Home, m'lady?

[Guy Profumo]

Home, Parker.

Sylvia Anderson

RIP

[Sean of the Shed]

Home, m'lady?

To be honest I really couldn't stand those fucking puppets, but I suppose that was the technology of it's day.
My nephew loves the new animated version, but I reckon that looks even more repulsive than the puppets.

[Sits]

Home, m'lady?

We grew up with it and loved it; I had the hat and sash. Must admit Lady P always annoyed me a bit. Unfortunately the female characters in the Supermarionation series were generally fairly token, apart from Marina who did some stuff.

By Space: 1999 Gerry had improved things a bit on that front.

I digress. RIP Sylvia.

[Jah Womble]

Home, m'lady?

Sits wrote: We grew up with it and loved it; I had the hat and sash. Must admit Lady P always annoyed me a bit. Unfortunately the female characters in the Supermarionation series were generally fairly token, apart from Marina who did some stuff.

When Captain Scarlet was repeated on Night Network during the eighties, my cousin used to become hilariously enraged when the slinky background sax music was played to accompany any glimpse of the Angels: "It's a f***ing puppet!", etc.

RIP, Sylvia.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Home, m'lady?

Sits wrote: By Space: 1999 Gerry had improved things a bit on that front.

Well, not sure about that. Seeing as the big idea for season two was "let's have a foxy alien chick."

[Mumpo]

Home, m'lady?

I suppose it was an infinitesimal step up from series one's 'drippy bird that dotes incessantly over Commander Koenig'.

Anyway both series featured Miki Berenyi's mum, so it wasn't all bad.

[Sits]

Home, m'lady?

Well, literally, if a fox was what she chose. Personally I couldn't get past the knobbly eyebrows.

[Mumpo]

Home, m'lady?

Oh, and here's a nice bit of Space 1999 triv: according to this Complete Conceptual History of the Millennium Falcon, the original design of Han Solo's ship was junked at a very late stage when George Lucas noticed it closely resembled the Eagle craft from Space 1999. There's even a hint that the name 'Millennium' Falcon was chosen to put it one year ahead of Gerry Anderson's show.

The discarded Falcon design was adapted slightly and became the Alliance blockade runner seen at the start of Star Wars.

[MsD]

Home, m'lady?

She was often seen as hubby's little helper, so it's good to see her getting some due credit today, at least.

[treibeis]

Home, m'lady?

Jah Womble wrote: my cousin used to become hilariously enraged when the slinky background sax music was played to accompany any glimpse of the Angels: "It's a f***ing puppet!", etc.

Yes, but loads of people fancied Zsa Zsa the cat in Hector's House, didn't they? And Betty Boop (although she wasn't a puppet)? Didn't they? Didn't they?

[Guy Profumo]

Home, m'lady?

Mumpo wrote: I suppose it was an infinitesimal step up from series one's 'drippy bird that dotes incessantly over Commander Koenig'.

Anyway both series featured Miki Berenyi's mum, so it wasn't all bad.

Be fair.

They were married and it's always good to see the spark retained after the seven-year itch.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Home, m'lady?

treibeis wrote:

Yes, but loads of people fancied Zsa Zsa the cat in Hector's House, didn't they? And Betty Boop (although she wasn't a puppet)? Didn't they? Didn't they?

I quite fancy Ariel the Little Mermaid. Which is wrong on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin.

[Guy Profumo]

Home, m'lady?

No votes for Betty Rubble?

[MsD]

Home, m'lady?

I fancied Troy Tempest, but my first true love was Baloo the Bear.

My mum said my second boyfriend looked like a Thunderbird puppet, and she wasn't far wrong.

[Mumpo]

Home, m'lady?

The BBC have gone with "Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope actress dies" for their short headline rather than "Thunderbirds' co-creator", despite the latter denoting a far more significant contribution.

And "Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies" for the page headline.

[Guy Profumo]

Home, m'lady?

Mumpo wrote: The BBC have gone with "Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope actress dies" for their short headline rather than "Thunderbirds' co-creator", despite the latter being a far more significant contribution.

And "Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies" for the page headline.

Not on Radio 2 this morning.

Was "also provided the voice (and was the model for) Lady Penelope"

[MsD]

Home, m'lady?

My bro-in-law had his first model-making job with the Andersons, and liked them a lot. Unfortunately he's not one for the anecdotes so I can tell you no more than that. I might push him a bit more next time I see him.

[Jah Womble]

Home, m'lady?

Oh, I'd accept childhood crushes - if 'crushes' they be - on certain puppet/cartoon characters, but my cousin's point was probably that adding 'sexy sax' to the background was targeting a disturbingly-older audience.

At least, I think that's what he was driving at.

[treibeis]

Home, m'lady?

Jah Womble wrote: Oh, I'd accept childhood crushes - if 'crushes' they be - on certain puppet/cartoon characters, but my cousin's point was probably that adding 'sexy sax' to the background was targeting a disturbingly-older audience.

He was undoubtedly right. It couldn't have been more "sexy" than some of the stuff in the Betty Boop cartoons, though (which must have been shown before whatever watersheds existed back then, as I was about four at the time).

You'd have old men's trouser buttons popping off and their walking sticks rising to an angle of 45 degrees and things like that.

Zsa Zsa the cat, though, was just a common-or-garden "boyhood crush on an animal". As was my over-fondness for Octavia, the ostrich in Pipkins, even though I'd have been getting on a bit (i.e. at primary school) by then.

On a distantly related note, my big sister once kicked the shit out of me in front of all my mates because I told them that she fancied Humpty in Play School.

[Gangster Octopus]

Home, m'lady?

Hector's House was by far the worst pre-news children's show. I really, really fucking hated it.

[Jah Womble]

Home, m'lady?

Gangster Octopus wrote:

Hector's House was by far the worst pre-news children's show. I really, really fucking hated it.

I remember simply finding it very strange. (As I did Crystal Tipps & Alistair.)

treibeis wrote:

Oh, I'd accept childhood crushes - if 'crushes' they be - on certain puppet/cartoon characters, but my cousin's point was probably that adding 'sexy sax' to the background was targeting a disturbingly-older audience.

He was undoubtedly right. It couldn't have been more "sexy" than some of the stuff in the Betty Boop cartoons, though (which must have been shown before whatever watersheds existed back then, as I was about four at the time).

You'd have old men's trouser buttons popping off and their walking sticks rising to an angle of 45 degrees and things like that.

Zsa Zsa the cat, though, was just a common-or-garden "boyhood crush on an animal". As was my over-fondness for Octavia, the ostrich in Pipkins, even though I'd have been getting on a bit (i.e. at primary school) by then.

On a distantly related note, my big sister once kicked the shit out of me in front of all my mates because I told them that she fancied Humpty in Play School.

I'm not one to condone violence, but I can't say that I'm surprised. There's something very disquieting indeed about fancying non-human characters, at any age.

Viz Betty Boop - I'm sure those were originally made for a more mature (in age, if nowt else) audience. This wouldn't've bothered the ITV programmers who used to stick on Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home - ie, the 'daddy' of modern adult 'toons - at 4.15 in the afternoon.

[treibeis]

Home, m'lady?

Jah Womble wrote: I'm not one to condone violence, but I can't say that I'm surprised. There's something very disquieting indeed about fancying non-human characters, at any age.

Accusations of harbouring amorous feelings for cartoon puppets was the rock on which my childhood relationship with my sister was based.

The time she nearly hospitalised me after I'd claimed she'd been practising fellatio on her cuddly Orinoco was brought up at family gatherings well into the early 2000s. It even got a mention at my mother's funeral.

(After, not during, the service, I hasten to add, even though I'm sure the vicar had heard about it.)

And if you're going to lay into Alistair's mistress (I didn't fancy her; she wasn't an animal), then at least have the decency to get her name right: Crystal Tipps.

Edit: Hang on a minute. It was with one 'p' just a minute ago.

[Jah Womble]

Home, m'lady?

Way ahead of you, bro'...

[Jah Womble]

Home, m'lady?

...but where do I 'lay into' either Crystal Tipps or Alistair?

(As for these accusations of practising the dark arts with Orinoco, well, he's never mentioned it to me.)

[treibeis]

Home, m'lady?

Jah Womble wrote: ...but where do I 'lay into' either Crystal Tipps or Alistair

You called them 'strange'. That's a verbal kicking if ever I've read one.

One of their successors, 'Ludwig' - now, that was strange.