Sylvia Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sylvia Anderson
Anderson with the puppet of Dr Venus from Fireball XL5 (1962–63)
Born	Sylvia Beatrice Thomas (1927-03-25)25 March 1927 Camberwell, London, England
Died	15 March 2016(2016-03-15) (aged 88) Bray, Berkshire, England
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Occupation	Television producer film producer writer voice actress costume designer
Years active	1957–2015
Television	Supermarionation series, including Thunderbirds (1965–66)
Board member of	Polytechnic Films/AP Films/Century 21/Group Three (1957–75)
Spouse(s)	Jack Brooks ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1950)​ George Thamm ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1959)​ Gerry Anderson ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1981)​
Children	2

Sylvia Beatrice Anderson (born Thomas; 25 March 1927 – 15 March 2016) was a talented English person who worked in television and film. She was a producer, writer, voice actress, and costume designer. She is best known for her work with Gerry Anderson, who was her husband for a time.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Sylvia helped create and write many TV shows. She was especially good at developing characters and designing costumes. She also directed the voice recording sessions for the shows. She gave her voice to many female and child characters. She helped create famous characters like Lady Penelope and Parker from Thunderbirds.

Early Life and Education

Sylvia Anderson was born in Camberwell, London, England. This was on 25 March 1927. Her father, Sidney Thomas, was a champion boxer. Her mother, Beatrice, was a dressmaker.

Sylvia studied at the London School of Economics. She earned a degree in sociology and political science. After finishing school, she worked as a social worker. She later moved to the United States. There, she lived with her first husband, Jack Brooks. While in America, she worked as a journalist.

Career Highlights

Sylvia Anderson returned to the United Kingdom in 1955. She joined a new film company called Polytechnic Films in 1957. There, she met Gerry Anderson, who was an editor and director. When Polytechnic Films closed, Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis started a new company called AP Films. Sylvia joined them on the board of directors.

Working with Gerry Anderson

In 1957, AP Films started making films for children. These were based on stories by writer Roberta Leigh. Sylvia Anderson worked as a production assistant on these projects. They included The Adventures of Twizzle and Torchy the Battery Boy. Sylvia and Gerry married in late 1960. After that, Sylvia took on a bigger role in making the shows.

Sylvia and Gerry worked as a team. They would write the first episode of a series together. Then, they would divide the work based on their strengths. Gerry focused on special effects and the machines. Sylvia focused on characters, voices, costumes, dialogue, and story ideas.

Sylvia helped create stories and provided voices for many half-hour shows. These included Supercar, Stingray, and Fireball XL5. She was also the Dialogue Director for Supercar. Sylvia felt that half-hour shows were too short. She thought they didn't allow enough time to develop characters and stories. She convinced the TV producer, Lew Grade, to make their shows a full hour long.

In the early 1960s, the Andersons created Thunderbirds. Sylvia created the characters for this series. She knew that Lew Grade wanted to sell the show in America. So, she wanted to make it appealing to American audiences. This is why she created Lady Penelope, a "British aristocrat." She also created Parker, Lady Penelope's "Cockney chauffeur."

Lady Penelope became one of Sylvia's most popular characters. She was a stylish aristocrat who was also a secret agent. Sylvia not only created her but also provided her voice. The puppet designer, Mary Turner, used Sylvia Anderson as the model for Lady Penelope's puppet. Sylvia didn't know this right away! Mary Turner said in an interview, "we wanted a glamorous blonde and [Anderson] was the obvious choice." In 1966 and 1968, Sylvia produced two movies based on Thunderbirds: Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6.

She also co-created the series UFO (1969-1970) with Gerry Anderson. For this show, she helped produce, designed the costumes, and did most of the casting.

Sylvia and Gerry's creative partnership ended in 1975. This was during the making of the first series of Space: 1999. After this, Sylvia stopped working with the company.

Later Work and Writing

In 1983, Sylvia published a novel called Love and Hisses. In 1994, she returned to voice Lady Penelope for an episode of Absolutely Fabulous. For 30 years, she also worked as a talent scout in London for HBO.

Her autobiography, Yes M'Lady, came out in 1991. In 2007, it was re-released as My FAB Years. This new version included updated information about her life. For example, it talked about her role as a consultant for the 2004 live-action Thunderbirds movie.

Sylvia was very happy with the 2004 Thunderbirds film. She said, "I'm personally thrilled that the production team have paid us the great compliment of bringing to life our original concept for the big screen." She felt they couldn't have made it better themselves. In 2010, My FAB Years was released as an audio CD, read by Sylvia herself.

Late Career and Charity Work

In 2013, Sylvia worked with her daughter Dee. Dee is a jazz singer. They worked on an idea for a new TV series called The Last Station.

In 2015, Sylvia briefly returned to the Thunderbirds world. She was a guest star in an episode of the new TV series, Thunderbirds Are Go. She voiced a character named Great Aunt Sylvia, who was a relative of Lady Penelope.

Sylvia Anderson was also known for her charity work. She supported groups like Breast Cancer Care and Barnardo's.

Awards and Recognition

In 1966, Thunderbirds won the Royal Television Society Silver Medal.

In 2015, Sylvia Anderson traveled to Italy. She received a Pulcinella Award. This award recognized her long career in television production.

Personal Life and Death

In 1946, Sylvia married Jack Brooks. They had a daughter named Dee. This marriage ended. In 1952, she married George Thamm, and this marriage also ended. Her third marriage was in 1960 to Gerry Anderson. They had a son, Gerry Anderson Jr. Sylvia and Gerry divorced in 1981.

Sylvia Anderson passed away on 15 March 2016. This was ten days before her 89th birthday.

Television Work

AP Films

Century 21

Group Three

ITV Studios and Pūkeko Pictures

• Thunderbirds Are Go (2015) – voice artist (as Great Aunt Sylvia)

Filmography

• Crossroads to Crime (1960) – production assistant, uncredited acting role
• Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) – co-writer, co-producer, voice artist
• Thunderbird 6 (1968) – co-writer, co-producer, voice artist
• Doppelgänger (1969) a.k.a. Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (US title) – co-writer, co-producer
• Thunderbirds (2004) – production consultant