A Campaign For Gerry Anderson

[Melvin]

OK what can we, the fans of Gerry Anderson, do to start a campaign so that the BBC would give Gerry Anderson a cotract for a TV series.
Because in my opinion ITV :mad:has lost its way when it comes to at least showing Gerry Anderson respect for his productions.
Now when it comes to the BBC:) well they`ve shown, over the years things like Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Captain Scarlet, Stingray, and that was just BBC2. BBC4 had an evening of Gerry Anderson with a documentary, so need I say more.
Its simple, the BBC has more respect for Anderson than ITV and if they can do so well in resurrecting Dr Who then just think of what they could do for something like Thunderbirds.
So come on everyone, get your thinking caps on and lets all get together and let the BBC know that the fans want the BBC to give Gerry Anderson a contract now:)

[Silent Bob]

I'm not so sure the BBC do have more respect for Gerry's programmes.They started off very well with the Supermarionation shows. But you only have to look at the fiasco of their airings of UFO and Space 1999. Cancelled episodes, stuck into odd slots on different days and episodes totally cut to pieces!
And as interesting as Space Precinct, Lavender Castle and New Captain Scarlet were, they were never destined to become classics. As much as i hate to say it, but i believe that Gerry's glory days are definately behind him.
He should be enjoying retirement now, not trying to sell another re-working of Thunderbirds. Please dont take this post as Gerry-knocking, it really isn't. His programmes have been and always will be an important aspect of my life.
But we have to be realistic, he is unlikely ever to recapture the fantastic times that were Century 21.

[Simon Morris]

This sort of idea has cropped up elsewhere. Why do people think that any tv producers would take any notice whatsoever of any campaign or petition? If the BBC or ITV wanted Gerry Anderson to do a show for them, it would not specifically be because the fans asked for one.

I too disagree that the Beeb would be more 'respectful' to Gerry. They'd treat him the same as any other producer.

We're in a radically different world now. Gerry found it hard enough raising the money for SPACE PRECINCT several years ago; finances are such now that it would be 100 times harder. For financial backers to come up with the money for any new production would require a supreme show of faith, because I just don't think Gerry's programmes would achieve the sort of viewership that expensive productions require these days.

Sorry to be so pessimistic. But I prefer to think of it as realism.

[Melvin]

Realistic my a..e. Are you telling me that IF the BBC DID offer Gerry a contract for a series that YOU think he should turn them down, because YOU think he has nothing more to give British TV? I would like to know what Gerry has to say on this issue. No one is expecting the kind of success like the sixties had, thats not what anyone in their right mind would try for. I`m talking about using this mans talent for something new, letting him do what he does best but behind him is a team of some of the best artists the UK can offer. He once said in a TV documentary "people say why don`t you retire Gerry, and I said why if I`m enjoying what I do". I think its sad that so called Gerry Anderson fans can not look forward to something new. I look forward to the next Gerry Anderson production. As long as it takes:)

[Conrad Lefkon]

Here is a reply that I sent to the Daily Mail in response to a recent article about Gerry. As time went by, it was maddening to see that the Mail claimed that there had been (0) public responses to the article. If I had written an attack on Gerry then no doubt it would have been published...

5! - In 2005, Gerry created a CGI series called New Captain Scarlet (NCS) costing £23 million. Instead of strings there was advanced motion capture of real people's movements. Instead of puppets there were 3D CGI versions of the original characters.

4! - Nobody has heard of NCS because it was buried away on CITV. NCS is not a children's programme but a breathtaking family show on the cutting edge of television technology.

3! - Give away a free copy of the episodes 'Rat Trap' and 'Storm at the End of the World' in a Saturday edition of the Daily Mail.

2! - Put Captain Black from NCS on the front cover of the Mail on Saturday magazine. I suggest a close up from 'Rain of Terror'. Include a 2 page article with lavish photos and interviews.

1! - If ITV won't show it uncut on early Saturday evening sell it to the BBC. Nobody is better than the BBC at publicizing great programs. If they get it then it will become as big as Doctor Who.

Result: Thunderbirds CGI Will Be Go!!

[Silent Bob]

Yes i am a 'so called Gerry Anderson fan'. I was born in 1960 and raised as a child on all his shows. I collected the toys and comics, then when i got older and could affort to collect those items again, i did. All through the 70s, 80s and 90s, i lived and breathed Gerry Anderson programmes. But from Terrahawks on onwards, i've looked forward to each new show and been disappointed to varying degrees.
You also have to admit that alot of his ideas that didn't reach the screen, were just warmed over remixes of the Thunderbirds concept.
I really do hope he has a smash hit on his hands in the near future. But as has already been pointed out, the way programmes are commissioned and made today is very different from the 60s and 70s.
As to CGI as a way to go, i dont think its always the right step forward. Even if the New Captain Scarlet had had a better time slot, i think it would have still disappeared with all the other CGI kids shows. It was never made to be a wholely adult show anyway.
Even films with big budgets mess up witheir CGI sometimes (Yes Indiana jones and the Kingdon of Crystal Skull, i'm looking at you!)
I for one would love a new Thunderbirds film or TV series, just not done entirely in CGI. look how good the puppets looked in the Specsavers and the puppets in Team America.

[Simon Morris]

Realistic my a..e. Are you telling me that IF the BBC DID offer Gerry a contract for a series that YOU think he should turn them down, because YOU think he has nothing more to give British TV?


Calm down now. I didn't say that at all.

For the BBC (or for anyone else for that matter) to finance a new Gerry Anderson series - which almost certainly would be expensive - they'd have to be sure in the current financial climate that they'd get their money back. With hopefully a little profit too.

If Gerry was 'offered a contract' as you put it (and it's rather more complicated than that actually) I certainly hope he'd grab the opportunity with both hands. Whether what he'd come up with would be a huge moneyspinner for the financial backers is another question entirely.

That is what I call realism.

[Mark42]

The BBC were almost interested in backing Gerry after the success of the big Thunderbirds revival in the early nineties but decided against it due to the expence - and so Space Precinct was backed by the Americans. Now with the recession, BBC cost cutting and pressure to do more with their money I don't believe that there is one chance of the Beeb financing a new Gerry Anderson series.

One main reason is value for money. NCS and the 1st series of new Doctor Who were produced at pretty much the same time, but the live-action family series cost half as much as the high-tech kiddy cartoon. So what would any BBC boss in his right mind choose to buy.

Secondly I do not want to see Gerry touch Thunderbirds as he is currently only interested in CGI. Thunderbirds is all about things crashing, catching fire, flooding or exploding - it's everything that CGI cannot do right!
NCS was mildly intertaining in it's way and could have been a minor ratings hit if networked properly, but it proved that CGI didn't really work for a typical Anderson script - it was like having a joke with the laugh in the wrong place. You can't just make a product using a completely different process and expect it to work the same, you need to adapt to that new process to get the best out of it, and that means changing your whole approach.

[Simon Morris]

Exactly.

The world of finance has changed completely. ITV are axing shows that - while arguably not in the first flushes of youth, or as popular as they once were - still net them considerable audiences. Why? Because they can't afford them. And these shows are still going to get larger audiences (and advertisers) than any of Gerry's productions could ever hope to.

So if shows like The Royal and Heartbeat haven't got a chance.....

And the BBC is actually no different. So that's what I mean by 'realism'. Blue-skies thinking just isn't going to cut it in times of recession.

As for NCS, I must be honest and say I thought it was a tremendous series which was totally shafted by ITV. It does make me wonder what a show like Thunderbirds could look like given that sort of revamp. But then I imagine all the traditionalist fans would hate it.....

[Simon Morris]

Here is a reply that I sent to the Daily Mail in response to a recent article about Gerry. As time went by, it was maddening to see that the Mail claimed that there had been (0) public responses to the article. If I had written an attack on Gerry then no doubt it would have been published...



What was the recent article concerning Gerry actually about, if you can recall?

I read the Daily Mail fairly regularly and can't remember much off-hand, other than that bloody story about him moaning that he was having new dustbins from his local council for recycling etc (like most of us these days).

[Mark42]

He was ranting about ITV bosses being idiots or something very similar. I don't think he will be working for them ever again, the bridges seem to have been burnt from both sides.

[Conrad Lefkon]

Hello, Simon

Yes, that was the article which had the controversial heading:

"TV bosses? Total idiots. Lady Penelope? Don't get me started. Outspoken Thunderbirds genius Gerry Anderson and the TV comeback that may not happen"

My angle was to try and get the Daily Mail to champion Gerry's cause. Had they succeeded in getting the wheels in motion they could have lived off it for years to come and actually made a difference (rather than just moaning about things, which is their forte).

[DukeDexter]

Yes, that was the article which had the controversial heading: "TV bosses? Total idiots. Lady Penelope? Don't get me started. Outspoken Thunderbirds genius Gerry Anderson and the TV comeback that may not happen"

I remember that article from a while back, very sad to read stuff like that. Clearly he's very frustrated, but that wasn't the best move. Having said that, ITV have backheeled Primeval so big budget fantasy is off the menu again - they only seem interested in X Factor and its ilk. IMO that's all they've ever been interested in.

[Silent Bob]

I toally agree with the above post. The two major changes in the ITV stations over the last 20 years have increased the number of available channels. But have caused a massive drop in programme quality. The loss of regional identity amongst the ITV stations is also having, in my opinion, a detrimental effect on programme quality.

[David]

Sad to say the glory days are probably over. That's not to say that Gerry hasn't got the flair or drive to pull it off, it's just that the money is no longer there. He would need another Lew Grade to stand a chance of making a go of it. It would also need proper scheduling and not end up buried like NCS.
I would love to see another Thunderbirds series, as long as the stories weren't a re-hash of the originals and also were made with puppets, albeit with all the tech that is now available. The promo that was made a few years ago (not by Gerry) looked excellent...a mix of modern puppets and CGI (sigh).

[Terry1]

I agree totally with Mark42 that Gerry is no longer the man for a remake of any of his shows..
I hear he desperately wants to remake Thunderbirds in CGI. This is a very bad idea.
Thunderbirds and all the other shows worked because they were made using real tactile objects and had a charm and reality that CGI just doesnt have.

I also hear that they are talking about redoing Thomas the Tank engine in CG, are they mad??

[Silent Bob]

I dont understand why film and television producers now see CGI as an answer to everything.
Of course it is an excellent tool, but it should'nt be used to the detriment of everything else for example physical effects and model work and it certainly should not be used to try and prop up a weak story. It should be used creatively and sparingly and unless done to a high standard it should be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately Hollywood in particular has got carried away with its love of CGI and will use any reason whatsoever to incorperate it into any subject matter.
Also as far as i aware the CGI Thomas the Tank Engine has completed episodes already.

[TonyB]

I fully agree with much that has been stated above.

The more Recent Thomas The Tank Engine episodes had a CGI element in them, the engines faces and the characters etc, while this is good to enhance the program, its not to say that the whole lot should be CGI, its going too far IMHO.