Ah, Gerry Anderson episodes guides are always a funny one. The majority of the shows have conflicting episode guides in which order is best to follow. Some recommend the originally transmitted order, whereas some prefer to watch them in the order they were made in, or by following ITC's official order of episodes. The reason for the creation of the ITC order is unclear, although one commonly held belief is that these orders were devised on the basis that the quality of the shows improved over the course of production, and thus it made sense to bring some later 'better' episodes to the front of the run in order to hook viewers while burying earlier 'weaker' episodes near the end. By all means, you can watch the series in any order preferred. Episodes, judged by ITV broadcasts or ITC Entertainment have conflicting orders in order to maintain the show's continuity, because of real-life events, or due to the content presented on screen.
Bar the first episode where we meet the Subterranians for the first time, there is little continuity linking specific episodes. Furthermore, no particular content or real life disaster has ever meant a conflicting change to any Fireball XL5 broadcast run of episodes. I prefer to watch Fireball XL5 in order of production, which is also the ITC run order as this was the order I first watched the series on. The book's episode guide also follows along this order too. The order of transmission is compared by this list. On the left is the production/ITC order, combined with the first airdate of the series in 1962-63 in the first ITV region the episodes were shown on. It's interesting to compare such episode runs I always find. The transmission dates are featured in each episode guide per episode (some of which you may be surprised to see such a contrast in where the episodes are placed in each run).
1. Planet 46 1. Planet 46
2. Hypnotic Sphere 2. The Doomed Planet
3. Planet Of Platonia 3. Space Immigrants
4. Space Magnet 4. Plant Man From Space
5. The Doomed Planet 5. Spy In Space
6. Plant Man From Space 6. The Sun Temple
7 The Sun Temple 7. XL5 To H2O
8. Space Immigrants 8. Space Pirates
9. Space Monster 9. Flying Zodiac
10. Flying Zodiac 10. Space Pen
11. Spy In Space 11. Space Monster
12. XL5 To H2O 12. The Last Of The Zanadus
13. Space Pirates 13. Planet Of Platonia
14. The Last Of The Zanadus 14. The Triads
15 Space Pen 15. Wings Of Danger
16. Convict In Space 16. Convict In Space
17. Wings Of Danger 17. Space Vacation
18. The Triads 18. Flight To Danger
19. Sabotage 19. Prisoner On The Lost Planet
20. Prisoner On The Lost Planet 20. The Forbidden Planet
21. Flight To Danger 21. Robert To The Rescue
22. Space Vacation 22. Dangerous Cargo
23. Mystery Of The TA2 23. Mystery Of The TA2
24. Robert To The Rescue 24. Drama At Space City
25. The Forbidden Planet 25. 1875
26. The Granatoid Tanks 26. The Granatoid Tanks
27. Dangerous Cargo 27. The Robot Freighter Mystery
28. 1875 28. Whistle For Danger
29. The Robot Freighter Mystery 29. Trial By Robot
30. Drama At Space City 30. A Day In The Life Of A Space General
31. Whistle For Danger 31. Invasion Earth
32. Faster Than Light 32. Faster Than Light
33. The Day The Earth Froze 33. The Day The Earth Froze
34. Invasion Earth 34. The Fire Fighters
35 Ghosts Of Space 35. Space City Special
36. Trial By Robot 36. Ghosts Of Space
37. A Day In The Life Of A Space General 37. Hypnotic Sphere
38. Space City Special 38. Sabotage
39. The Fire Fighters 39. Space Magnet
LAST OF THE ZANADUS;
Written by Anthony Marriott
Directed by Alan Pattillo
Original UK Airdate: 13th January 1963 (ATV London, Ulster and Anglia)
Additional Voice Cast:
Kudos David Graham Major Jim Ireland John Bluthal
Steve reveals that Venus has only been on the team for five years, while he has been a patrol operative since before Jim left Earth 10 years ago. When Steve pulls his ray gun on Jim, a real hand is seen in the foreground while the Jim puppet appears in the background. Kudos and his civilisation, or what little is left of it, is amusing to juxtapose his sense of conveyed power to the fact he uses a tape to give the impression of his "followers" obeying his command. The story is interesting and intelligently develops well, an agent is employed to help destroy the Lazoon species. In his case, at Space City, it's Zoonie. When we see the projection at the gathering and see Zonnie panicking at the footage, it is a particular favourite scene of mine from the episode, and a favourite episode of mine from the series.