Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson has died

[NP]

http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot. ... ntury.html
Sad news for all former TV21, TV comic, Look-In and Thunderbirds The Comic readers.

[philcom55]

In a way I always felt that he took credit for the work of a lot of other people - but, as you say, none of those things could have existed without him. All of a sudden I feel really old.

Why do these things always seem to happen at Christmas?

- Phil Rushton

[stevezodiac]

Radio Five is paying tribute now with contributions from Jonathan Ross and the voice of Allen Tracy.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Mr Andersons' work was a major part of my childhood, certainly looming as large as any comics or film material, especially the 1967 CAPTAIN SCARLET: even today, imagery and models of the SPV [Special Pursuit Vehicle] adorn my memorabilia-stacked home.

I also heard his history was a bit on the controversial side, but he has left behind a [mostly] top-notch heritage his estate can be proud of----didn't he sell the rights to the money-spinning Thunderbirds very early on, just so he could secure funding to finish it? A short-sighted financial move, if this was indeed the case-------

[DavidKW]

RIP Gerry Anderson - left a legacy of mostly great shows many of which stand up so well today - and led to ace spin-off comics.

I think he sold the rights of his shows to Lew Grade, partly also because of I believe, his very acrimonious divorce from Sylvia - he was thus reduced to living alone in a small flat.

He was part of a great team that made his shows too - inc Sylvia, Reg Hill & cameraman John Read. Their importance could be emphasized in the fact that without them, the shows he subsequently made from the 80s onwards were never nearly as good - most notable Terrahawks (which was also a comic strip for a time in Look-In). But it was his brains & organising that made it all happen.

RIP

[stevezodiac]

I was four in 1960 so grew up during the sixties with a new Anderson series practically every year starting with Twizzle and Supercar right up to Space 1999 in the early seventies. When I look at shows like Joe 90 and The Secret Service I wonder why didn't he just make more Thunderbirds episodes. It was one of the best tv series of all time and not just in children's tv.

[philcom55]

I think Gerry wanted to carry on with Thunderbirds, but Lew Grade insisted that it would be better to move on to a new franchise to maintain the novelty. No doubt this proved to be a bad move from a commercial point of view, but as Captain Scarlet was my all-time favourite Anderson series it was OK with me.

To be honest I was never too keen on Alan Fennell as a writer - either for TV or the comics - but I did like Angus Allan and I loved what John Theydon did with the characters in his Armada novels.

- Phil Rushton

[stevezodiac]

I remember seeing a news report a few months back about a revolutionary new aircraft and it reminded me of the Fireflash - I found a picture:

[felneymike]

Haha, that's a "James Bond invented the mobile phone" and "Star Trek invented the MP3 Player" moment all right!

[DavidKW]

Thunderbirds could've run & run for much longer, though Captain Scarlet was probably Anderson's finest hour.

However, Scarlet was not appreciated in the 60s when it first came out, esp as it came after Thunderbirds & with newer human proportion puppets & much darker & more violent plotlines.

It took ITV repreats 1985-86 & a proper BBC networking in 1993-94 to make people appreciate how great it was; it was a show a bit too ahead of its time for the 60s perhaps.
The CGI re-make in the noughties was ok too - one of Anderson's better works post ITC.

Joe 90 was a mega let down though (perhaps it needed a good female character in it as suupport as also with the weird Secret Service).

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Most non-fans have never heard of,---or cannot remember----Secret Service. I only have a vague memory of it myself.

The general consensus is that JOE 90 was misguided, and even at the time it was slammed by contemporary kids.

Full marks for Supermarionation for trying out different stuff though---the easy way ahead would have been simply to keep churning out Thunderbirds.

I also appreciated Captain Scarlet as do others on here---those title-cards at the end of the shows by Frank Bellamy [?] are still timeless masterpieces....

[stevezodiac]

Ron Embleton did the paintings for the Captain Scarlet closing credits - full marks to Jonathan Ross for name checking him on five live - I thought he was only into American comics. Ron also drew CS in TV21 for a while.

[alanultron5]

Philcom is correct! Lew Grade overrode Gerry Anderson on `Thunderbirds` when Gerry wanted to do more of them. Grade later, in a very rare omission for him! admitted it was one of his biggest mistakes.

[alanultron5]

The `Secret Service` was shown in my region (Midlands) but wow! it was so dull! Had it been one of those `so bad it's good` type of shows that get cult followings we'd know more about it today- but it was horribly dull - the worst thing a programme can be.

[Digifiend]

Ron Embleton did the paintings for the Captain Scarlet closing credits - full marks to Jonathan Ross for name checking him on five live - I thought he was only into American comics.

He likes the Beano as well. And manga as well I think (look at his old BBC Three show Japanorama). He just generally likes comics, not strictly superheroes.