The Complete Gerry Anderson - The Authorised Episode Guide
Written by Chris Bentley Reynolds & Hearn £15.99 Reviewed by Andrew Pixley

And so, after many ham-fisted attempts in the past, Gerry Anderson finally has a reference book about his work that he can be proud of (the book that is - I'm sure he still winces every time he sees a picture of The Adventures of Twizzle). Chris Bentley - who has already proved his expertise in the field with books on Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons - now outshines all previous works with what is clearly many years of research and devotion, culminating in this fact-filled extravaganza. And let's face it, it has to be devotion to stomach all 52 episodes of The Protectors... although, that said, this volume has made me curious to give some of these a second chance!

While information on The Adventures of Twizzle, Torchy the Battery Boy and Four Feather Falls is still somewhat sketchy, what is presented here is significantly more than has been covered before. From there onwards, the book truly blossoms. Each post Four Feather Falls episode has a brief synopsis plus voice artistes or cast, full crew details, shooting orders, original screening dates and times, notes on changes from the original script or points of production, location venues, working titles, a description of missing sequences and also a list of rather amusing bloopers to look out for. It's a real wealth of facts, figures and fascinating trivia.

The book is painstakingly thorough - even detailing the introductions done by the characters of Terrahawks for children's ITV in October 1984 (Kate Kestrel previewing Thomas the Tank Engine - yipee), an incomplete Stingray outing crafted for Japanese television executives, compilations of Space Precinct, unbroadcast pilots, proposed series formats, movies, documentaries and even re-cuts of Lavender Castle which have never been sold anywhere. It does however omit repackaging not undertaken by Mr A. himself (e.g. Super Space Theater TV movies and the execrable Turbo Changed Thunderbirds).

Oh - and there's rather nice colour photos too. But rest assured, it's the superbly researched text you'll be buying it for. 10


TV Zone Magazine - Issue 163 (May 2003)
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