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Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s productions filmed with " Supermarionation" (
marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...
puppets containing electric moving parts). Anderson's first television production was the 1957 Roberta Leigh children's series '' The Adventures of Twizzle'' (1957–58). '' Torchy the Battery Boy'' (1960), '' Four Feather Falls'' (1960), ''
Supercar A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
'' (1961–62) and '' Fireball XL5'' (1962–63) followed later, both series breaking into the U.S. television market in the early 1960s. In the mid-1960s Anderson produced his most successful series, '' Thunderbirds''. Other television productions of the 1960s include ''
Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ...
'', ''
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ''Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons'', often shortened to ''Captain Scarlet'', is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions for distributor ...
'' and '' Joe 90''. Anderson also wrote and produced several feature films. Following a shift towards live-action productions in the 1970s, he had a long and successful association with media impresario
Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 19 ...
and Grade's company ITC, continuing until the second series of '' Space: 1999''. After a career lull when a number of new series concepts failed to get off the ground, his career began a new phase in the early 1980s when audience nostalgia for his earlier Supermarionation series (prompted by Saturday morning re-runs in Britain and Australia) led to new Anderson productions being commissioned. Later projects include a 2005 CG remake of '' Captain Scarlet'' entitled '' Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet''.


Early life

Gerald Alexander Abrahams was born in the
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital and its predecessor organisations provided health care to women in central London from the mid-Victorian era. It was named after Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, one of Britain's first female phys ...
in
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest ...
, London, and spent the early years of his life in Kilburn, and
Neasden Neasden is a suburban area in northwest London, England. It is located around the centre of the London Borough of Brent and is within the NW2 ( Cricklewood) and NW10 ( Willesden) postal districts. Neasden is near Wembley Stadium, the Welsh H ...
, London. He was educated at Kingsgate Infants School in Kilburn and Braintcroft Junior and Senior schools in Neasden, prior to winning a scholarship to Willesden County Grammar School. His parents were Deborah (''née'' Leonoff) and Joseph Abrahams. Anderson's
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
paternal grandfather had the surname Bieloglovski. He fled from an area near the Poland–Russia border and settled in London; his name was changed to "Abrahams" by an immigration official upon his arrival in 1895. Anderson's Jewish mother Deborah changed the family name to "Anderson" in 1939. At the start of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Gerry Anderson's elder brother, Lionel, volunteered for service in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
; he was stationed in the United States for advanced training. Lionel often wrote letters to his family, and in one letter described a
US Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
air base called
Thunderbird Field Thunderbird Field was a military airfield in Glendale, Arizona, used for contract primary flight training of Allied pilots during World War II. Created in part by actor James Stewart, the field became part of the United States Army Air Forces tra ...
, the name of which stayed in his younger brother's memory. On 16 October 1952, Anderson married Betty Wrightman (1929–2021). They had two daughters, Linda (b. 1954) and Joy (b. 1957).


Television, film and military career

Gerry Anderson began his career in photography, earning a traineeship with the British Colonial Film Unit after the war. He developed an interest in film editing and moved on to Gainsborough Pictures, where he gained further experience. In 1947 he was conscripted for
national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
with the Royal Air Force. He was based at
RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpo ...
, an airfield near Margate, and served part of his time in air traffic control. Two incidents in his final year with the RAF had a profound effect on Gerry. The first occurred during an aircraft display commemorating the Battle of Britain, when a Mosquito aircraft crashed on a road crowded with occupied cars; reports on the death toll ranged between twelve and 20 people. On another occasion, a Spitfire was coming in to land. It was only about 50 feet above the ground before the runway controller alerted the pilot to the fact the plane's undercarriage hadn't lowered. The pilot opened up the throttle and climbed away. As this was a moment Anderson always remembered, he found it all too easy to write about aircraft when he devised stories for ''Thunderbirds''. After completing his military service, he returned to Gainsborough, where he worked until the studio was closed in 1950. He then worked freelance on a series of feature films. In the mid-1950s, Anderson joined the independent television production company Polytechnic Studios as a director, where he met cameraman
Arthur Provis Arthur John Provis (10 March 1925 – 17 May 2016) was an English cinematographer and producer, best known for co-founding AP Films ("Anderson-Provis" Films) with Gerry Anderson. As a former Navy photographer forging a career operating rostrum c ...
. After Polytechnic collapsed, Anderson, Provis, Reg Hill and John Read formed Pentagon Films in 1955. Pentagon was wound up soon after and Anderson and Provis formed a new company, AP Films, for Anderson-Provis Films, with Hill and Read as their partners. Anderson continued his freelance directing work to obtain funds to maintain the fledgling company. AP Films' first television venture was produced for
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
. Created by Roberta Leigh, '' The Adventures of Twizzle'' (1957–1958) was a series for young children about a doll with the ability to 'twizzle' his arms and legs to greater lengths. It was Anderson's first work with puppets, and the start of his long and successful collaborations with puppeteer
Christine Glanville Christine Glanville (born Nancy Christine Fletcher; 28 October 1924 – 1 March 1999) was an English puppeteer who spent much of her professional life contributing to television series produced by Gerry Anderson. Career Glanville became involv ...
, special effects technician Derek Meddings and composer/arranger Barry Gray. It was Anderson's desire to move into live-action television. ''The Adventures of Twizzle'' was followed by another low-budget puppet series with Leigh, '' Torchy the Battery Boy'' (1958–1959). Although the APF puppet productions made the Andersons world-famous, Gerry Anderson was always unhappy about working with puppets. He used them primarily to get attention from and a good reputation with TV networks, hoping to have them serve as a stepping stone to his goal of making live-action film and TV drama.


Supermarionation

During the production of '' The Adventures of Twizzle'', Anderson started an affair with secretary Sylvia Thamm. Following his divorce from his first wife, Anderson married Thamm in November 1960. AP Films' third series was the children's western fantasy-adventure series '' Four Feather Falls'' (1959–60). Provis left the partnership, but the company retained the name AP Films for several more years. ''Four Feather Falls'' was the first Anderson series to use an early version of the so-called '' Supermarionation'' process, though this term had yet to be used. Despite APF's success with ''Four Feather Falls'', Granada did not commission another series from them, so Anderson took up the offer to direct a film for Anglo-Amalgamated Studios. '' Crossroads to Crime'' was a low-budget B-grade crime thriller, and although Anderson hoped that its success might enable him to move into mainstream film-making, it failed at the box office. By this time, APF was in financial trouble and the company was struggling to find a buyer for their new puppet series. They were rescued by a fortuitous meeting with
Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 19 ...
, the Associated Television ( ATV) boss who offered to buy the show. This began a long friendship and a very successful professional association between the two men. The new series, ''
Supercar A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
'', (1960–61) was developed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and Reg Hill based on a story written by Sylvia Anderson and marked several important advances for APF. Sylvia Anderson took on a larger role and became a partner in the company. The series was also the official debut of Supermarionation, the electronic system that made the marionettes more lifelike and convincing on screen. The system used the audio signal from pre-recorded tapes of the actors' voices to trigger
solenoid upright=1.20, An illustration of a solenoid upright=1.20, Magnetic field created by a seven-loop solenoid (cross-sectional view) described using field lines A solenoid () is a type of electromagnet formed by a helix, helical coil of wire whose ...
s installed in the heads of the puppets, making their lips move in synchronisation with the voices of the actors, and actresses. One of Anderson's most successful ventures was inaugurated during the production of ''
Supercar A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
''. The establishment of AP Films (Merchandising) Ltd, a separate company set up to handle the licensing of merchandising rights for APF properties, was headed by Keith Shackleton (not the wildlife artist and TV presenter of the same name), a longtime friend of Anderson's from their
National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
days. The next series by APF was the futuristic space adventure '' Fireball XL5'' (1962). At the time it was the company's biggest success, garnering the honour of being the only Anderson series sold to an American TV network, NBC. Around this time, Anderson also saw his Supermarionation style attract imitators—most notably '' Space Patrol (US title: Planet Patrol)'' which used similar techniques and was made by several former employees and associates of Anderson, including Arthur Provis and Roberta Leigh. After the completion of ''Fireball XL5'', Lew Grade offered to buy AP Films. Although Anderson was initially reluctant, the deal eventually went ahead, with Grade becoming the managing director, and the Andersons, Hill, and Read becoming directors of the company. Shortly after the buy-out, APF began production on a new marionette series, ''
Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ...
'' (1964), the first Supermarionation-based British TV series to be filmed in colour. For the new production APF moved to new studios in
Slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the ...
. The new and bigger facilities allowed them to make major improvements in special effects, notably in the underwater sequences, as well as advances in marionette technology, with the use of a variety of interchangeable heads for each character to convey different expressions.


''Thunderbirds''

APF's next project for ATV was inspired by a mining disaster that occurred in West Germany in October 1963. This real-life drama inspired Anderson to create a new programme format about a rescue organisation, which eventually became his most famous and popular series, '' Thunderbirds'' (1965–1966). The dramatic title was inspired by the letter Anderson's older brother Lionel had written to his family during World War II. Grade was very enthusiastic about the concept and agreed to back a series of 25-minute episodes (the same length as ''Stingray''), so the Andersons scripted a pilot episode, " Trapped in the Sky", and began production. Gerry initially wanted actress Fenella Fielding to perform the voice of
Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film sequel ...
, but Sylvia convinced her husband that she herself ought to play the role. ''Thunderbirds'' also marked the start of a long professional association with actor
Shane Rimmer Shane Rimmer (born Shane Lance Deacon; May 28, 1929 – March 29, 2019) was a Canadian actor and screenwriter who spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom. The self-proclaimed "Rent-A-Yank" of the British entertainment industry, he ...
, who voiced Scott Tracy. Production on ''Thunderbirds'' had been under way for several months when Grade saw the completed 25-minute version of "Trapped in the Sky". He was so excited by the result that he insisted that the episodes be extended to fifty minutes. With a substantial increase in budget, the production was restructured to expand episodes already filmed or in pre-production, and create new 50-minute scripts for the remainder. Grade and others were so convinced that ''Thunderbirds'' would be a success that a feature-film version of the series was proposed even before the pilot episode went to air. At this approximate time, APF was renamed Century 21 Productions. After APF was renamed Century 21 Productions, it enjoyed its greatest success with ''Thunderbirds'', and the series made the Andersons world famous. However, it was cancelled midway through the second series because Grade was unable to sell the show to an American network. Despite being wildly popular in the UK and abroad, Grade felt that without an American buyer, a full second series would fail to recoup its cost. It would later find moderate success in the United States through
syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...
. During the production of ''Thunderbirds'' the Andersons' marriage began to come under increasing strain, and the company also had a setback when the feature film '' Thunderbirds Are GO'' surprisingly flopped. In later interviews, Anderson said that he considered divorce, but this was halted when Sylvia announced that she was pregnant. Their son, Gerry Anderson Jr., was born in July 1967. By that time, production had started on a new series, ''
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ''Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons'', often shortened to ''Captain Scarlet'', is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions for distributor ...
'' (1967), which saw the advent of more realistic marionette characters which, thanks to improvements in electronics which allowed miniaturisation of the lip-sync mechanisms, could now be built closer to normal human proportions. Century 21's second feature film, '' Thunderbird 6'', was also unsuccessful, and the problems were compounded by their next (and penultimate) Supermarionation series, '' Joe 90'' (1968). This series returned to more 'kid-friendly' territory, depicting the adventures of a young boy who is also a secret agent and whose scientist father uses a supercomputer called 'BIG RAT' which can 'program' Joe with special knowledge and abilities for his missions. Its relatively poor reception made it the last of the classic Anderson marionette shows.


Live-action work

Anderson's next project took the special effects expertise built up over previous TV projects and combined it with live action. Century 21's third feature film, ''
Doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
'' (1969) (a.k.a. ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'') was a dark, '' Twilight Zone''-style sci-fi project about an astronaut who travels to a newly discovered planet on the opposite side of the sun, which proves to be an exact mirror-image of Earth, starring American actor Roy Thinnes. Although it was not a major commercial success, ''Doppelgänger'' was nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for its special effects. Century 21's return to television was the abortive series '' The Secret Service'', which this time mixed live action with Supermarionation. The series was inspired by Anderson's love of British comedian Stanley Unwin, who was known for his nonsense language, 'Unwinese', which he created and used on radio, in film and most famously on the 1968
Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...
LP ''
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake ''Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake'' is the third studio album, and only concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968, the LP peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts on 29 June, where it remained for a total of six w ...
''. Despite Anderson's track record and Unwin's popularity, the series was cancelled before its first screening; Lew Grade considered that it would be incomprehensible to American audiences, and thus unsellable. In 1969 the Andersons began production of a new TV series, ''
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
'', Century 21's first full live-action television series. This sci-fi action-adventure series starred American-born actor
Ed Bishop George Victor Bishop (11 June 1932 – 8 June 2005), known professionally as Ed Bishop or sometimes Edward Bishop, was an American actor. He was known for playing Commander Ed Straker in ''UFO'', Captain Blue in '' Captain Scarlet and the Myst ...
(who had also provided the voice of Captain Blue in ''Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons'') as Commander Edward Straker, head of the secret defence organisation SHADO, set up to counter an alien invasion. ''UFO'' was more adult in tone than any of Anderson's puppet series, and mixed Century 21's signature futuristic action-adventure and special effects with serious dramatic elements. ''UFO'' was the last series made under the Century 21 Productions banner. During production of ''
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
,'' Gerry Anderson was approached directly by Harry Saltzman (at the time co-producer of the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film series with
Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Albert Romolo Broccoli ( ; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pi ...
), and was invited to write and produce the next film in the series, which was to be '' Moonraker.''Archer, Nicholls, pp. 149–150 Collaborating with Tony Barwick to provide the characterisation, whilst he himself focused on the action sequences, Anderson wrote and delivered a treatment to Saltzman. Nothing ultimately came of it, and Broccoli and Saltzman proceeded to make '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971) and '' Live and Let Die'' (1973) and, after co-producing 1974's Bond film, '' The Man with the Golden Gun'', the Saltzman-Broccoli partnership dissolved. Offered £20,000 for the treatment, Anderson refused, fearing that if he accepted he would not be at the helm when it was made; the next Bond film to be made was 1977's '' The Spy Who Loved Me.'' (This film used only the title of the actual
Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., an ...
novel.) Anderson started legal proceedings against Broccoli for plagiarism of story elements but withdrew the action shortly after, nervous of the legal might lined up against him. He relinquished the treatment, and received £3,000 in compensation. A film version of '' Moonraker'' was eventually produced in 1979, but did not involve any of Anderson's material. By the time ''UFO'' concluded, the relationship between the Andersons had deteriorated. Although produced under the aegis of a new company, Group Three Productions (the three being both of the Andersons and Reg Hill), Anderson decided not to work with his wife on his next project, the ITC action series '' The Protectors''. It was one of Anderson's few non-original projects. Lew Grade himself was heavily involved in the programme, and cast both the lead actors,
Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; th ...
and Nyree Dawn Porter. The production was difficult for Anderson, who clashed with the famously difficult Vaughn.Archer, Nicholls, pp. 154–155 There were also many logistical problems arising from the Europe-wide filming of the show, but it was very successful in both the UK and America and its theme song " Avenues and Alleyways" became a hit record in the UK for singer
Tony Christie Anthony Fitzgerald (born 25 April 1943), known professionally as Tony Christie, is an English musician, singer and actor. He is best known for his recording of "(Is This the Way To) Amarillo", a double UK chart success. Career 1960s to 1970 ...
. It was also the first live-action series produced by Anderson to survive to a second season.


''Space: 1999''

Following ''The Protectors'', Anderson worked on several new projects, none of which he was able to take into production. A proposed second series of ''UFO'' was not undertaken, and a return to marionettes in the television pilot for a series called ''
The Investigator ''The Investigator'' (1954) was a radio play written by Reuben Ship and first broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on May 30 of that year. The play lampooned the actions of the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities ...
'' failed to find a buyer. Elements of the abandoned second series of ''UFO'' were eventually turned into what became the most expensive television series ever made at that time, '' Space: 1999''. Another futuristic science-fiction adventure, it was based on the premise that a huge thermonuclear explosion on the Moon's surface (caused by the storage of nuclear waste there) projected the Moon out of orbit and into interplanetary space. The series starred the American husband-and-wife actors
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
and
Barbara Bain Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel; September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awar ...
, who had gained international fame in the TV series '' Mission: Impossible''. They were cast at the insistence of Grade, and against Sylvia Anderson's strenuous objections. The Andersons' marriage broke down irretrievably during the first series of '' Space: 1999'' in 1975; Gerry announced his intention to separate on the evening of the wrap party.Archer, Nicholls, p. 171 Sylvia severed her ties with
Group Three AP Films or APF, later becoming Century 21 Productions, was a British independent film production company of the 1950s until the early 1970s. The company became internationally known for its imaginative children's action-adventure marionette tel ...
, and to alleviate his financial plight, Gerry Anderson sold his share of the profits from the APF/Century 21 shows and their holiday home in Portugal to Lew Grade, in return for a one-off payment. Between making the two series of ''Space: 1999'', Anderson produced a one-off television special, ''
The Day After Tomorrow ''The Day After Tomorrow'' is a 2004 American science fiction disaster film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Roland Emmerich. Based on the 1999 book '' The Coming Global Superstorm'' by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, the film stars De ...
'' (also known as ''Into Infinity''), about two spacefaring families en route to
Alpha Centauri Alpha Centauri ( Latinized from α Centauri and often abbreviated Alpha Cen or α Cen) is a triple star system in the constellation of Centaurus. It consists of 3 stars: Alpha Centauri A (officially Rigil Kentaurus), Alpha Centa ...
, for an NBC series of programmes illustrating current scientific theory for popular consumption. While making this project, Anderson met Mary Robins (b. 1949), a secretary working at the studios; they began a relationship and were married on 11 April 1981.''What Made Thunderbirds Go!'' ''Space: 1999'' was successful enough that a second (and final) series went into production in 1976 with American producer Fred Freiberger brought in to replace Sylvia Anderson. Freiberger was known for producing the final season of the original ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
''. Under Freiberger the series underwent a number of cast and cosmetic changes. ''Space: 1999'' marked the end of Anderson's association with ATV. By the late 1970s, Anderson's life and career were at a low point: he was in financial difficulty, found it hard to get work, and he experienced family difficulties.


1980s

During December 1980, Gerry and Sylvia's marriage was officially over, and they divorced. In 1981, episodes of many of Anderson's Supermarionation series were combined and edited together as films. These aired under the title ''Super Space Theatre''. A number of similar reedited feature-length productions were also syndicated and released on VHS video tape (for example, ''Destination: Moonbase Alpha'', which was a reedited version of a two-part ''Space: 1999'' storyline). Some of these were marketed in the US as part of a series of action-adventure videos featuring specially shot introductions by actress Sybil Danning. In the early 1980s, Anderson formed a new partnership, Anderson Burr Pictures Ltd, with businessman Christopher Burr. The new company's first production was based on an unrealised concept devised by Anderson in the late 1970s for a Japanese cartoon series. ''
Terrahawks ''Gerry Anderson & Christopher Burr's Terrahawks'', usually referred to simply as ''Terrahawks'', is a 1980s British science fiction television series produced by Anderson Burr Pictures for London Weekend Television and created by the product ...
'' marked Anderson's return to working with puppets, but rather than marionettes this series used a new system dubbed 'Supermacromation' which used highly sophisticated glove puppets—an approach inspired by the advances in this form of marionation made by
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
and his colleagues. It featured another reuse of the ''Captain Scarlet''/''UFO'' formula of a secret organisation defending against aliens. ''Terrahawks'' ran successfully from 1983 to 1986 in the UK but fell short of a four-year American syndication deal by one season when the show was cancelled. ''Terrahawks'' retains a cult following to this day. Anderson had claimed on record that he would rather forget the show. Anderson hoped to continue his renewed success with a series called ''Space Police'', a new show mixing live action and puppets. The ''Space Police'' name had already been registered by another company, so Anderson's programme eventually emerged in 1995 as ''
Space Precinct ''Space Precinct'' is a British television series that was first broadcast from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two from 1995 to 1996 in the UK, and in first-run syndication in the United States. Many US stations scheduled the show in ...
''. A pilot film had previously been made with
Shane Rimmer Shane Rimmer (born Shane Lance Deacon; May 28, 1929 – March 29, 2019) was a Canadian actor and screenwriter who spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom. The self-proclaimed "Rent-A-Yank" of the British entertainment industry, he ...
, but it took almost ten years to get the concept to the screen. In the meantime, Anderson and Burr produced the cult stop-motion animated series ''
Dick Spanner ''Dick Spanner, P.I.'' is a 1986 British stop-motion animated comedy series which parodied Chandleresque detective shows. The title character and protagonist was Dick Spanner, voiced by Shane Rimmer, a robotic private detective who works ...
'', which enjoyed many showings on the British
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the final project completed by Anderson Burr. Anderson then joined the Moving Picture Company as a commercials director, and provided special effects direction for the musical comedy '' Return to the Forbidden Planet''.


1990s

The cult appeal of ''Thunderbirds'' and the other Supermarionation series grew steadily over the years and was celebrated by comedy and stage productions such as the hit two-man stage revue ''Thunderbirds FAB''. In the early 1990s, ITC began releasing home video versions of the Supermarionation shows, and the profile of the shows was further enhanced by productions such as the
Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and per ...
music video for their single "
Calling Elvis "Calling Elvis" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and performed by Dire Straits. It first appeared on the final studio album by the band, '' On Every Street'' (1991). It was released as the first single from that album, peaking at number 21 i ...
", which was made as an affectionate ''Thunderbirds'' pastiche (with Anderson co-producing), and by
Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film sequel ...
and Parker appearing in a series of UK advertisements for
Swinton Insurance Swinton Insurance is a UK insurance retailer that was established in 1957. The company offers a range of insurance products from a panel of UK insurers covering car, bike, home, commercial, taxi and caravan insurance. History Swinton was founde ...
. In 1991 Gerry asked journalist and author Simon Archer to write his biography, following an interview by the latter for a series of articles for ''Century 21'' magazine. In September that year in the UK,
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
began a repeat showing of ''Thunderbirds'', which rivalled the success of its original run a generation before. This was also surprisingly the series' network television premiere, having never been shown nationally by ITV. It became so popular in Britain that toy manufacturers Matchbox were unable to keep up with the demand for the Tracy Island playset, leading children's show ''
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Te ...
'' to broadcast a segment showing children how to construct their own for a second time, the first being during the original run. The fan base for the Anderson shows was now worldwide and growing steadily, and Anderson found himself in demand for personal and media appearances. In response to this greater demand Anderson performed a successful one-man show in 1992, which Archer had written and constructed. Entitled ''An Evening with Gerry Anderson'', it took the form of an illustrated lecture in which he talked about his career, and his most popular shows. He also made numerous media and personal appearances to tie in with revivals and video cassette releases of ''Stingray'', ''Thunderbirds'', ''Captain Scarlet'' and ''Joe 90''. Anderson was interviewed for the BBC's 1993 ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'' documentary, ''Thirty Years in the TARDIS''. He joked that, despite his career of making children's programming, the "real tragedy of my life" was that his own son Jamie (appearing with him) was a ''Doctor Who'' fanatic. By 1993 Archer published the trivia book ''Gerry Anderson's FAB Facts''. Archer was killed in a car crash on London's orbital
M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...
on his way to the publishers to collect one of the first print run to present to Anderson, and the book later had to be withdrawn from sale and thousands of copies destroyed as a result of a copyright dispute with ITC America.Anderson, Gerry, "Afterword: My friend Simon Archer" in Archer, Nicholls The renewed interest enabled Anderson to return to television production, but several projects including ''GFI'' (an animated update of ''Thunderbirds'') did not make it into production. Finally, in 1994, Anderson was able to get ''
Space Precinct ''Space Precinct'' is a British television series that was first broadcast from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two from 1995 to 1996 in the UK, and in first-run syndication in the United States. Many US stations scheduled the show in ...
'' into production. It was followed by ''
Lavender Castle ''Lavender Castle'' (also known as ''Gerry Anderson's Lavender Castle'') is a British stop motion/ CGI science fantasy television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It was produced in 1997 through a collaboration b ...
'', a children's sci-fi fantasy series combining
stop-motion animation Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames ...
and
computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The image ...
. In the meantime, the biography, which had been set aside since Archer's death, had been picked up again and was completed by Stan Nicholls from Archer's original notes and manuscript, finally being published in 1996 shortly before ''Lavender Castle'' went into production. Around this time Anderson was reunited with his elder son, Gerry Jr., Anderson reportedly experienced powerful feelings of animosity toward his ex-wife Sylvia at the idea she had been responsible for his enforced estrangement from his son.


Later career

By December 1999, Anderson was working on plans for a
computer animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
sequel to ''Captain Scarlet'', and he showed early test reels at a few
fan conventions Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...
. These reels had the visual design and characters looking very much as they had in the original show, although the vehicle designs had been somewhat modernised. Several years after the initial tests the project evolved into the remake '' Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet,'' by which time the entire appearance had been significantly updated. Anderson was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to Animation. Along with his then business partner John Needham, Anderson created another new series entitled ''
Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...
'', financed by Japanese investors and featured
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
style animation. Other planned shows with other Japanese backers, including ''Eternity'' failed to come to fruition. ''Firestorm'' was sold throughout south-east Asia. Anderson and Needham parted company in 2003. Anderson was originally approached to be involved in a live-action feature film adaptation of ''Thunderbirds'' as far back as 1996,Archer and Nicholls but he was actually turned away by the producers of the 2004 film '' Thunderbirds,'' which was directed by Jonathan Frakes, after first being invited to meet with them. He distanced himself overtly from the project, later turning down an offer of $750,000 simply to write an endorsement of the film shortly before its release; Sylvia Anderson served as a consultant on the project and received a "special thanks" credit in the film. The film received poor critical reviews and was unsuccessful at the US box-office. Anderson disliked the film, describing it as "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life". '' Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet'' finally premiered in the UK in February 2005. The show cost £23,000,000 to produce, and was the most expensive children's programme ever to be made in the UK (until Ragdoll's
In the Night Garden ''In the Night Garden...'' is a British live action pre-school children's television series, aimed at children aged from one to six years old. It is produced by Ragdoll Productions. Andrew Davenport created, wrote and composed the title theme a ...
came out 2 years later). Many companies invested in producing toys and merchandise. Broadcaster ITV incorporated episodes into an existing children's show and showed it in two halves, separated by games and adverts. Disappointing merchandising sales followed. The accompanying comic lasted only six editions before being scrapped by its publishers. Anderson's displeasure at ITV's handling of the show was widely reported. The series was subsequently released on DVD. 2005 also saw the 40th Anniversary of ''Thunderbirds,'' and a wide range of merchandise was produced to celebrate the event. In 2006, ITV re-ran the entire series on its fledgling
CITV CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive and acquisitions, every day from 6 am to 9 pm which ...
channel, a digital service available on cable, satellite and the
Freeview Freeview may refer to: *Freeview (Australia), the marketing name for the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia *Freeview (New Zealand), a digital satellite and digital terrestrial television platform in New Zealand *Freeview (UK), a ...
service.
ITV4 ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a line-up that consists of sports, cult clas ...
, another digital channel, also ran repeats of ''
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
'' and '' Space: 1999'' up until the end of 2009. In March 2011, Anderson was working with Daniel Pickering and Annix Studios on a new project named ''Christmas Miracle'', a children's CGI animated feature. In June 2012 it was publicised that Anderson had been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...
.


Death

Anderson died in his sleep on 26 December 2012 at the age of 83 after a diagnosis of
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
. The news was announced on his son
Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and t ...
's website, who wrote, "I'm very sad to announce the death of my father, Thunderbirds creator, Gerry Anderson. He died peacefully in his sleep at midday today (26th December 2012), having suffered with mixed dementia for the past few years. He was 83." Voice actor Matt Zimmerman who voiced Alan Tracy and supporting characters in '' Thunderbirds'' spoke to
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
about Anderson's death praising his work saying "it's a big part of people's lives" saying also that "people speak of the shows with such affection, and I held Gerry with that kind of affection as well. I am very pleased to have known him and I feel very sorry for Jamie and his wife Mary."
David Graham David Graham may refer to: Authors and intellectuals * David Graham (American poet), American writer and poet *David Graham (author) (1919–1994), pen name of British writer Robert Hale * David Graham (Canadian academic), Canadian academic admini ...
who voiced Gordon Tracy, Parker,
Brains A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ i ...
and Kyrano said it was "a very sad day". Tributes from across the world of television and radio poured in, among them TV presenter
Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...
, DJ Chris Evans, comedian
Eddie Izzard Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime. Izzard's stand- ...
and actors
Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...
and
John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...
. Ross tweeted "For men of my age his work made childhood an incredible place to be." Blessed, who worked with Anderson on ''
Space 1999 ''Space: 1999'' is a British Science fiction on television, science-fiction television programme that ran for two series from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, set in the year 1999, nuclear waste stored on the Far side of the Moon, Moon's ...
'' and ''
The Day After Tomorrow ''The Day After Tomorrow'' is a 2004 American science fiction disaster film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Roland Emmerich. Based on the 1999 book '' The Coming Global Superstorm'' by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, the film stars De ...
'' said, "I think a light has gone out in the universe. He had a great sense of humour. He wasn't childish but child-like and he had a tremendous love of the universe and astronomy and scientists."
Fanderson Fanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of British film and television producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Based in the United Kingdom, but with an international membership, it is a not-for-profit organisation run by a small ...
chairman Nick Williams paid tribute to Anderson by saying "To those who met him Gerry was a quiet, unassuming but determined man. His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works. Gerry's legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world." The Humanist funeral was announced for Friday 11 January 2013 at
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
crematorium. His son Jamie went on to say that his father expressed his desire to let fans of the shows attend his funeral, alongside friends, family and cast members. Jamie also spoke about the number of messages sent by fans, saying, "We have been so touched by the outpouring of sympathy from all over the world. We have had messages from India, Uganda, Australia – and from people aged between seven to 70. It is so nice to know how my father touched people's lives across all the continents." Jamie went on to add, "But I'm proudest of him for the contribution he made to the Alzheimer's Society. He was so torn apart by his illness. But his involvement with the charity raised £1million in just a year." Anderson was cremated, following a ceremony that brought together hundreds of colleagues, family and fans. Anderson's coffin was decorated with a floral Thunderbird 2 as his body was taken into the service, where musical scores of the ''Thunderbirds'' theme tune and "Aqua Marina" from ''
Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ...
'' were played. Amongst the hundreds in attendance was car owner Melvin Jarvis, who drove to the service in a full-scale replica of
Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film sequel ...
's
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
FAB1. Also in attendance was
Shane Rimmer Shane Rimmer (born Shane Lance Deacon; May 28, 1929 – March 29, 2019) was a Canadian actor and screenwriter who spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom. The self-proclaimed "Rent-A-Yank" of the British entertainment industry, he ...
, who voiced Scott Tracy in '' Thunderbirds''; he spoke about his time on the show, saying, "It was a truly unique experience. Gerry's office was like the Oval Office at The White House at times, such was the mystique of the place. ''Thunderbirds'' really broke a mould as it was one of the first TV shows that had appeal on both sides of the Atlantic." The first episode of ''
Strange Hill High ''Strange Hill High'' is a British children's puppet-animated series for CBBC. The show is a co-production between CBBC, FremantleMedia and Factory. Out of the many writers, it was noted that Josh Weinstein (who worked on ''The Simpsons'' and ...
'', "King Mitchell", was dedicated to his memory.


Legacy

On 25 March 2013, in an announcement on the official Gerry Anderson website, Anderson's younger son
Jamie Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and t ...
announced that a number of projects that Anderson had been unable to finish during his lifetime were being developed by his company
Anderson Entertainment Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
and would be financed primarily through
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
crowdfunding. On 27 July 2013 the name of the first Gerry Anderson legacy project was announced on the official Gerry Anderson website as a trilogy of novels entitled '' Gemini Force One''. The first novel, ''Black Orchid'', was published in 2014. In 2019 a pilot episode for a new puppet-based science fiction series based upon concepts developed by Anderson, ''Gerry Anderson's Firestorm'', was released on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
by Anderson Entertainment. It uses a combination of hand- and electronically controlled puppets and green screen effects in an updated form of Supermarionation dubbed "Ultramarionation". Production of a full-length series was scheduled to begin in 2019.


Filmography


Film


Filmmaking credits


Editoral department credits


Television


Filmmaking credits


Voice acting credits


Other credits


Music video

* ''
Calling Elvis "Calling Elvis" is a song written by Mark Knopfler and performed by Dire Straits. It first appeared on the final studio album by the band, '' On Every Street'' (1991). It was released as the first single from that album, peaking at number 21 i ...
'' for
Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and per ...
(1991)


Сommercials

* ''Blue Skies Ahead'' (1960–61) An info-commercial style advertising campaign for Blue Car European coach tours show during 1960–1961 in fifteen minute segments on British television.


Other

* '' Gemini Force One'' (2008, continued posthumously) – novel series


Other related works

Over the years, various British
comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
have featured strips based on Anderson's creations. These started with '' TV Comic'' during the early 1960s, followed by '' TV Century 21'' and its various sister publications: ''
Lady Penelope Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is a fictional character introduced in the British 1960s Supermarionation television series '' Thunderbirds'', which was produced by AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The character also appears in the film sequel ...
'', ''TV Tornado'', ''Solo'' and ''Joe 90'' (which were produced by a company affiliated with Anderson). In the 1970s there was ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and ev ...
'' (later renamed ''TV Action''). There were also tie-in annuals that were produced each year featuring Anderson's TV productions.


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Anderson Entertainment
*
Gerry Anderson
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's
Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lo ...
* at the
Syfy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. La ...
website
Fanderson
– the official Gerry Anderson appreciation society {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Gerry 1929 births 2012 deaths AP Films Businesspeople from London Deaths from Alzheimer's disease English company founders English film directors English film editors English film producers English people of Polish-Jewish descent English people of Russian-Jewish descent English screenwriters English male screenwriters English television directors English television producers English television writers British male television writers Members of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Willesden County Grammar School People from Kilburn, London People from Neasden 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Writers from London Television show creators Deaths from dementia in England Royal Air Force airmen 20th-century English businesspeople