# Stingray etc Gerry Anderson programmes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655 "2012-10-23T20:13:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/1 "2012-10-23T20:13:38Z")
This is for everyone, but I am curious about if it had any impact on Americans. When I was very young I loved space fiction and futurism, probably as a form of escapism. When I reached my teens I got into proper Science Fiction, but before that I loved the Futuristic series made by Gerry Anderson with puppets (Super animation everyone). But later with real humans. Fireball XL 5 Joe Ninety Sting ~Ray UFO Space 1999 There might be some that I’ve forgotten about, but I’d be glad to hear your impressions/memories. They brought out a mock newspaper of the future called TV21which I also loved . There was also another comic called , I think Ranger, named after a space probe, which also tried to get us kids thinking about the future. Share your thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/2 "2012-10-23T20:22:49Z")
What, no Thunderbirds! :mad: F.A.B.! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/3 "2012-10-23T20:23:45Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > This is for everyone, but I am curious about if it had any impact on Americans. American here - never heard of any of those shows. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/4 "2012-10-23T20:37:04Z")
When I was a chap, I had the biggest crush on [Marina](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD96RQ1-wnY). ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/5 "2012-10-23T20:41:48Z")
Brilliant stuff. I don’t remember Fireball XL 5, but the others (including Thunderbirds) were childhood staples. We didn’t get the comics. It was good timing for my brother and I that we were just getting into ‘proper’ science fiction when Space 1999 came out, which seemed like the most factual, realistic, amazing thing ever. Until the shapeshifter lady. Even as a kid the whole conservation of mass thing bugged me, where did the rest of her go or come from when she changed size? And that timeshe turned into a caterpillar and got trapped under a glass? Why didn’t she just change into something big enough to move the freaking glass? Silly bint. I vaguely remember bits from UFO, but I think it was on past my bedtime. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/6 "2012-10-23T20:50:48Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > What, no Thunderbirds! :mad: > > F.A.B.! Damn me ! Remembered that after I’d posted ! Thunderbirds aside… I think that it would be a bloody good idea if they revamped it, using better technology. They did do a cartoon version, which was quite good, but it didn’t seem to take off. (Captain Scarlet, just bloody well remembered that as well ) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/7 "2012-10-23T20:51:58Z")
I am familiar with Thunderbirds but I never really saw any of these shows growing up. There was a Thunderbirds video game for the Commodore 64 way back when that I had where you flew a ship around and rescued people or something, but I didn’t know much else about them other than they were puppets. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/8 "2012-10-23T20:58:18Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > American here - never heard of any of those shows. You probably wouldn’t be impressed by them now, or maybe you would ! But they were ground breaking when I was growing up. We were just kids, but G.A. brought out stuff that stimulated kids imaginations, without being patronising or childiish. You probably wouldn’t enjoy them now, but if you have the chance try watching them. Unfortunately most of them were recorded on film , and as such are no longer retrievable. But if you can, give it ago. Whatever, thanks for your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/9 "2012-10-23T20:59:40Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > American here - never heard of any of those shows. How about Team America: World Police? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/10 "2012-10-23T21:02:01Z")
Watching bits of _UFO_ are probably my earliest memories of TV (which could explain a lot - that & _Blake’s 7_). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/11 "2012-10-23T21:09:39Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > American here - never heard of any of those shows. Huh. Without those (specifically _Thunderbirds_), _Team America_ lacks context. > [@maggenpye](#): > > Brilliant stuff. > > I don’t remember Fireball XL 5, but the others (including Thunderbirds) were childhood staples. _Thunderbirds_ was the first thing on when I’d get up for cartoons. I thought their ships were F.A.B.! I may have had a toy one, but I don’t remember. _U.F.O._ was on pretty late, but somehow I managed to watch it. Scared me as a child. Loved Cdr. Straker’s car, and thought we’d all be driving turbines when I grew up. I didn’t care for the design of the alien craft, but I liked the fighters. One episode featured a Saturn V third stage (‘space junk’) that IIRC the aliens were using for cover. That image stuck in my mind. _Space: 1999_ was underwhelming compared to _Star Trek_, but it quickly grew on me. I was too young for Maya to bother me. (Take that however thou wilt!) I had models of the Eagle ships. Years later, I got a Moonbase Alpha patch (which I still have) at a science fiction convention. _Fireball XL5_ and _Stingray_ were before my time. I have _Stingray_, _Thunderbirds_, _U.F.O._, and _Space:1999_ on DVD. Haven’t watched much of _Stingray_ yet, as my life situation has changed. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/12 "2012-10-23T21:12:35Z")
I watched a lot of Stingray and Thunderbirds, also UFO for the live-action side. There was another show with marionettes, Captain Scarlet, but I didn’t watch much of that. I loved these shows; much more entertaining than The Beatles animated series. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/13 "2012-10-23T21:15:02Z")
Anderson’s most recent live action series was [Space Precinct](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Precinct) from 1994. (Was a good show.) He’s done 3 animated series since - Lavender’s Castle (I’ve never heard of it), Firestorm (in partnership with a Japanese production company), and a CGI remake of Captain Scarlet (the puppet version being the best of the SuperMarionation series, even if Thunderbirds is better known). ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/14 "2012-10-23T21:17:22Z")
I’m Australian, not American, but the right age. Thunderbirds was often on the TV, though I never liked it. I liked UFO, and later got into Space: 1999 on video. I don’t remember his other shows ever being on TV here - perhaps they were, but they weren’t popular. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/15 "2012-10-23T21:22:13Z")
“Supercar” was my first favorite TV show. [Supercar Cartoon Introduction - Trailer - Theme Song - Gerry Anderson - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8m9Z010pM4) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/16 "2012-10-23T21:26:38Z")
I used to love Thunderbirds. Joe 90 I thought was made for the American market - IIRC he looked and spoke American. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/17 "2012-10-23T22:32:12Z")
I loved the Thunderbirds when I was a kid. Think I had a toy Thunderbird 2. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/18 "2012-10-23T22:39:55Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > When I was a chap, I had the biggest crush on [Marina](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD96RQ1-wnY). Me too. Big _Thunderbirds_ fan, also _Space:1999_, & _UFO._ Anderson had a fun vision of the future, even when paranoid (as in _UFO_). As a little child, I saw _Fireball XL5_, but I don’t recall much. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/19 "2012-10-23T22:45:31Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Watching bits of _UFO_ are probably my earliest memories of TV (which could explain a lot - that & _Blake’s 7_). Blake’s 7, oh dear, yes! That came on quite a bit after the others, but I loved it. Loved Star Trek, too, but Space1999 seemed grittier to us, just a preference thing I guess. It probably wouldn’t stand up these days. My brother had a toy Thunderbird 2 with another inside it (5?) I wanted Lady Penelope’s Car … in vain. I think I got a womble instead. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655/20 "2012-10-23T22:46:10Z")
The recent CGI remake of _Captain Scarlet_ was quite tolerable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stingray-etc-gerry-anderson-programmes/638655.md?page=2)