X Bomber (1980)

Country of Origin: Japan
Date(s) of Broadcast: 11 October 1980 - 27 December 1980
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 25
Average Episode Running Times: 23 mins
Format: colour     Supermariorama
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Jin Pro
English Language Version Production Company: Leah International
English Language Version Executive Producer: Kevin Morrison
Producers: Kimio Ikeda, Keisuke Fujikawa
English Language Version Producer: Louis Elman
English Language Version Production Co-Ordinator: Annie Wallbank

SCRIPT
Scripts: Keisuke Fujikawa
Created By: Go Nagai
English Language Version Script: Michael Sloan
English Language Version Story Editors: Annie Wallbank, Stephen Lovesay

DIRECTION
Senior Director: Michio Mikami
Directors: Akira Takahashi, Noriyasu Ogami
English Language Version Director: Louis Elman

PHOTOGRAPHY
English Language Version Prints: Rank Film Laboratories

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
English Language Version Supervising Editor: Tony Lenny
English Language Version Assistant Editors: Roy Helmrich, Brian Tilling

MUSIC
Theme Song Performed By: Bow Wow (Soldier in the Space)
English Language Version Music: Paul Bliss

SOUND
English Language Version Sound Recordist: Doug Hurring
English Language Version Dialogue Editor: Roy Taylor
English Language Version Dialogue Synchronisation: Maggie Dickie
English Language Version Special Sound Effects: Theatre 3 Productions
English Language Version Additional Sound Effects: Cinesound Effects Library Ltd
English Language Version Recorded At: Anvil Studios

SPECIAL EFFECTS
English Language Version Titles: G.S.E. Ltd

MISCELLANEOUS
English Language Version Assistant to Producer: Nicola Thurgood

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION VOICES
Peter Marinker (Dr Benn)
Jay Benedict (Shiro Hagen)
Constantine Gregory (Barry Hercules)
Mark Rolston (John Lee)
Liza Ross (Lamia)
Kevin Brennan (General Kyle)
Garrick Hagon (Captain Carter)
John Bradley (PPA)
Denise Bryer (Commander Makara)
Sean Barrett (Captain Orion)
Jacob Whitkin (Imperial Master)

In the year 2999, Earth colonies throughout the solar system come under attack by forces of Princess Makara's Imperial Alliance. The only thing that stands in their way is the Earth Defense Force's X-Bomber, an elite task force equipped with their secret weapon - the high tech spaceship Dai-X.

EPISODES

Scramble X-Bomber!
Super Powerful Gelma Fleet
Find F-01!
Wipe Out The Transport Fleet!
The Mysterious Ship 'Skull'
X-Bomber Goes Forth
Mortal Combat In The Gravity Graveyard
An Attack Beyond Tears
Target: The Captain
Galaxy Adrift
Farewell The Eternal Battlefield
Our Mortal Enemy Is Captain Custer
Battle To The Death: X-Bomber Verses The Gelma Empire
Lamia: Girl Of Destiny
X-Bomber: Death On Planet M
Lamia Kidnapped
Asleep In The Ice Prison
Bloody Mary's Promotion
Destroy The Prison Planet!
F-01: Assassination Plot
M13: Full Frontal Attack Begins!
M13: A Battle With No Tomorrow!
Board The Gelma Empire Flagship!
The End Of Earth
A New Beginning For The Galaxy

Japan
Television Distributor: Fuji TV Network Channel 8

UK
Television Distributor: ITV
Video Distributors: Thorn EMI (release in 1983); MYTV (MYTV 20012 (as Space Quest for F-01); MYTV 20013 (The Thalian Space Wars) - released in 1987)

USA
Television Distributors: Itoman & Co Ltd / Enoki Films Co Ltd
Video Distributor: Classic Family Entertainment (vol 1 - Save The Earth (#20001); vol 2 - Revenge of the Robot (#20002); vol 3 - Space Lava of Death (#20003); vol 4 - The Search for the Skull (#20004); vol 5 - Kidnapped (#20005); vol 6 - Lost in Space (#20006); vol 7 - Attack of the Bionic Robot (#20007); vol 8 - Showdown in Space (#20008))

UK
Rating: U

1986
October
15: UK - rated U by the BBFC (for video release)

1992
August
18: UK - Space Quest For F-01 rated U by the BBFC (for video release)

Star Fleet - UK title
Bomber X - French title

LINKS

WEB LINKS

SFXB - An excellent Star Fleet / X-Bomber site that gives you everything you need to know on this excellent Japanese TV show - images, episode guides, an FAQ and much more. There's even stuff about other 80s TV shows like Terrahawks and Ulysses 31.

MAGAZINES

Fantastic Films vol 3 no 9 (June 1981) (USA)
illustrated article (Star Wars a la Gerry Anderson by Fred Patten)

Look-In no.44 (30 October 1982) (UK)
illustrated article

Oriental Cinema 8 pp.21-22, 25 (USA)
illustrated article

puppets, space wars, space travel, aliens, spaceships

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008