The Anderson Tapes

A new, CG-powered Gerry Anderson documentary reveals a life less FABulous

SCI-FI FACT! In the 1970s Gerry Anderson was in the frame to write and direct an earlier version of Moonraker.

“I’VE JOKED THAT this is probably one of the most expensive courses of therapy that anyone has ever gone through,” says Jamie Anderson, producer of Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted, a revealing and emotionally vivid new documentary about his father.

“He was quite private and quite secretive, and despite the fact that I called him Dad there was so much I didn’t know at the start of this journey. There have definitely been some tears along the way.”

A unique creative force in the history of British television, Gerry Anderson’s career encompassed such hits as Thunderbirds, Space: 1999 and New Captain Scarlet, shows that leapt from Supermarionation to live action to CG. While previous documentaries have celebrated his enduring brand of old-school thrills and iconic hardware, A Life Uncharted goes deeper, exploring the often traumatic events that shaped the man.

“This isn’t a Gerry Anderson propaganda movie,” Anderson tells Red Alert. “It’s saying, ‘Here is someone who changed a lot of childhoods and is fondly remembered by millions, and here’s who he was’. It’s quite difficult to find the right balance between telling an honest story and also telling stories about him and his life that maybe he wouldn’t have wanted to be shared. I have to say we’ve gone right on the side of honesty and a warts-and-all approach.”