

Bats.

Happy Birthday Daddy .... I love you!



BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Panavision

Memories are so precious - and I wonder if we spoil them by trying to recreate them. I'm sometimes disappointed when I view old favourites. As I young anklebiter, I ached for a Dan Dare Space Station with walkie-talkies. I've got one now (courtesy of eBay) but it's just not the same. Perhaps I should just live in my head! I was very surprised to discover that good old Willoughby Goddard appeared as Lamburger (as I called him!) Gessler in only about twelve Willam Tell episodes, yet he seemed to figure so largely! I believe he's in a Middlesex nursing-home now. Johnny.

scholes

Thunderbirds was the ultimate puppet programme.
I remember the first episode from 1965, 'Trapped in the Sy' where Fireflash had been sabotaged by the Hood which involved that awesome rescue attempt.

Like Paul Merton, as a child I dreamed of being a Thunderbird 2 pilot, if only for a go on the slide.
Captain Scarlet was eerie and I did have the odd bad dream of Captain Black hovering with intent around the local Graveyard.
Call it a vivid imagination.
The Secret Service was good.

samkydd

I don't think there's a place for real puppet dramas on TV these days. We don't need them when we have real life puppet-acting in the guise of former "soapsters" who pop up in just about every UK drama series with alarming regularity!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Harleybloke

Oh for the days of 'Sugar Smacks' cereal! They used to give away loads Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett toys........................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

batman

I had the whole set of both .... my mother gave them to a nephew of mine with all my other soldiers. He cut the legs off some of them so they could be 'casualties'.

Happy Birthday Daddy .... I love you!



BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09