What Arthur Provis did next - Paul Starr

SteveDix · 25-06-2012, 07:02 PM

Those of you who remember the Arthur Provis / Roberta Leigh produced "Space Patrol" might find this interesting : The untransmitted colour pilot for "Paul Starr", their follow-up series. It's interesting to see where they were at the time that Gerry was cooking up "Thunderbirds".

Featuring no less a person than a certain Mr. Ed Bishop as Paul Starr, agent of the Space Bureau of Investigation, and a rather racist japanese caricature called "Lightning". The robots look highly derivative of the Daleks, and the plot seems rather strange. Interestingly enough, the martian nuclear generator seems to be made largely from old gearboxes.

is MrTrimble, poster of this, on the board?

Enjoy..

Ham Salad · 27-06-2012, 06:26 PM

Very peculiar design for the ship....

RCnut · 02-07-2012, 03:53 PM

Thank god that never took off, couldnt see anybody making models of a solarscope almost fifty years on.

SteveDix · 02-07-2012, 04:11 PM

Funny you should say that, because this weekend, I was exploring YouTube and found that the Provis / Leigh team then attempted a live action re-jig of this idea, called "Solarnauts". It owes a lot in style, pace and music to "The Man From UNCLE", and features Derek Fowlds - better known from "Yes Minister"(!!!) - as one of the two heroes, as well as Alex Scott as the villain, doing practically the same performance as the bad guy "Logik" as he would later on as the Sidon Council member in "Voyager's Return".

Also appearing is "Fearless" Frank Maher, as the green guard who gets hoist by his own petard, and George Roubicek, who would later get to inform Darth Vader about what a danger Princess Leia would turn out to be.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/if76Vhqxzf0

Eagle-2 · 07-07-2012, 06:01 PM

Oh dear. It does look like a cheap knock-off doesn't it? A noteable lack of detailing in the model work, and no-one seems to have realised that high-speed cameras really do help make effects shots look more realistic!

Fun Pod · 10-07-2012, 08:22 AM

Have to agree with Ham Salad - the Solarscope is almost a caricature straight out of Futurama! And it would be a merchandising nightmare, what with those four pointy bits so close to little Johnny's eyes!

And the generic 'Asian' lead appears to be a marketing gambit for our friends in the East.

Anyone for a Pilling egg?

TV21Dalek · 12-07-2012, 07:49 AM

I have the Space Patrol DVD set and the Solarnauts, Paul Starr and some other rather twee puppet episodes are featured as extras.

The robots in "Paul Starr" are clearly Dalek rip-offs, even down to the sucker! It's hard to believe that they thought it would sell... Starr is a grouch, Lightning is just pointless, and the ship so uninspiring. What I find rather disturbing about this is that the puppets are so ugly... as are the Space Patrol ones.
Look at Fireball and the puppets look so much better, and the sets are more detailed and believable.

As for "the Solarnauts"... Mr Derek from Basil Brush meets Hammer Gal Martine Beswick in a production which has some nice moments, but just looks bland and cheap. Makes "Star Maidens" look like high art.

I actually used the Paul Starr robots in a comic some years ago, heh heh

SteveDix · 12-07-2012, 10:48 AM

There's some elements of "Solarnauts" that look so quaint. For example, Martine Beswick's "Lady's Space Helmet", complete with bow. But the rest of the project just looks so dated, especially when you realise that things like Captain Scarlet and 2001 were just round the corner.

tibbington · 04-08-2012, 09:54 PM

Oh my Thunderbirds A$$ im glad that show never made it to tv it looks like the underwater scenes were in a bath tub its copying stingray with the ocean door thing and the rocket leaping out of the water i thought the stingray and the mechanical fish did that

good thing is theres no strings visible and the mouth movement is more realistic

Face Ache · 05-08-2012, 12:00 AM

Hmm... I know I've seen this design somewhere before...

Oh, wait! Now I remember!

tibbington · 11-08-2012, 07:17 AM

If gerry anderson had made it i would watch it iadmit the story line is good and the whole idea isnt too bad but the models really put it off

SteveDix · 11-08-2012, 12:25 PM

There's flashes of brilliance in "Solarnauts". The green corridors of the alien base, for instance, stand up very well, and Alex Scott (playing Logik, the villain) ended up reprising his part as the Council of Sidon. The whole thing is very well-edited and has a nice pace to it. Unfortunately, the effects and the models let it down.

Mind you, this isn't the worst of it. Try watching "Send for Dithers"....

25-06-2012, 07:02 PM	#1
SteveDix Astrophysics Technician Join Date: May 2012 Location: Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Posts: 438	What Arthur Provis did next - Paul Starr Those of you who remember the Arthur Provis / Roberta Leigh produced "Space Patrol" might find this interesting : The untransmitted colour pilot for "Paul Starr", their follow-up series. It's interesting to see where they were at the time that Gerry was cooking up "Thunderbirds". Featuring no less a person than a certain Mr. Ed Bishop as Paul Starr, agent of the Space Bureau of Investigation, and a rather racist japanese caricature called "Lightning". The robots look highly derivative of the Daleks, and the plot seems rather strange. Interestingly enough, the martian nuclear generator seems to be made largely from old gearboxes. is MrTrimble, poster of this, on the board? Enjoy..

07-07-2012, 06:01 PM	#5
Eagle-2 Chief Eagle Pilot Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Surrey, UK. Posts: 112	Oh dear. It does look like a cheap knock-off doesn't it? A noteable lack of detailing in the model work, and no-one seems to have realised that high-speed cameras really do help make effects shots look more realistic! __________________ "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on The Citadel."

10-07-2012, 08:22 AM	#6
Fun Pod Communications Officer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 765	Have to agree with Ham Salad - the Solarscope is almost a caricature straight out of Futurama! And it would be a merchandising nightmare, what with those four pointy bits so close to little Johnny's eyes! And the generic 'Asian' lead appears to be a marketing gambit for our friends in the East. Anyone for a Pilling egg? Last edited by Fun Pod; 10-07-2012 at 08:23 AM. Reason: The series deserved it.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

27-06-2012, 06:26 PM	#2
Ham Salad Communications Officer Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 778	Very peculiar design for the ship....

02-07-2012, 03:53 PM	#3
RCnut Communications Officer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The windy city, well corner then. Posts: 797	Thank god that never took off, couldnt see anybody making models of a solarscope almost fifty years on.

02-07-2012, 04:11 PM	#4
SteveDix Astrophysics Technician Join Date: May 2012 Location: Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Posts: 438	Funny you should say that, because this weekend, I was exploring YouTube and found that the Provis / Leigh team then attempted a live action re-jig of this idea, called "Solarnauts". It owes a lot in style, pace and music to "The Man From UNCLE", and features Derek Fowlds - better known from "Yes Minister"(!!!) - as one of the two heroes, as well as Alex Scott as the villain, doing practically the same performance as the bad guy "Logik" as he would later on as the Sidon Council member in "Voyager's Return". Also appearing is "Fearless" Frank Maher, as the green guard who gets hoist by his own petard, and George Roubicek, who would later get to inform Darth Vader about what a danger Princess Leia would turn out to be. http://www.youtube.com/embed/if76Vhqxzf0

12-07-2012, 07:49 AM	#7
TV21Dalek Eagle Pilot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Glasgow Posts: 540	I have the Space Patrol DVD set and the Solarnauts, Paul Starr and some other rather twee puppet episodes are featured as extras. The robots in "Paul Starr" are clearly Dalek rip-offs, even down to the sucker! It's hard to believe that they thought it would sell... Starr is a grouch, Lightning is just pointless, and the ship so uninspiring. What I find rather disturbing about this is that the puppets are so ugly... as are the Space Patrol ones. Look at Fireball and the puppets look so much better, and the sets are more detailed and believable. As for "the Solarnauts"... Mr Derek from Basil Brush meets Hammer Gal Martine Beswick in a production which has some nice moments, but just looks bland and cheap. Makes "Star Maidens" look like high art. I actually used the Paul Starr robots in a comic some years ago, heh heh

12-07-2012, 10:48 AM	#8
SteveDix Astrophysics Technician Join Date: May 2012 Location: Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Posts: 438	There's some elements of "Solarnauts" that look so quaint. For example, Martine Beswick's "Lady's Space Helmet", complete with bow. But the rest of the project just looks so dated, especially when you realise that things like Captain Scarlet and 2001 were just round the corner.

04-08-2012, 09:54 PM	#9
tibbington Medical Technician Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wellington New Zealand Posts: 152	Oh my Thunderbirds A$$ im glad that show never made it to tv it looks like the underwater scenes were in a bath tub its copying stingray with the ocean door thing and the rocket leaping out of the water i thought the stingray and the mechanical fish did that good thing is theres no strings visible and the mouth movement is more realistic

05-08-2012, 12:00 AM	#10
Face Ache Medical Technician Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Posts: 182	Hmm... I know I've seen this design somewhere before... Oh, wait! Now I remember!

11-08-2012, 07:17 AM	#11
tibbington Medical Technician Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wellington New Zealand Posts: 152	If gerry anderson had made it i would watch it iadmit the story line is good and the whole idea isnt too bad but the models really put it off

11-08-2012, 12:25 PM	#12
SteveDix Astrophysics Technician Join Date: May 2012 Location: Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Posts: 438	There's flashes of brilliance in "Solarnauts". The green corridors of the alien base, for instance, stand up very well, and Alex Scott (playing Logik, the villain) ended up reprising his part as the Council of Sidon. The whole thing is very well-edited and has a nice pace to it. Unfortunately, the effects and the models let it down. Mind you, this isn't the worst of it. Try watching "Send for Dithers"....