A shame. He made some great programmes that I absolutely loved when I was a kid.
http://www.dailymail...es-aged-83.html
The creator of Thunderbirds, Gerry Anderson, has died aged 83.
His son Jamie Anderson posted on his blog today that the man behind the classic sci-fi series passed away peacefully in his sleep at midday today.
Mr Anderson had been battling dementia for the past two years and his condition had deteriorated rapidly in the last six months.
He was a film and TV producer for more than 40 years but his most famous creation was the 1960s TV show Thunderbirds.
The series - which used a form of marionette puppetry dubbed 'supermarionation' - became popular around the world.
Writing on his blog, Jamie Anderson said: 'I’m very sad to announce the death of my father, Thunderbirds creator, Gerry Anderson. He died peacefully in his sleep at midday today (26th December 2013), having suffered with mixed dementia for the past few years. He was 83.'
Fans have been paying tribute to the creator.
Chairman of fan club Fanderson Nick Williams said: 'To those who met him Gerry was a quiet, unassuming but determined man. His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works. Gerry’s legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world.'
Mr Anderson's inspiration for Thunderbirds came from a mining disaster in West Germany in October 1963 that gave him the idea of forming a show about a rescue organisation.
After much convincing, Mr Anderson agreed to let his wife Sylvia performed the voice of Lady Penelope, one of Thunderbirds' most famous characters.
Century 21 Productions was so sure of the series success they proposed a feature-film version before the pilot had even aired.
The 32-episode series was not initially successful in the United States because it was only given a limited release but it was a major hit with young audiences in the UK, Australia and other countries.