A television legend has passed away today. Gerry Anderson, puppetry pioneer and creator of the cult classic television series Thunderbirds, died in his sleep on December 26th at midday, at the age of 83.
Anderson’s son Jamie announced his father’s passing to the world through his blog today. Jamie Anderson says his father’s passing was “peaceful” and that his father had suffered from mixed dementia for the past few years. He also shared an obituary written by his fan club, in which the fan club President states:
”To those who met him Gerry was 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. 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.”
Anderson was known for his use of a puppetry style called “supermarionation” which was used in Thunderbirds and other puppet shows including Stingray which Anderson also produced. In 1983 he moved into a new style of puppetry for this series Terrahawks. In addition to his work in puppetry, Anderson also created the live-action sci-fi series’ UFO in 1970 Space 1999 in 1975 and was a producer on the film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun. His last work as a producer was in 2008 on Stingray: the Reunion Party, which celebrated his early work.
Anderson’s work earned him a place in television history as we all as a position among those whose names are synonymous with pioneering work in their genre. For fans of both cult sci-fi and puppetry, Anderson was a legend who was a part of many a childhood – an adulthood. Our thoughts are with his family today.
