The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide by Chris Bentley

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The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide by Chris Bentley
pub: Reynolds and Hearn Ltd. 287 page softcover. Price: Ł15.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-903111-41-2

check out website: www.rhbooks.com and www.fanderson.org.uk

Having read and even reviewed some of Chris Bentley’s other Anderson series books for this column, this particular book had to have some interest, simply because some of the series, like ‘Supercar’, ‘Twizzle’, ‘Torchy’, ‘The Protectors’ and thankfully, probably not ‘Terrahawks’, are hardly ever going to get episode guide books all to themselves. In other words, if you want info on these series, you’ll need this book.

The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide by Chris Bentley As author Bentley also appears to favour being told about any mistakes so they can be corrected in other guides, I can add my own twopennyworth.

Forgetting to give ‘Phones’ from ‘Stingray’ his first name of ‘Lee’. Forgetting to indicate under the ‘Space: 1999’ entry that actor Stuart Damon had also appeared in ‘UFO’ episode ‘Mindbender’.

If you’re going to point out these things in a book then expect the reviewer to start checking for accuracy. Still, it’s only a few minor glitches but nothing that significant under you know these series back to front and occasionally side-ways.

The depth of detail is either going to bore the pants off of you or you’re going to use it to bore other people at parties. It’s a shame that to complement the notes given for continuity order that a secondary chronological episode list wasn’t given as well.

The layout is otherwise very well set out with actor/character listings next to each episode. I didn’t think it altogether necessary to list the regular cast each time and perhaps a few more lines could have been used to complete the episode synopsis ... after all that is what an episode guide is suppose to be about, not leaving you to remember what happened when you last saw any of the series.

There’s also two photo sections that are not your typical selection and also includes some rare beside the scenes material.

Although this book is not overtly critical of the work, it is possible to draw some conclusions. Some of Gerry Anderson’s later attempts to revise the ‘Thunderbirds’ rescue scenario in different formats also indictes their failure to succeed as well.

Perhaps being tied up with this as well as continually utilising secret organisations rather than trying something new has contributed to why so much of the latter part of Anderson’s career hasn’t had as much sparkle as the earlier productions and relied far too much on pun names as points of interest.

Any misgivings aside, if you’re an Anderson series buff, then you’ll probably already have a copy of this book if you live in the UK. If you live elsewhere in the world, then now’s the time to get your copy.

GF Willmetts

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