Fireball XL5

Oct 28, 1962 (en) Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy [25] Min
  • First Air Date
    Oct 28, 1962
  • Production
    AP Films (APF), Associated Television (ATV), ITC Entertainment
  • Rotten tomato
    61%
  • Original title
    Fireball XL5
  • Release
    Oct 28, 1962
  • en
    -

Overview

Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was produced in 1962 by husband and wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson through their company APF, in association with ATV for ITC Entertainment. While developing his new show, Anderson thought a brand of motor oil—Castrol XL—had an interesting sound. A phonetic change created the name "Fireball XL", with the "-5" added as the title seemed a bit flat without the numeral. The show featured the Andersons' Supermarionation, a form of puppetry first introduced in Four Feather Falls and Supercar and used again in their subsequent productions such as Stingray and Captain Scarlet. Thirty-nine black and white half-hour episodes of Fireball XL5 were made on 35mm film: all future Anderson series were produced in colour. Several Anderson series have been shown in syndication in the US, but Fireball XL5 is the only Anderson series to have run on a US network. NBC ran the series in its Saturday morning children's block from 1963 through to September 1965. A similar programme often confused with Fireball XL5 is Space Patrol, produced by Gerry Anderson's ex business partner and co-founder of AP Films, Arthur Provis due to a number of similarities and settings.

  1. Music Supervisor

  2. Gerry Anderson, Arthur Provis

    Producer

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Casts

Full Casts & Crew

Casts : 3 / Crews : 3

Specials ( 2002-01-01)

The Noble Art of Fireball XL5

Episode: 1

Season 1 ( 1962-10-28)

Planet 46

Episode: 1

The Doomed Planet

Episode: 2

Space Immigrants

Episode: 3

Plant Man From Space

Episode: 4

Spy in Space

Episode: 5

The Sun Temple

Episode: 6

XL5 to H2O

Episode: 7

Space Pirates

Episode: 8

Flying Zodiac

Episode: 9

Space Pen

Episode: 10

Space Monster

Episode: 11

The Last of the Zanadus

Episode: 12

Planet of Platonia

Episode: 13

The Triads

Episode: 14

Wings of Danger

Episode: 15

Convict in Space

Episode: 16

Space Vacation

Episode: 17

Flight to Danger

Episode: 18

Prisoner on The Lost Planet

Episode: 19

The Forbidden Planet

Episode: 20

Robert to the Rescue

Episode: 21

Dangerous Cargo

Episode: 22

Mystery Of The TA2

Episode: 23

Drama At Space City

Episode: 24

1875

Episode: 25

The Granatoid Tanks

Episode: 26

The Robot Freighter Mystery

Episode: 27

Whistle for Danger

Episode: 28

Trial by Robot

Episode: 29

A Day in the Life of a Space General

Episode: 30

Invasion Earth

Episode: 31

Faster Than Light

Episode: 32

The Day the Earth Froze

Episode: 33

The Fire Fighters

Episode: 34

Space City Special

Episode: 35

Ghosts Of Space

Episode: 36

Hypnotic Sphere

Episode: 37

Sabotage

Episode: 38

Space Magnet

Episode: 39
Oct 28, 1962 (en)
Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
[25] Min
  • First Air Date Oct 28, 1962
  • Production
    AP Films (APF), Associated Television (ATV), ITC Entertainment
  • Rotten tomato 61%
Original Title Fireball XL5
en

Overview

Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was produced in 1962 by husband and wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson through their company APF, in association with ATV for ITC Entertainment. While developing his new show, Anderson thought a brand of motor oil—Castrol XL—had an interesting sound. A phonetic change created the name "Fireball XL", with the "-5" added as the title seemed a bit flat without the numeral. The show featured the Andersons' Supermarionation, a form of puppetry first introduced in Four Feather Falls and Supercar and used again in their subsequent productions such as Stingray and Captain Scarlet. Thirty-nine black and white half-hour episodes of Fireball XL5 were made on 35mm film: all future Anderson series were produced in colour. Several Anderson series have been shown in syndication in the US, but Fireball XL5 is the only Anderson series to have run on a US network. NBC ran the series in its Saturday morning children's block from 1963 through to September 1965. A similar programme often confused with Fireball XL5 is Space Patrol, produced by Gerry Anderson's ex business partner and co-founder of AP Films, Arthur Provis due to a number of similarities and settings.

  1. Music Supervisor

  2. Gerry Anderson, Arthur Provis

    Producer