History Series / FireballXL5

** The ''[=XL5=]'' crew often have [[AlienLunch alien cuisine]], and no one has any problems... save for when it's ''poisoned''.

* SocietyMarchesOn: Dr. Venus is the butt of a lot of "How about some coffee?" requests and "I don't know how I feel about a space mission led by a ''woman''" remarks.

* ThemeTuneCameo: One episode ends with the crew performing the end title song (which then plays instrumentally over the credits!).

* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Zoonie, Venus' pet [[CoolPet lazoone]].

** Interestingly, in a print-only story telling how Zoonie became a pet, he is described as having "an incredible intelligence potential in that ugly head of his" so it seems that Zoonie is simply too lazy to bother learning more than he needs to (clue: he's called a lazoone and he sleeps most of the time).

''Fireball [=XL5=]'' is a British TV show following the missions of spaceship ''Fireball [=XL5=]'', commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was made in 1962 by Gerry Anderson, featuring {{Supermarionation}}, which would be used again in subsequent shows such as ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and ''Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons'' -- this was the first and to this day only Anderson show to be shown on network television in the US, Creator/{{NBC}} to be specific (the [[EditedForSyndication bastardizations]] of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' briefly shown on Creator/FoxKids in 1994 don't count).

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Lt. Ninety is promoted to "Space General" and put in charge of Space City. He then proceeds to issue contradictory launch/landing instructions to numerous spacecraft (including ''[=XL5=]''). Not surprisingly for a {{Supermarionation}} show, everything proves to be MadeOfExplodium. [[spoiler:Turns out it was AllJustADream]].

* RoboSpeak: Co-pilot Robert the Robot. Inspired by series creator Gerry Anderson's visit to a lab that built artificial larynxes for people who'd lost their voices to disease or injury. [[DescendedCreator Anderson himself, in fact, used one such device to voice Robert]] -- making this the only show in {{Supermarionation}} history he was one of the voice artists behind the puppets (in addition to Robert, he also provided robot voices in the episodes "Trial By Robot" and "The Granatoid Tanks," all uncredited).

''Fireball [=XL5=]'' is a British TV show following the missions of spaceship ''Fireball [=XL5=]'', commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was made in 1962 by Gerry Anderson, featuring {{Supermarionation}}, which would be used again in subsequent shows such as ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and ''Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons'' -- this was the first and to this day only Anderson show to be shown on network television in the US, Creator/{{NBC}} to be specific (the [[EdotedForSyndication bastardisations]] of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' briefly shown on Creator/FoxKids in 1994 don't count).

''Fireball [=XL5=]'' is a British TV show following the missions of spaceship ''Fireball [=XL5=]'', commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was made in 1962 by Gerry Anderson, featuring {{Supermarionation}}, which would be used again in subsequent shows such as ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and ''Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons'' -- this was the first and to this day only Anderson show to be shown on network television in the US, Creator/{{NBC}} to be specific (the Fox bastardisations of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' don't count).

* SouthernFriedGenius: Prof. Matthew Matic's accent wouldn't sound too out of place were he to show up as "Cousin Matt" on the ''Series/BeverlyHillbillies'', but ... "Professor".

* SouthernFriedGenius: Prof. Matthew Matic's accent wouldn't sound too out of place were he to show up as "Cousin Matt" on the ''Series/BeverleyHillbillies'', but ... "Professor".

'''''Fireball [=XL5=]''''' is a British TV show following the missions of spaceship ''Fireball [=XL5=]'', commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was made in 1962 by Gerry Anderson, featuring {{Supermarionation}}, which would be used again in subsequent shows such as ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' and ''Series/CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons'' -- this was the first and to this day only Anderson show to be shown on network television in the US, Creator/{{NBC}} to be specific (the Fox bastardisations of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' don't count).