COSFORD GUEST TALKS: SYLVIA ANDERSON

The Saturday afternoon round of guest talks began with Sylvia Anderson who, although looking a little frail these days, was as sharp as a tack when it came to recalling those early days at AP Films.

She started the session talking about how she joined Polytechnic Films in the early fifties, as an 18 year old and the only female in this small company. The glamorous life of this young film executive consisted of making the tea and doing the washing up!

 At the time Polytechnic’s main source of income was providing titles and producing commercials.  Polytechnic eventually became AP Films, and Sylvia, borrowing money from her mother, bought into the company.

Twizzle and Torchy the Battery Boy introduced APF to the world of marionettes, the recordings of which were made in the studio bathroom as that had the best acoustics! 

While Gerry would concentrate on the ‘Boy’s Own’ part of the scripts, Sylvia would develop the human side of things, which meant much more involvement with the puppets.

Here's Sylvia talking to puppeteer, Mary Turner.

Regarding Thunderbirds, Sylvia explained that the Tracy Brothers were based on the popular ‘Bonanza’ Western series, and making Jeff an American ex-Astronaut meant it would be easier to pitch to the lucrative American market.

Sylvia decided that Lady Penelope would represent the British aspects of the series, although Lew Grade didn’t want her to be too posh fearing the Americans wouldn’t take to her!  

By this time, Lew Grade had bought up A P Films. Sylvia explained that he’d seen the massive potential in merchandising the shows. Sylvia had visited factories were everything that was being made was to do with their series.  

TV Century 21 comic was published and Sylvia had the idea of using Penelope as a roving reporter interviewing all the contemporary stars of the time. However, in reality it was just all the people that Sylvia already knew. Roger Moore was the first of these interviews in issue one.  The  A P Film studio featured in the first TV Century 21 special.

Sylvia’s contribution to the achievements’ of A P Films and later Century 21 can’t be understated. She produced the feature film ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’, and co-produced ‘Thunderbird 6’.

She did feel that Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons should have done better, but that its dark overtones tended to work against it.

Sylvia went on to produce the first season of Space 1999, which was her last involvement with the ‘Anderson’s’ productions.

Sylvia was also quite vocal about her dislike for the casting of Space 1999, feeling that they were steered by the studio and Lew Grade. She felt that Martin Landau was simply not leading man material, and that Barbara Bain was simply wooden!

I have to say I really enjoyed listening to Sylvia Anderson.  Although it probably sounds like an obvious thing to say but  as I said previously, she contributed so much input to my favourite Anderson shows, and I'm sure that like many of you I really did, and do appreciate her efforts.