I loved Thunderbirds. I don't remember too much about it, but it was up there with Kimba the White Lion and The Amazing Three. I miss the 60's from a kid's perspective.

Stingray & Captain Scarlet were my favs & the live action shows like UFO & Space 1999 still are my most watched sci fi shows. UFO was just so cool and indepth story lines.

Truly a great loss! Though perhaps not as great as losing Whitney Whatshername was...? Guess that's why I've yet to hear anything about this on any mainstream news program...or, in honor of Gerry..."programme."

)

I turned 56 last year, and grew up in Louisiana, of all places...considering my exposure to such odd ball B&W TV offerings there...like 8th Man...and Fireball XL5. (XL5 & Doctor Who started up at the same time.) Say what you will, but Fireball & Fireball Jr were way cooler than the Enterprise and her minivan shuttle crafts would be (in another decade). How cool is any rocket that launches from a roller coaster?!!

And that GROOVY theme song! The same for Stingray's theme. I wasn't too keen on Gerry's bighead puppets, but credit where due...they just don't write lyrics about one's being "certain to fall, I know...because you ENTHRALL me so" for puppet TV shows these days. Sorry...but IMHO...Gerry Anderson was/is as underrated as Jim Henson and his babyfied Muppets were/are overrated.)

Don't forget The Protectors (another fab theme)...UFO(!!!)....Space: 1999...(was "Barb on barbs" during the filming of this?)

But...consider if you will...his grand opus: Captain Scarlet. OK...so the puppets couldn't walk per se...but they could bloody PERSPIRE! I literally forget I'm watching puppets within a few minutes viewing. As in Jonny Quest, characters in Captain Scarlet might actually be KILLED...not just "knocked out." And dig all those dozens of "live hand" cut-ins, with matching 1:1 sleeves & props! The overall premise was...odd...but compelling somehow, and ages well. If you have never seen the recent CGI version of Gerry's Captain Scarlet, trot on over to the Tube and watch an episode. It is a VERY good series, with excellent realism & character development for a cartoon (where one does not always expect such extra effort.) The only major disappointment for me? Cap's voice no longer sounds like Cary Grant's!

CGI is nice...but Gerry's staggering, profound & prolific genius was "pre-virtual." He guided us through his personal & very tangible fantasies with his meticulous models & powerful imagination alone.

If I had never seen an episode of Lost in Space, I would have survived more-or-less intact...but without Gerry, I wouldn't be the same man I am today.