Gerry Anderson

[Foxbat]

Creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and many more has died at the age of 83. I still love his shows all these years later.

 

[Abernovo]

Gerry Anderson 1929 - 2012

Just seen it announced on BBC World that Gerry Anderson has died at the age of 83.

Sad news. He produced several of the iconic television series of 1960s/70s SFF and surely left an impression on thousands. I know I'm one of them.

For those that don't know, he was responsible for:
Stingray
Thunderbirds
Captain Scarlet
UFO
and
Space: 1999

An impressive and influential list.

 

[Pyan]

And we older ones will also remember Supercar and Fireball XL5. In fact, I've read it said that you can fairly accurately estimate someone's age by asking which is the earliest Gerry Anderson production they remember.

I'll remember him with affection and deep nostalgia.

RIP, Gerry! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!...

 

[j d worthington]

Glad to see someone else mention Fireball XL5... this was my introduction to Anderson, and it's something which stuck for good....

He will be missed.....

 

[Perpetual Man]

Like so many others Gerry Anderson's output was an integral part of my childhood, from Thunderbirds, to Space 1999; Terrahawks to Stingray he made me believe that puppets were real, and that the moon had gone.

Thank you, RIP

 

[Rodders]

RIP Gerry. You created many a childhood memory and you will be missed.

 

[Grimward]

RIP Gerry. Thanks for the heads up, FB; here's a link from the BBC story.

And, in keeping with Pyan's suggestion, I check in with a memory that only includes a couple Thunderbirds episodes (which were probably reruns), and UFO only sounds familiar, but I remember watching many Space 1999 shows.

 

[Rodders]

My best Christmas memory (and best Christmas present) was running around with the Dinky Eagle in the kitchen on Christmas Day. (I fell and the Front left "foot" got sheared off.) I played with that crippled Eagle for a long time. I've been meaning to get another for a while now.

 

[TheTomG]

Man I loved UFO and Space 1999. I too had a Dinky Eagle and it was super cool! Captain Scarlet had some neat things in it too, though the concept that he couldn't die always kind of annoyed me, as he'd always seem to end up trapped in something that would cause certain death, and would never escape like most other heroes, but instead would die, but then of course not die. It always seemed to me a bit of a failure as a hero not to be able to escape the certain death RIGHT at the last minute, but instead just go ahead and die from whatever cunning trap it was, then just come back afterward - kind of lazy, if you know what I mean? Ha

Thunderbirds I kind of liked, I did watch it every week mind you, but only really liked certain ships and people... err characters... err puppets.

Anyway, he was certainly a huge influence on me and millions of others. And the Dragon's Domain episode of Space 1999 scared me totally! Daleks, nah, I just loved them from the start, but that tentacled beast was scary scary scary!

 

[Tyler Danann]

We need more Gerry Andersons in this world.
They teach us to dream big, think far-ahead and go forward like our ancestors of olde...

I was in like another world watching his shows on the 80s re-runs...

 

[Dave]

In fact, I've read it said that you can fairly accurately estimate someone's age by asking which is the earliest Gerry Anderson production they remember.

That's probably true. For me it was Thunderbirds, with Stingray in re-runs. I believe Thunderbirds and Doctor Who were responsible for my TV, movie-going and reading habits for the rest of my life.

His funeral was held yesterday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20969525

Just an observation - often when a celebrity dies the family insist on a quiet funeral of family members only. In this case, it was a standing room only affair, with fans flying in from all over the world. I can understand families wanting time to grieve, and not wanting the funeral to become a circus show. I can also see that it isn't fair for people who never really knew the person, but who are obsessed by their celebrity status, to railroad a funeral. On the other hand, I also think a funeral should be a memorial, tribute and celebration of a person's life, and you can't really do that if you shut out all those people who's lives they have touched.

 

[Starbeast]

Thank you for entertaining me. Rest in Peace Gerry.

I'm still a fan of Space: 1999 and the original Thunderbirds.