The first recording today, rather than losing the start of the programme I was recording, actually has an entire extra programme before it. It’s an episode of Batfink called The Trojan Horse Thief. This really is the strangest show. A short (about four minutes) episode, clearly a rip-off loving parody of the 1960s Batman show – even the policemen who gives him information looks like Chief O’Hara, but instead of Robin, he has a sidekick called Karate who is quite a bad stereotype. I wonder if he was supposed to be Kato from the Green Hornet, which was around the same time as Batman.
Following this, there’s a trail for M.I. High.
Then, the actual programme I was recording, Secret Show – Bogie Ball.
Today, the commander’s name is Mummy Dearest.
Victor and Anita have retrieved a camera from the bad guys, and they discover photos of the World Leader eating her bogey. This frankly sets the tone for the whole episode, and, reader, I was sniggering throughout.
They want to keep these pictures secret, but the camera had email, and they’ve been sent to somewhere in Tuscany. “Uh-oh. Look at this. A grade four coincidence. There was a bogie-related theft last night from a sculptor in Siena named Alphonse.”
His artworks are slightly unusual, like this ball of fluff. He tells Victor “Snuggle.” “It’s so big in here. It’s so comfy. Is it lambswool?” “Oh, no, no, no.” “Cashmere.” “Ah. No. It is made entirely from my belly button fluff.”
He shows them where the break-in occurred, in his “Green Room”. “What happened, Alphonse?” “Oh, Anita. They stole my bogie ball.” “I’m so sorry.” “I began to pick and stick when I was 10 years old. The entire contents of my nose over 20 years in one big, beautiful ball.”
Doctor Doctor has stolen the bogie ball, using it to test her new machine that turns bogies into explosives, as a way to kill the World Leader. They test it out on a robot of the World Leader (while Victor and Anita are hiding nearby).
They’re captured when their hiding place is revealed when the robot explodes. How can they possibly escape? Well, since they were next to the robot, their own bogies have been made explosive. Yes, they get out by picking their noses and flicking bogies. Never mind Dick and Dom, this is the apotheosis of Bogies.
Alphonse has followed them, and joins them in trying to destroy the oscillator that explosifies the bogies, which he does with his own bogie.
In return, Anita helps him retrieve his bogie sculpture.
Doctor Doctor unveils a large scale oscillator, so there’s only one way to destroy it – drop the bogie ball on it. “Goodbye, ball of greenness, my old friend.” “Thank you, Alphonse. I know that wasn’t easy for you.” “For you, Anita, I would explode a thousand of my bogies.”
Media Centre Description: Comedy series for 7-12 year olds about two agents in a top secret organisation. U.Z.Z. intelligence reveals that the World Leader eats her bogies – information which in the wrong hands could prove disastrous. Unfortunately T.H.E.M. find out and Doctor Doctor creates an oscillator machine that makes bogies explosive. Can Victor and Anita stop Doctor Doctor using her machine and prevent the World Leader from biting off more than she can chew?
Recorded from CBBC Channel on Wednesday 2nd January 2008 07:38
BBC Genome: CBBC Channel Wednesday 2nd January 2008 07:40
After this, there’s a trail for Freefonix, then the recording stops during an episode of Bernard.
The next recording starts with the end of an episode of Thunderbirds.
There’s a trail for Pop Britannia a behind the scenes promo for Mad Men. There’s also a Captain Scarlet-themed trail for Thunderbirds Night with an intro to the next programme featuring Thunderbird 2.
The next programme is Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons – The Mysterons. This is the first ever episode, and introduces the characters and the situation. I’ve already looked at this on one of my tapes.
Media Centre Description: First episode of Gerry Anderson’s classic supermarionation series. After an incident on their home planet of Mars, the Mysterons determine to take their revenge on Earth. Masters of death and reconstruction, they take over Captain Black of SPECTRUM, and plot to assassinate the World President. Only one man can withstand them – but first he must undergo perils beyond human endurance.
Recorded from BBC FOUR on Wednesday 2nd January 2008 20:38
BBC Genome: BBC FOUR Wednesday 2nd January 2008 20:40
After this, there’s another trail for Thunderbirds Night. and the Mad Man promo again.
Then the recording finishes just as the next programme starts.
The next recording is All About Thunderbirds, a documentary all about Gerry Anderson’s career with puppets. There’s so many people featured.
Occasional writer on nerdy topics Dominic Sandbrook talks about the Space Race.
Gerry Anderson on the influence of the Space Race on him. “I was interested in nothing else. I literally used to pray that I would live long enough to see a man land on the moon.” I’m writing this just a day after the anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11.
Nick Park: “It’s just a fantastic place to go, and I always believed that I would go there one day.”
Steve Bennett is literally a Rocket Scientist. “When I was a little boy, I was really looking forward to the future. It couldn’t come quickly enough for me.”
Stephen Cole: “Dad got a new car, great, but does it fly?”
Torchwood writer Phil Ford. “I wanted to be a spaceman. I mean, I think everybody, every kid did, and Gerry’s show has enabled you to be those spacemen.”
Mary Turner in the puppeteering: “There was the solenoid, which had to be put inside the puppet head, which would operate the mechanism inside the mouth, and the current for that had to come down wires, which held the puppets up.”
A Special Effects Assistant got paid £15 a week.
Keith Wilson has an Eagle Transporter hanging in front of him. Just the sight of it gives me a thrill, still after all these years.
Alan Perry on the special effects pyrotechnics: “To start off with, it was just a bang and a flash. Anyone got a lighter? And supercar had two stuck up its exhaust pipes, you lit it and ran, and that was it. If it burnt the string, it fell off. And the fire brigade used to come out, because the ceiling used to be alight, and things like that.”
The great David Graham, voice of so many characters. He’s 99, and still occasionally records voices for audio projects.
Alan Shubrook: “Fireball XL5 and Supercar had been major successes in the USA, and of course Lou Grade was really the spearhead behind many of the 60s programmes. Even the adult programmes like The Prisoner and the Saint would never have happened if Lou Grade hadn’t actually just said, in a moment, let’s do it.”
There are regular contributors to these kinds of programmes that you’re always happy to see. And then there’s Peter York.
Some of the behind the scenes stuff is great.
When Lew Grade saw the first half-our pilot of Thunderbirds, he loved it so much he told Gerry Anderson the show had to be an hour long, despite them already having finished about 8 half hour episodes. Shane Rimmer, voice of Scott Tracy, explains. “Each one had to be undone, they had to be enlarged from, what was it, about 25 minutes to 50 minutes.”
Matt Zimmerman explains the brothers: “Scott is supposed to be the sort of leader of the pack, aside from the old man. Virgil was quite the artist, played the piano and painted. Then there was lovely Alan here, who was the baby and spoiled.”
Gavin Robertson and Andy Dawson reminisce over which toys they had.
Sylvia Anderson on the problems of writing Lady Penelope for her series of comics: “The only problem was that when the team of writers came in, they never knew how to write for this new heroine. So it was all boys’ own stuff and the women sort of bringing the tea.”
There’s an archive interview with the great Derek Meddings.
Mike Trim (whose letter of employment we saw earlier): “They were on the beloved Slough trading estate, a very romantic setting, not far from the Mars Chocolate Factory and in the shadow of two cooling towers. Not quite Hollywood, but the nearest thing we’d got.”
Another wonderful behind the scenes shot.
After Thunderbirds came Captain Scarlet, voiced by Francis Matthews: “I was just asked to do this. ‘S-I-G Captain Blue, it’s Captain Scarlet speaking. I’m on my way’ you know, that kind of thing. I just did my voice. I didn’t really think about his character.”
There’s some footage of the Mime show that Gavin Robertson and Andy Dawson did based on the show. I went to see that in the West End, and I loved it. It was clearly made with a deep love for the show.
Media Centre Description: Documentary telling the story of enduring 1960s children’s animated marionette show, Thunderbirds. Creator Gerry Anderson, as well as cast, crew and fans, reveal how space travel and new technology promised an exciting future, as Thunderbirds captured the spirit of the age. There’s a look at how Gerry’s team created futuristic special effects from their humble studios in Slough and why the show was axed after just 32 episodes. Contributors include the voice of Lady Penelope, Sylvia Anderson.
Recorded from BBC FOUR on Wednesday 2nd January 2008 21:10
BBC Genome: BBC FOUR Wednesday 2nd January 2008 21:10
The recording ends with Lady Penelope and Parker introducing the next programme.
The next recording follows straight on. It’s Stingray: The Reunion Party, basically a clip-show for Stingray but it features some linking material that hadn’t been seen for 40 years.
Media Centre Description: New compilation episode of the 1960s children’s marionette adventure series about a futuristic submarine patrol, specially assembled under the supervision of creator Gerry Anderson, which draws on recently-discovered linking material shot in 1965 by Anderson and his team to promote international sales and which lay forgotten for 40 years. It illustrates some of Stingray’s most exciting adventures, as Troy Tempest, Phones and Marina battle the evil Titan.
Recorded from BBC FOUR on Wednesday 2nd January 2008 22:10
BBC Genome: BBC FOUR Wednesday 2nd January 2008 22:10
After this, there’s a trail for Five Years in Iraq.
And a trail for Wonderland.
The recording ends here.