From the archive: 11 October 2022. This report announced the 2022 vinyl edition of Cloud of a Billion Lights. Its preorder period and limited pressing are historical information, not a current stock promise.
A new life for Century 21 records
For Fireball XL5’s 60th anniversary, Anderson Entertainment revisited the Century 21 record label, originally formed in 1965. The new release used the familiar “21 minutes of adventure” concept and packaging inspired by the original mini-albums.
Cloud of a Billion Lights was scheduled for 28 October 2022, sixty years after the programme’s British television debut. The announced edition used “fireball yellow” vinyl and was limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.
The cast behind the adventure
The full-cast story had originally been produced for Network’s Fireball XL5 Blu-ray set in 2021, and was re-edited for the vinyl edition. Nicholas Briggs wrote and directed the adventure, with Marc Silk as Steve Zodiac, Genevieve Gaunt as Doctor Venus, Briggs as Professor Matthew Matic and Jamie Anderson as Robert the Robot.
The story gave a new cast the chance to revisit the pace and atmosphere of a classic Anderson audio adventure, while Jamie took on the robot role originally voiced by Gerry.
Keep exploring
Visit the Fireball XL5 hub for the crew, Space City, spacecraft and further stories. For the separate digital release, see Big Finish’s release information; the vinyl and digital editions should not be assumed to have identical running times or extras.
