This Week’s Poll: Your favourite Gerry Anderson series

This year is the 55^th anniversary of ATV Network Limited and throughout the year we’ll be marking the anniversary with a series of special features and Icon profiles on key figures within the broadcaster. So with this in mind we’re asking you to pick your favourite Gerry Anderson series. Yes we are asking you to choose between favourites like Thunderbirds, UFO, Stingray and UFO!

This year is the 55^th anniversary of ATV Network Limited and throughout the year we’ll be marking the anniversary with a series of special features and Icon profiles on key figures within the broadcaster. So with this in mind we’re asking you to pick your favourite Gerry Anderson series. Yes we are asking you to choose between favourites like Thunderbirds, UFO, Stingray and UFO!

Space 1999

Live action drama from Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia Anderson which ran for two seasons in the 1970s. The origins of Space 199 can be traced back to the aborted second season of UFO which would have concentrated much more on the “Moon Base” which featured within the series due to their popularity with fans. When UFO was cancelled the Anderson’s reworked their ideas and Space 1999 was born. The series revolved around the inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha who are flung into deep space following a nuclear explosion. Leading stars included American Marin Landau and Barbara Bain who were cast at Lew Grade’s instance in the hope of appealing to US audiences.

The series was filmed at the Pinewood studios and took a lot of visual inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey. Broadcast began in 1975 even though production began in 1973 but the series was not networked in the UK or America meaning it aired at different time on local broadcasters. A second series was commissioned but underwent a revamp with more action orientated episodes and several cast members axed. Joining the cast of the second series were Catherine Von Schell and Tony Anholt. A third series was planned and possibly a spin-off series focusing on the character of Maya, played by Catherine Von Schell. However due to the sporadic nature of the episodes broadcasting ratings fell and Space 1999 and the proposed spin-off were cancelled.

UFO

UFO revolved around a secret organisation, S.H.A.D.O, which protected the world from a race of aliens who wanted to harvest humanity for their organs. Although targeted at adults because of Anderson’s previous productions some local broadcasters wrongly assumed that UFO was a children’s show. Amongst the stars of the television series were Gabrielle Drake, Ed Bishop and Wanda Ventham. 26 episodes of the series were made and aired over the course of two years from 1970 onwards – in both the UK and America. Production on the series was halted at one point for five months due to the closure of the MGM-British Studios in Borehamwood, Elstree, where the show was filmed. Production shifted to Pinewood Studios where Space 1999 would later be filmed.

Popular elements of the series included the Moonbase which was occasionally featured. A second series was commissioned and early storylines drawn up. Because the Moonbase had proved to be popular with audiences plans for the second season included featuring it more heavily. However, the second season was ultimately scrapped. A movie version of UFO is currently in development in Hollywood.

Perhaps the most famous and iconic of the Anderson’s productions and a series that is still hugely popular today decades after its original broadcaster. Thunderbirds revolved around the secret organisation International Rescue which is run by former Jeff Tracy and his five sons – each of which operate their own “Thunderbirds” machine. Aiding the Tracy’s with their rescues are supporting characters such as Lady Penelope, Parker and Tin Tin with most episodes being “standalone” adventures although a few do feature a recurring nemesis – The Hood.

The voice cast of Thunderbirds included Peter Dyneley, David Holliday, David Graham, Ray Barrett, Christine Finn and Sylvia Anderson herself as Lady Penelope. Thunderbirds ran for two seasons which 32 episodes and a number of “television movies” were also made. In the 1990s the series enjoyed a revival in popularity and later a live-action movie was produced but was savaged by critics.

The series, often shortened to just Captain Scarlet but was actually called Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, was set in the mid 21^st century – a popular setting for the Anderson’s. The series dealt with the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. A war between Earth and the group of Martians breaks out and it’s left to Spectrum, yep a secret organisation, to defend the Earth against the Mysteron Menace. The main character of the series is, of course, Captain Scarlet.

The series was much darker in tone than previous Anderson productions but was still aimed at children although more the older end of that target range. Amongst the voice cast of the series were Ed Bishop, Cy Grant, Donald Gray, Sylvia Anderson, Francis Matthews, Donald Gray and Liz Morgan. 32 episodes of Captain Scarlet were produced between 1967 and 1968. In 2005 Captain Scarlet was revived by ITV in an all new CGI format with 26 further episodes being produced.

You can also vote for Stingray, Joe 90, Terrehawks and Fireball XL5.