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During my infant years they only showed ‘Thunderbirds’ on television in the Netherlands, and thus I wasn't that much aware of the other creations of Gerry Anderson. At the time when I compiled this page there wasn't a brief overview with synopsis of these creations available on the Internet. And so I thought, let's make one. The focus I lay on the puppeteering legacy. Here we go ...

‘Stingray’, ‘Captain Scarlet’, ‘UFO’, ‘Space: 1999’, ‘Joe 90’, ‘Supercar’, ‘Fireball XL5’ and ‘Thunderbirds’ were all the brainchildren of Gerry Anderson. A master of the heroic adventure tale, puppeteering technology and futuristic machine designs, he is a legend in his own fantastical universes…
However, if Gerry hadn't been allergic to the lime in plaster, how different it would have been! He began his career studying fibrous plastering, but had to give it up when it gave him dermatitis. After a spell with photographic portrait work, a job in Gainsborough films and time spent in air traffic control, he set up AP Films (Associated Puppet Films) with some friends. Commissions were few however, so he responded eagerly to the opportunity to make a puppet series called ‘The Adventures of Twizzle’. It was however not until 8 years later that this puppeteering endeavour would result into creating the classic ‘Thunderbirds’.

Gerry Anderson made also a number of series for television and movies without puppeteering technology (all of them having to do with science fiction and/or detective work), however on this page only the ones with puppet animations have been taken up in more detail. Short listing of these other creations of Gerry Anderson:
‘Crossroads to Crime’(1960 -film 57m), ‘Doppelgänger’ (1968/69 -film 101m 'Your way to the far side of the sun'), ‘UFO’(1969/70 -26 episodes of 50m), ‘The Protectors’ (1971/73 -26 & 26 episodes of 25m), ‘Space:1999’ (1973/76 -24 & 24 episodes of 50m), ‘The Day after Tomorrow’(1975 -1 episode of 45m), ‘Space Precinct’ (1994/95 -24 episodes of 45m)

The Adventures of Twizzle      Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Banty Books / Associated Rediffusion - 1956 52 episodes of 15 mins The adventures of a boy doll who runs away from a toyshop and together with his feline friend Footso, builds Stray Town, a heaven for toys.

Torchy the Battery Boy     Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Pelham Films / Associated Rediffusion - 1957(series one) 26 episodes of 15 mins The adventures of a boy doll who travels by rocket to Topsy Turvy Land where toys can walk, animals can talk and cream buns grow on trees. Note: There was a second series comprising a further 26 episodes produced by Associated British Pathe for Roberta Leigh. Gerry Anderson and AP Films were not involved in this latter production. However the same puppets and music and so on were used.

Four Feather Falls      Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Granada TV Network - 1958/59 39 episodes of 15 mins Sheriff Tex Tucker maintains the peace in Four Feather Falls, Kansas with the aid of four magic feathers which allow his dog and horse to talk and his guns to swivel and fire automatically whenever he is in danger.

Supercar      Associated Puppet Films (APF) / ATV Associate TeleVision / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1959/60 (series one) 26 episodes of 25 mins Associated Puppet Films (APF) / ATV Associate TeleVision / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1960/61(series two) 13 episodes of 25 mins The adventures of the crew of an amazing land, sea and air vehicle based at a secret Black Rock laboratory in the Nevada Desert in 1960-62. Gerry Anderson's first science fiction Supermarionation series. Super Car was a prototype vehicle that could travel in the air, on land or beneath the sea. Its test pilot was Mike Mercury, who traveled the world in search of adventure. Super Car was designed by Professor Popkiss and Dr. Beaker, who continued to modify it for specific missions. Often traveling with Mike was 10-year-old orphan Jimmy Gibson.

Fireball XL5      Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1961/62 39 episodes of 25 mins The interplanetary adventures of the crew of the W.S.P. spacecraft Fireball XL5. This vehicle was part of the fleet of interplanetary rockets protecting Sector 25 of the Solar System from alien invasion under the supervision of the World Space Patrol in the year 2062. In command of XL5 was Steve Zodiac, and his crew consisted of Venus, a doctor, Professor Matic, the science officer, and Robert the Robot, the rocket's mechanical co-pilot.

Stingray    Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1962/64 39 episodes of 25 mins Original UK airdate: 4 oct 1965 / 2 june 1965 Situated in the year 2064, Gerry Anderson's third SF supermarionation saga tells the adventures of the WASPs (the World Aquanaut Security Patrol) as they explored the oceans and kept the world safe from a variety of perils. The WASP's main weapon was Stingray, a super-sub under the command of Troy Tempest. Troy's copilot was Phones, and they were often joined on missions by Marina, a princess of the undersea kingdom of Pacifica. Marina could breathe under water, but was unable to speak. In charge of the WASPs was gruff Commander Shore, whose daughter Atlanta was both a member of his staff and Marina's rival for Troy's affection.

Invaders from the Deep  (aka: Invaders from the Deep: Stringray (1981) (UK)
Century 21 Television / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1981
89 min
Note: this is a compilation of episode #4, 6, 11 & 27!

When aquatic aliens plot to take over the planet, the world aquanaut security patrol are called in to battle the aliens.

Thunderbirds      Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1964/65 (series one) 26 episodes of 50 mins Original UK airdate: 30 sept 1965 / 31 mrch 1966   Thunderbirds opening theme (1:33) Associated Puppet Films (APF) / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1966 (series two) 6 episodes of 50 mins Original UK airdate: 2 oct 1966 / 25 dec 1966 Operating from a secret island base, the Tracy family run a global rescue service in the years 2065-2067 using five amazing Thunderbirds vehicles. (for more details and listing of all episodes click here)   2 feature Thunderbirds films: Thunderbirds Are Go Century 21 Cinema / United Artists - 1966 94 mins Release date: 12 december 1966   (release poster) International Rescue are called in to supervise security arrangements for the launch of the Zero X manned mission to Mars. Thunderbird 6      Century 21 Cinema / United Artists - 1967/68 90 mins Release date: 29 july 1968   (release poster) Lady Penelope travels the world aboard Brains' new airship, Skyship One, unaware that the entire crew are imposters plotting the downfall of International Rescue.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons      Century 21 Television / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1966/67 32 episodes of 25 mins Original UK airdate: 29 sept 1967 / 14 may 1968   Plot (0:20) In 2068, the indestructible Captain Scarlet leads the agents of Spectrum in a war of nerves against the Mysterons from Mars. A misunderstanding provokes an alien race called the Mysterons to declare war of nerves on Earth. Through the series, they continually make threats of terrorist acts and attempt to follow through with their ability to create duplicates of anyone they kill. Their key opponent is the international intelligence organization, Spectrum, whose agents are code-named according to various colours. Their top agent in this war is Captain Scarlet, an agent who was subjected to the duplication process, but was still alive at the time. As a result he was able to shake off the Mysterons control, but leaving being him indestructible, that is he can regenerate from and survive even fatal wounds.

Joe 90     Century 21 Television / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1967/68 30 episodes of 25 mins Original UK airdate: 29 sept 1968 / 20 apr 1969 Joe is a 9-year-old boy whose father has developed a method of transferring specialist "brain patterns", and hence skills, into his son's mind. As a result, Joe is able to become a test pilot, brain surgeon, etc, as needed. Combined with his innocent appearance this enables him to become the most specal agent of the W.I.N. (World Intelligence Network).

The Secret Service      Century 21 Television / Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] - 1968/69 13 episodes of 25 mins Original UK airdate: 21 sept 1969 / 14 dec 1969 Parish priest Father Unwin is an undercover agent for B.I.S.H.O.P. who carries out dangerous assignments using a miniaturisation device to shrink his assistant, Matthew Harding, to puppet size.

The Investigator  (Television pilot) Starkits - 1972 1 episode of 25 mins The Investigator, a being from another galaxy, chooses a boy and a girl, John and Julie, to help him right wrongs on Earth, miniaturising them to help them in their missions.

Terrahawks      Anderson Burr / LWT - 1983(series one) 26 episodes of 25 mins Anderson Burr / LWT - 1984 (series two) 13 episodes of 25 mins In the year 2020 Earth is under threat from Martian androids who want revenge on the human race. They consist of Zelda, her son Youngstar and her sister called Sister. An organisation is set up on Earth called Terrahawks, which is top secret to the rest of the world. This is led by Dr Tiger Ninestein with other characters such as Sergeant Major Zero.

Space Police Star Laws  (Television pilot) Gerry Anderson Productions - 1986 1 episode of 52 mins (Alternative Version: 1 episode x 25 minutes - 1989) After 15 years as a New York street cop, Lt. Brogan is appointed commanding officer of Space Police Precinct 44, an intergalactic police corps fighting organised crime on alien worlds.

Dick Spanner Anderson Burr / Channel 4 - 1986/87 22 episodes of 6 mins In a parallel universe to our own, wisecracking robot private detective Dick Spanner becomes involved in a series of increasingly bizarre cases.

GFI Warming Warning  (Television pilot) Gosh! / Inimitable - 1993 1 episode of 25 mins G-Force Intergalactic, a rapid response task force for the United Planets, combats major crime and large scale disasters from a hidden base, Star City, beneath the surface of an asteroid orbiting the Myson system.

Lavender Castle Incorporated Television Company (ITC) [uk] / Gerry Anderson Productions / Cosgrove Hall - 1996/98 26 episodes of 10 mins The adventures of Captain Thrice and the crew of the starship Paradox on their quest to find the legendary Lavender Castle - a floating city deep in space and the greatest source of power in the universe - before the evil Dr. Agon who intends to destroy it.