|
|
 |
Production: GB, 1983 Puppets The first Gerry Anderson serie after the (partial) failure of “U.F.O.” and “Space: 1999”. Adding to the failure of “Space: 1999”, there was something worst: the troupe which had made possible all his best shows (“Thunderbirds” amongst all) existed no more. Composer Barry Gray, who had composed unforgettable themes, retired after |
|
“Space: 1999” first season;
Derek Meddings,
who created the special effects and all the futuristic vehicles, was now
working for the big screen; too his heir Brian Johnson, who created the
superb eagles for “Space: 1999”, was working too for cinema, giving is
contribution (not always credited) to the “Star Wars” saga. Moreover, the
most sad loss: Anderson had divorced from his wife Sylvia, who had always
been the creative mind of all his productions. Forced to begin all again from zero, with a totally new troupe, Anderson made this puppet serie trying to go back to the “supermarionation” success. In year 2020 Earth is menaced by an android army from planet Guk. Androids have conscience and human likeness, although orrifying. They |
 |
 |
have their base on Mars and want to conquer all the galaxy, starting,
obviously, from Earth. Professor Ninestein from UN High Command creates a special fighting force against aliens, called “Terrahawks”. Members of the force are, by first, prof. Ninestein who is the ninth clone of professor Stein (and sounds also like Einstein...); then Captain Mary Falconer, Lieutenant Hiro, Captain Kate Kestrel (astronaut and, incredibly, singer...),Lieutenant Hawkeye (who has bionic eyes), Sergeant Major Zero and Sergeant 101 which command a squad of robots called “zeroids”. |
|
As in all Anderson’s series, there’s a fleet of particular vehicles (and
it all seems to recall “Thunderbirds”). The “Battlehawk”is an enormous aircraft used by prof. Ninestein and Captain Falconer to reach the battle fields and command operations. The Battlehawk can transport a caterpillar vehicle or also professor’s automatic car (a sort of Rolls-Royce, not as glamorous as the “FAB 1” from “Thunderbirds”). The “Terrahawk” is a light aircraft which contains the “Battlehawk” cockpit and can separate from the mother vehicle to make flights near the “Battlehawk” landing area. The “Treehawk” is a space shuttle used to reach the “Spacehawk”, an |
 |
 |
orbiting station manned by Lieutenant Hiro. The “Hawkwing” is an interceptor aircraft, piloted by Captain Kestrel and Lieutenant Hawkeye. The “Overlander” is a huge land vehicle (with 9 pairs of wheels) which transports supplies for the Terrahawks base, in South America. For a best security, the Overlander never reaches the base, but has a rendez-vous with Battlehawk on half its way. Although it has a cockpit, it is always automatically driven. The episodes are entertaining enough, and the zeroids are quite funny, but anyway there isn’t even half the fascination of “Thunderbirds” or “Captain Scarlet”. |
|
Puppets are
different from all what seen before: proportions are similar to the
“Thunderbirds” ones (with very big heads), and faces are more realistic,
even too much. |
 |
39 episodes, colour, 30' 1) Expect the unexpected part 1 2) Expect the unexpected part 2 3) Thunder roar 4) Close call 5) From here to eternity 6) Space samurai 7) The sporilla |
 |
| 8) Happy madeday 9) Gunfight at Oaky’s Corral 10) The ugliest monster of all 11) The gun 12) Thunder path 13) Mind monster 14) To catch a tiger 15) The Mida’s touch 16) Operation SAS 17) Ten top pop 18) Unseen menace |
 |
| 19) A Christmas miracle 20) Midnight blue 21) Play it again, Sram 22) My kingdom for a zeaf 23) Zero’s finest hour 24) The ultimate menace 25) Gold 26) Ma’s monster’s 27) Two for the price of one 28) Child’s play 29) Jolly Roger One |
 |
| 30) Runaway 31) First strike 32) Terrabomb 33) Doppelganger 34) Timewarp 35) Space cyclops 36) Operation Zero 37) Space giant 38) Cry UFO 39) Cold finger |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
