Sylvia Anderson, co-producer of the iconic Supermarionation series including Thunderbirds, passed away at her home in Berkshire at the age of 88, after a brief illness.
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In addition to creating that series with her then-husband, Gerry Anderson, Ms. Anderson voiced Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward on the children’s puppet show.
Sylvia Anderson holds the original Lady Penelope puppet from the cult 1960’s television series “Thunderbirds”, for sale September 19 along with other puppets which Anderson devised for television classics such as “Stingray” and “Captain Scarlet”. “Her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged”, Dee Anderson says of her mother.
Behind the camera, she took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design.
“She said that’s why the show has lasted as long as it did – because people cared about the characters”.
Sylvia worked as a journalist before joining a TV production company where she met her husband Gerry Anderson.
Gerry Anderson died in December 2012, after being diagnosed with dementia. “She was a force in every way”.
Lady Penelope was modelled on Ms Anderson and she provided the puppet’s distinctive voice.
After their divorce in 1981, the couple went their separate ways – and Sylvia went on to become the head of programming for HBO, not to mention writing several books.
She also dedicated time to charity work, including Breast Cancer Care.
The popular science-fiction series, which also led to two feature-length films and a toy franchise, celebrated its 50th anniversary a year ago.
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She leaves a daughter, Dee Anderson, a singer and songwriter, and a son, Gerry Anderson Junior, an anaesthetist.
