mpi Media Group To Release New Gerry Anderson Documentary Next Week

Courtesy: mpi Media Group

Gerry Anderson is one of the most well-known figures in the modern history of television and next week, mpi Media Group will release a new documentary about Anderson’s life and work in the form of Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted.

The new documentary is scheduled for release Jan. 10 on DVD.  The documentary was created with the permission from officials running his estate.  His story is told through interviews with Anderson’s family, friends and colleagues. 

The documentary follows Anderson’s upbringing in a household that featured a Jewish father and anti-Semitic father and how he came to create so many beloved series, such as Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Space: 1999 and Stingray over the course of a 92-minute run time.

Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted will retail for MSRP of $24.98.

More information on this and other titles from mpi Media Group is available at:

Websitehttps://mpihomevideo

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/mpimediagrp

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Joe 90: The Complete Series Is One Of Gerry Anderson’s Classic Supermarionation Series

Courtesy:  Timeless Media Group

Courtesy: Timeless Media Group

Timeless Media and Shout! Factory have done it yet again. The two companies have proven once again today why they are collectively the absolute leader in home entertainment. How have they done this? They have done so by re-issuing yet another of Gerry Anderson’s classic supermarionation series, this time in the form of Joe 90. This release, much as with the companies’ other re-issued series, was originally released on DVD by A&E Home Video some twelve years ago in 2003. While Anderson’s series Thunderbirds leads the way among his many works, Joe 90 is deserving of its own credit, too. One could actually argue that among the many series that Anderson created throughout his life, this series actually stands right on par with Thunderbirds. Perhaps part of the reason for its success is its writing. One could argue that unlike Anderson’s other series, Joe 90 follows more purely the classic action model. Those other series were more sci-fi and fantasy-based by comparison. It is more akin to Thunderbirds than those series when placing them side by side. On a related note, there is something about the overall look of the series, too. There is something about the detail of the marionettes and the way that they move, coupled with the acting of those pulling the marionettes’ strings that makes this series look more realistic than any of Anderson’s other series. Simply put, seeing is believing. The bonus material included in this set rounds out the reasons that it performs so well. There is another archived interview with Gerry Anderson in which he discusses the roots of his work in even more depth, and commentary with specific episodes just as with Timeless Media Group’s other Gerry Anderson sets. The bonus features, the look of the series, and the writing are each important to the enjoyment and success of Joe 90 in their own right. When all three elements are assembled together, they show clearly why Joe 90: The Complete Series is another welcome addition to any classic TV buff’s collection. They also show collectively why Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory together are the single leading entity in the world of home entertainment.

TMG and Shout! Factory’s brand new re-issue of Joe 90: The Complete Series is another big win for both companies and for classic TV buffs alike. It is not the first of Gerry Anderson’s classic supermarionation series that the companies have released so far. But it is one of Anderson’s best by comparison. One of the reasons that this series stands out among Anderson’s many series is its writing. Unlike Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons, Stingray, and Fireball XL5–or even Supercar, which is due out next month–Joe 90 is that one series that is perhaps most closely akin to Anderson’s biggest hit, Thunderbirds. The sci-fi elements of those other series are present here. But this series is more characterized by its pure action elements more so than the sci-fi elements. The sci-fi elements incorporate here are more tools to help the episodes advance than the star of the show again unlike those aforementioned series. Audiences that might not be so familiar with Joe 90 will appreciate in this series that as with Anderson’s other series, the main character–Joe 90–goes on all kinds of adventures. But in the case of this series those adventures are all centered on Earth. They don’t take Joe into the depths of space or the sea or any other outrageous backdrops. This makes the stories a little more believable and in turn even more interesting. Speaking of that ability to suspend disbelief, two of the series’ episodes pit Joe 90 against two of the West’s biggest Cold War foes in Russia and China. Presenting two real foes from the time the series ran helped to make the series that much more believable and in turn enjoyable. It made it that much easier for audiences to root for Joe 90. On another note, Joe 90 also boasts its own share of pure action stories. One example comes late in the series’ run in the episode “Trial At Sea.” This episode sees Joe 90 having to stop a madman that wants to sink a ship. Only Joe can stop the bomb from going off and sinking the ship on which he and his father are riding. Even when Joe and his dad try to go on vacation, they can’t get a break as they are pulled into an international incident in which a military organization has taken over one of W.I.N.’s outposts. It’s yet another example of how the stories crafted for Joe 90 make this series stand out from Gerry Anderson’s other series and in turn, what makes it so enjoyable. Whether for the noted episodes or for those not noted, Joe 90 proves itself a fun watch for the whole family. Its stories are more reality based despite their sometimes outrageous settings. One can’t help but think about James Bond at least to some extent in watching this series. And maybe at its heart, this is why the show works. Not only is it similar to Thunderbirds, but it also bears a similarity to James Bond. Regardless, the episodes crafted for Joe 90 are collectively one clear reason why Joe 90 is so enjoyable for audiences of all ages and why it is one of the best of Gerry Anderson’s series.

The writing that went into Joe 90 is one of the most important parts of the series’ enjoyment and success in its new re-issue. That is hopefully made clear with the basic outline of the writing noted above. As important as it is to the whole, the look of the series coupled with the work of the people pulling the strings is just as important. The look of Joe 90 is noticeably different from that of Gerry Anderson’s other supermarionation series. The detail on the marionettes makes them look even more human than in any of Anderson’s other series. The work of those pulling the strings adds to that feeling of realism as audiences will see. Maybe it is just the interpretation of this critic. But the motions of the marionettes seems more fluid and real than in any of Anderson’s other series. Those fluid motions from the marionettes and their seemingly more detailed look overall makes them as close as marionettes could come to being human without being human. It makes the ability of viewers to suspend their disbelief all the easier. In turn, it makes the series in whole that much more enjoyable and all the more worth adding to any classic TV buff’s home library.

The surprisingly impressive look of Joe 90 by itself makes for plenty of reason for classic TV buffs to check out this blast from the past. The series’ solid writing taken into consideration along with its look shows just as much why it is so enjoyable for audiences of all ages. They are not the only factors to note in the set’s success, either. The bonus material included with this box set rounds out the package. Audiences are treated to episode-specific commentaries and another archived interview with Gerry Anderson. The commentaries in question add their own insight into the given episodes, just as with TMG’s other Gerry Anderson series. Together with the archived Anderson interview, in which Anderson discusses another star of his series (not just Joe 90), the interview and companion commentaries offer plenty of insight into Joe 90 and the other series that made Gerry Anderson so famous in his day. They also collectively show why this series and his others remain family favorites to this day.

The insight offered via the bonus commentaries and archived interview are few. Even as few commentaries as there are, the amount of insight offered via said commentaries–and the bonus interview with Gerry Anderson–makes for plenty of enjoyment for every classic TV buff. The same can be said of the series’ writing and its equally surprisingly impressive look. All three elements considered together, they show without a doubt that Joe 90 is one of the best of Gerry Anderson’s supermarionation series. It also proves itself to be, again, a piece that any classic TV fan will love to have in his or her own home collection. Joe 90 is available now on DVD in stores and online and can be ordered direct online at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-action-adventure/joe-90-the-complete-series. More information on this and other titles from TMG is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com/tentpoles/timeless-media-group

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Timeless-Media-Group/358391474233364

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Fireball XL5: The Complete Series Is Another Must Have For Any Classic TV Fan

Courtesy:  Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

Courtesy: Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

When he first introduced the concept of “supermarionation” to television viewers over fifty years ago Gerry Anderson probably didn’t have any idea of how popular his various puppet-based programming would become to audiences the world over.  If he saw the love that his various series still receive to this day, Anderson would likely be very pleased to see how beloved they remain today.  And thanks to the hard work of the people at Timeless Media Group, he would probably be just as happy to see the love given to his series so far by the company.  That is especially the case with the brand new release today of Anderson’s first ever “supermarionation” series Fireball XL5.  Originally broadcast in 1962, the series followed Colonel Steve Zodiac and the crew of the Fireball XL5 deep into space as they faced all kinds of adventures.  Now thanks to its new re-issue, a whole new generation of audiences will get to see those adventures for themselves.  In taking in every one of those adventures, said viewers will agree as to just how enjoyable they are, proving the importance of the writing to the series’ enjoyment.  And while the series was obviously acted out by marionettes instead of actual actors, audiences will agree that the work of the puppeteers–essentially the actors–adds even more enjoyment to the series.  The work of the people pulling the strings made suspension of disbelief so easy and in turn made enjoyment of the series that much easier, too.  The look and sound of the footage across the series’ thirty-nine total episodes rounds out the reasons that this newly released set is such a joy for audiences of any age.  If not for the work put in by the necessary parties to bring the series back to life neither the writing nor the work of the actors chronicled on the set’s six discs would be worth the time and/or money invested into the set.  Luckily though, the series’ production values do in fact make its writing and acting worth the investment.  And in investing both the time and money, audiences will agree that Fireball XL5 is another must have for any classic TV buff.

Fireball XL5 is not the first of Gerry Anderson’s classic “supermarionation” series released by Timeless Media Group in the past year or so.  And while it is not the first of Anderson’s classic “supermarionation” series to see the light of day again it doesn’t take away from the fact that it is another must have for any classic TV buff.  This is proven first and foremost through its enjoyable writing.  Those responsible for writing the series’ thirty-nine total episodes have crafted over three dozen stories that will keep audiences fully engaged from beginning to end in each.  Audiences will be kept engaged thanks in part to the stories themselves.  From battling evil aliens bent on freezing Earth by reflecting the sun’s rays to taking on evil space pirates to saving an entire race of people when its planet heads on a collision course with another planet, the stories prove to be just extraordinary enough yet believable enough to keep viewers engaged.  These are just a few examples of why the series’ writing is so pivotal to the success of Fireball XL5. Throughout the series’ thirty-nine total episodes, there are plenty of other examples of why its writing makes it just as fun as Anderson’s other “supermarionation” series. One of those many examples lies in the episode “Mystery of the A2” in which Col. Zodiac and his crew uncover a long-held mystery in when they find a long-lost rocket and its captain.  “1875” is another prime example of why the series’ writing is so important to its importance. It puts Col. Zodiac in a time travelling adventure in which he has to stop his crew, as they have turned into robbers. There is even an adventure that takes Col. Zodiac and company on a peaceful mission to help a pair of giants in their efforts to explore space in “The Triads.” Again, here is more proof of the importance of the writing behind Fireball XL5. While the series is another “supermarionation” series, the adventures crafted for the series still manage to stand on their own merits versus those crafted for the likes of Stingray, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons, Thunderbirds or any of Gerry Anderson’s other series. It’s just one way that Fireball XL5: The Complete Series proves itself a must have for any true classic television fan.

The writing behind Fireball XL5 is key to the enjoyment of the series. The adventures themselves are great escapes for any true classic TV fan. The fact that the series is a stand-alone series versus all of the serials currently cluttering up the airwaves today only adds to this new release’s positives. As important as the noted aspects of the show’s writing prove to be, the work of those controlling the marionettes is just as important to note. While they may have been off camera, it goes without saying that they were in fact the real actors. They were just pulling the strings of the on-screen “actors.” Their interpretation of the scripts makes it easy to look past the fact that what audiences are seeing is a bunch of puppets on strings and more on the story. As a matter of fact, their work actually makes the show’s obviously campy feel all the more endearing. Again, it shows exactly why the work of the real cast is so important to the series and why it makes this new release a must have for any classic TV buff.

The work of Fireball XL5’s writers and that of the show’s puppeteers collectively shows why decades after it ended its run, it is still a great watch. It proves why this show is in this critic’s view more enjoyable than most “family friendly” offerings on television’s major broadcast and cable networks today. The same can be said of those responsible for resurrecting the show’s original footage for this release. Given, it’s not the first time that the series has seen the light of day. But roughly twelve years have passed since it was last released by A&E Home Video. So some work had to have been put in to do some restoration work for this re-issue. And said work paid off, too as the footage looks and sounds as impressive as it did in its original broadcast if not better. The end result here is a sense of nostalgia even among those that were not even born at the time of the series’ original run. Coupled with the work of the show’s writers and puppeteers, that sense of nostalgia is increased and in turn, the appreciation for this classic is increased, too. That newly found appreciation will lead ultimately to the realization once more that Fireball XL5 is a must have for any true lover of classic television.

Fireball XL5 is a must have for any lover of classic television. That has been noted more than once here. And it has been noted with good reason. The writers have crafted a show that is family friendly and that presents stories largely unlike those of Gerry Anderson’s other “supermarionation” series. Because the series in whole is a stand-alone series, it stands apart from today’s “family friendly” serials. The people controlling the puppets make suspension of disbelief all the easier. The look and sound of the footage rounds out the whole package that is Fireball XL5: The Complete Series. The footage looks and sounds as clean as it did in the series’ original broadcast. Because it looks and sounds so impressive, it makes the rest of the presentation that much more worth the investment of time and money, proving once and for all why Fireball XL5: The Complete Series is another welcome piece of television history from Timeless Media Group and another must have for any true lover of classic television. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered direct from Timeless Media Group online at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-animation/fireball-xl5-the-complete-series. More information on this and other titles from TMG and Shout! Factory, including Gerry Anderson’s other series, is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com/tentpoles/timeless-media-group

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Timeless-Media-Group/358391474233364

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

TMG Releasing Another Classic Gerry Anderson Series Next Month

Courtesy:  Timeless Media Group

Courtesy: Timeless Media Group

Timeless Media Group will release yet another piece of legendary television figure Gerry Anderson’s collection next month when it releases Joe 90: The Complete Series.

Timeless Media Group will release Joe 90: The Complete Series on Tuesday, April 14th. The thirty-episode series follows the adventures of genius scientist Professor Ian McClaine and his adoptive son Joe who are recruited by the World Intelligence Network after McClaine creates a machine called a BIG RAT (Brain Impulse Galvanoscope Record and Transfer). The BIG RAT has the ability to transfer specific knowledge, skills, and abilities from one person to another in instants thus making its subjects capable of performing any number of tasks, stealing information and much more. When McClaine looks for a test subject for his machine, he turns to his adoptive son to help him. Having gained his new abilities, he and his adoptive father end up working for the W.I.N. stopping the world’s various crime lords, evildoers, and general bad guys. The duo’s adventures are spread across six discs and include both a previously unseen interview with Anderson and audio commentary with designer Mike Trim and director Ken Turner. It will retail for MSRP of $29.93 but can be pre-ordered online now for a reduced price of 24.93 via Shout! Factory’s online store at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-action-adventure/joe-90-the-complete-series. More information on this and other titles from TMG is available online at:

Website: https://www.shoutfactory.com/tentpoles/timeless-media-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Timeless-Media-Group/358391474233364

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

TMG Takes Audiences From The Ocean’s Depths To The Depths Of Space This Spring With Another Classic Gerry Anderson Series

Courtesy:  Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

Courtesy: Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

Timeless Media Group will release another of Gerry Anderson’s classic “Super-Marionation” series this spring in the form of Fireball XL5: The Complete Series.

Fireball XL5: The Complete Series will be released on DVD Tuesday, March 10th. It follows TMG’s recent re-issue of another of Anderson’s classic series Stingray: The Complete Series. TMG’s upcoming re-issue of Fireball XL5: The Complete Series is the first time that this classic series has seen the light of day on DVD since A&E Home Video last released it on DVD twelve years ago. The upcoming box set takes that company’s release and slims it down into a much more ergonomically sound box all while retaining all thirty-nine original episodes from the classic series. It also boasts a handful of bonuses including episode specific commentary from director Alan Patillo and voice artist David Graham. There is also a bonus documentary short titled The Noble Art of Fireball XL5 with comic artist and illustrator Mike Noble.

Fireball XL5 takes audiences from the depths of the deep blue sea that were used as a backdrop for Stingray into the depths of outer space throughout the course of its thirty-nine episode run. The series follows the exploits of Captain Steve Zodiac and the crew of the Fireball XL5, which is the flagship of the World Space Patrol. Zodiac and his crew have been tasked with investigating the deepest corners of Galactic Sector 25 in search of any potentially inhabitable planets and alien life.

TMG will re-issue Fireball XL5 on DVD Tuesday, March 10th. It will retail for $29.93. It can be pre-ordered online now via TMG’s online store for a reduced price of $24.93 at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-animation/fireball-xl5-the-complete-series. More information on this and other titles from Timeless Media Group is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com/tentpoles/timeless-media-group

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Timeless-Media-Group/358391474233364

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Stingray Finally Gets A Full, Proper Release In Its 50th Anniversary Edition

Courtesy:  Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

Courtesy: Timeless Media Group/Shout! Factory

Fifty years ago, a man by the name of Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia created what would be some of the greatest programs in television history when he introduced the concept of “Supermarionation.”  The concept, which proved to be exactly what it sounded like–using marionettes in the place of actual actors for series–led to some of the greatest series on television.  Those series included the likes of Thunderbirds Are GO, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and Stingray just to name a few.  All three titles have received their own DVD releases in the early 2000s courtesy of A&E Home Video.  And now thanks to the efforts of the people at Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory, Stingray has gotten what can only be described as a full, proper DVD box set release.  Timeless Media Group released Stingray: The Complete Series–50th Anniversary Edition on DVD last Tuesday, January 13th.  First and most notable of the box set’s positives is its writing.  Those that might not be so familiar with the series will appreciate the writing that went into this series.  It was a serial that wasn’t a serial.  While it does hold serial elements, there are also plenty of stand-alone episodes to counter that serial element and make the series true fun.  Also worth noting is that in its new re-issue, Shout! Factory has seen what A&E Home Video offered audiences in the series’ 2002 DVD release, and raised them quite a bit with this release.  Timeless Media Group has raised the ante with packaging that is far more ergonomically sound than that of A&E Home Video’s 2002 release of the series.  TMG has also raised the bar with the set’s bonus features.  It has carried over some of the bonus material from the series’ 2002 release and included even more for audiences with this set.  Last but hardly least of all worth nothing of the set is its collective look and sound.  While half a century has passed since Stingray first debuted to audiences overseas, the series looks and sounds just as good as ever in its new release.  It shows that the efforts taken by those charged with bringing the series back to life yet again more than paid off.  Together with the set’s improved bonus material and its equally impressive writing, it becomes one more shining reason that ay lover of classic television should include Stingray: The Complete Series–50th Anniversary Edition to their home DVD library.  All three factors together show just why TMG’s new re-issue of Stingray: The Complete Series—50th Anniversary Edition an early candidate for the list of the year’s best new box sets.

Timeless Media Group’s new 50th Anniversary re-issue of Gerry Anderson’s Stingray is an early candidate to make any critic’s list of this year’s best new box sets.  This applies both to box sets for grown-ups and for the whole family.  The central reason for such an accolade is the series’ writing.  The writing presented a series that was a serial but not a serial.  From the series premiere to its finale, the series’ writers never allowed the ongoing conflict between W.A.S.P. (World Aquanaut Security Patrol) and the Aquaphibians to overpower the series.  Given, the Aquaphibians are always there in the background as the series’ central villains.  But the writers always managed to maintain the series’ episodes as their own stand-alone entities from one to the next beginning to end.  One of the best examples of the writers’ ability to maintain that balance comes in the form of “Loch Ness Monster.”  The story takes rugged Captain Troy Tempest and his navigator Lt. George Lee “Phones” Sheridan to the famed Loch Ness in Scotland to investigate an attack on a fisherman by the legendary Loch Ness Monster.  In another case, Troy and George meet some new allies while helping the crew of an oil rig in “Sea of Oil.”   And there are even more enemies and challenges for the members of W.A.S.P. late in the series’ run in “An Echo of Danger,” “Invisible Enemy” and “Deep Heat” just to name a few more of the series’ great stand-alone episodes.  The series’ early episodes tend to focus more on the conflict between W.A.S.P. and the Aquaphibians.  Even as much as those episodes focus on the underlying conflict, there are stand-alone episodes early on, too.  The fact that the series’ writers could balance both an ongoing storyline with a solid share of stand-alone episodes shows great talent.  That ability to keep viewers watching through said balance is something that far too few of today’s writers posess.  It’s one more example of what once made television great, how far it has fallen since then, and of course why any lover of classic television will throoughly enjoy Stingray: The Complete Series–50th Anniversary Edition.  The bonus material boasted throughout the set makes it even more of a must have for any lover of classic television.

The writing behind Stingray is within itself plenty of reason for any lover of classic television to pick up the series’ new 50th Anniversary Edition.  Its balance of serial and stand-alone elements keeps audiences engaged from series premiere to finale.  The bonus material offered along the way makes this new re-issue just as much a joy if not more so.  The bonus material included in the set includes a number of commentaries spread across the series’ thirty-nine episodes.  The commentaries in question are new additions to this box set.  They were not included in the set’s previous 2012 release from A&E Home Video.  They boast quite the history lesson on the show and its production as well as other topics.  Audiences learn the role that the classic crime drama Ironside played in one character’s development.  They also learn a little known secret centering on the series’ American broadcast versus its run on UK TV.  The difference in question is that the series’ UK broadcast was run in black & white while its U.S. broadcast was run in color.  There’s also a funny little bit telling about one model of the Stingray sub not being quite as waterproof as the series’ heads thought.  There are even discussions on the show’s production values in terms of its special effects that audiences will find rather interesting.  These discussions are just a handful of interesting additions to the set in whole.  There is much more for audiences to take in, including a full length interview with the now late series creator Gerry Anderson in which Anderson reveals that Stingray that was carried over from the set’s previous release via A&E Home Video in 2002.  Audiences will be interested to learn in the interview that Stingray was originally intended for adult audiences and not children.  Considering that references to smoking including Troy and George smoking were included throughout the series, it would make sense.  There are other elements to the series that show why it would be considered more for adult audiences than for children.  Ultimately the choice is up to parents.  That aside, that and the newly added commentaries show just why the bonus material included in Stingray: The Complete Series–50th Anniversary Edition adds to the enjoyment of the reborn classic.

The writing behind Stingray and the bonus features included in the series’ brand new 50th Anniversary Edition are both key in their own way to the set’s enjoyment.  The writing balances a serial element soundly with just as many stand-alone episodes, making thirty-nine episodes that will keep audiences engaged from beginning to end.  The combination of the set’s carry-over bonus material and its newly added commentaries adds to the set’s enjoyment and success thanks to the added history lesson on the series presented through each commentary.  While both elements play their own integral roles in the enjoyment and success of Stingray: The Complete Series–50th Anniversary Edition, they still comprise only a portion of the set’s positives.  The quality of the footage in terms of its look and sound is the last element to note that makes this set so enjoyable.  Stingray has–as previously noted–been released in its entirety once before via A&E Home Video.  Twelve years have passed since that release.  So unless one already owns that previously released box set, it is difficult to make a comparison of the quality of the footage in that set.  It can be said in the case of this release though, that the series looks and sounds wonderful.  Those that have the pleasure of seeing the series on a Blu-ray player will especially agree to this sentiment.  The original, grainy quality of the footage is still there.  And the sound is just as clear.  What’s really interesting to note in watching it on a Blu-ray player is just how clean it looks in its automatic up-conversion.  The noted grainy quality of the footage is anything but overpowering.  Rather it is like putting on an old vinyl and hearing that familiar static.  It’s just part of the presentation.  That in mind, those charged with re-mastering the footage for its presentation here are to be commended for their efforts.  The efforts will generate a welcome sense of nostalgia for those that grew up with the series.  For those audiences that might be new to the world of Stingray, it shows that such classic footage is just as good as any of the spit-shined material churned out by the major studios today.  That coupled with packaging that is far more ergonomically sound than that of the set’s 2002 release from A&E Home Video makes complete this set.  Together with the series’ writing and the mix of new and carry-over bonus material, the set in whole is yet another must see for any lover of classic television.  It is also more proof of why the partnership between Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory has made the companies two of the leading names in home entertainment.

Whether it be for the series’ writing, the bonus material included in the set, or even the top notch quality of the show’s footage and its packaging, there is so much to like about Stingray: The Complete Series50th Anniversary Edition.  Considering how much there is to like about this new re-issue, it would be no surprise if this set ends up on any critic’s year-ender noting the year’s best new box sets either for adults or families.  It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered direct via Timeless Media’s online store at https://www.shoutfactory.com/kids/kids-animation/stingray-the-complete-series-50th-anniversary-edition.  More information on this and other releases from Timeless Media Group is available online at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com/tentpoles/timeless-media-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Timeless-Media-Group/358391474233364

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like’ it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.