Gerry Anderson has passed away

[lennier1]

Read at one point he was trying to bring Thunderbirds back to tv via cgi as was done a few years back with Captain Scarlet but I guess that will never happen.

Right now, the only person I'd trust to be able to realize a project like that would be Ron Thornton, who already worked on the Scarlet CG version. Since he's the founder of Foundation Imaging, the company that paved the way for extensive use of CGI in TV shows (e.g., unimportant shows like Babylon 5 and Star Trek Voyager) he knows a thing or three about CG-heavy projects.
But he does his best work when he's teamed up with other great creative minds and every generation of filmmakers has only a handful of visionaries as gifted as Gerry Anderson.

 

[Kegg]

To me, Gerry Anderson will probably always be the guy behind Thunderbirds and Space: 1999.

Thunderbirds, well, I can remember assembling my own models of those ships. As for Space:1999, that cool looking 1970s space opera I watched many moons ago. Visually it's still one of my favourite looks for sci-fi - the modern design, the fantastic model work (the Eagles in particular).

He was inarguably one of the titans of British sci-fi TV. He will be missed.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

Such sad news, I loved Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I didn't grow up with Gerry's shows but I have come to enjoy Space 1999 and UFO in later years. There's still a sense of boyish glee whenever a model ship is about to be launched.

 

[xortex]

Did he write the music to the original Battlestar Galactica? That was a gorgeous theme.

 

[Marc]

Did he write the music to the original Battlestar Galactica? That was a gorgeous theme.[/QUOTEwo

How in the name of all that's holy does one confused Gerry Anderson with Stu Phillips?

 

[Forbin]

To me, Gerry Anderson will probably always be the guy behind Thunderbirds and Space: 1999.

Probably. Be...cause he WAS.





I watched a whole disc of Fireball XL-5 yesterday in honor. Now I'm singing that lovely closing song all day.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Wow. I just got a piece of an old Space: 1999 Mattel Eagle for Christmas to fix up the one I had as a kid.
Rest in peace Mr. Anderson.

 

[MacLeod]

It would be fair to say at least in the UK, generations grew up on his shows. And many of them have stood the test of the time.

 

[lennier1]

It would be fair to say at least in the UK, generations grew up on his shows.

Bot just the UK, pretty much all of Western and Central Europe.

 

[Saul]

Remember how big Thunderbirds became again in the 90s and Tracy Island was the must have for Christmas. I think the puppetry will always have a special quality that CGI just can't capture.

 

[Marc]

Remember how big Thunderbirds became again in the 90s and Tracy Island was the must have for Christmas. I think the puppetry will always have a special quality that CGI just can't capture.

some years back they did a re-release of the movie Thunderbird 6 in my home city (probably during the 90s resurgence) Now the session I went to wasn't exactly packed but I suspect the people there fell into three categories

Those who would have watched Thunderbirds first run, those like my self who watched the repeats in the 70s and 80s and the young kids being along with their fathers being seeing on the big screen.

Oh and when that abomination of a Frakes directed movie was coming (was it ever disavowed by Anderson?) I can remember seeing the poster and thinking what the hell is that? Then realised it was TB2.

BTW does anyone remember the Anime version from the early 80s? If not there was some eps on Youtube. Not quite Anderson quality and little to do with the original apart from the basic concepts (International Rescue, the Thunderbird craft each with a different role) but less of travesty than the movie).

 

[Kegg]

To me, Gerry Anderson will probably always be the guy behind Thunderbirds and Space: 1999.

Probably. Be...cause he WAS.

The point being UFO, Fireball XL-5, and his other work does not come as immediately to mind. I know UFO in particular is often better liked than Space: 1999 in some circles (which was originally planned as a season of UFO).

 

[lennier1]

Oh and when that abomination of a Frakes directed movie was coming (was it ever disavowed by Anderson?) I can remember seeing the poster and thinking what the hell is that? Then realised it was TB2.

The Japanese initially only copied basic elements. The actual connection to Thunderbirds was only made in the English dub (title, dialogue, sound effects from Anderson shows, ...).
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YA6fqqtUx0[/yt]

 

[Saul]

Oh and when that abomination of a Frakes directed movie was coming (was it ever disavowed by Anderson?) I can remember seeing the poster and thinking what the hell is that? Then realised it was TB2.

"the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my entire life."- Gerry Anderson


Yep.

 

[Seven of Five]

Haha. I could only stomach about 30 minutes of the film before feeling really sick. A truly horrible experience.

I grew up on the 90s reruns of Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, so I feel similar to everyone else who posted. He was a man ahead of his time, and his work will endure long past his death.

 

[ToddPence]

Gerry Anderson will probably never be recognized as an the icon of Sci-Fi TV that he should be. His most remembered series, Space: 1999, tends to be derided in SFF fanboy circles who focus more on its failures (mostly involving the second season in which Anderson had lesser involvement in) than it's successes. And UFO is a outstanding SF series for its time that is not as well remembered as it should be. Also to his credit is the remarkable film "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" (aka Doppleganger).

 

[Forbin]

Re: the Frakes T-Birds movie. Granted the original series was aimed at adolescents, thus, I guess, the decision to make the movie "for kids."

My argument is that the adolescents the series was made for are adults now, OLD adults! And they're the ones most interested in it. So why not make the movie a serious (but fun), mature updating of the concept for us grown-ups who loved the show as kids?

 

[Marc]

Re: the Frakes T-Birds movie. Granted the original series was aimed at adolescents, thus, I guess, the decision to make the movie "for kids."

My argument is that the adolescents the series was made for are adults now, OLD adults! And they're the ones most interested in it. So why not make the movie a serious (but fun), mature updating of the concept for us grown-ups who loved the show as kids?

Yet some of the Thunderbird stories lines weren't exactly kid even adolscent oriented, arson, murder, espionage, terrorism, hijacking.

But thankfully for the most part there were no kids Think there were maybe 3 maybe 4 eps which featured theme.

 

[Klaus]

I like UFO the best... one of my favorites. Though apparently the idea that it was intended to be an S:1999 spinoff is actually a myth.