Gerry Anderson ~ Stand By For Action!
Stingray, Captain Scarlet, UFO, Space:1999, Joe 90, Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds were all the brainchildren of Gerry Anderson, who was a master of the heroic adventure tale, puppeteering technology and futuristic machine designs.
For any youngster growing up in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s, Gerry Anderson's TV programs were a staple of British television, and have now gone on to enjoy cult status amongst those of a certain age.
Here, gathered together on one page, are the famous introductions to several of his best remembered shows, from his puppetry in the 60s to his live action series in the 70s.
Now, here's a thought - where have all the great intros and titles to TV shows gone? Gerry Anderson was amongst the best at producing them and it is a shame that they have all but disappeared...but that is for another lens.
Gerry Anderson: The Puppet Meister
Gerry Anderson Biography
Gerry Anderson MBE, born , is a British producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation".
His first television production was the 1957 Roberta Leigh children's series The Adventures of Twizzle and it would be almost a decade before his most famous and successful production, Thunderbirds, would be produced. His production company, originally known as AP Films and later re...
Spotlight on Gerry Anderson
The Complete Gerry Anderson
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $29.95
Author Chris Bentley details all of Gerry Anderson's productions, including not only such cult television series such as Thunderbirds, UFO, and Space:1999, but also his feature films and unseen pilot episodes.
This book also includes story synopses, production dates, broadcast details, full cast and crew lists, script changes, missing scenes, continuity errors and miscellaneous trivia from over 500 television episodes. It also includes more than 60 color photographs as well as behind-the-scenes information from Gerry Anderson's 2005 series, Captain Scarlet.
Torchy the Battery Boy
Gerry Anderson ~ 1957-1959
The adventures of a boy doll who travels by rocket to Topsy Turvy Land where toys can walk, animals can talk and cream buns grow on trees.
Supercar
Gerry Anderson ~ 1961-1962
Gerry Anderson's first science fiction Supermarionation series: Supercar was a prototype vehicle that could travel in the air, on land or beneath the sea.
Its test pilot was Mike Mercury, who traveled the world in search of adventure. Supercar was designed by Professor Popkiss and Dr. Beaker, who continued to modify it for specific missions. Often traveling with Mike was 10-year-old orphan Jimmy Gibson.
Spotlight on Supercar
Supercar - The Complete Series
Amazon Price: $79.49 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $99.95
Deep in the heart of the Nevada desert, the brilliant Professor Popkiss and his colleague Dr. Baker created Supercar, "The Marvel of the Age." Capable of racing from the depths of the ocean to the edge of space, this extraordinary vehicle takes the heroic pilot Mike Mercury and his precocious sidekick Jimmy Gibson on a never-ending series of thrilling adventures.
The first fully developed Supermarionation series from producer Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, Stingray), SUPERCAR established his winning formula of futuristic vehicles, high adventure, and advanced puppetry techniques. Now, all 39 episodes are collected in this five-DVD collector's set. Each show is digitally remastered and restored and presented in its original broadcast order.
Fireball XL5
Gerry Anderson ~ 1962-1963: The Opening and Closing Titles
Fireball XL5 was part of the fleet of interplanetary rockets protecting Sector 25 of the Solar System from alien invasion under the supervision of the World Space Patrol.
In command of XL5 was Steve Zodiac. His crew consisted of Venus (a doctor), Professor Matic (the science officer), and Robert the Robot, the rocket's mechanical co-pilot.
Below are the opening and closing credits to the series.
Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5
Spotlight on Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series
Amazon Price: $77.49 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $99.95
In the year 2063 the World Space Fleet is extending mankind's reach beyond the solar system. Leading the charge is the incredible spaceship Fireball XL5 commanded by the dashing Colonel Steve Zodiac. Steve and his steadfast crew patrol the vast reaches of Sector 25 where strange races inhabit distant planets.An early masterpiece from producer Gerry Anderson, Fireball XL5 has rarely been seen since its 1962 broadcast.
This exclusive DVD collection features all 39 episodes of the pioneer program that paved the way for the Supermarionation classics to come. Digitally restored and presented in their original production order.
Stingray
Gerry Anderson ~ 1964-1965
Gerry Anderson's third Sci-Fi Supermarionation saga told the adventures of the WASPs (the World Aquanaut Security Patrol) as they explored the oceans and kept the world safe from a variety of perils.
The WASP's main weapon was Stingray, a super-sub under the command of Troy Tempest. Troy's co-pilot was Phones, and they were often joined on missions by Marina, a princess of the undersea kingdom of Pacifica.
Spotlight on Stingray
Stingray - The Complete Series
Amazon Price: $77.49 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $99.95
With complex underwater model and puppet effects, this was groundbreaking television, especially as it was the first British series to be made in color, though for years it was seen only in black and white.
Special effects director Derek Meddings later graduated to the James Bond movies, while Moneypenny herself (actress Lois Maxwell) voiced Atlanta Shore. Here, just as in the Bond movies, she played second fiddle in our hero's affections, the mute Marina becoming Stingray's sex goddess. The end credits even featured a song in her honor, "Aqua Maria," which became an international hit. As for the bad guys: half-man, half-fish Titan and his Terror Fish wage dastardly war against humanity and the peaceful underwater citizens of Pacifica. Four decades on, the model and underwater sequences still impress, and surely much of the inspiration for the underwater city in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace came from locations in Stingray. Whether as bizarre '60s nostalgia, or winning a new generation of fans, Stingray remains eccentric cult family entertainment.
Gerry Anderson With Ex-Wife Sylvia
Thunderbirds
Gerry Anderson ~ 1965-1966
International Rescue is a secret organization which uses revolutionary high-technology machinery, designed to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations.
Its founder is Jeff Tracy, a billionaire former astronaut whose investments in aviation and technology have allowed him to create this rescue organization, based on a mountainous island in the South Pacific. Jeff leads his five sons - Scott, the eldest and field commander for rescues (Thunderbird 1); John, second eldest who usually mans IR's early warning satellite (Thunderbird 5); Virgil, a musician and artist who pilots Thunderbird 2; Gordon, an expert aquanaut and pilot of Thunderbird 4 and Alan, the youngest and most impetuous who mans Thunderbird 3.
The Tracy family is aided by Jeff's manservant Kyrano and his daughter Tin-Tin, and IR has a grid of agents around the world, usually led by wealthy Briton Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her manservant Aloysios Parker. He's a Cockney ex-con who has gone straight, but whose skills and knowledge of criminal elements allow IR to infiltrate potentially dangerous situations.
IR jealously guards its secret base, as its technology can be used to destroy life if it falls into the wrong hands. Determined to acquire their secrets and sell their technology to the highest bidder is a Malaysian criminal known only as The Hood - a master of disguise, who is brother to Kyrano and who possesses mysterious and powerful hypnotic ability.
Spotlight on Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Megaset
Amazon Price: $99.49 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $129.95
Packed with every moment from all 32 episodes of acclaimed producer Gerry Anderson's sci-fi supermarionation tour de force, this exclusive collection also includes a special new bonus disc containing two rare pop-up episodes, an exciting quiz, and a never-before-seen interview with the series creator Anderson.
Don't miss a minute of adventure--the THUNDERBIRDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION is a masterpiece of marionettes and the ultimate collector s item.
Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons
Gerry Anderson ~ 1967-1968
A misunderstanding on Mars provokes an alien race called the Mysterons to declare a war of nerves on Earth.
Throughout the series, they continually make terrorist threats and attempt to follow through with their ability to create obedient duplicates of anyone they kill. Their key opponent is the international intelligence organization, Spectrum, whose agents are code-named according to various colors.
Their top agent in this war is Captain Scarlet, an agent who was subjected to the duplication process, but was still alive at the time. As a result, his clone was able to shake off the Mysterons' control, but left him indestructible and able to survive any wound. Together with his partners, Captain Blue and Spectrum's fighter squadron, The Angels, the now immortal Captain Scarlet must constantly struggle to thwart the Mysterons' ever present threats.
Spotlight on Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet - The Complete Series
Amazon Price: (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $79.95
With stunning special effects, a new generation of realistic "Super-marionation" puppets, and a darker, more serious tone than its predecessors, CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS was producer Gerry Anderson's most ambitious series.
This exclusive DVD set includes all 32 episodes, available uncut and digitally remastered for the first time.
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The Twitter About Gerry Anderson
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- spettacoli
- Grandi manovre sugli UFO di Gerry Anderson ? http://twurl.nl/bf0znt
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- highrockmedia
- Watching 1970 TV series, UFO by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, ultra retro!
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- eddedmondson
- @carmenego Joe 90 always freaked me out way more than any other Gerry Anderson series
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- Dreamax65
- Grandi manovre sugli UFO di Gerry Anderson ? http://lnk.ms/548wq
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- ziczac_popolari
- Grandi manovre sugli UFO di Gerry Anderson ? http://izic.it/Hw4
Joe 90
Gerry Anderson ~ 1968-1969
Anderson's next series follows Joe McClaine, a 9-year-old boy whose adoptive father has developed a method of transferring specialist "brain patterns", and hence skills, into his son's mind.
As a result, Joe is able to become a test pilot, brain surgeon, etc, as needed. Combined with his innocent appearance, he becomes an agent for the World Intelligence Network.
Spotlight on Joe 90
Joe 90 - The Complete Series
Amazon Price: $79.95 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $79.95
Joe 90 comes complete in a four-disc boxed set of the entire 30-episode series. The 25-minute episodes are presented in superb picture quality and full, detailed mono sound. Extras include commentaries on two episodes, character biographies, a photo gallery, and varied extras such as location stills.
UFO
Gerry Anderson ~ 1970-1971
In the year 1980 the Earth is threatened by an alien race who kidnap and kill humans and use them for body parts.
A highly secret military organization is set up in the hope of defending the Earth from this alien threat. This organization is named SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization) and operates from a secret location beneath a film studio. They also operate a fleet of submarines and have a base on the moon, as well as an early warning satellite that detects inbound UFOs.
UFOs can be destroyed in space by Interceptors which are launched from Moonbase. If one gets through it can be attacked in the Earth's atmosphere by a high altitude aircraft launched from one of the submarines. If a UFO also avoids this and manages to land it can be tracked and destroyed by a number of Mobiles (armored vehicles) which are deployed throughout the world.
Spotlight on UFO
Gerry Anderson's UFO on DVD
The Complete UFO Megaset
Amazon Price: $69.95 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $69.95
These UFO DVDs have been beautifully designed and produced. The mono sound is exceptionally strong, and the restored and remastered picture is almost unbelievably good for a 1970 TV show. With barely a flaw anywhere, the episodes look so clear, colorful, and detailed that they could have been filmed last week. This eight-disc megaset features all 26 episodes.
The Protectors
Gerry Anderson - 1972-1973
The Protectors was the second of Anderson's live action series and first aired in 1972. It ran for 52 episodes over two series, each 25 minutes long. It starred Robert Vaughn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter (The Forsyte Saga) as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt (Space: 1999, Howard's Way) as Paul Buchet.
The three were international private detectives/troubleshooters who belonged to an organization called The Protectors. For reasons not explained in the show, these characters were all very wealthy and drove exotic cars of the era, like the Citroën SM and Jensen Interceptor.
Episodes often featured prominent guest actors, and the series was shot on location in numerous "exotic" locations throughout Europe, such as Salzburg, Rome and Paris, giving the series a sixties "jet set" feel.
Spotlight on The Protectors
The Protectors - Season One
Amazon Price: $79.95 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $79.95
The world is a messy place, full of devious minds and dastardly deeds. Which is exactly how The Protectors like it.
Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn) is a London private eye with an affinity for high-profile clients. The Contessa di Contini (Nyree Dawn Porter) owns an Italian detective agency specializing in fine art crimes. Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt) is a suave young Frenchman who always seems to have the inside scoop. Working for any government, company, or individual that can afford their services, the trio jets across Europe, unraveling mysteries and thwarting international villains.
Season 2 is also available for purchase.
Space: 1999
Gerry Anderson ~ 1975-1977
Gerry Anderson's next project was Space: 1999, which starred husband and wife team Martin Landau and Barbara Bain.
It's 1999, and Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research colony guards the silos of atomic waste from Earth which is stored on the Moon's far side.
On September 13, 1999, magnetic energy builds to cause an explosive chain-reaction of the waste, blasting the Moon out of Earth orbit and out of the Solar System.
The inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha are unable to return to Earth, and must survive on their wandering Moon as it is displaced further into unknown space by freak space warps. Along the way, they are joined by an alien woman with the ability to change herself into any living creature at will.
Spotlight on Space:1999
Space 1999 - 30th Anniversary Edition Megaset (17DVD)
Amazon Price: $52.99 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $99.95
The Space: 1999 30th Anniversary Mega Set collects all 48 episodes broadcast over the show's two seasons, contained on 17 DVDs that include vintage interviews, production stills, TV promotional spots, and interactive menus, and some material that was not seen in the original U.S. broadcasts has been restored. The episodes do not use the 2005 high-def remasters, so this is essentially the same as the 2002 Mega Set, but at a fraction of the shelf space (the Thinpak packaging is nicely compact) and a fraction of the price.
Terrahawks
Gerry Anderson ~ 1983-1986
In the year 2020 Earth is under threat from Martian androids who want revenge on the human race. They consist of Zelda, her son Youngstar and her sister called Sister.
An organisation is set up on Earth called Terrahawks, which is top secret to the rest of the world. This is led by Dr Tiger Ninestein who is helped by other characters, such as Sergeant Major Zero.
Spotlight on Terrahawks
Terrahawks: The Complete Series
Amazon Price: $89.99 (as of 12/29/2009)
List Price: $99.95
Terrahawks makes it to DVD - every episode.
The Top 10 Kid's Shows At iTunes
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The following are other Gerry Anderson TV series and productions. More information on these will be included in the next update...Stay tuned!
- The Secret Service (1969)
- Dick Spanner, P.I. (1987)
- Space Precinct (1994-1995)
- Lavender Castle (1999-2000)
- Firestorm (2003)
- Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet (2005)
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- dagsmith dagsmith Oct 29, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
- Such a walk down memory lane. Space 1999 came out right after we got our first color TV - I still remember sitting down to watch that first episode. Thanks for the memories - 5 stars and an angel blessing.
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- debnet debnet Apr 16, 2009 @ 11:24 am
- Captain Scarlet do do dododo... that was me singing the theme tune :) Was Marina in that? I so wanted to look like her when I was a little girl LOL!!!
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- poddys poddys Apr 13, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
- Fantastic lens, 5***** and right up my street. Debbie and I both grew up with Torchy, Twizzle and another Roberta Leigh great called "Sara And Hoppity". The first Gerry Anderson that I remember apart from these was "Four Feather Falls", a western puppet show. Then of course Fireball XL5, Supercar, Stingray and Thunderbirds. As a boy I was completely hooked on all of these. Maybe they could make a movie of Stingray, and if they did I hope they do a better job than they did on Thunderbirds.
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- fanfreluche fanfreluche Apr 13, 2009 @ 1:53 pm
- yay UFO and space 1999 were my favorite way back then. I watched re-runs recently, unfortunately I didn't enjoy as much as I tough I would. Sci-fi from the 70's aged badly I think. But still, these show were amazing at the time. 5**** for the souvenirs! Oh and I remeber being mad at my brother because he received a space 1999 "eagle" toy at christmas and I didn't because I was a girl!!!!
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- JaZilla JaZilla Dec 9, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
- "Where have all the great intros and titles to TV shows gone?"
Currently the best intros are on prime time cartoons and a very lovely one for Heroes...
by JustBon-Crochet-Designs
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