It’s not exactly t-shirt-wearing weather at the moment, but we wanted to draw fans’ attention to these fantastic products courtesy of Scifi Collector.
These t-shirts feature intricate designs based on the Thunderbirds Haynes Manual. Priced £14.99, they are due for release in January 2013 and can pre-ordered from http://shop.scificollectorshop.co.uk
Check out the designs in closer detail..
Now all we need is a heatwave…!
The upcoming Space Precinct Legacy documentary will premiere at the Prince Charles Cinema, London on March 13th. It promises to be a unique chance for fans to learn more about Gerry Anderson and will be followed by a Q&A session involving composer Crispin Merrell and other members of the cast and crew.
Tickets for the premiere can be booked online here.
The 90-minute documentary includes interviews and never-before-seen behind the scenes material and goes on sale on Blu-Ray DVD from April 1st. It can also be pre-ordered from Amazon.
“I think we honour Gerry Anderson, his epic vision and ambition in Space Precinct Legacy, our upcoming documentary about Gerry Anderson’s Space Precinct,” says Creative Director, Paul Cotrulia. “The Space Precinct crew each tell stories about Gerry Anderson in the documentary, not just about working with him but also about their personal relationships with the man himself.
A trailer for the documentary will also be shown at the Sci-Fi Weekender science fiction convention on March 1st, followed by a Q&A session with Paul Cotrulia.
Anticipation surrounding the documentary has been growing since the cover artwork for the Blu-Ray DVD was revealed in November 2012.
The winner of our special Robert Harrop competition can now be revealed!
Long-standing member Martin Ackroyd from Manchester is now the proud owner of a beautiful ceramic resin figurine of Phones, in full Santa outfit, from a classic Stingray episode.
The question was:
What kind of dressing is prepared for the meal in A Christmas To Remember?
The answer is, of course, chestnut stuffing.
Well done Martin, Christmas comes late for you! Watch this web space and FAB for further competitions coming up…
Hundreds of well-wishers, including family, friends, colleagues and fans attended Gerry Anderson’s funeral on Friday 11th January at Reading Crematorium.
During the Humanist Order of Service, five speakers from very different backgrounds paid tribute to Gerry, painting a multi-faceted picture of his life. Nick Williams, Chairman of Fanderson, spoke of the enduring appeal of Gerry’s shows for his fans, his unstinting passion for innovation in his film-making and the happy working environments he created that enabled his teams to achieve the best results.
Actor and voice artist Shane Rimmer and Broadway Producer John Gore offered professional perspectives of working with Gerry. Shane described the world of wonder and imagination that he created through his shows in the 1960s and ’70s while John spoke about the drive and energy that he still maintained in the later phases of his career which helped to ensure the Thunderbirds stage play was a box office smash hit.
Jamie Anderson, Gerry’s younger son, offered some personal memories of him as a family man that were by turns both moving and funny. Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, praised him for the work he performed in the last year of his life alongside Jamie to raise the profile of Alzheimer’s in the national press and generate funds for the charity.
The service ended with “The Thunderbirds March”, performed by the Band of the Royal Marines. It was a fitting and poetic end to the service, with the working replica of FAB 1 that had been parked in front of the crematorium driving off into the distance as the music came to a end.
(courtesy of James Fielding)
The funeral was followed by a reception at the Phyllis Court Club in Henley. A small selection of models and puppets were on display and guests were encouraged to leave their memories of Gerry on a series of specially produced postcards. Two spine-tingling audio-visual acts were provided courtesy of Kindred Productions and Crispin Merrell, composer on Gerry’s final shows (Space Precinct, Lavender Castle and New Captain Scarlet). Crispin, who also recorded a moving piano recital of Stingray’s ‘Aqua Marina’ for the service, played themes from across the Anderson catalogue, including Thunderbirds, Joe 90, UFO, Space:1999 and his own theme from Space Precinct. A teaser for the eagerly awaited Supermarionation documentary was also screened, plus a fond parody of Space:1999.
It was an emotionally-charged day that not only mourned his passing but celebrated his amazing life and legacy. Rest in peace Gerry – your work lives on!
If you have not yet left a tribute to Gerry and wish to do so:
MarlowFM 97.5 will be hosting a live tribute show to Gerry Anderson on Wednesday 9th January, from 12.00-14.00PM, GMT.
Gerry’s son Jamie will be in the studio while veteran voice artist David Graham will be calling into the show to give his memories of the great man.
Rather than a detailed analysis or serious tribute, this will be a fond look at some of Gerry’s TV and film work plus related music. The special programme will form part of the regular Eclectic Light Show, which features something different in each edition. Listeners can hear a live stream of the show by clicking the ‘live’ button on the station’s website, www.marlowfm.co.uk , while those in the Marlow transmission footprint can tune into FM 97.5.
Gerry Anderson’s funeral will take place on Friday 11th January 2013 at 11:30 at Caversham / Reading Crematorium, followed by time to share memories over drinks and food at Phyllis Court, Henley-on-Thames from 12:30-15:30.
Mary and Jamie Anderson are keen that the day is a chance for family, colleagues and fans to share their memories of Gerry and celebrate an extraordinary life. However, space at the crematorium is limited so if you’re planning to attend please let them know via Facebook.
If you don’t have a Facebook account but would like to let Jamie know you’ll be there, please e-mail us and we’ll pass your message on.
You may like to know that Radio Six International will be broadcasting an hour-long tribute to Gerry Anderson on Saturday. The programme will include music from every TV series Gerry worked on from Twizzle to Lavender Castle, except for the Japanese “Firestorm”. Also included will be the unused “Thunderbirds” theme.
The programme – The Tony Currie Show – can be heard online at www.radiosix.com on Saturday at (UK times) Midnight, 10am and 9pm. A number of USA , New Zealand and Singapore affiliates will also transmit the show locally. Details can be found on the Radio Six International website.
Gerry Anderson, known the world over as the film and television producer of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space:1999 amongst many others, has died at the age of 83.
On hearing the news the chairman of Fanderson Nick Williams paid tribute to him:
“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’s unique style of filmmaking influenced the imaginations and careers of countless creatives that succeeded him, and his productions continue to be shown around the world to new generations of fans.
Gerry was diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago and his condition worsened quite dramatically over the past six months. Having already decided with his family on a care home for himself earlier this year, he moved in there in October.
Until very recently Anderson remained interested and involved in the film industry, keen to re-visit some of his earlier successes using the latest technology available. His last producer credit came in 2005 on New Captain Scarlet, a CGI-animated re-imagining of his 1967 Supermarionation series, which premiered on ITV in the UK. Most recently he worked as a consultant on a Hollywood remake of his 1969 series UFO, directed by Matthew Gratzner.
He also worked as a celebrity ambassador for The Alzheimer’s Society, helping to raise awareness of the disease and much-needed funds for the society.
Gerry leaves three children from former marriages, Joy, Linda and Gerry Junior, his son Jamie and widow Mary.
Fanderson will pay a full tribute to Gerry Anderson in FAB 74, due in March 2013.
As many fans will be aware, Dolores Mantez, much loved for her role as Lieutenant Nina Barry in UFO, died in November following a short illness.
Dolores began her career as a singer but went on to appear in a wide range of classic British TV shows in the 1960s and early 1970s, including Danger Man, Z-Cars, Randall and Hopkirk, The Avengers and The Onedin Line, as well as a number of West End productions and musicals. However, it is for her glamorous role as a Moonbase Operative in UFO that she is most fondly remembered. She starred alongside Ed Bishop in the dramatic two-hander Sub-Smash, widely regarded as one of the best episodes in the series and a firm favourite at convention screenings.
Fanderson offers its condolences to her family and will be providing a full obituary in the next issue of FAB.
The cover artwork for a brand new feature-length documentary about Gerry Anderson’s Space Precinct has been unveiled.
