At the Yahoo BOTP mailing list, there was a question about this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOZViQ01XTk Apparently it's a commercial from 1981. And it's got a whole bunch of life-sized models of the G-Force characters in it. Does anyone know if there's a complete version of the commercial online anywhere? The person who posted it appears to be Greek. Maybe you know something about this ad, Daniella?

Cool! Zoltar and the Great Spirit (and Zark?) are in it as well!

I found that frightening. Manequins dressed up like G-Force, Santa Claus flashing in and out. Another robot without a head. I would like to see the whole thing.

This DOES bring back memories!!! I remember the department store that made the ad, and maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I remember the ad also! But Christmas 1981...this was after BoTP stopped showing on TV. It started in October 1980, if I'm not mistaken, until July 1981. In the beginning twice per week, then three times per week. The uniforms were not for sale...THAT, I'm sure I would've known! Santa Claus is saying "This year I'm in the right department store, with the Phoenix spacecraft and the mighty G-Force team". Will look for full version! Thanks for sharing!

What was the department store called? Clearly its people were aware of how popular BOTP was with kids! None of the stores that I knew as a kid, in Canada, had any ads with G-Force in them -though I'd have liked it if they had!

I wish someone would have done that in my area. So it was BotP and not Gatchaman?

The department store was called "Minion", it was one of only two big department stores we had in the late 70s-early 80s. The spot is about BoTP -- we didn't have Gatchaman in Greece. I actually didn't know about Gatchaman until one nice day I looked up BoTP on Google...and the rest is history!

Thanks for the info! Italy is the only country in Europe I know of that had both BOTP and Gatchaman on television, but it was only Gatch II and Gatch F. I didn't know about Gatchaman until late 2006 and I found out about it the same way -Google.

We also had Guardians of Space many years later, but after BoTP, it was a disappointment, and it never caught on like BoTP. Just after BoTP finished, in 1981, we got "Star Blazzers", which was not G-Force, but good enough! Did anyone of you ever see it?

I saw a little of it and liked it. I believe they ended up making a live action version of it.

Originally posted by Becky Rock I saw a little of it and liked it. I believe they ended up making a live action version of it.

It's very strange, this thread is bringing back sooooo many memories: Becky, I remember watching a movie in 1982 or 1983 called "Star Blazzers", but it was rather disappointing, if I remember correctly. Have to imdb it!

I think the one I saw advertised was in an anime magazine and it was only distributed in Japan.

I have seen all 3 seasons of Star Blazers. The first season came out about the time Battle did. The second and third came out in the late 80's. The episodes then came out on video in the early 90's,then DVD's within the last ten years. You may still be able to get some online. Also a company here in the states put out a 12 issue comic series and the same company put out all the Yamato movies. I hope this info helps.

Originally posted by DeDe3 I have seen all 3 seasons of Star Blazers. The first season came out about the time Battle did. The second and third came out in the late 80's. The episodes then came out on video in the early 90's,then DVD's within the last ten years. You may still be able to get some online. Also a company here in the states put out a 12 issue comic series and the same company put out all the Yamato movies. I hope this info helps.

You're right! I think that's what the movie was called!I did get the first series on DVD also, but I hadn't heard about the comics. After Star Blazers we had Thunderbirds 2086, which was quite good, but still, BoTP is the one I love best

I don't know if this will help, but I usually go to this site first when I'm looking for certain anime: http://www.rightstuf.com/rssite/main

Star Blazers was the English version of the Japanese anime Space Battleship Yamato as most of you would know. A live action movie starring Takuya Kimura (I just have to say mwoarr here) was released in Japan in 2010. And the Narrator was... Isao Sasaki! According to Wiki (whatever would we do without it??) there are plans to do an English live action version of it as well....

The trailer for the live action Yamato looks good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Row0rYFQCHs It also gives me an idea of what a live action Gatchaman movie might look somewhat like, if Nikkatsu ever does get around to making one...

If the trailer is any indication, the movie was done very well. Why couldn't they have picked up Gatchaman?

They did, actually. They own the rights for a Gatchaman live action movie. They simply haven't exercised those rights.

Maybe we should start an e-mail campaign to have it made.