Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted

One of the most eye opening documentaries I've ever witnessed, while the deep faked scenes of Gerry are certainly hit and miss, the raw emotional core this enlightening documentary provides is not one to be skipped. While I chose to remember the man who shaped my childhood with his incredible shows and movies with fondness, there's no doubt this one is going to sting for many fans...

I don't normally write reviews but sometimes something moves me enough to inspire me into action.

As a 60's kid Gerry Anderson was as important a name to me as Walt Disney, or Cubby Broccoli. Gerry made shows that left a lasting legacy as well as an imprint on my childhood & British culture (& beyond).

This documentary focusses on what made the man, not just the shows, & the events which influenced those shows & their characters. If you're not too familiar with Thunderbirds, Space 1999 or the other tv programmes it's still a balanced, nuanced & interesting piece of film making by Gerry's son, Jamie. It's not ultra reverential or sycophantic, but adopts a warts & all approach, even pointing out Gerry's flaws & failings. It shows him as human which just endears the subject matter to the viewer even more. It doesn't try to whitewash him or attempt to deify him in the way many modern documentaries & families do with someone so iconic & culturally influential. I found that an incredibly refreshing approach.

As I've grown older I've revisited many aspects of things which played a part of my life including some of Gerry Anderson's programmes. However in this I enjoyed learning about the man himself, the people who orbited in (& out) of his life, & how those events affected the productions.

Despite some of the reviews here I for one didn't object to the inclusion of "clips" from the shows which punctuated the piece throughout as if to add levity & humour, particularly if the segment dealt with disturbing or dramatic issues. Besides, it seems to be commonplace in many current biographies in recent times. It's most filmmakers shorthand & punctuation these days.

In conclusion I'd urge viewers to watch this if given the chance, even if you're not a 60's child who was brought up on the shows like "Thunderbirds" which were made mainly for kids with "puppet stars", or for the family & fans of SciFi in the form of "Space 1999" or "UFO" when Gerry finally got to feature real actors.

This is really more of a film about a very interesting, even introverted British filmmaker & producer of great British tv programmes. There's not many in that field that are as deserving of such a laid bare for all biography, or can be regarded by fans of the medium as a truly great British Icon. Give it a watch.

This is Jamie Anderson's documentary film about the life of his father, who was famous for producing puppet shows such as 'Stingray' and 'Thunderbirds'.

Sons producing books/films about their famous fathers is nothing new. Michael Sellers did it for Peter Sellers, and it seems like Gary Morecambe spends every waking moment up in the loft trying to find new material about his dad, Eric.

This is a good effort, and well made. I didn't mind the clips interspersed between the talking heads, I think it would have been dry. The Deep Fake technology was a bit hit and miss though.

It isn't afraid to go for a warts and all approach, and I found the section of Gerry's sad decline with Dementia quite moving.

Perhaps being the son he was a bit too close to the subject matter to go really deep about the man, but this was good.

I grew up in the 1970's, on a television diet, partly comprised of Gerry Anderson's work.

Many of my happiest, early memories, comprised me plonked down in front of "the box' watching series like Space 1999. It was then, fascinating to get a glimpse into the life of the man behind behind the magic.

This documentary, offers up insights into the inspiration, that led to many of Anderson's iconic series, like Thunderbirds.

What really surprised me, was how touching and at times, really quite sad, this story could be. I personally, was left with the sense of a man, who got to do everything in adulthood, he might have wanted to do as a child. Creating worlds filled with adventure and fun.

In summary, this is a compelling look into the life a remarkable man, who was a real ground breaker in television and science fiction. I doubt we will see his like again, in an age of soulless CGI and bad writing. Much loved and much missed.

10/10.

As a child of the 60s then the World's of Gerry Anderson were an integral part of growing up. Action, adventure set in a fantastic world that expanded your horizons and set so many of us on the path of science and technology. The film reveals the genesis of the creative spark in Gerry, his determination to always be better and the sadness of being left out in the cold as times change despite the rich, unexplored potential of the world's he catalysed into being. The film also treats the final years of Gerry's life and the decline caused by Alzheimer's disease with, respect and dignity, more than once I was fighting back a tear. For any fan of the fantastic worlds of Anderson or student of pop culture this should not be missed. SIG.