Stand By For Action! The Anderson Influence on 365 Infantry

How a TV Legend Inspired a Pack of War-Waging Wolves...

Left: Producer Gerry Anderson with the Troy Tempest puppet from Stingray (1964-65), Top-Right: Thunderbird 2 from Thunderbirds (1965-66), Mid-Right: End Titles Art from Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons (1967-68), Bottom Right: The Battlehawk and The Overlander from Terrahawks (1983-86)

Introduction

Today’s subject is a matter of inspiration, and how that inspiration never stopped influencing a series’ conception. It is a story that begins with a special Englishmen who produced a special breed of program. It is a story that starts with Gerry Anderson.

The West-End-born writer/producer developed a reputation as a stalwart of British science fiction through his work in film and television. His first major triumph came in the form of hit sci-fi puppet series like Supercar, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons. Proudly “Filmed in Supermarionation” and co-created with his then-wife Sylvia, these series, and many like them, were a stylish and mature blend of sophisticated marionette puppetry, detailed model effects sequences, and an ever-evolving show format centered on sharp heroes facing disaster and dastardly villains with an arsenal of hardware.

When the strings were cut in 1969, Anderson continued to produce thoughtful & provocative science fiction in the form of live-action series UFO and Space: 1999 in the 70s, before going for broke in the 80s and 90s with cult favorites like Terrahawks and Space Precinct.

Anderson’s brand of sci-fi always left an impression thanks to its well-rounded characters, lavish production values, and worlds hinged on the never-ending fight between good and evil. Mature, daring, yet wholesome at their core, the classic Anderson formula was the epitome of pulp storytelling, and it was his insular, real-world-based approach to series development that brought forth a style totally his own.

And it was his work that sparked many aspects of 365 Infantry. In the wise words of Commander Shore from Stingray…