FrankRandle

I was never a fan. Despite the factory production-line acting and writing it gave simple pleasure to millions and that's surely a good thing.

Reviewers then as now enjoy indirectly mocking the masses for their lack of taste by mocking what the masses enjoy.

I watched a "SuperMarionation" themed day yesterday on the SF TV Channel, comprising episodes of Stingray, Thunderbirds and Joe 90 and it struck me how much Anderson's puppets had evolved from Stingray, through Thunderbirds to Joe 90. Before Joe 90 the puppets looked toy-like with large heads and stunted limbs. However the puppets in Joe 90 have bodies that are correct in all proportions and faces that look human (in fact they look so human the visual effect can be a bit weird). I especially noticed it in scene in a church where the congregation puppets had such lifelike facial features that, for a second, I thought I was watching inserted library stock of human extras but they were all puppets, all with unique human facial features. Gerry Anderson had reached his goal with Joe 90 of having miniature people but it's a pity the scripts were a bit top-heavy with their wish-fulfilment fantasies of many of Britain's oppressed 10 year-old boys.