Gerry Anderson

Creator

Gerry Anderson

Born April 14, 1929 · West Hampstead, London, England, UK

Died December 26, 2012 · aged 83

Gerry Anderson, MBE (born Gerald Alexander Abrahams; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He was known for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s productions filmed with "Supermarionation" (marionette puppets containing electric moving parts). Anderson's first television production was the …

Known For

ThunderbirdsThunderbirds · 2004
Thunderbirds
5.02004
MovieActionAdventure
Dangerous missions are the bread and butter of the Thunderbirds, a high-tech secret force employed by the government. Led by Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton), the Thunderbirds are at the top of their game, but their nemesis, The Hood (Ben Kingsley), has landed on their island and is attempting a coup by using the team's rescue vehicles. He'll soon discover that the Thunderbirds won't go down.
Thunderbirds 55/GOGOThunderbirds 55/GOGO · 2022
Thunderbirds 55/GOGO
2022
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Shortly before the International Rescue Team begins full-scale operation, Lady Penelope, invited by Jeff Tracy, arrives at Tracy Island and discovers the amazing technology hidden on the island, as well as Thunderbirds 1 to 5. International Rescue soon receive a call from a yeti on Mount Everest pleading for rescue, with Penelope sent to investigate. All the while, a series of robberies plagues British Stately Homes.
Thunderbirds: RicochetThunderbirds: Ricochet · 1966
Thunderbirds: Ricochet
8.01966
MovieActionAdventure
When a pirate radio station in orbit malfunctions and plummets towards Earth, International Rescue must save the DJ on board and prevent the craft from crashing into a populated area.
Thunderbirds Are GOThunderbirds Are GO · 1966
Thunderbirds Are GO
6.41966
MovieAnimationFamily
When the launch of a mission to Mars goes awry due to sabotage, International Rescue is requested to assist in the mission's second attempt.
Thunderbird 6Thunderbird 6 · 1968
Thunderbird 6
5.91968
MovieAdventureFamily
The International Rescue team is faced with one of its toughest challenges yet, as the revolutionary lighter-than-air craft Skyship One is hijacked while on her maiden voyage around the world. Against backdrops including the Statue of Liberty and the Sphinx, Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan and Tin-Tin fight the hijackers from on-board, while the rest of the team tries to stop the airship crashing.
DoppelgängerDoppelgänger · 1969
Doppelgänger
6.21969
MovieScience Fiction
A planet is discovered in the same orbit as Earth's but is located on the exact opposite side of the sun, making it not visible from Earth. The European Space Exploration Council decide to send American astronaut Glenn Ross and British scientist John Kane via spaceship to explore the other planet.
The Incredible Voyage of StingrayThe Incredible Voyage of Stingray · 1980
The Incredible Voyage of Stingray
6.01980
MovieScience Fiction
Adventures of the super-sub Stingray and the World Aquanaut Security Patrol and their battles against Titan, leader of the underwater city of Titanica.
Thunderbirds: The ImpostersThunderbirds: The Imposters · 1966
Thunderbirds: The Imposters
1966
MovieActionAdventure
When International Rescue is framed for theft, the organisation's intelligence network must clear their name before the Tracys are arrested, responding to a distress call they cannot ignore.

Filmography

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Alien AttackAlien Attack · 1980
Alien Attack
6.51980
MovieScience FictionDrama
Earth's Moon is the site of Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research colony nestled in the crater Plato. Staffed by over 300 men and women from Earth, it is the operations center for several space expeditions. It is also a watchdog for vast amounts of atomic waste from Earth stored in silos on the Moon's far side. Magnetic radiation builds up and causes the wastes to explode with such force that the Earth's centripetal pull on the Moon is overcome, and the Moon is broken free of Earth's orbit to drift at incredible speed out of the Solar System off the plane of the ecliptic. The survivors on Moonbase Alpha are unable to return to Earth and must survive in unknown space on their wandering Moon. They encounter a planet whose advanced people project an illusion of a devastating attack on Moonbase. This TV movie was edited from scenes of two episodes ("Breakaway" and "War Games") of "Space: 1999" (1975).

Executive Producer

Invasion: UFOInvasion: UFO · 1980
Invasion: UFO
5.71980
MovieScience Fiction
The Earth is threatened by an alien race who kidnap and kill humans and even animals and use them for their body parts. In the year 1980 S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization), a highly secret military organization, is set up in the hope of defending the Earth from this alien threat. This organization operates from a secret location beneath the Harlington-Straker film studio in London. S.H.A.D.O. also has a base on the moon with Interceptors as well as an early warning satellite that detects inbound UFOs (called S.I.D.), and operate a fleet of submarines. General James Henderson and commander Ed Straker have a team of highly trained and well equipped females and males to battle the regularly incoming hostile UFOs.

Director

The ProtectorsThe Protectors · 1972
The Protectors
6.11972
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in contemporary times. It was also the only Gerry Anderson produced television series that was not of the fantasy or science fiction genres. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company. Despite not featuring marionettes or any real science fiction elements, The Protectors became one of Anderson's most popular productions, easily winning a renewal for a second season. A third season was in the planning stages when the show's major sponsor pulled out, forcing its cancellation. The Protectors first aired in 1972 and 1973, and ran to 52 episodes over two series, each 25 minutes long - making it one of the last series of this type to be produced in a half-hour format. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. Episodes often featured prominent guest actors.

Producer

Thunderbirds Are Go!Thunderbirds Are Go! · 2015
Thunderbirds Are Go!
6.22015
SeriesFamilyAction & Adventure
Remake of the hit 1960s television show. In the 21st century, Jeff Tracy, a former astronaut, amasses a colossal fortune and decides that he must use it to benefit others. His answer to this desire is to create International Rescue, a unique private emergency response service equipped with customized designed vehicles and equipment that enable the organization to react to any crisis whether it be in sea, air, land, or space. Jeff's five sons volunteer to operate as the pilots and field agents, as well "Brain" who acts as the teams engineer. In addition, Jeff's friend, Kyrano and his daughter Tanusha aka Kayo (based on the original series Tin-Tin character) agree to be the support staff. In addition to the field team, IR also maintains an intelligence network with Lady Penelope and her ex-con chauffeur, Parker as the chief agents in this arm.

Creator

TerrahawksTerrahawks · 1983
Terrahawks
5.81983
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyAction & Adventure
Gerry Anderson & Christopher Burr's Terrahawks, simply referred to as Terrahawks, was a 1980s British science fiction television series produced by Anderson Burr Pictures and created by the production team of Gerry Anderson and Christopher Burr. The show was Anderson's first in over a decade to utilize puppets for its characters, and also his last. Anderson's previous puppet-laden TV series included Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Set in the year 2020, the series followed the adventures of the Terrahawks, a taskforce responsible for protecting Earth from invasion by a group of extraterrestrial androids and aliens led by Zelda. Like Anderson's previous puppet series, futuristic vehicles and technology featured prominently in each episode.

Writer

Fireball XL5Fireball XL5 · 1962
Fireball XL5
6.41962
SeriesAction & AdventureAnimation
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was produced in 1962 by husband and wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson through their company APF, in association with ATV for ITC Entertainment. While developing his new show, Anderson thought a brand of motor oil—Castrol XL—had an interesting sound. A phonetic change created the name "Fireball XL", with the "-5" added as the title seemed a bit flat without the numeral. The show featured the Andersons' Supermarionation, a form of puppetry first introduced in Four Feather Falls and Supercar and used again in their subsequent productions such as Stingray and Captain Scarlet. Thirty-nine black and white half-hour episodes of Fireball XL5 were made on 35mm film: all future Anderson series were produced in colour. Several Anderson series have been shown in syndication in the US, but Fireball XL5 is the only Anderson series to have run on a US network. NBC ran the series in its Saturday morning children's block from 1963 through to September 1965. A similar programme often confused with Fireball XL5 is Space Patrol, produced by Gerry Anderson's ex business partner and co-founder of AP Films, Arthur Provis due to a number of similarities and settings.

Director

The Secret ServiceThe Secret Service · 1969
The Secret Service
5.81969
SeriesAnimationSci-Fi & Fantasy
The Secret Service is a 1969 British children's espionage television series, produced by Century 21 / ITC Entertainment for Associated Television, Granada Television, and Southern Television. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, and produced by David Lane and Reg Hill, it was the eighth and final Century 21 production to feature Supermarionation. Under the direction of Gerry Anderson, who wanted to compensate for the inadequacies of Supermarionation and increase the realism of the format, The Secret Service incorporates footage of live actors for long-distance shots. Father Stanley Unwin, voiced by and resembling the real-life comedian of the same name, is the parish priest of a rural English village. But Unwin is in fact a secret agent for BISHOP, a covert British Intelligence branch that battles international criminal and terrorist threats. Aided by junior operative Matthew Harding, Unwin answers to his London-based superior 'The Bishop', as he would in his public profession.

Writer

Dick Spanner, P.I.Dick Spanner, P.I. · 1987
Dick Spanner, P.I.
6.51987
SeriesAnimationComedy
Dick Spanner, P.I. is a 1986 British stop-motion animated comedy series which parodied Chandleresque detective shows. The title character and main protagonist was Dick Spanner, voiced by Shane Rimmer, a robotic private detective who works cases in a futuristic urban setting. The show made frequent use of puns and visual gags. The series consisted of 22 six-minute episodes, covering two story arcs of equal length: "The Case Of The Human Cannonball" and "The Case Of The Maltese Parrot". The programme was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom as a segment of the Sunday morning show Network 7 on Channel 4, and was later repeated on the same channel in a late night spot. Produced by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, the series was created and written by Terry Adlam, who had previously worked on effects for Anderson's Terrahawks. It was also the basis for the Anderson-created Tennants Pilsner advertising campaign using the Lou Tennant character.

Producer

Four Feather FallsFour Feather Falls · 1960
Four Feather Falls
6.61960
SeriesWesternSci-Fi & Fantasy
Four Feather Falls was the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television. It was based on an idea by Barry Gray, who also wrote the show's music. The series was the first to use an early version of Anderson's Supermarionation puppetry. Thirty-nine 13-minute episodes were produced, broadcast by Granada from February until November 1960. The setting is the late 19th-century fictional Kansas town of Four Feather Falls, where the hero of the series, Tex Tucker, is sheriff. The four feathers of the title refers to four magical feathers given to Tex by the Indian chief Kalamakooya as a reward for saving his grandson: two allowed Tex's guns to swivel and fire without being touched whenever he was in danger, and two conferred the power of speech on Tex's horse and dog. Tex's speaking voice was provided by Nicholas Parsons, and his singing voice by Michael Holliday. The series has never been repeated on British television, but it was released on DVD in 2005.

Producer