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are only the size of dolls, and their ships and technology are scaled to match. Perhaps the greatest triumph of the puppeteers are not just the human puppets, but the
Centauris - for they were as intricate, but barely 10 cm high as compared with the 32 cm human puppets for simultaneous shots.
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In the stories, the protagonists were concerned only with the defense of South Africa - the rest of the world was more of an abstraction. Interaction with the
Centauri's was the primary interaction with South Africa. A number of fascinating concepts were explored - relative to humans, the Centauris
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Many of them models 'Fly' using a sophisticated process involving ultra-thin lines and servo motor control, permitting a very convincing anti-gravity/flight special effect. With the film and TV camera process in use at the time of production, the thin lines are of course optically invisible on all
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The cockpits of the
Impalas are noteworthy for including a fairly sophisticated wiring loom, including flashing lights and a complete fully functional TV screen which is able to display computer text. In addition, the pilots sit in a semi-reclining position, echoing the seating of the
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The plot contained some content of interest to South
African adults who could see the political connotations to some of the themes like political isolation. One character (a villain) bore a remarkable resemblance to the then South African President
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with the Earth being depicted as a galactic pariah of the "Interplanetary League" due to its cold war with the planet "Krokon". The villain in the series was depicted by Prince
Karnati or his evil henchmen.
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354:. There was a pragmatic reason for calling the aircraft Impalas - the basis of the models were 1/48 scale plastic model kits of the AM326, so that they would be recognizable to South African youth.
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is a detailed model, and can be seen in considerable detail during the opening credits of the program in a downward looking flyby.
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Plot wise, Interster was far removed from any of the
Anderson stories. There was no unified government as seen in either
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under the guise of an interstellar shipping company. The show mirrored the real world political issues of
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which was fully functional to the point of being able to remove his hat, for the children's TV program
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that played music for a children's program featuring two more puppets, Sarel
Seemonster, a friendly
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The longer story arc and individual plots were also unusually sophisticated for a children's show.
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from the early 1980s. At the time of its production the show was variously compared to the series
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was the brain-child of filmmaker
Lindsay du Plessis. Du Plessis also worked on the puppet series
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released in
Afrikaans by the SABC on 10 March 2009 featuring the main characters from the series.
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were also more impressive, requiring a special permit from the production crew.
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The main plot involved an undercover planetary defense agency operating from
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Puppets were internally wired, and movable in a large range of motion.
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from a distant space system. The entire series was produced in
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South
African Broadcasting Corporation television shows
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740:South African television shows featuring puppetry
309:television series made for children and shown in
558:List of South African animated television series
785:South African science fiction television series
362:The main characters were based in the city of
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775:1986 South African television series endings
485:, and as a result was technically superior:
467:was produced almost 10 years after the last
342:The spaceships used in the show were called
770:1982 South African television series debuts
745:South African children's television series
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108:Learn how and when to remove this message
780:South African animated television series
350:aircraft, the locally assembled Italian
735:1980s science fiction television series
721:featuring interviews with cast and crew
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120:1982 South African TV series or program
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
750:Afrikaans-language television shows
417:had started in the late 1970s with
481:, 1969) and almost 15 years after
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790:Space adventure television series
380:Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
139:The cover of the first volume of
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33:needs additional citations for
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717:(fanzine), 6 page article on
393:, the star closest to Earth.
413:The same team that produced
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495:programmed and controlled
711:http://andersonic.co.uk/
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544:Thunderbirds (TV series)
706:Internet Movie Database
499:provided better motion.
471:television show to use
348:South African Air Force
332:international isolation
585:www.vintagemedia.co.za
336:Apartheid South Africa
443:, and Karel Kraai, a
581:"vintagemedia.co.za"
509:shots of spacecraft.
321:International Rescue
42:improve this article
366:while enemies were
478:The Secret Service
244:Production company
152:Lindsay du Plessis
435:which could blow
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201:Original language
191:Country of origin
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352:Aermacchi MB-326
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184:Tully Macallaugh
168:Dr Johann Beukes
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31:This article
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603:the original
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503:Pyrotechnics
483:Thunderbirds
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475:techniques (
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450:Wielie Walie
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420:Liewe Heksie
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386:Fireball XL5
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311:South Africa
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270:20 July 1982
236:Running time
195:South Africa
176:Gavin Keyser
157:Developed by
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40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
521:The future
433:sea monster
223:of episodes
173:Directed by
57:"Interster"
729:Categories
715:, issue 11
713:Andersonic
564:References
409:Production
346:after the
300:Inter-star
284:1986-04-26
274:1982-07-20
239:25 minutes
231:Production
212:of seasons
186:Lloyd Ross
165:Written by
149:Created by
68:newspapers
719:Interster
701:Interstar
679:"YouTube"
523:Cape Town
465:Interster
457:Interster
439:from his
415:Interster
372:Afrikaans
364:Cape Town
328:Cape Town
295:Interster
204:Afrikaans
181:Composers
141:Interster
127:Interster
659:cite web
619:cite web
551:X-Bomber
532:See also
493:Apple II
441:nostrils
429:crickets
403:PW Botha
344:Impalas
334:facing
282: (
278: –
272: (
267:Release
257:Network
247:C-Films
82:scholar
649:8 June
609:8 June
497:servos
368:aliens
307:puppet
84:
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63:
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437:steam
425:witch
89:JSTOR
75:books
665:link
651:2014
625:link
611:2014
516:F-16
445:crow
358:Plot
61:news
704:on
383:or
323:).
261:TV1
221:No.
210:No.
44:by
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