Gerry Anderson (1929-2012)

[Boilk]

The amazing Gerry Anderson also gone now.

This man's creations were a very important part of my (and my friends') childhood(s).

Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet were special for me, but more recently I acquired and loved UFO too.

[Petrushka]

The amazing Gerry Anderson also gone now.

This man's creations were a very important part of my (and my friends') childhood(s).

Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet were special for me, but more recently acquired and loved UFO.

Yes, an enormous part of my own childhood. Supercar with Mike Mercury was my favourite and never really liked Thunderbirds as much (great theme tune though).

On account of my thick black NHS specs I was known as Joe 90 at school as well as Brains (among other less attractive nicknames ).

[Roehre]

The amazing Gerry Anderson also gone now.

This man's creations were a very important part of my (and my friends') childhood(s).

Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet were special for me, but more recently I acquired and loved UFO too.

A lot of shared memories.
RIP Gerry Anderson

[kernelbogey]

Gerry Anderson (1929-2102)

Shum mishtake, shurely...?

[Petrushka]

Gerry Anderson (1929-2102)

Shum mishtake, shurely...?

Are you not able to amend in your capacity as host, kernel...?

[Nick Armstrong]

The amazing Gerry Anderson also gone now.

This man's creations were a very important part of my (and my friends') childhood(s).

Mine too but please don't forget the contribution of Sylvia Anderson! (and her hands and voice, Lady Penelope, for the use of!)

[mangerton]

At boarding school in the 60s, TV was restricted to very limited times at weekends, and "Stingray" was one of the few shows we were able to watch. It soon became required viewing, as were the repeats 25 years or so later for a very young Miss m and me. We also watched "Thunderbirds", and when I read today's news, I said to her, "Thunderbirds are stop".

Very sad. Surface Agent X20. When will we see his like again?

[Anna]

I vaguely remember Lady Penelope and Parker and his eyebrows (You called Mi'Lady?)
I think I acted that out with my dollies. (I, of course, was Lady Penelope!)

[makropulos]

RIP, Gerry Anderson.
Stingray and Thunderbirds were such an essential part of my childhood, and so many other people's. For a time I even got the Anderson comic - called TV21 - I was that keen... Whenever I watch an old episode of Thunderbirds (especially) I still find them hugely enjoyable.

[Tenor Freak]

This is guaranteed to make the hairs on your neck stand up:

[Music by the late great Barry Gray]

RIP Gerry Anderson - though Sylvia's contribution to your work should always be acknowledged.

[Ferretfancy]

Whenever a male hand was required to push a button in shot, one of my closest friends supplied it. He was one of the puppeteers, and designed Virgil. The studios at Bray operated on a shoestring, and the model makers used to shop at the Woollies in Windsor for plastic toys,which they then cannabalised for spare parts.Dialogue was recorded on a very basic recorder, and the output was fed into solenoids to make the mouths move in synch. Probably the greatest graduate from Bray was Derek Meddings, who went on to provide special effects for the Bond films, a far cry from the table top sets for Thunderbirds !

Thunderbirds had the same sort of charm that the early Disney features had, and like Disney films the original magic was lost as the techniques became more sophisticated.

[Lateralthinking1]

Being very young when Thunderbirds was broadcast, I found it rather mysterious. Discomforting and reassuring, it was obviously a part of the real world but I really couldn't place it. In fact, I think I needed someone to explain to me what puppets were and even then I only half believed them. Nowadays three year olds are probably just too knowing. Looking back, it is clear to me that the programme was quite brilliant. It occupied a unique space in what were otherwise familiar living rooms. Farewell Gerry Anderson. You will be remembered by many people for your talent and those remarkable creations which both fired and managed imaginations.

[Nick Armstrong]

I went to a school party dressed as Scott Tracy. We're talking 1967/8 I think. I had the blue cap and belt/sash combo specially bought too http://54321thunderbirdsarego.blogsp...ott-tracy.html I can remember feeling tremendous!!

[Roehre]

RIP, Gerry Anderson.
Stingray and Thunderbirds were such an essential part of my childhood, and so many other people's. For a time I even got the Anderson comic - called TV21 - I was that keen... Whenever I watch an old episode of Thunderbirds (especially) I still find them hugely enjoyable.

TV21: I still have got them in a reasonable state, but for those who haven't kept them, there are CDs with copies of all issues for less than a fiver on eBay. I recently bought one of those too.

[Mandryka]

Has anyone else noticed the too-close-to-be-a-complete-coincidence resemblance between Lady's Pelenlope's chauffeur, Parker, and the late George Brown, then a very big noise in Harold Wilson's Labour government?

I'm sure it must have been intentional!

Loved all his series, though have only dim memories of them now. I think Captain Scarlet will come to be regarded as his masterpiece, though.