2003 Archive 
Producer, and now author, Stephen La Rivière, recently announced that he has just completed writing a book about the 1960s years of the Gerry Anderson productions, from Supercar to Secret Service. The book is to be titled "FILMED IN SUPERMARIONATION: A HISTORY OF THE FUTURE" and is due out early in 2009. There is no cover as yet, but it is already available for pre-order from Amazon UK for £26.99 and (probably incorrectly priced) from Amazon USA for $26.57. It is the result of 4 years of work, including exhaustive research in addition to interviews with remaining cast and crew.
The book will be full colour and available in both hardback and softcover editions. If the name of the author sounds familiar, its because he is the chap behind the wonderful "Full Boost Vertical - The Supercar Story" documentary DVD which came out a few years ago. I found that a very interesting documentary and fully expect this book to be both revealing and almost certainly controversial as it will challenge some of the "well known facts" of Anderson lore.
Not so much an official press release, than a series of teasing tidbits, the full book announcement is included after the jump.
FILMED IN SUPERMARIONATION: A HISTORY OF THE FUTURE
"They are all most keen and enthusiastic to make these the best puppet films ever made. I too feel that this is a wonderful opportunity, and may well be the beginning of something big!" -- 'The Adventures of Twizzle' Puppeteer, Joy Laurey. August 16th 1957
It's a well worn story that has been told in countless books, magazines and documentaries: the story of a group of film makers who decided to set up a production company in an old mansion in Maidenhead and waited for the phone to ring. After six months of silence, they were on the verge of liquidation when a children's novelist asked them if they would like to make some puppet films.
It's a touching story.
It's also completely untrue.
Filmed in Supermarionation is the story as you've never heard it before of the puppet empire that rose from the Slough Trading Estate in the 1960s and created shows such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90. Starting right at the beginning with Gerry Anderson's directorial debut in 1955 and finishing on the day the puppet studios closed in 1969, the book charts the rise and fall of the A.P. Films / Century 21 Organisation's 'Supermarionation' films. The book features a wealth of new information, hundreds of previously unseen photographs and is based on hours of interviews with cast and crew, newspaper articles and previously unpublished paperwork.
So if you want to know:
- How a two line advertisement changed television history
- What role the Conservative Government played in killing off Mike Mercury's career
- How three adverts helped lead to a multi-million pound empire
- What significance a Ford Anglia car held in the history of 1960s television
- What happened to their 21st Century Rolls?
- And why Slough Council tried to sue Century 21
Then this is the book for you. If none of that interests you, then just pick it up for the scandal. Well, it's not really scandal. Just a bit contentious... And if you don't like scandal, then buy it for the happy stuff, of which there is lots.
Should be interesting. Of course, we'll keep you posted on future developments.