Editing Sylvia Anderson

{{Short description|British producer (1927–2016)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Not to be confused with|Anderson Silva}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Sylvia Anderson
| image        = Syvia Anderson.jpg
| caption      = Anderson with the puppet of Dr Venus from ''[[Fireball XL5]]'' (1962–63)
| birth_name   = Sylvia Beatrice Thomas
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1927|3|25|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Camberwell]], London, England
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2016|3|15|1927|3|27|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Slough]], Berkshire, England
| alma_mater   = [[London School of Economics]]
| occupation   = {{flatlist|
* Television producer
* film producer
* writer
* voice actress
* costume designer
}}
| years_active = 1957–2015
| boards       = Polytechnic Films/[[AP Films]]/[[Century 21 Cinema|Century 21]]/[[Group Three]] (1957–75)
| television   = [[Supermarionation]] series, including ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' (1965–66)
| spouse       = {{ubl|{{marriage|Jack Brooks|1946|1950|end=div}}|{{marriage|George Thamm|1952|1959|end=div}}|{{marriage|[[Gerry Anderson]]|1960|1981|end=div}}}}
| children     = 2
| website      = {{URL|www.sylviaanderson.co.uk}}
}}

'''Sylvia Beatrice Anderson''' ({{née|'''Thomas'''}}; 25 March 1927 – 15 March 2016) was an English television and film producer, writer, voice actress and costume designer, best known for her collaborations with [[Gerry Anderson]], her husband between 1960 and 1981.<ref name="Space1999">{{cite web|url=http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/main/crguide/vcpsa.html |title=Sylvia Anderson Biography |publisher=Space1999.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209233503/http://space1999.net/catacombs/main/crguide/vcpsa.html |archive-date=9 December 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to serving as co-creator and co-writer on their TV series during the 1960s and early 1970s, Anderson's primary contribution was character development and [[costume design]].<ref name="Griffin">{{cite news |last=Griffin |first=Stephen |date=26 May 2013 |title=Sylvia Anderson: 'The press loved Penelope and that made Gerry jealous' |url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/402733/Sylvia-Anderson-The-press-loved-Penelope-and-that-made-Gerry-jealous |newspaper=[[Daily Express]] |access-date=14 August 2013}}</ref> She regularly directed the fortnightly voice recording sessions, and provided the voices of many female and child characters.  She also helped develop the shows and characters, in particular creating the iconic characters of [[Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward|Lady Penelope]] and [[Aloysius Parker|Parker]] in ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]''.

==Early life==
Anderson was born in [[Camberwell]], London, England on 25 March 1927. Her father, Sidney Thomas, was a champion boxer, and her mother, Beatrice ({{née|Aberdeen}}), a dressmaker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=GKujh45p5ANuOXj%2BKUE0PQ&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=9 November 2021|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref><ref name="Hayward">{{cite news |last=Hayward |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Hayward |date=16 March 2016 |title=Thunderbirds' Sylvia Anderson, voice of Lady Penelope, dies aged 88 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/mar/16/thunderbirds-sylvia-anderson-voice-of-lady-penelope-dies-aged-88 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref>

After graduating from the [[London School of Economics]] with a degree in sociology and political science, she became a social worker.<ref name="Griffin"/> She emigrated to the United States to live with her first husband, Jack Brooks, an American golfer.<ref name="Space1999"/> While in America she worked as a journalist.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35818530 |title=Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=16 March 2016 |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref>

==Career==
Anderson returned to the United Kingdom in 1955 with her daughter.<ref name="Farquhar">{{cite news |last=Farquhar |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Farquhar |date=16 March 2016 |title=Sylvia Anderson: Producer and writer who found fame with Thunderbirds |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sylvia-anderson-pioneering-producer-and-writer-who-with-her-husband-gerry-anderson-found-lasting-fame-with-thunderbirds-a6935391.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sylvia-anderson-pioneering-producer-and-writer-who-with-her-husband-gerry-anderson-found-lasting-fame-with-thunderbirds-a6935391.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref> She joined the newly founded and short-lived Polytechnic Films as an office assistant in 1957.<ref name="Griffin"/><ref name="Space1999"/> There, she met [[Gerry Anderson]], an editor and director.<ref name="Space1999"/> That year, when Anderson and [[Arthur Provis]] created [[AP Films]] following Polytechnic's collapse, she joined them on the board of directors of the new company, alongside their colleagues [[John Read (producer)|John Read]] and [[Reg Hill]].<ref name="Griffin"/><ref name="Space1999"/>

===Collaboration with Gerry Anderson===
In 1957 [[AP Films]] was commissioned by writer [[Roberta Leigh]] to produce films based on her children's stories, including ''[[The Adventures of Twizzle]]'' and ''[[Torchy the Battery Boy]]''.<ref name="Hayward"/> Sylvia Anderson worked on these projects as a production assistant.<ref name="Farquhar"/> In late 1960 the couple married,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=ZxMCvaRgSY4VKvJn61BPmQ&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=9 November 2021|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> and she developed a wider role in production duties.<ref name="Griffin"/><ref name="Space1999"/>

The couple worked together as a team, co-writing and co-creating the first episode of a series then sharing the work according to their strengths. Gerry tended to specialise in special effects and hardware, and Sylvia in character, voices, costume, dialogue and plotlines.<ref name="Olah">{{cite news |last=Olah |first=Nathalie |date=2 November 2013 |title=Being Lady Penelope: Thunderbirds co-creator Sylvia Anderson looks back on her extraordinary life |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/being-lady-penelope-thunderbirds-co-creator-sylvia-anderson-looks-back-her-extraordinary-life-8914024.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/being-lady-penelope-thunderbirds-co-creator-sylvia-anderson-looks-back-her-extraordinary-life-8914024.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fanderson.org.uk/prodguides/prodind.html |title=The Gerry Anderson Production Index |website=www.fanderson.org.uk |access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="Farquhar"/>

In this way, Anderson contributed plot development and voice work for a series of half-hour shows including ''[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]]'', ''[[Stingray (1964 TV series)|Stingray]]'' and ''[[Fireball XL5]]''.<ref name="Olah"/> The ''Supercar'' end titles credit her (as Sylvia Thamm) as the dialogue director, a task which she would also handle in other projects.  However, she felt the half-hour format was insufficient to fully develop characters and stories, and she persuaded the team's TV producer [[Lew Grade, Baron Grade|Lew Grade]] to extend their shows to a full hour.<ref name="Olah"/>

In the early 1960s, the Andersons co-created the series ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'', and Sylvia created the characters. She was aware that Grade intended to sell the show to American TV networks and wanted to make the show appealing to American audiences, hence she introduced the "British aristocrat" character of Lady Penelope, and Parker her "Cockney chauffeur".<ref name="Hayward"/>

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, an aristocratic fashionista who was an undercover agent, was to become one of her most popular characters; Anderson both created the character and provided her voice.<ref name="BBC News"/><ref name="Olah"/> AP&nbsp;Films puppet designer Mary Turner used Anderson as the template for the creation of the Lady Penelope puppets, a decision of which Anderson was not immediately aware. Interviewed by the&nbsp;''Daily Mirror'' in 1968, Turner commented: "we wanted a glamorous blonde and [Anderson] was the obvious choice."<ref name="M'Lady">{{cite book |title=Yes, M'Lady |last=Anderson |first=Sylvia |publisher=Smith Gryphon |year=1991 |isbn=978-1-856850-11-7 |location=London}}</ref>{{rp|44}} In 1966 and 1968, Anderson produced two feature-length films based on the ''Thunderbirds'' story, ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go]]'' and ''[[Thunderbird 6]]''.<ref name="Hayward"/>

She was co-creator with Gerry Anderson for the series ''[[UFO (British TV series)|UFO]]'' (1969–1970) on which she co-produced, was responsible for fashions on the show and did the majority of the casting.

The Andersons' creative partnership ended when their marriage broke down during the production of the [[List of Space: 1999 episodes#Year One (1975–1976)|first series]] of ''[[Space: 1999]]'' in 1975.<ref name="Space1999"/> Gerry announced his intention to separate on the evening of the [[wrap party]],<ref name="M'Lady"/><ref name="GAbio-171">{{cite book |last1=Archer |first1=Simon |author-link1=Simon Archer (author) |last2=Nicholls |first2=Stan |author-link2=Stan Nicholls |title=Gerry Anderson: the Authorised Biography |year=1996 |publisher=[[Legend Books]] |page=171 |isbn=0-09-978141-7}}</ref> following which Sylvia ceased her involvement with the company, which by this time had twice been renamed and was now called Group Three.

===Talent scout and writing===
In 1983 she published a novel titled ''Love and Hisses''<ref name="Space1999"/> and in 1994 she reprised her voice role as Lady Penelope for an episode of ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]''. She worked as a London-based talent scout for [[HBO]] for 30&nbsp;years.<ref name="Griffin"/><ref name="Space1999"/>

Her autobiography, ''Yes M'Lady'', was first published in 1991;<ref name="M'Lady"/> in 2007, it was re-published as ''My FAB Years''<ref>{{cite book |last=Anderson |first=Sylvia |title=My FAB Years |year=2007 |publisher=[[Hermes Press]] |isbn=978-1-932563-91-7}}</ref> with new material to bring it up to date with the latest developments in her life, such as her role as a production consultant for the [[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|2004 live-action film adaptation]] of ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]''.

Of the film, Anderson commented, "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. If we had made it ourselves (and we have had over 30&nbsp;years to do it!) we could not have improved on this new version. It is a great tribute to the original creative team who inspired the movie all those years ago. It was a personal thrill for me to see my characters come to life on the big screen."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/html/movie.html|title=''Thunderbirds'': The Movie |publisher=SylviaAnderson.org.uk |access-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722183855/http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/html/movie.html |archive-date=22 July 2011 }}</ref> ''My FAB Years'' was re-released as a spoken CD, narrated by Anderson, in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/html/my_fab_years_audiobook.html |title=''My FAB Years'' – the Audiobook |publisher=SylviaAnderson.org.uk |access-date=24 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722184024/http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/html/my_fab_years_audiobook.html |archive-date=22 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/My-FAB-Years/dp/B00355ARE6 |title=''My FAB Years'' |website=Amazon |edition=abridged |series=Audible Audio |access-date=24 February 2011}}</ref>

===Late career and charity work===
In 2013, Anderson worked with her daughter Dee, a [[jazz]] singer, on a concept for a new TV series named ''The Last Station''.<ref name="Griffin"/>

In 2015, Anderson briefly returned to the ''Thunderbirds'' universe, when she guest-starred in an episode of the reboot TV series, ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)|Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', as Great Aunt Sylvia, a relative of Lady Penelope.

Anderson was also known for her charity work, particularly in support of [[Breast Cancer Care]]<ref name="BBC News"/> and [[Barnardo's]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://glotime.tv/sylvia-anderson-leads-safety-campaign-families-jackloc |title=Sylvia Anderson Leads Safety Campaign |website=GloTIME|access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502094339/http://glotime.tv/sylvia-anderson-leads-safety-campaign-families-jackloc/ |archive-date=2 May 2016 }}</ref>

===Recognition===
In 1966, ''Thunderbirds'' received the [[Royal Television Society]] Silver Medal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9767345/Gerry-Anderson-creator-of-Thunderbirds-Fireball-XL5-and-Captain-Scarlet.html |title=Gerry Anderson, creator of Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5 and Captain Scarlet |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=27 December 2012 |access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref>

In 2015, Anderson travelled to Italy to receive a [[Pulcinella Award]] in recognition of her career in television production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studiohari.com/news/the-owl-co-awarded-at-venice?lang=fr |title="La Chouette & cie" récompensée à Venise |series=News |website= Studio Hari, www.studiohari.com |date=24 June 2015 |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/sylvia-anderson-presented-with-the-special-pulcinella-award/ |title=Sylvia Anderson presented with the Special Pulcinella Award |website=Sylvia Anderson |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318145432/http://www.sylviaanderson.org.uk/sylvia-anderson-presented-with-the-special-pulcinella-award/ |archive-date=18 March 2016 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1946, Anderson married Jack Brooks, with whom she had a daughter, Dee. The marriage ended in divorce and in 1952 she married George Thamm, this marriage also ending in divorce. Her third marriage, in 1960, was to Gerry Anderson, with whom she had a son, Dr. Gerry Anderson Jr. (1967–2023), before divorcing Anderson in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=1266 Nick |date=27 April 2023 |title=RIP Dr Gerry Anderson (1967–2023) |url=https://fanderson.org.uk/news/rip-dr-gerry-anderson-1967-2023/ |access-date=14 May 2023 |website=Fanderson |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Hayward"/>

Anderson died from an [[intracerebral haemorrhage]] at [[Wexham Park Hospital]] in [[Slough]] on 15 March 2016, aged 88.<ref name="Hayward"/><ref>{{cite ODNB|title = Anderson [née Thomas; other married names Brooks, Thamm, Sylvia Beatrice (1927–2016)|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/105844|last = Chapman|first = James|date = 2022}}</ref>

==Television==

===AP Films===
{{Div col|colwidth=35em}}
* ''[[The Adventures of Twizzle]]'' (1957–59) – production assistant{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
* ''[[Torchy the Battery Boy]]'' ([[Torchy the Battery Boy#First Series|first series]]) (1960) – production assistant{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
* ''[[Four Feather Falls]]'' (1960) – production assistant
* ''[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]]'' (1961–62) – dialogue director, voice artist
* ''[[Fireball XL5]]'' (1962–63) – voice artist
* ''[[Stingray (1964 TV series)|Stingray]]'' (1964–65) – production assistant, voice artist
* ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' (1965–66) – character development, voice artist
{{Div col end}}

===Century 21===
{{Div col|colwidth=35em}}
* ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]'' (1967–68) – character development, voice artist
* ''[[Joe 90]]'' (1968–69) – character development, voice artist
* ''[[The Secret Service]]'' (1969) – character development, voice artist
* ''[[UFO (British TV series)|UFO]]'' (1970–71) – costume designer
{{Div col end}}

===Group Three===
{{Div col|colwidth=35em}}
* ''[[The Protectors]]'' (1972–74) – writer
* ''[[Space: 1999]]'' (1975–77) – producer ("[[List of Space: 1999 episodes#Year One (1975–1976)|Year One]]")
{{Div col end}}

===ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures===
* ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)|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
* ''[[Journey to the Far Side of the Sun|Doppelgänger]]'' (1969) a.k.a. ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' (US title) – co-writer, co-producer
* ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]'' (2004) – production consultant

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0027487}}

{{Gerry Anderson}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Sylvia}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century English novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century English women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century English women writers]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Actresses from London]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:Gerry Anderson]]
[[Category:Audiobook narrators]]
[[Category:British media executives]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:English autobiographers]]
[[Category:English company founders]]
[[Category:English costume designers]]
[[Category:English expatriate actresses in the United States]]
[[Category:English female screenwriters]]
[[Category:English talent agents]]
[[Category:English television writers]]
[[Category:English voice actresses]]
[[Category:English voice directors]]
[[Category:English women autobiographers]]
[[Category:English women non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:English women novelists]]
[[Category:English women television producers]]
[[Category:English women television writers]]
[[Category:Film producers from London]]
[[Category:HBO people]]
[[Category:Novelists from London]]
[[Category:People from Bray, Berkshire]]
[[Category:People from Camberwell]]
[[Category:Television producers from London]]
[[Category:Television show creators]]
[[Category:Writers from the London Borough of Southwark]]