A T T Retro Review: Stingray With Troy Tempest

Stingray is just as awesome this year as it's always been! My favourite episode on the DVD was 'In Search Of Treasure' - Phones and Oink were so cute together. Although, I prefer Oink with Marina and Phones with his little puppy Bertie.

I rank this DVD a ten out of ten starfishes.

The Stingray Crew On: Going Off Writing

TROY: Okay, so, my friend doesn't want to do storywriting. Do you know why I've called you all hear and tied up Commander Shore in the cupboard?

*Atlanta raises her hand*

TROY: Yes, Atlanta?

ATLANTA: She's been refusing to do it ever since she left school. She didn't do it in the noisy home in Golspie, she didn't do it when her Gma was ill, she didn't do it after she died. So, what happened?

TROY: I already told you in the last post, she's going to do some non-fictional stuff on her blog.

PHONES: TROY! You do use Gemini, right?

TROY: Yeah.

PHONES: Well, I have an idea. Why don't you ask her to give you a 'Going Off Writing Activity For The Day'? Or maybe, you can use the words in a storybook or a encyclopedia to make up your own blog entries.

TROY: Great idea, Phones!

*Everyone claps*

PHONES: Thanks a lot, maestros.

TROY: Marina, do you have any answers?

*Marina emerges covered in green paint*

TROY: Oh my god.

*Everyone laughs hysterically*

ATLANTA: That Marina, she always knows how to push my buttons...

*Troy licks his lips in desire...*

The Stingray Crew On...Sickness & Feeling Low

ATLANTA: What seems to be wrong with our friend?

TROY: She's feeling a bit low, which means she's never going to create again.

COMMANDER SHORE: Great Neptune! Then that means...she won't be seeing any of us string puppets again!

PHONES: That's awful!

TROY: Look, even Marina's getting upset. She's never going to see her all time favourite best friend ever again!

*Oink makes his funny noises*

TROY: Well, at least she's got Oink for company.

COMMANDER SHORE: Well, something has to be done. Our Christmas episode aired on Saturday Morning Pictures this morning, which means there will be a light in the darkness that is a feeling of low-light.

TROY/PHONES/ATLANTA: What is the feeling of low light, and what does it mean?

COMMANDER SHORE: Do I have to? Okay, okay, well, according to the residents of Balamory, after you've been sick, your brain goes grey, your creativity moves to Paris for the day and blood will leak out of your eyes.

ATLANTA: *gasps* OH MY GOD! Father, don't you dare say that! There's children reading this!

*Marina vomits out seaweed*

TROY: It's not helping!

*All the Stingray crew scream in terror*

Commander Shore's Message About My New Stingray Comic Anthology

COMMANDER SHORE: Attention all WASP agents! I have some disturbing news about our friend's new Stingray comic anthology.

ATLANTA: Father, what's that?

COMMANDER SHORE: All of the comic strips in our book, which is available on Forbidden Planet's website, are good, even one which has a style similar to Raymond Briggs' stories.

PHONES: (in a low voice) Except When The Wind Blows.

COMMANDER SHORE: But here's the bad news.....THERE ARE NO BLEEDIN' INTERESTING BITS UNLIKE THOSE THUNDERBIRDS BOOKS!!!

(All the WASP agents gasp in horror)

COMMANDER SHORE: Why does International Rescue get to do anything they want? I mean, they got all the riches, the jewels, the cash, that stemmed from being as popular as those stupid Korean demon hunters that premiered on Netflix last year. Even Lady Penelope's in on all the fun - not forgetting Parker, or her daughter - but us? We just sit around doing nothing!

ATLANTA: Now, father, don't go ranting on about International Rescue, you know things got even worse when Tracy Beaker's mentioning of the group got televised in 2021 - after all these stressing programmes.

PHONES: Yeah! Down with CBBC!

TROY: Wait - where's Marina?

COMMANDER SHORE: Oh. Er...well, she's gone into her room to cuddle Oink.

PHONES: And fantasise about the sea?

COMMANDER SHORE: Well, Oink is Marina's son.

Sea Of Serenity

Marina and Oink love to bond together as a mother and adopted son. Marina is so fair, kind and gentle, that you can easily compare her to Lady Penelope - or so she thinks. Tonight on MeTV Toons, there's going to be more Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray, which means there's a serene side to Marina's undersea excursions without the assistance of the Stingray crew.

She and Oink love to sneak out at night and dive into the ocean water, swimming deep under the sea and discovering new aquatic life and happiness which are hidden in the depths. All the while, Marina would try very hard not to get that 'Aqua Marina' song stuck in her head, because if she hears that god-awful song again, she'd probably find herself physically assaulting Troy and Phones whenever she feels up for it.

Anyway, Marina loves to swim with seahorses and look for buried treasure in sunken ships. It's Marina's duty to collect whatever's buried in the sea and bring it back up to Marineville to place them on the shelves in her room. Commander Shore would often ask, "What is this junk?" to which Atlanta would explain that she's 'unleashing her inner Ariel', as Marina watches The Little Mermaid quite a lot.

Anyway, when Marina and Oink emerge from the depths, they like to splash each other in the darkness of the sea to their hearts' content. Marina is too silent to laugh, but Oink grunts with laughter as Marina splashes him senseless. Marina feels free in the water, away from the clutches of Titan (if he feels up to capturing her) and happily finding treasures wherever she goes.

However, it's no surprise to learn that if you go onto the beach the next morning, you'd be shocked to see what looks like a dead mermaid with a sleepy baby seal by her side! But no need to worry, it's only Marina fast asleep on the soft sand with Oink by her side.

Oh, what would Troy Tempest think?

Marina's Rage: The Book