Well, despite the earlier post, it appears that there is not in fact currently a US release of Thunderbirds on Blu-Ray. It is for sale in the UK, and a region 4 version is on sale in Australia (and eBay) for those with multi-standard players.
I already played that (region free) game with DVDs, and I already have one Blu-Ray player so I'm reluctant to spend yet more money on an iffy media.
After finding the Thunderbirds Blu-Ray on Amazon.com, the price skyrocketed to an amazing $290.Its for sale by a third party. I looked around for other US-based carriers and nobody else has it. Best Buy/Borders/Barnes and Noble/DeepdiscountDVD/Frys/ebay - none of them show a US Blu-Ray release.My guess is that this is the UK release.
As a result, I have to assume I jumped the gun and that a US release is not (yet) available.
During my search, I came across something interesting, namely a Blu-Ray release of the 1949 movie "The Third Man". This was shot in 1.33:1 ratio, like Thunderbirds. Guess what? its not cropped, that's right they retained the correct aspect ratio and it shows black bars left and right. Exactly how Thunderbirds should be done. Hint hint.
If you see an info about any Anderson show/movie coming out on Blu-Ray, please drop me a line via the link to the left.
Oh, and one more thing: I have seen bits from a high-def version of Thunderbirds are Go. Now that makes sense for a Blu-Ray release, right?...
Thunderbirds was released in a 6 disc Blu-Ray set on March 17th 2009. Looks to be the same as the UK release, eg cropped to lose top and bottom of the picture. Price is $99.99 so I'm guessing that this set will be hard to find in the shops and not sell too many copies.
Sadly, its stupidity like this which could well kill future releases of older shows as the publishers will point to poor sales of "Flagship" shows like Thunderbirds when requests come in for Joe 90, UFO etc. It will be interesting to see how "classic" US TV shows like Star Trek are treated in this medium.
Anyway, if interested, its a 6 disc set, but no details yet on any extras, but its probably identical to the UK release.
As Twitter increases in popularity, it only makes sense to include it in the information sharing aspects of TVCentury21. As such, I have created a twitter account for this site. The twitter account of TVCentury21 will include notes when articles are added, plus news events and tidbits as we get them.
Silva Screen in the UK will be releasing "Stand By For Action" the week of May 4. This compilation of Barry Gray tunes from the Gerry Anderson shows was originally intended for release around the time of the live concert in London last year. The 40 track compilation is fairly extensive, and does contain some rare tracks, but much of it will be familiar if the you have the other Barry Gray CDs released over the years. Rarities include tracks from UFO and Secret Service as well as alternate versions of music. For me, the cover makes the purchase worth it, and I would seriously consider buying a vinyl version if one became available, as it is very evocative of the 60s LPs.
For those who don't care for CDs, the album is also available as downloadable MP3 files. Prices on CD and MP3 versions are reasonable: £7.99 for MP3 and £9.99 for CDs.
Read More (below) for further details of this release.
Stephen La Riviere's book "Filmed in Supermarionaton" is expected to be available by July 2009. Its the result of extensive research and interviews with the cast and crew of the Supermarionation shows of the 50s and 60s.
Here is an exerpt from the available information on the book:
Filmed in Supermarionation is the story as you've never heard it before of the puppet empire that rose from the Slough Trading Estate in the 1960s and created shows such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90. Starting right at the beginning with Gerry Anderson's directorial debut in 1955 and finishing on the day the puppet studios closed in 1969, the book charts the rise and fall of the A.P. Films / Century 21 Organisation's 'Supermarionation' films. The book features a wealth of new information, hundreds of previously unseen photographs and is based on hours of interviews with cast and crew, newspaper articles and previously unpublished paperwork.
There is a Facebook group as well as a web site with details on the book as well as information on how to place a pre-order which also should ensure you get it signed by both Stephen and David Elliott, who wrote the forward to the book.
The new year brought with it a new release of Thunderbirds, on Blu-Ray discs. The discs are available in the UK and in Australia.
No sign of release in the US, or anywhere else yet.
Australian mega-fan and author of the must-have "Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide" has obtained the discs and presents his view of them in this exclusive review which appears after the jump.
The fanzine "Andersonic" has just published issue 7. The magazine comes out every 3-6 months and is a labour of love. All of the content is original, with many interesting articles. There is some quirky stuff, but the price is incredibly reasonable and it a must for Anderson fans. The latest issue includes an interview with Dominic Lavery (New Captain Scarlet) about his design and directing experiences. Also included in issue 7:
APF Memories - one fan's recollections of the studio's 60s heyday.
Close Up - is the music the best thing about it?
Alpha Incident Log - Strange goings on with a jewelled asteroid...
The Fastest Guy Alive - Fireball XL5 overview.
The Spirit of Thunderbirds - what the film missed and any new series shouldn't forget.
The Infernal Machine - Classic episode review: Sentient computer seeks new Companion: apply Box 1999.
Alec Freeman Character Study - there's more to Alec than you think.
Black Sun - classic episode review
Star Fleet/X-Bomber - the Japanese puppet series with a few things in common with Anderson's series.
Titan Goes Pop - is it anything to shout about? Like, yeah man!
Reviews - Barry Gray Centenary Concert and Doppelganger DVD.
Gerry Anderson is moving out of his office and back home while he works on new projects. As he is moving out, he no longer has room for the items in his office and so he is selling them. Much of it is of interest to collectors so there will be an auction next week, Feb 7 2009 in Battersea, South London. It is being organised by Comet Miniatures. Much of the auction consists of content from the New Captain Scarlet show as well as recent projects. Not much "classic" Anderson items, except some toys. There is an interesting set of Dinky Blueprints which will probably generate some interest. For full details and a complete list of items, check out this auction page: http://www.comet-miniatures.com/news_auction.php
Those in the UK can enjoy many Anderson shows over the holidays, so go nuts. For the rest of us, time to dig through our DVDs for festive treats.
Although it really doesn't matter what episodes to watch, there are many winter/Christmas-themed episodes to while away the festive season. The most well-known of course if "Give or Take a Million", the last episode of Thunderbirds.
Its not the greatest episode, but it has the right tone and is as festive as they come.
Sunday 9th I flew back home after attending the Barry Gray Centenary Concert in the Royal Festival Hall on the south bank of the Thames in London the evening before. I had had a fantastic night – the first performance where Thunderbirds roared from the orchestra live since the unbeatable “Filmharmonic ‘78” concert by Barry Gray himself. It was so long overdue! I got goose bumps hearing the Thunderbirds incidentals and Zero-X taking off. So why did I mark the concert with a 7 out of 10 instead of a 9 out of 10 I wondered. And then it occurred to me: I was there both as an admirer of Barry Gray’s work but also as a seasoned concert audience member.
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Silva Screen in the UK will be releasing "
Merry Christmas from TV Century 21!