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Here's a page from the 1965 TV CENTURY 21 SUMMER EXTRA, featuring an ad for a couple of Annuals, one of which I got for Christmas. I also had the STINGRAY Annual, but I can't remember if I got it new at around the same time, or it was a later acquisition from a pal or a jumble sale. I have a vague idea it was bought new though. I must have purchased the Summer Extra in June or July of '65, and I recall seeing a display of both Annuals in a shop called KRAZY KUTS in my local town centre from September on, while still living in the house my family would move from come November.
I didn't get either Annuals though, until I was living in our new house, so it's a bit strange to associate the covers and even some of the contents with both houses, even though, in the case of the former abode, it was only from looking through the books in the shop, and in the latter, from the comfort of an armchair (or sitting against one while sat on the carpet) in our new residence.
Krazy Kuts was a great shop (it was a CO-OP owned shop, if I recall correctly), and survived well into the '80s. I replaced the Annuals a good number of years ago, and one glance at either one of them reminds be of two houses and a shop, and what a great time it was to be a child in the greatest decade of the 20th century.
This has been a completely self-indulgent, random, rambling reminiscence for no good reason that I can think of.
8 comments:
Kid, I'm surprised you've made no mention at all of the death of Sylvia Anderson. Doesn't the legendary Sylvia deserve a tribute post ? And surely Lady Penelope is a worthy Babe of the Day ?
Can't cover everyone who dies, CJ, and Gerry was the main driving force behind the programmes. Although Sylvia contributed to them, it was purely as a result of being married to Gerry. No Gerry as husband, no Sylvia involvement. Never really fancied Penelope - too much of a snob.
All fair points. Lady Penelope and Parker were the least appealing thing about Thunderbirds I must admit but I'm not particularly a Thunderbirds fan anyway. I saw it for the first time in the '90s on BBC 2 and each episode seemed far too long for a kids' puppet show. I remember the comedian Clive Anderson doing a hilarious impression of an Anderson puppet.
Yeah, I also thought that Thunderbirds was too long. It was originally intended to be a half hour show, CJ, and the first few episodes had been shot as such. However, Lew Grade had sold the show to America as an hour long show, so he ordered the rest of the episodes in production to be shot that way, and new material was shot to extend the half hour ones.
I dunno, I asses Sylvia's contribution to the Anderson legacy as quite significant, although not always positive. I think the split between Anderson and the Provis/Leigh team was partly motivated by Sylvia's ambitions. Unfortunately, when she got her hands on the reins, the first series of Space 1999, she completely lost her head and blew the budget on the first episode. The Parker/Penelope partnership in Thunderbirds is almost definitely her contribution. Without it, it's difficult to see how that show could sustain dramatic tension, without a lot of effort building guest characters, not an easy task with a puppet show.
I'm not sure who created Lady Penelope, DSE, but her image and voice is certainly Sylvia's. However, I think Thunderbirds would've been a success even without Lady Penelope, although then we probably wouldn't have had Parker either. Probably the most important contributor was Derek Meddings, because without his great special effects (and designs), the programmes would've been damp squibs.
Speaking of I think it would be nice to have a mention of Sylvia Anderson who just passed on. Farewell Lady Penelope!
Take a look at Moonbase Central in my blog list, Phil. They gave her a nice mention a few days back.
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