Gerry Anderson - a master puppeteer ahead of his time

The man who created classic shows such as Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Stingray and Captain Scarlett has died at the age of 83 – but fans today insisted his legacy would live on.

Tributes flooded in to the man who pioneered 'supermarionation' in the 1960s – a technique using thin wires to control puppets.

His TV career began in the 1950s, when he quickly established himself as one of Britain's leading creative brains.

But it was his collaboration with wife Sylvia on Thunderbirds, first broadcast in 1965, which shot him to worldwide stardom.

The series followed the efforts of International Rescue and the Tracy family. It enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s and the Tracy family home – Tracy Island – became one of the most famous ever 'makes' on BBC's Blue Peter.

Experiences

When a new version of the toy was released in 2000, it sold out in days.

The name for the show came from the wartime experiences of Gerry's brother Lionel. While training in America, he sent his younger brother letters from the Thunderbird Field airbase in Arizona.

Anderson followed up Thunderbirds with Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a darker show about interplanetary war between Earth and Mars.

Next came the tales of Joe 90, a child prodigy who could upload skills via computer, and then access information via his thick-framed, Harry Palmer-style glasses. It was years ahead of its time.

Having also worked on other hit children's shows such as Fireball XL5 and Stingray, Gerry and Sylvia split. Their divorce was announced at the wrap party for their last project Space 1999, in 1975.

It proved expensive, with Anderson signing away future rights to his shows for a cash payment . . . a decision that cost him millions in lost video and DVD sales.

Anderson, who was awarded the MBE, was born in London, and lived with his second wife, Mary, near Henley-on-Thames, until he moved to a care home in October.

He had been diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago and became a celebrity campaigner for the Alzheimer's Society, helping to raise awareness and money for the charity. Speaking earlier this year, he said: "My dementia hasn't just affected me; it's affected my friends and family too."

"Not being able to drive is the bitterest blow. It meant that I couldn't go to Pinewood Studios where I worked, and this depressed me enormously because my film work was my life. Suddenly my life was cut off."

Anderson, who died peacefully in his sleep, leaves three children from former marriages, Joy, Linda and Gerry Junior, his son Jamie and widow Mary.

Jamie, who announced his father's death last night, said Gerry had remained interested and involved in the film industry "until very recently".

His last producer credit came in 2005 on New Captain Scarlet, a CGI-animated re-imagining of show. Most recently, he worked as a consultant on a Hollywood remake of his 1969 series UFO.

His Thunderbirds puppets remain a huge draw, however. When they visited Shropshire last month, the event at RAF Cosford was a sell-out success.

Nick Williams, chairman of Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson appreciation society, said: "To those who met him, Gerry was a quiet, unassuming but determined man.

"His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works.

"Gerry's legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world."

Steve Begg, who has worked on visual and special effects for some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, was given his first job in the industry by Anderson almost 30 years ago.

He paid tribute to his mentor, saying: "He gave me my first big break, which has led me to work on Skyfall, the latest James Bond film.

"As a kid I was always very inspired by his work such as Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. It helped me get the courage to show him my amateur stuff in the 1980s and I subsequently got a job with him on Terrahawks in the early 1980s.

"He inspired a lot of people to go on and win Academy awards in films such as Alien and Superman. He was very supportive, he would talent-spot and encourage people. He effectively built a film school for that sort of work, an unofficial school."

He continued: "He was very charismatic, the hub or centre of creativity of any film he was working on. He will leave behind a massive legacy."

Actor Brian Blessed, who worked with Anderson on shows including The Day After Tomorrow and Space 1999, said: "I think a light has gone out in the universe. He had a great sense of humour. He wasn't childish but child-like and he had a tremendous love of the universe and astronomy."

A host of celebrities today paid tribute on Twitter, including comedian Eddie Izzard, who wrote: "What great creation Thunderbirds was, as it fuelled the imagination of a generation."

TV presenter Jonathan Ross wrote: "For men of my age, his work made childhood an incredible place to be."

By Carl Jones