This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-20845407
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Gerry Anderson, Thunderbirds creator, dies | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Gerry Anderson, the creator of hit TV shows including Thunderbirds, Stingray and Joe 90, has died at the age of 83. | |
He also created Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and his puppet superheroes fired the imaginations of millions of young viewers in the 1960s and '70s. | |
Thunderbirds, a science-fiction fantasy about a daring space rescue squad, ran from 1965 and was his most famous show. | |
Anderson had suffered from Alzheimer's since 2010 and the disease had worsened in recent months, his son Jamie said. | |
Jamie Anderson announced the news on href="http://www.jamieanderson.me.uk/" >his website, saying his father had died peacefully in his sleep at noon on Wednesday. | |
"Gerry was diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago and his condition worsened quite dramatically over the past six months," he wrote. | |
"Having already decided with his family on a care home for himself earlier this year, he moved in there in October." | |
Gerry Anderson talked publicly about the onset of the disease in June 2012. | |
Speaking on BBC Berkshire he said: "I don't think I realised at all. It was my wife Mary who began to notice that I would do something quite daft like putting the kettle in the sink and waiting for it to boil." | Speaking on BBC Berkshire he said: "I don't think I realised at all. It was my wife Mary who began to notice that I would do something quite daft like putting the kettle in the sink and waiting for it to boil." |
His other creations included UFO, Space: 1999, Supercar and Fireball XL5. | His other creations included UFO, Space: 1999, Supercar and Fireball XL5. |
Celebrities paying tribute on Twitter included comedian Eddie Izzard, who wrote: "What great creation Thunderbirds was, as it fuelled the imagination of a generation." | |
TV presenter Jonathan Ross wrote: "For men of my age, his work made childhood an incredible place to be." | |
Anderson, who lived in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, began his career studying fibrous plastering, but had to give it up when it gave him dermatitis. | Anderson, who lived in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, began his career studying fibrous plastering, but had to give it up when it gave him dermatitis. |
After a spell in photographic portrait work, a job in Gainsborough films and time spent in air traffic control, he set up AP Films with some friends. | After a spell in photographic portrait work, a job in Gainsborough films and time spent in air traffic control, he set up AP 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 in 1956. It was eight years before Thunderbirds came into being on ITV. | |
The action was filmed on Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire. | |
The story revolved around International Rescue, a futuristic emergency service manned by the Tracy family, often assisted by Lady Penelope - voiced by Mrs Anderson - and her butler, Parker. | |
It included the catchphrase "Thunderbirds are go!" | |
The show marked the career apex for Gerry and his wife Sylvia, who had honed their "supermarionation" technique on Fireball XL5 and Stingray. | |
Nick Williams, chairman of Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson appreciation society, described him as "a quiet, unassuming but determined man". | |
"His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works," he said. | |
"Gerry's legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world." | |
What are your memories of Gerry Anderson and of his creations? Let us know using the form below | What are your memories of Gerry Anderson and of his creations? Let us know using the form below |