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Post by jno on Jul 21, 2017 3:50:59 GMT
This week it's Gerry Anderson puppets.
Gerry Anderson's "Supermarionated" television shows:
Four Feather Falls (1960)
Supercar (1961)
Fireball XL5 (1962)
Stingray (1964)
Thunderbirds (1965)
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967)
Joe 90 (1968)
The Secret Service (1969)
"Supermacronation":
Terrahawks (1983)
But, if you had to pick ONE show, which is your favourite?
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Post by flyingsquad on Jul 21, 2017 13:30:31 GMT
I like all of them but Captain Scarlet for me.
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Post by pr1 on Jul 21, 2017 13:40:47 GMT
I voted for Captain Scarlet because that is the one I remember best from childhood. The opening title sequence made a big impression on me and twenty years later when I saw the show again I was surprised at how well I remembered it. Thunderbirds is a close second.
I enjoy all the shows from Supercar to The Secret Service. Amazingly all those shows were released on DVD in the US.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 21, 2017 18:20:05 GMT
Okay I'm not sure on this. So let's do a run down to help me decide I've not seen Four Feather Falls, The Secret Service or Supercar I don't think, although I know the Supercar title. That rules them out. Joe 90 was rubbish and so was Thunderbirds. The latter completely over-rated. Also there's something about that Tracy kin I ain't so keen on, I can't put my finger on it but I've heard rumours.... Clean-cut, do-gooding w*****s! Fireball XL5 I really quite like and I think that's underrated. Plus it was groundbreaking by having a lady Doctor IIRC........  .........! Ooo topical. Well it would be if this show hadn't done it 55years ago!! Stingray was pretty cool but a bit soppy and a bit goofy. Plus I'm not exactly sure from memory, but didn't Aquamarina have learning difficulties or something? And I don't think that Troy Tempest was right to take advantage of her and play her along like that.. Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Now this has everything doesn't it, a neat set up, stylish throughout, ruthless violence, a cool score, great baddies, The Destiny Angels! It's ace isn't it?! It even has a starring role for Ex-Liverpool and Scotland defender Alan Hansen as the title character. If this doesn't win I'll be amazed! Coz it should.. However, unfortunately my brother was/is a huge fan of this show (only the other week, along with his other presents, I bought him a Capaitn Scarlet pin badge for his 57th birthday, and he was well chuffed!) and he spent years telling me how great Captain Scarlet was trying to brainwash me and make me jealous that I never saw it first time round like he did. B*****d! So I'm not voting Scarlet. Sorry bruv, but today Spectrum is not green.  Which now brings me onto Dr Ninestein Vs Zelda. Now, Terrahawks won't score well on here but this show is absolutely crackerjack! Really entertaining. The hero, Dr 'Tiger' Ninestein, is a complete loon; a sort of reactionary, arrogant, video-game obsessed whackjob, that leads a crew of embarrassingly dated racial stereotypes (even though it's 1983 and everyone involved should know better..  ) in a constant battle against the megalomaniacal, alien super hag, Zelda. Who along with her dysfunctional, retarded, monster family try to bring down Earth for seemingly no other reason than it gives her something to do.. It's got humour, non-stop action, monsters, cool FX, a neat vibe, the most iconic baddie of any GA show, a cool score and the good guys don't always win! With the added bonus that it's completely self aware but just doesn't seem to give a f*** at how bad it is. Plus checkout the cool noughts and crosses games during the credits. A great show. You could put Dr Tiger Ninestein in a room with Steve Zodiac, The Tracy Brothers, Joe McClaine, Troy Tempest and Captain Scarlet and the only dude left standing at the end would be Ninestein, with a smoking Wrist Gun NOT in one hand, and a cigar in the other, watching over a pile of dead puppets... And that includes Captain Scarlet, and he's indestructible! Stay on this channel, this is an emergency! I vote Terrahawks. |
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Post by ace5150 on Jul 21, 2017 19:27:03 GMT
A genius couple were Sylvia and Gerry.
The one thing that annoys me about Sylvia were her nasty and libellous allegations about Gerry when they divorced, it really was nasty.
Captain Scarlett had a bigger budget, and with advancements in puppets, is a clear winner.
Even his though Sylvia was a nasty piece of work, I rate Thunderbirds as my favourite, even though it features her voice as Lady Penelope.
Never liked Fireball or Stingray, but Stingray had a great intro with that massive fish leaping out the water.
Joe 90 was a great idea, but didn't flick my switch, even though I had a Joe 90 annual
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Post by thecraftyleek on Jul 21, 2017 22:34:32 GMT
A hard choice picking just one. I went for Terrahawks in the end. Maybe UFO should be on there too and widen the choice to all Gerry Anderson shows.
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Post by billymedhurst on Jul 22, 2017 0:00:13 GMT
Has to be Stingray, love the aquaphibians !
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 22, 2017 5:49:57 GMT
A hard choice picking just one. I went for Terrahawks in the end. Maybe UFO should be on there too and widen the choice to all Gerry Anderson shows. I watched several episodes of Terrahawks last night, mostly because of this thread reminding me I hadn't seen any in ages, and I fancied a laugh.. One thing I don't think I'd noticed before was that the writing credits on the episodes are always written by someone whose name ends in 'Stein', presumably after the show's hero Ninestein. There's loads of in jokes like that. |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 22, 2017 10:25:56 GMT
'U.F.O.' is so popular on here I think most of us would have made it a runaway winner.
In your dreams.. Anyone with any nous would still vote Terrahawks. B)
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 22, 2017 10:33:16 GMT
Where's Dick Spanner PI?
That was something to do with GA wasn't it?
I know it was more animation than puppetry but it could have puppets in it..
I remember that on tele in the late 80s, late at night it was IIRC
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 22, 2017 10:56:45 GMT
I've not seen Lavender but I remember Dick Spanner. Not seen it for years though. I had it on VHS after it was on tele but it was probably still 1992 or something last time I watched it.
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Post by pr1 on Jul 22, 2017 11:34:10 GMT
'The Secret Service' - I've seen it and enjoyed it. It's not perfect but it has an off beat charm to it. Unwin takes some getting use to. The switching from live action to puppets is done well at times and other times you wonder why they bothered. If your a fan of Supermarionation it's worth a look.
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Post by Zimbo on Jul 22, 2017 17:41:05 GMT
Not seen it but I've been intrigued by The Secret Service since I saw the Supermarionation documentary.
Must say though, that I never really got Stanley Unwin. One of those you either love or are baffled by!
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Post by jno on Jul 22, 2017 20:17:53 GMT
Captain Scarlet for me, Thunderbirds a close second. Scarlet is just cooler. Thunderbirds - I still have my audiobook cassette of 'Operation Crash Dive' which I bought with birthday money when I was 7. I have a feeling I know who this guy would vote for:  |
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Post by felixdeburgh on Jul 22, 2017 20:31:32 GMT
Tough one but Thunderbirds for me although I've got very fond memories of watching Stingray on weekday mornings during the school holidays in the mid-80's. I think the storylines of the later series were more varied and the longer running time allowed them to develop better.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Jul 23, 2017 7:27:27 GMT
I have a feeling I know who this guy would vote for: Me too.... He'd vote Terrahawks. Definitely. 'Expect the unexpected' jno. Dr Ninestein teaches you that in the very first episode.  You walk around taking things on face value all your life and you'll never get a job at Hawknest. |
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Post by bensonrad on Jul 24, 2017 12:39:22 GMT
I'd go for Thunderbirds, whilst I vaguely remember watching a few of the others, Thunderbirds is the one I remember the most.
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Post by chopper on Jul 24, 2017 19:13:30 GMT
Captain Scarlett just edges Thunderbirds for me.....
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Post by Portland Road on Jul 25, 2017 7:44:59 GMT
I like 'Thunderbirds' - it was nearly always exciting, though does have its ambiguities. How can such a large operation be operated only by the Tracy family, and all of the engineering work carried out by just one guy (i.e. Brains).... ? It would need quite a large and qualified maintenance crew, with 24-hour cover. There may also be aspects like industrial relations problems....  Re - 'The Secret Service': I never saw it either. I understand that Lew Grade didn't like it - he didn't see how Stanley Unwin's 'gobbledygook' fitted in with the show, and thought that the North American audience wouldn't take to it. Evidently he cancelled the show amidst its production run - perhaps he wasn't too keen to hawk it around the ITV regions and preferred to concentrate on upcoming shows like 'U.F.O.' |
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Post by jno on Jul 25, 2017 8:10:51 GMT
This thread has taken off. |
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Post by fordcapri on Jul 25, 2017 11:11:24 GMT
I like 'Thunderbirds' - it was nearly always exciting, though does have its ambiguities. How can such a large operation be operated only by the Tracy family, and all of the engineering work carried out by just one guy (i.e. Brains).... ? It would need quite a large and qualified maintenance crew, with 24-hour cover. There may also be aspects like industrial relations problems.... Re - 'The Secret Service': I never saw it either. I understand that Lew Grade didn't like it - he didn't see how Stanley Unwin's 'gobbledygook' fitted in with the show, and thought that the North American audience wouldn't take to it. Evidently he cancelled the show amidst its production run - perhaps he wasn't too keen to hawk it around the ITV regions and preferred to concentrate on upcoming shows like 'U.F.O.' I was 'lucky' enough to be living in Basingstoke in the early 1970s (actually, yeah, it was great!) and we got to see The Secret Service on 'Southern' ITV. I think the other two were ATV and something like Tyne Tees or Border. |
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Post by fordcapri on Jul 25, 2017 11:16:37 GMT
Long story but Sir Cliff Richard is known as Sir Kitty Wig. He may well wear a wig, but I honestly don't think the 'other stuff' is true. Anyway, here he is with the lads in the reference footage (edited) for the puppeteers on Thunderbirds are GO! |
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Post by gustav on Jul 26, 2017 19:35:49 GMT
Hard to pick just one but there was a subtlety about some of the characterisation of the puppets in Stingray particularly with the love traingle between Troy, Marina and Atlanta. There was also a kind of constant background threat with the Aquaphibians, evil underwater baddies that they were. Has to be Stingray.
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Post by daz on Aug 7, 2017 19:29:14 GMT
JUst saw this one and had to vote Captain Scarlett, even though Thunderbirds ran it close, I liked Joe 90 also.
The craftmanship which went into making kids TV shows back in the 60s is something which will never be repeated no matter how much channels and technology they now have dedicated to them.
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.........! Ooo topical. Well it would be if this show hadn't done it 55years ago!!
) in a constant battle against the megalomaniacal, alien super hag, Zelda. Who along with her dysfunctional, retarded, monster family try to bring down Earth for seemingly no other reason than it gives her something to do..
