Filmed in Supermarionation: A History of the Future

by Stephen La Riviere

For the first time, a complete history of the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson television productions which pioneered science-fiction special effects. Film historian Steven La Riviere, whose documentary about Supercar was the final word on the series, takes you behind-the-scenes and covers every aspect of the creation and production of such television shows as Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Secret Service, and Joe 90. The book also covers the Anderson's efforts from the beginning including Torchy and Four Feather Falls. This full-color art book is packed with hundreds of never-before-seen production photos, artwork, and illustrations making this the definitive book on the subject.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2009

Reviews

[John MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the definition of a coffee table book, with me taking a very leisurely eight months to finish reading
It’s a big door - stopper of a volume in a rigid cardboard case , and was published, and obtained from, Network, who sadly are no longer trading
Author, film , and documentary maker, Stephen La Rivière, has written this book about how from the 1950’ s through to the end of the 60’s , Gerry and Sylvia Anderson alongside a small , hardworking, dedicated team of creatives revolutionised British kids TV , at the time , by pioneering the use of puppets, with such ingenuity and production values, that the popularity of series such as Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, spans generations , and are still revered today
This story is definitely an interesting social history, which captures the opinions, attitudes, and techniques employed by , a young, driven production team plying their trade for ITC television , in London during the Swinging Sixties, when other cult classic programs such as the Saint , the Avengers, and The Prisoner were also in production at the same time
I was one of the baby boomers who grew up watching Gerry Anderson’s supermarionation productions , and they still mean a lot to me , so it’s fair to say I loved reading this book, for the sheer nostalgia, and the inclusion of many rare photos from the time underlined the sense of time place , and history
For the reasons stated above, this book perhaps won’t be for everyone, but for those who grew up at this time , and are still interested in the pop culture of that age , I would highly recommend this lavish tome , as a reminder of simpler carefree childhood times

[Stephen N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. These programmes meant so much to children growing up the 1960s which is why the fascination with them has endured. There was just 2 TV channels at that time and these were the most important programmes of the week. They went on to be sold to the USA and all around the world. I have older and younger siblings who all have their favourites. It was interesting to see the whole story knitted together with the key relationship between Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and how the pressures of work destroyed their marriage in the end. Futuristic and clever stories and in those days I couldn’t see the strings. So many fantastic facts about the characters and production team and how it all developed. I subscribed to the Century 21 comic as a child and have a Fireball XL5 on my shelf. Thankyou

[Dennis Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fascinating history of the SF puppet shows produced in England in the 1960s. "Fireball XL5" wa the only one I ever saw as a child, and it has a special place in my heart. But I was also interested in the history of the company, the people involved, and why it all anded in 1969. This seems like an objective and thorough summary of all those stories.

[Mhorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent but flawed

This review is for the kindle edition. While there is a lot of interesting information contained within, the layout itself is quite flawed. Why aren't any of the photos captioned? Why aren't there more of them? An ok book that could be much better.

[David Keep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab

An in-depth and loving look at the puppet work of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. It takes me back to childhood

[Steven Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best overview of the Supermarionation years of the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson team.

[Tim Worthington · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a frustrating fact that most 'histories' of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's pioneering and phenomenally popular television work have really been little better than the recurring two-page feature that Look-In used to trot out whenever any of the shows were getting a repeat run. Thunderbirds is the be-all and end-all, with all of the earlier shows merely leading up to it, and the ones that followed downhill all the way, and far more prominence is given to meandering anecdotes about youngsters wedging cereal boxes on their heads and pretending to be Gordon Tracy or something. Four Feather Falls is unsophisticated, Joe 90 is boring, Supercar is little more than a footnote, and The Secret Service is called 'Secret Service', if indeed they even mention it at all. Frankly, you wouldn't be blamed for wanting to stick with the uncredited Look-In geezer calling Stingray 'a beaut'.

Stephen La Riviere, documentary maker and vintage technology enthusiast, is someone who's more interested in the story behind things than the story around them, so when the eyes on his portrait at Tracy Island start flashing, you'd better take the call. Filmed In Supermarionation is an unprecedentedly detailed yet also gripping and fast-moving account of the story of AP Films/Century 21 films all the way from Twizzle's attempt to single-extended-handedly bore the youngsters of the nation rigid to Stanley Unwin's ear-confusing assault on the conventions of 'action' television, capturing the highs and lows of what was at the time ITV's biggest success story bar none, and taking an even-handed look at each of the shows in turn. Alongside the familiar anecdotes about recalcitrant alligators and Lew Grade literally jumping for joy on seeing the Thunderbirds pilot, you'll find pages and pages and pages of detail and recollection that nobody has ever seen before, including details of abandoned productions and long-lost side projects, and it's particularly pleasing to see the 'backroom' staff and indeed the oft-overlooked Sylvia Anderson given both their say and their due. I would have liked to have seen a bit more on the background and the composing/recording techniques of Barry Gray, but maybe that's a subject for another book in itself. Hint hint.

Speaking as someone who has been known to listen to a battered copy of the Four Feather Falls EP more times in a row than sanity should require, and who can regularly be heard arguing the case for the unfairly maligned The Secret Service (see my book Well At Least It's Free if you don't believe me - http://timworthington.blogspot.co.uk/...), this book was everything I hoped for and more. Home, Milady? Home, Parker...

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far and away, the best compilation of information on the puppet series' of Gerry Anderson I've ever found. The author's research is impeccable. I thought I was a fairly well read fan, and yet every page taught me something I didn't know.

What's lacking is a detailed appendix and bibliography. Also, La Reviere's journalistic perspective, though enlightening, doesn't seem to include the notion that Anderson was on to something bigger than a few children's programs. His efforts at producing more adult stories are treated with very little interest, despite their unique and pioneering nature. To be fair, most of the cast and crew interviewed didn't seem to feel that they were producing films that would revolutionize puppetry for the modern world either.

I would prefer it if the book included a chapter on other similar works and the legacy of Century 21. Roberta Leigh's Fireball XL5 knock-off is strangely unmentioned– even in the context of her and Arthur Provis collaborating. Nothing whatsoever is said about Anderson's later puppetry shows, or the big hit parody Team America, or the blatantly similar works of Kinosuke Takeda and Go Nagai.

Overall, a must read for every Thunderbirds fan but one wishes the author could've added a bit of extra material after the text proper was complete.