1955 You've Never Seen
This
Polytechnic Films
Directed by Gerry
Anderson
A pilot television
series that featured people doing strange things or with unusual
talents. It was made for possible sale to the Independent Television
Network. Polytechnic films was based at Taplow, Bucks. and went into
liquidation in 1957. The series was never shown and so the title
became a self-fulfilling prophecy. From Polytechnic, AP Films was
born, comprising of five members of Polytechnic: Gerry Anderson,
Arthur Provis, Reg Hill, John Read and Sylvia Thamm.
Index
1957 - Martin Kane - Private Investigator
39 x b/w 30min
episodesTransmitted 1958 - 59
Produced by Harry
Alan Towers
Some episodes
directed by Gerry Anderson (no other information)
Towers of London /
Ziv TV / ABC
Starring William Gargan and Brian Reece and
originally titled 'The New Adventures of Martin Kane'
Martin Kane (Gargan), a
New York private detective, assists Scotland Yard Superintendent Page
(Reece) from his London Base, in the classic 'cops and robbers'
style. Made at the Associated British Pathe Company studios at
Elstree.
Index Links Series Guide
1957 - The Adventures of
Twizzle
52 x b/w 15min episodes 
First transmitted 13th November
1957
Created and written by Roberta
LeighDirected by Gerry AndersonArt Director: Reg Hill
Produced by AP FILMS for Rediffusion
Television
Twizzle is a lost boy doll who lives in a place
called Straytown with all the other lost or unwanted toys including
his friends Footso, the black cat, Candy Floss, Jack-in-the-box and
Jiffy the broomstick man. They are looked after by the Toy Inspector.
Twizzle has the strange ability to be able to stretch his arms and
legs to incredible lengths.
Made
at Islet Park studio on a budget of £450 per episode. 'Video
assist' first used in this series, allowing production crew other
than the cameraman to be able to see the shot in progress, a
technique soon widely adopted by the industry.
Index Links Episode Guide
1960 - Torchy the Battery
Boy
26 x b/w 15 min
episodesFirst transmitted 23rd February
1960
Created and written
by Roberta LeighDirected by
Gerry Anderson
Produced by AP FILMS
for Pelham Productions Limited
Torchy, a clockwork toy with a battery-powered light on his hat,
travels in his space rocket to and from Topsy-Turvy Land, where all the neglected
and mistreated toys live and come alive to join in his adventures.
Other characters included Mr Bumble-Drop, King Dithers, Bossy Boots, Pom Pom,
Flopsy, Pilliwig
Sparky, Squish and Pongo.
3-Dimensional sets were introduced for the first time
on this series and puppets were fitted with moving mouths and eyes.
Roberta Leigh went on to make a second series of Torchy with
Associated British Pathe.
Index Links Episode Guide
1960 - Four Feather
Falls
39 x b/w 15 min
episodesFirst transmitted 26th February
1960
Created by Barry
GrayDirected by Gerry
Anderson
Produced by AP FILMS
for Granada Television
Sherrif Tex Tucker saves the life of Makooya, the son of indian
chief Kalamakooya and is rewarded with four magic feathers which, among other
things, enable his guns to fire by themselves and allow his dog, Dusty and
horse, Rocky to be able to talk to him. The series villains are Pedro the
bandit and his sidekick Fernando. Other main characters in the storylines
were townspeople Martha Jones, Grandpa Twink and Little Jake.
The theme song was sung
by Michael Holliday. Voice artists included Kenneth Connor, Denise Bryer and
David Graham. Glass fibre was used for the puppets' heads for the first time
and electronic lip-synch was first tried. The pilot episode was the last output
of Islet Park studio. Production moved to a warehouse on the Slough trading
estate which became known as the Ipswich Road studio. Arthur Provis left the
partnership amicably during this period, going on to work with Roberta Leigh
on 'Sarah and Hoppity' and another of her wonderful creations - Space
Patrol.
Four Feather Falls: Index Links Episode
Guide Space Patrol: Picture Link
1960 - Supercar
39 x b/w 30 min
episodes in two series of 26 and 13First
transmission 28th January 1961
Conceived by Gerry
Anderson and Reg HillProduced by
Gerry Anderson
An AP FILMS
production in association with ATV for ITC worldwide
distribution
Based
in a secret laboratory, Black Rock, in Nevada, Supercar is a
prototype vehicle invented by Doctor Beaker and Professor Popkiss
which can travel underwater, through the air and even into space,
piloted by Mike Mercury. Assisted by 10 year old Jimmy Gibson and
Mitch the monkey who they rescue, much of their time is spent
thwarting the villains Masterspy and Zarin who are trying to steal
Supercar.
A lot
of 'firsts' - The first 30 minute series and one of the first British
shows to be sold to America by ITC, shown there in Autumn 1962. Jimmy
Gibson was Sylvia Anderson's first voice part and the opening titles
showing Supercar flying through the clouds were the first time
back-projection was used. The term 'Supermarionation' was invented
for the promotional literature for the series to describe the
lip-synch procedure used in the puppets.
Index Links Episode
Guide
1960 - Crossroads to
Crime
Film - b/w 57
minsPremiere November 1960
Produced by Gerry
Anderson
AP FILMS /
Anglo-Amalgamated
A
young policeman, Don Ross, uncovers a plot by a gang of would-be
hijackers operating from a local cafe. He pretends to be corrupt in
order to try and foil their plans for a £20,000 hijack of nickel
alloy ingots.
Made
between the two series of Supercar, this was a 'B' support
movie.
Index Links
1960 -
Blue Cars Holidays
3 x 1 minute film
sequences
Commercials made for Nicholas Parsons' production
company on behalf of Blue Cars Holidays.
Also
made between the two series of Supercar. One of these, 'Martians',
won the Grand Prix prize in the Commercial Services category at the
first British TV Commercial Awards in 1961, organised by the
Television Mail. A second one, the 'French' one, came third in the
same category. ( Nicholas Parsons pictured )
Index Links
1962 - Fireball XL5
39 x b/w 30 min
episodesFirst transmission 28th October
1962
Produced by Gerry
Anderson
An AP FILMS
production in association with ATV for ITC worldwide
distribution
Set in
2063, Steve Zodiac is the pilot of Fireball XL5, the flagship of the
fleet of the World Space Patrol,
based in galaxy sector 25. In his crew are blonde bombshell Doctor
Venus, Professor Matthew Matic,
Robert the Robot and Zoonie the Lazoon.
The
first series to use the concept of a world class organisation
combatting evil and the first British children's television programme
to be taken up by an American network. Transmitted by NBC Television
in 1962. This was the only show ever to contain a Gerry
Anderson-voiced character, albeit unrecognisable as Robert the robot!
AP
FILMS were sold to Lew
Grade
at ATV in 1962, prior to the production of Stingray and the studios
moved to larger premises at Stirling Road on the same estate.
Index Links Episode
Guide
1964 - Stingray
39 x colour 30 min
episodesFirst transmission 4th October
1964
Produced by Gerry
Anderson
An AP FILMS
production in association with ATV for ITC worldwide
distribution
Set in the year 2024,
Stingray, an advanced submarine belonging to W.A.S.P. - the World
Aquanaut Security Patrol - is crewed by pilot Troy Tempest and
hydrophones operator Lt. George 'Phones' Sheridan. They are assisted
by the underwater-breathing Marina, rescued from Titanica by Troy in
the first episode. Her father is Aphany, ruler of the undersea
kingdom of Pacifica. In between fighting the terror fish of the evil
Titan and his amphibians and outwitting their agent X20, Troy is
caught in the eternal triangle with the non-speaking Marina and
Atlanta, the pretty brunette daughter of Commander Shore, head of
their Marineville base.
No
pilot episode was made for this series as it was directly ordered by
Lord Lew
Grade.
This was the first children's series made entirely in colour ( for
the American market ), although 30 episodes of 'The Adventures of Sir
Lancelot' were made in colour in 1955. Initially shown on British TV
in black and white, the colour process used was christened '
Videcolor'. Probably most remembered for the haunting end theme 'Aqua
Marina', a chart hit sung by Gary Miller and written by Barry
Gray.
Index Links Episode
Guide
1964 - Lyons Maid 'Sea Jet' and
'Zoom'
A
number of advertisements starring Stingray were made to promote
the 'Sea-Jet' ice lolly.
Similarly, Thunderbirds were used to promote 'Zoom' -
precise year unknown
No
other information available. Does anyone have any pics / info?
Index Links
1965 - Thunderbirds (series 1 )
Series 1 - 26 x 50
min episodesFirst
transmission Thursday 30th September 1965
Producer: Gerry
AndersonAssociate Producer: Reg
Hill
AP FILMS / ITC
Set in
2065, the Tracy family, operating from their secret Pacific Ocean
island base as International Rescue, save the world from disasters of
various sorts using the inventions of Hiram 'Brains' Hackenbacker.
Dad - Jeff Tracy - ex lunarnaut - is the boss and the various craft
are piloted by his sons Scott (TB1), Virgil (TB2), Alan (TB3), Gordon
(TB4) and John (TB5), with assistance at various times from their
faithful manservant Kurano and his daughter TinTin. Also helping is
their glamorous British agent, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her
chauffeur Aloysius 'Nosey' Parker in the fabulous six-wheeled pink
Rolls-Royce FAB 1. Amongst their many problems is the master criminal
'The Hood', who is constantly trying to discover their
secrets.
Thunderbirds was not a success in America, which is
why the show was cancelled so early, and a new show commissioned. It
was not shown in the U.S.A. until 1968, after a greater success by
Captain Scarlet. The Tracy boys are all named after real-life
astronauts. The pilot episode 'Trapped in the sky' was only 25
minutes long but expanded to 50 minutes on the orders of Lord
Lew
Grade.
This helped to improve the storyline and character development. The
'Roller-road' was first conceived and used during the series for
ground vehicle motion shots. Each episode of Thunderbirds contained,
on average, 100 SFX shots. This was also the first series not to be
screened in a childrens' TV slot.
( see 'Now and The
Future
)
Index Links Episode
Guide
1965 - Concorde
Footage of a model Concorde taking off was produced
for British Airways to use in a documentary.
No
other information available.
Index
1965 - TV
Century 21 and Century 21 Records
The
year also saw the launch of the high quality, glossy TV Century 21
comic on Wednesday 23rd January. Published by City magazines and
Century 21 publishing ( AP Films Merchandising ), it was conceived by
Keith Shackleton and edited by Alan Fennell, followed a year later by
a sister paper, 'Lady Penelope'. Combined circulation reached a peak
of 1.3 million copies per week. Also launched, in September, was
Century 21 records in partnership with PYE records. These 33 r.p.m.
mini albums - "21 minutes of adventure" - featured original material,
abridged versions of some of the shows and the wonderful music of
Barry Gray. 36 were produced in all:
1 x
Fireball XL5, 3 x Stingray, 5 x Captain Scarlet, 4 x Theme and
Incidental music
19 x Thunderbirds of which 3 were original new stories
4 others contained licensed properties including Doctor Who and Topo
Gigio
Index Links
1966 - Thunderbirds Are
Go!
Film - 94 minsPremiered at The London Pavilion,
Leicester Square, Monday 12th December 1966
Executive Producer:
Gerry AndersonProducer:
Sylvia Anderson
Century 21 Cinema /
United Artists
On the
big screen for the first time, International Rescue supervise the
security arrangements surrounding the launch of the 'ZERO X' manned
Mars mission. Problems arise when it runs into trouble on the return
journey.
Uniquely features Cliff Richard and the Shadows in
puppet form, performing at the 'Swinging Star' night club which Alan
Tracy and Tintin visit. The puppets were stars at the premiere. This
was the first attempt by a British TV company to get into the cinema
film business.
Index Links Film
Guide
1966 - Thunderbirds ( series 2
)
6 x 50 minute
episodesFirst transmission October 2nd
1966
Producer: Reg
Hill
Executive Producer:
Gerry AndersonAssociate
Producer: John Read
AP FILMS / ITC
This
series - set in 2024 - brings us more action, adventure and bravery
from the Tracy boys and their expensive toys. Even more spectacular
special effects and strange mechanical devices. Thunderbird 3 ( above
) was apparently based on the Russian Soyuz craft. You may also note
a similarity in the shape of sections of the Tracy homestead and the
design of Thunderbird 5, their orbiting monitor station.
In
1966 Gerry Anderson received TV's highest award, the Silver Medal for
Outstanding Artistic Achievement from the Royal Television
Society.
( see 'Now and The
Future
)
Index Links Episode
Guide
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