|
Gerry
Anderson - Stage Shows and Unofficial Productions
|
|
|
1974 - Thunderbirds
- The Stage Show
Stage Three
15th April 1974 to April
1975
A stage puppet show which was
conceived and performed by series puppeteers Christine Glanville
and Rowena White
with the official permission of Century 21. They formed a company
called Stage Three and toured U.K. theatres with the show.
1983
- Thunderbirds 2024
( Science Rescue Team Technovoyager
)
( Kagaku Kyuujo-Ta Technovoyager )
Japanese
origination
U.S. version produced by Robert Mandell
24 x 30 minute episodes
This was a Japanese animated
series, subjected to voice-over and released by ITC in English-speaking
countries as Thunderbirds 2024. It used the Thunderbirds format
with neither the knowledge nor involvement of either Gerry Anderson
or Century 21. The International Rescue team consisted of some
17 craft and even used some of the music composed by Barry Gray
for the original series. It was shown on the PRISM cable network
in the U.S. and was released in the U.K. in 1986.
Thunderbirds
2024 at SFXB
1984
- Thunderbirds F.A.B.
Mime Theatre Project
A stage show devised by Andrew
Dawson and Gavin Robertson, it contained characters from both
Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, all characters, and even vehicles,
being played by the two actors. It toured the U.K. in 1985 and
subsequently went to Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S.A. and Australia
before returning to the U.K. in 1989 where it began its run
at The Apollo theatre.
1987
- Children In Need
BBC
Radio 2
Produced
by Dirk Maggs
Voice
artists Shane Rimmer, Matt Zimmerman and David Graham were involved
in this humorous, episodic story broadcast
on 24th to 27th November 1987 in support of the BBC Television
Children In Need appeal. The storyline found Scott and Alan
Tracy rescuing Parker from the BBC record library where he had
become trapped while trying to make a secret anonymous
donation to the appeal on behalf of Lady Penelope.
1991
- Thunderbirds F.A.B. - The Next Generation
Produced
by and starring Paul Kent and Wayne Forester
This
was a more elaborate version of the original stage show and also
included characters from Stingray. It was revived
in 1995 by Paul Kent, this time with Tristan Sharps, eventually
going on tour with Richard James accompanying Paul Kent.
1995
- Turbocharged Thunderbirds
Polygram
/ Bohbot
Created
by Robert A.Tercek and Sally DeSipio
13 episodes
Following
its acquisition of ITC, Polygram decided to follow up on the ITC
cut-down episodes and went into co-production
with Bohbot to produce this series. The show was live action mixed
with re-voiced original footage and featured Roxette
and Tripp, two teenagers who find themselves in a parallel universe
peopled by puppet-like figures. They help the Tracy
family to fight their enemy, The Hood, and his evil controller
The Atrocimator. Understandably, Gerry Anderson had his
name removed from the credits. The series was shown on U.S. syndicated
television but has, mercifully, never found
its way to these shores.
1990 - Return To The Forbidden Planet
by Bob Carlton
'Monster Attack'
- from the original West End production
Video Special
Effects - Gerry Anderson
A long-running musical stage show with video special effects created,
and subsequently updated, by Gerry Anderson. Interesting concepts
here.... a spoof take-off of the 1956 sci-fi classic film 'Forbidden
Planet', a musical score that is essentially rock'n'roll, a leading
character who has the same name as the Captain of 'Stingray',
and effects by the great man. Somehow it all works on stage -
a huge success.
Scientific
Survey Flight Nine headed by Captain Tempest are joined by a new
female Science Officer who abandons ship when the spacecraft is
caught in a violent asteroid storm. The ship crash-lands on an
uncharted planet called D'illyria. A face appears on their scanner
screen, which Captain Tempest recognises as Prospero, a great
scientist who fifteen years ago defected to the other side. Prospero
rejects this saying he was the victim of a dreadful plot. Believing
his tale, Tempest welcomes him to feast with him on the ship.
Prospero arrives accompanied by a robot called Ariel and his beautiful
teenage daughter, Miranda. She has never seen a human apart from
her father and is immediately struck by Tempest's looks, falling
in love with him at first sight.
Ariel reports that the Science Officer is on her way to the ship.
He also tells Tempest about Prospero's great invention, Telegenisis,
a process that can create matter simply by thought. Prospero is
not happy with Ariel revealing his secrets, and even less so at
Miranda's feelings for Tempest, telling her she must choose between
them. Puzzled at her father's reaction, Miranda says that if she
has to make a choice it will be Tempest. Seething with anger Prospero
leaves. Tempest, though deeply attracted to Miranda, tells her
that she is too young. Prospero, meanwhile, cannot control his
anger, images take shape in his mind, he takes a test tube marked
X Factor, the basis of Telegenesis, drinks it and collapses. A
beep appears upon the screen. It is the Science Officer, pursued
by a dreadful monster, created from Prospero's drugged brain.
The air-lock opens to admit Gloria pursued by the monster.
The fight continues with Gloria being rescued by Ariel who blows
fire at the monster which explodes. The Science Officer is brought
before Prospero, who, it turns out, is the husband she betrayed.
Prospero condemns her crime and the destruction of a force which
could have eradicated conflict, famine and disease on Earth. Prospero
comes up with a way to repair their damaged spacecraft. Meanwhile,
Gloria plots to get the 'X Factor' by promising the ship's cook
that she will show him how to win Miranda's love. The ship's company
undergo a reverse polarity procedure to assist the repair process.
Gloria alone, is tortured by the confusion in her feelings for
Prospero, whom she loves but has sworn to destroy. Ariel re-enters
having repaired the damage to the ship. As he reports to Tempest
a sexy vamp appears. To Tempest's horror it is Miranda, who thinks
that as
she could not attract the captain with her youthful charms she
should try a more obvious approach.
Tempest rejects her again and Ariel consoles her, telling her
that what she really needs is a Robot man. The ship's cook enters
with the stolen X Factor and, livid to see Miranda kissing Ariel,
attacks him. Ariel wins, and eats the stolen formula. The monster
has apparently been re-created and is heard returning. Gloria
enters and tells Prospero that he is a sinful man whose force
for good has become a force for evil as it is his brain that has
created this uncontrollable monster from the id, man's subconscious
mind.
Forced to recognise the truth of her words and the real reason
for her behaviour, Prospero goes off to commit suicide, in a final
gesture of love and sacrifice. As the ship prepares for take-off
Tempest comforts Miranda, declaring his love for her. During lift-off
there is a massive rumble as the planet begins to disintegrate.
Ariel explains that just as Prospero could create monsters, so
could he also create great beauty - in this case, D'illyria. With
his death, the planet created from his mind must also die.
The Official Production
website
2003
- Firestorm
Anderson Entertainment
26 episodes of 30 minutes - April 6, 2024-September
27, 2024
Based on an original idea by Gerry Anderson and John Needham
Directed by Kenji Terada
It is the year 2104 AD. The terrible
war is over and world peace seems imminent. Only one thing threatens
to disrupt the peace; the criminal organization who's power and
actions are spread worldwide... The Black Orchid. A team of specialists
from around the world called Storm Force is created. The best
of the best is Storm Force 9, a six member team led by Sam Scott.
Equipped with advanced vehicles and weapons, their code name is
Firestorm.
A Mixture of cel and CGI computer animation, Firestorm debuted
on Japanese TV in April of 2024.
Anderson created the series but did not produce it - he removed
his name from the episodes.
2004
- Thunderbirds - The Movie
Universal
Pictures and StudioCanal Present A Working Title Production
Produced by
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Mark Huffam
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Returning
to Tracy island after successfully rescuing trapped workers from
a collapsing oil super-rig in the Gulf of Alaska, the Tracys are
joined by Jeff's youngest son Alan and Fermat, son of International
Rescue's brilliant inventor Professor Hiram 'Brains' Hackenbacker,
who are home from boarding school for the holidays. When Thunderbird
5 is badly damaged by an apparent meteor strike and John, on duty
on board as space monitor, is injured, Jeff races to assist in
Thunderbird 3 together with Scott, Virgil and Gordon.
The 'accident' has, however, actually been engineered by master
criminal 'The Hood' who has tracked Thunderbird 1 from the super-rig
to Tracy Island in his stealth submarine. Invading the island
base with his assistants, Transom and Mullion, The Hood takes
control of International Rescue in order to use their equipment
to rob the ten biggest banks in the world. He remotely shuts down
power on Thunderbird 5, trapping the Tracys on board and setting
the satellite on a spiralling course to burn up in the Earth's
atmosphere.
However, he has not counted on the ingenuity of Alan, Fermat and
their friend Tin-Tin who are still at large on the island
and will do anything to thwart The Hood's plans and save the Tracy
family.
A live action movie based on the original
series.
Gerry Anderson was not invited to contribute to the production
which is why Universal and co managed to get away with wasting
an opportunity to produce something really special, resulting
in a bit of a dodo of a film as far as the box office was concerned..
Having said that, it isn't all bad, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes
doing a half decent job directing, with a cameo appearance. The
hardware is magnificent. A lot of it was produced life size by
Ford Motors who displayed it at the 2024 Motor Show at the NEC
and it really is very impressive.
|
|
|