From Puppets to People: The Making of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO, Space: 1999 and More

Video Description

One-time husband and wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson reflect on the making of some of their most popular films and television series – Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Doppelgänger, Joe 90, The Secret Service, UFO, and Space: 1999. From the height of their Supermarionation success, through their transition to the big screen, and their move into live-action television, the Andersons offer unique behind the scenes insight and backstage stories. From the swinging sixties through to the 1970s, Sylvia and Gerry experienced a phenomenal run of success; from Supercar to Thunderbirds and from Stingray to Captain Scarlet and beyond. For the first time, through the use of two career-spanning and in-depth archive interviews, the former couple are able to recall this period of their lives on equal footing – telling the AP Films and Century 21 Productions story how they remember it. Stingray was a British children's science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, produced by AP Films for ITC Entertainment and filmed in Supermarionation. Featuring explosive puppet action, dynamic characters, and exciting practical model special effects, it showcased the adventures of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol led by Commander Shore with his colleagues Troy Tempest, Phones, Atlanta, and Marina. It premiered in October 1964 and ran for 39 half-hour episodes. Thunderbirds is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) and distributed by ITC Entertainment. The series featured the daring International Rescue as they came to the aid of those in trouble, often assisted by British agent Lady Penelope and her chauffeur Parker. It premiered in 1965 and represented the pinnacle of the first wave of their electronic marionette puppetry called "Supermarionation". Two series, totalling 32 fifty-minute episodes, were made, as well as two feature films. 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' ran for one series of to thirty-two 25-minute episodes that was first broadcast on ITV between 1967 and 1968. In the series, agents of SIG led by Colonel White faced off against the Mysterons, an alien force intent of destruction. It was the first series released under the Century 21 banner and the first to feature a new, more realistically proportioned, style of marionettes. Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) was a British science fiction film directed by Robert Parrish and starring Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Lynn Loring, Loni von Friedl and Patrick Wymark. Written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and Donald James, and produced by the Andersons for Century 21, it told the ill-fated story of a a joint European-NASA mission in 2069, intended to investigate a newly discovered planet which lies directly opposite Earth on the far side of the Sun. The mission ends in disaster and the death of one of the astronauts, and following his return to what he first thinks is home the survivor slowly realises that he has in fact arrived on a parallel Earth which duplicates our own. UFO was a 1970 British science fiction television series about SHADO, a secret international defence organisation set up to prevent an alien invasion of Earth. It was created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 for Grade's ITC Entertainment company. Featured in the show were Ed Bishop as Colonel Straker, Michael Billington as Colonel Paul Foster, Gabriella Drake as Lieutenant Gay Ellis, George Sewell as Colonel Alec Freeman, Wanda Ventham as Colonel Virginia Lake amongst many others. Space: 1999 was a British science-fiction television programme starring Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, and Barry Morse that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977. When a massive thermonuclear explosion blasts the Moon out of Earth's orbit. Commander John Koenig must ensure the safety of his stranded team on Moonbase Alpha. Featuring stoic leads, high-concept science fiction, and beloved Eagle Transporters designed by Brian Johnson – the show remains a cult favourite of many to this day. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Find us online! • Century 21 Films Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/century21films/ • Century 21 Films Twitter - https://twitter.com/century21films • Thunderbirds Twitter - https://twitter.com/thunderbirds65 • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/century21films • Website - https://www.century21films.co.uk • Shop - https://century21films.bigcartel.com/ #filmedinsupermarionation #thunderbirds #century21films