UFO cartoons/ITV4/ A&E commentaries/4% speedup effects

Kevin wrote:

>If any member still feels them inappropriate please say so
>and they will remain unseen.

I'd like to see them Kevin.

ITV4 UFO screenings were AQOP last Saturday and ESP last nite. Both
were edited and the prints washed out, real shame :- Stupid really
but I have to record it – what is it about this series? :-)

I really enjoyed listening to the commentaries by Sylvia/ Wanda and
Mike B./Alan Perry on the A&E DVD set; very different to and
more "entertaining" to listen to than either Gerry's or Ed's (imho).  
Has anyone heard George Sewell's commentary? It would have been
great to have had a commentary by Ed and George together on one of
their episodes, I don't think they've ever talked about UFO together
on record anywhere - correct me if I'm wrong :-)

It's the first time I've ever heard Sylvia talk about UFO and she
really seemed to care very much about the series and the every day
wellbeing of the cast and crew. On the set every day almost all of
the time, it seems.

Alan and Mike were very funny – if a little irreverent occasionally –
but given the behind the scenes gossip in the public domain, not
unsurprisingly so. They were commenting on the lighting being very
difficult with the highly reflective silver suits, which I'd never
really thought about but was obviously very difficult technically.

Re. the PAL 4% speedup - I have to say that the episodes really do
sound very different at the correct speed on the NTSC discs compared
to the PAL ones. I was especially struck at how different the UFO
sounds :-D But more interestingly, the whole tone of the episodes is
different, I mean the dialogue is delivered with more "weight" –
don't really know how to express this! Anyway, the overall effect is
the episodes seem even more serious and heavyweight and more
convincing compared to the PAL DVDs.  

Having said this, the NTSC picture does jump doesn't it? Never seen
an NTSC screening before! Seems I now have to choose between
listening or watching – can't do both at the same time and keep the
lip-synch.. :-D

Later

Sarah

 

Hi, all

New to the group, and new to UFO/Gerry Anderson fandom over all. I'm a big Thunderbirds fan, and I'm just curious - why is Gerry Anderson so bitter over Syvia - denying her credit for all the work she'd done on the various series?


Barbara
Narnia, Harry Potter and Oz gifts for Christmas
http://omnivoreink.com/CoolReads/FantasyStore.html


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In [hidden email], Barbara Peterson <omnivore_ink@y...>
wrote:

> Hi, all New to the group, and new to UFO/Gerry Anderson fandom
>over all.  

Hi Barbara :-)

>I'm a big Thunderbirds fan, and I'm just curious - why is Gerry
>Anderson so bitter over Syvia - denying her credit for all the work
>she'd done on the various series?


I'm no expert, but I've read elsewhere (Google is your friend) that
their son told Gerry he didn't want to see him. Very sad :-(  

Must have been many years ago now. From experience with friends in
similar situations, children grow up into adults and make up their
own minds about the past. So maybe he does have contact with him now.

Perhaps less believably, Sylvia Anderson was rumoured to have had an
affair with Mike Billington from UFO, I imagine at the time. Their
separation and divorce occured shortly after, during season one of
Space:1999 (I think).

It is clear however, from Sylvias tribute to Ed and Mike on her
website, that she remained close friends with Mike until his death
this year.

I also understand that Gerry's fan club are obliged not to contact
Sylvia about any of their shows, for fear of his withdrawing his
support, I imagine. But many Anderson regulars have publicly paid
Sylvia the credit she rightly deserves, for her considerable
contributions to the success of their shows.


Sarah

> I'm no expert, but I've read elsewhere (Google is your friend) that
> their son told Gerry he didn't want to see him. Very sad :-(

Yes, it appears that the bitterness from Gerry originates from
the situation with their son.

However, it appears that the problems between Gerry and Sylvia
went as far back as Thunderbirds (if not before), and seems
to be a case of professional jealously -- that is, Gerry did
not like all the attention that Sylvia was getting (I guess
he wanted all the attention to himself?)

Someone please correct me if I've misread the situation --
both Sylvia and Gerry have written books which mention
this subject...

Marc

The best way to have a balanced view on the subject is to read the
biographies by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson.

Gerry Anderson's "What Made Thunderbirds go?"

<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563534818/qid%">http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563534818/qid%
3D1134451730/026-7681057-8286056

& Sylvia Anderson's "Yes M'lady"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856850110/qid=1134451797/sr
=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/026-7681057-8286056

They both describe the events leading up to the breakup of their
relationship.

Like most situations like this though, there is his version, there
is her version and somewhere buried in amongst both stories is the
truth.

However for me, the travesty that was Space:1999 Season 2 was
visible evidence that something was lost when they split. I doubt
Sylvia Anderson would have stood for the nonsense provided by the
arrival of Fred Freiberger.

I don't think, as fans, that we should take sides though. Both Gerry
and his now long time wife, Mary Anderson, have gone on to forge a
successful partnership. And Sylvia Anderson has had a successful
career working as an HBO representative.

Whatever their differences, we're still very much in their debt.