Filmed In Supermarionation: A History Of The Future [Paperback]

Stephen La Riviere (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

For the first time, a complete history of the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson television productions which pioneered science-fiction special effects. Film historian Steven La Riviere, whose documentary about Supercar was the final word on the series, takes you behind-the-scenes and covers every aspect of the creation and production of such television shows as Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Secret Service, and Joe 90. The book also covers the Anderson's efforts from the beginning including Torchy and Four Feather Falls. This full-color art book is packed with hundreds of never-before-seen production photos, artwork, and illustrations making this the definitive book on the subject.

Editorial Reviews

Review

With so many books on Gerry Anderson's shows already weighing down the shelves, you d have thought there d be little need for yet another. Which makes it all the more surprising that Anderson fanatic Stephen La Rivière's labour of love is such an essential read. And not just essential for Anderson fans. This is a fascinating read for anybody
interested in the way TV was produced in the 50s and 60s.

What makes the book so engrossing is not the mass of research which has uncovered new facts and revelations. Neither is it the collection of new imagery the author has uncovered along with the usual publicity shots, there are photos from Anderson associates private collections, plus lost scripts, press clippings and even the small ad Sylvia Anderson (then Sylvia Thamm) answered which introduced her to Anderson's world.

No, Riviére's masterstroke is to write this as a biography. Not of Anderson but of his company, AP Films, from its inception in 1957 to its last puppet production in 1969. A biography, that is, in the sense that it s written with a journalistic touch, complete with anecdotes, colourful descriptions and lots of background to the period. This means it feels less like a dry history and more like a genuine story, populated with colourful characters. It s full of trivia, sure, but woven together into a compelling narrative.

If there s any fault it s that sometimes it steers clear of controversy. Clashes with Anderson are mentioned, but never explored. You never feel like you get under the skin of the man himself. Overall though, it s FAB. --Dave Golder SFX Magazine, March/2010 issue

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hermes Press (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932563237
• ISBN-13: 978-1932563238
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,290,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 12, 2010

By 

johcafra (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Filmed In Supermarionation: A History Of The Future (Paperback)

There are plenty other books available, by or for either Anderson, by and about Derek Meddings, about Mike Trim, and by Alan and Martin Shubrook (same publisher) and Chris Bentley. Very likely there's not much more to add to the story of AP Films and TV Century 21. But this book ties it all together and places as much emphasis on the people behind the backdrops and push-rods and above the strings, and as much on the business as the craftsmanship. It's obviously intended as a labor of love, and it's appreciated as such.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but exercise caution..., February 27, 2010

By 

a music fan (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Filmed In Supermarionation: A History Of The Future (Paperback)

I posted the following 3 Star review on Amazon UK a while back:

"I'd been waiting for this book for several months and the excerpts posted on the author's website looked very promising. However, for me at least, the book didn't quite live up to expectations and the promise of those excerpts. Of necessity, the author has had to rely on various other books for references and has quoted from some at length, eg My Fab Years, What Made Thunderbirds Go and 21st Century Visions. These quotes plus the remembrances of some members of the crew who, ultimately, fell out with/felt hard done by Gerry Anderson provide the backbone of the text. There's seems little evidence of any fresh input from either Gerry or Sylvia Anderson. Thankfully, the book confines itself to setting out the story of these puppet production without incorporating episode guides and the illustrations are quite good. As a general cofee table book it's a welcome addition, but those early teasers promising the 'real story' with suggestions that the popular mythology was quite wide of the mark have really not lived up to expectations and there are no significant revelations. Buy it by all means, but, if you don't own them already, I'd recommend that you buy copies of the books that it relies upon."

Whilst I wouldn't consider the above to be a particularly harsh review, it attracted some indignant comments from a few people and it became clear to me that there was more to the publication of this book than initially met the eye. Those commenting mentioned 'Fanderson'. This turns out to be the Official/Authorised Gerry Anderson Fan Club, endorsed and supported by Gerry Anderson and his companies. A quick look at the fanclub's public forum soon revealed the back story:

The book is an unauthorised and unlicensed publication and the author appears to have a very antagonistic relationship with Fanderson. In much the same way as Buddy/Incrediboy wanted so much to be affiliated with Mr Incredible in Pixar's 'The Incredibles', so it would seem that the author has been hankering to be involved in the running of Fanderson from his mid teens. As the forum reveals, the ill-feeling that the author has generated has stretched the patience of those runnng the Fanclub to the point where they have banned him from posting on their forum. Because the book is unauthorised the Fanclub does not advertise it, despite it being of interest to its members. Nevertheless. a group of the author's supporters remains determined to promote his book through their postings on the forum and won't hear a bad word said about their man. I do not know any of the various personalities involved and have never posted on a fan forum in my life, but it is fascinating and amusing to see how these fanboy squabbles develop.

Regardless, of the squabbles, I would make some further comments on the book itself. As I have said, previously, it's not a bad read, but it is hardly the definitive book it was hyped to be. Apart from trawling through public libraries for some old press cuttings to confirm or illustrate previously recited stories, much of the content of the book is either quoted verbatim from other publications, or appears to be transcribed from DVD bonus feature documentaries and commentaries, a couple of which the author had produced for a cult TV DVD reissue company. As one reads the book there is real sense of having heard most of the story before. It pulls a lot of stories together from multi-media sources with authority, but doesn't really add a great deal that is new and of real significance.

So if you've not read many books on the subject and have a particular interest in the history of the company, rather the personal stories of those involved, then it's a good read, but if you want something more about why things happened rather than the nuts and bolts of how they happened then I would recommend that you read Gerry and Sylvia Andersons' biographies/memoires and Derek Meddings's 21st Century Visions as a starting point to explore the story of these old TV shows and the people who made them.

In conclusion, I remain ummoved from, "Not bad, but hardly the definitive book". Buy/read the book and draw your own conclusions, but be cautious about the hype or you could find yourself disappointed.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars F.A.B., February 28, 2010

By 

Andy Dobson (Worthing, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Filmed In Supermarionation: A History Of The Future (Paperback)

Childhood memories of summer holidays and Saturday morning TV came flooding back as I began to read this rather wonderful tribute to the works of the Andersons and the dedicated team that brought the world International Rescue and Stingray.

The book itself is lavishly illustrated with great behind the scenes images that make you realise the love, attention and sheer ingenuity of the team behind many of my favourite TV shows. The author uses a wealth of well sourced interviews and weaves them in beautifully with new accounts from the people who were actually there. Add to that painstakingly meticulous research and he has, in my opinion, produced a definitive account of the perfect puppet producers. All this is done with a real narrative flair and great warmth and humour. I've found previous books on the subject to be rather dry and to have rather missed the point - The shows were great fun. This book is too.