27 May 2008
In Bed With Medinner
I can, just about, remember this documentary the first time around.
I never saw London Bridge but it looks like a missed cracker, though I suspect that all 70s kids shows - bar the anarchic TISWAS - were almost as bad as this.
25 May 2008
From Zadie Smith to The Kindle
Observer literary editor Robert McCrum, retiring after ten years in the job, writes about the revolution in the book world he's seen over the last decade.
In Bed With Medinner
Perhaps, not the funniest thing he did but it's one of the classics - 'Muggy Bonehead'
Can't remember this one first time around - must have missed it because I'm sure I would have remembered someone as amazing as Delores
24 May 2008
"It's constituency was the drunk, unemployed insomniac, student, loners that understood my passion for the minutia of television."
The classic post-pub television program of the nineties, In Bed With Medinner had a simple format - Bob Mills would present and comment on clips from the many documentaries he had made over the years.
Many highlights are here, I'll put up some of my faves over the next few days.
Holy Wall-Walking Cameo, Batman!
When you are ascending the side of a building with your Boy Wonder, you really don't know who is going to pop out of that window.
20 May 2008
Supermarionation - Conclusions
Anderson went on into the 90s for, dear oh dear, Space Precinct. Here's the intro anyway.
Then the 21st Century proper with the new CGI Captain Scarlet - which was actually pretty good.
Perhaps it's better to just remember the classic years: And here's another shorter and rather spiffing contemporary 'making of' documentary.
One final extra point of interest were the many comics spin-offs.
You could see the strings on the puppets, the plots were written to a strict formula, but the groovy theme tunes from Barry Gray seem to age like fine wine...
19 May 2008
Supermarionation - Terrahawks
Anderson carried on into the 80s with Terrahawks when he was perhaps past his best, but it's well remembered by some.
Intro and theme tune
Outro with the famous 'Noughts and Crosses'
Terrahawks in 'action'
'Roid Writer
Intro and theme
Canadian writer Craig Davidson is pretty intense (read mad) when it comes to research and promoting his work, entering into an officially sanctioned boxing match to promote The Fighter.
But even he thinks he went a bit too far when he went on a full 'steroid cycle'.
18 May 2008
Supermarionation - Space 1999
Intro and theme
Space 1999, was a program that whilst having lots of silly monsters...
And alien babes still managed to scare me stupid with one particular sequence as a nipper.
A rather poignant final message has recently been received from Star Base Alpha.
Download - Print - Cut - Fold
Cubecraft - Stormtrooper, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Iron Man, Mario etc. More (Sonic, Ninja Turtles etc) here.
17 May 2008
Supermarionation - UFO
Anderson did make shows with people too. Though in the case of UFO the people still looked pretty much like puppets. Here's the intro.
16 May 2008
Supermarionation - Joe 90
The premise for Joe 90 (kid is mentally programed with new specialised skills to undertake missions) sounds a lot like Joss Whedon's new show
Theme Music
15 May 2008
Supermarionation - Captain Scarlet And the Mysterons
Spectrum is green.
"This is the voice of the Mysterons!"
Theme Music
The death of Captain Scarlet
10 Optical Illusions In 2 Minutes
If only all adverts were as good as this
14 May 2008
Supermarionation - Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds are go!
Intro and theme
And here are the thunderbirds in action. Repeated often so it was much loved by many generations - an early 90s repeat led to a toy Tracy Island selling out. The show Blue Peter had a feature on how to make your own, the Fact Sheet (PDF) for which subsequently ran out as well.
Try to forget the recent film version or, even worse, the Busted song...
Think of the Rezillos instead
70s kids
George Plemper's extensive photographic record of south London working-class life from the 70s and early 80s, in particular children at Riverside school, Thamesmead, was left hidden away in carrier bags for three decades. Now he's put it on Flicker
13 May 2008
Supermarionation - Stingray
"Anything can happen in the next half hour!"
The ever loverly Aqua Marina
Troy Tempest in action
12 May 2008
Supermarionation!
From The Adventures of Twizzle to the reboot of Captain Scarlet - for nearly fifty years - Gerry Anderson made television shows, but is still best remembered for the classic 'Supermarionation' period were, as this documentary shows (1, 2, 3, 4) he really was making the 21st century.
Over the next few days I'll post up some more Anderson stuff.
Reverend Death
'"I'm always careful and I always work quietly, like the Lone Ranger."' Jon Ronson investigates Reverend George Exoo, a controversial leading figure in the Right-To-Die movement. Most of his clients are not terminally ill; are they just depressed and in need of psychiatric help instead?
Kirk Speaks!
Extracts from William Shatner's biography... he comes over as a not very nice person at all from his reminisces of his Star Trek days, though claws some of that back in the description of his third wife's accidental death in his swimming pool.
11 May 2008
Red Army Rising
Comrades! Glory once again in the display of Soviet Russian military might at the revitalized May Day Victory Day Parade!
View From A Balcony
Official Coverage 1
Official Coverage 2
Official Coverage 3
Angel Of The South
Ebbsfleet? Never heard of it? Not even the new international railway station? A 50m sculpture is hoping to change that... the five short-listed designs have been recently revealed.
02 May 2008
La Cabina (The Telephone Box)
Emmy winning short Spanish film. Saw this once as a kid and I've never forgotten it...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
