Sylvia Anderson, the co-creator of Thunderbirds who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in the hit TV show, has died aged 88.
The producer and writer devised the Supermarionation puppet series, one of Britain's most fondly-remembered children's TV shows, with husband Gerry Anderson in the 1960s.
Her character in the science-fiction series - an aristocrat who moonlighted as an agent for the secret organisation International Rescue - became known as much for her pink suit as her pink Rolls Royce, chauffeured by Parker the butler.
Mrs Anderson - whose husband Gerry died in 2012 aged 83 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease - passed away at her home in Bray, Berkshire, following a short illness.
Confirming her death on Wednesday morning, her daughter Dee Anderson said: "Sylvia was a mother and a legend - her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged.
"She was a force in every way, and will be sadly missed."
Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies at 88
Co-creator of puppet series with husband Gerry Anderson dies following short illness, as daughter praises her 'unchallenged creativity and tenacity'
Sylvia Anderson pictured with a model of Lady Penelope in 1966 Photo: PA
By Danny Boyle
16 Mar 2016
The Telegraph
Sylvia Anderson, the co-creator of Thunderbirds who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in the hit TV show, has died aged 88.
The producer and writer devised the Supermarionation puppet series, one of Britain's most fondly-remembered children's TV shows, with husband Gerry Anderson in the 1960s.
Her character in the science-fiction series - an aristocrat who moonlighted as an agent for the secret organisation International Rescue - became known as much for her pink suit as her pink Rolls Royce, chauffeured by Parker the butler.
Mrs Anderson - whose husband Gerry died in 2012 aged 83 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease - passed away at her home in Bray, Berkshire, following a short illness.
Confirming her death on Wednesday morning, her daughter Dee Anderson said: "Sylvia was a mother and a legend - her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged.
"She was a force in every way, and will be sadly missed."
Sylvia Anderson, the voice of Lady Penelope
As well as voicing Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds from its debut in 1965 until 1968, Sylvia also worked on Joe 90, Captain Scarlet and Stingray.
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@ThunderbirdsHQ
We're very sad to hear that Sylvia Anderson, co-creator of Thunderbirds has passed away.
9:41 AM - 16 Mar 2016
95 Retweets 53 likes
Born in south London to a boxing champion and a dressmaker, she went on to have a career in television spanning five decades.
She recently worked as head of programming for HBO in the UK and had been writing a show with her daughter entitled The Last Station.
Mrs Anderson's daughter said she "would always find time to take care of people who were suffering or in need of support".
The pair had planned a charity ball for Breast Cancer Care, which will now go ahead in May in her memory.
Mrs Anderson is survived by her daughter, who is a singer-songwriter, son Gerry Anderson Junior, an anaesthetist, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Sylvia and Gerry Anderson with Troy Tempest from Stingray, 1966 Photo: Rex Features. No use without permission.
Gerry Anderson, the husband of Sylvia Anderson, who died in 2012
Gerry Anderson besides Lady Penelope's pink Rolls-Royce
Speaking last September, Mrs Anderson said she had had "fun" playing a great aunt to her original character, voiced by Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, in ITV reboot Thunderbirds Are Go.
She had a "creativity and genuine love for her characters" that touched fans around the world, her daughter said.
13 May 1966: Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia are pictured at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London, with The Television Society Silver medal awarded to Thunderbirds
Behind the camera, Mrs Anderson took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design.
When asked if she saw herself as a pioneer for women in television during the 1960s, Mrs Anderson was modest.
"I never waved the flag or anything about being a woman, but I was a woman with a group of men," she said.
"Now and again I would get a director and I would go on set, one in particular, no names of course, and he was very, very huffy because I was a woman giving him notes on what he had shot the previous day, and I tried to do it very carefully."
Thunderbirds Are Go, a CGI remake of Thunderbirds, was released last year and shown on CITV, with a second series to air in late 2016
Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies at 88 - Telegraph
The producer and writer devised the Supermarionation puppet series, one of Britain's most fondly-remembered children's TV shows, with husband Gerry Anderson in the 1960s.
Her character in the science-fiction series - an aristocrat who moonlighted as an agent for the secret organisation International Rescue - became known as much for her pink suit as her pink Rolls Royce, chauffeured by Parker the butler.
Mrs Anderson - whose husband Gerry died in 2012 aged 83 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease - passed away at her home in Bray, Berkshire, following a short illness.
Confirming her death on Wednesday morning, her daughter Dee Anderson said: "Sylvia was a mother and a legend - her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged.
"She was a force in every way, and will be sadly missed."
Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies at 88
Co-creator of puppet series with husband Gerry Anderson dies following short illness, as daughter praises her 'unchallenged creativity and tenacity'
Sylvia Anderson pictured with a model of Lady Penelope in 1966 Photo: PA
By Danny Boyle
16 Mar 2016
The Telegraph
Sylvia Anderson, the co-creator of Thunderbirds who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in the hit TV show, has died aged 88.
The producer and writer devised the Supermarionation puppet series, one of Britain's most fondly-remembered children's TV shows, with husband Gerry Anderson in the 1960s.
Her character in the science-fiction series - an aristocrat who moonlighted as an agent for the secret organisation International Rescue - became known as much for her pink suit as her pink Rolls Royce, chauffeured by Parker the butler.
Mrs Anderson - whose husband Gerry died in 2012 aged 83 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease - passed away at her home in Bray, Berkshire, following a short illness.
Confirming her death on Wednesday morning, her daughter Dee Anderson said: "Sylvia was a mother and a legend - her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged.
"She was a force in every way, and will be sadly missed."
Sylvia Anderson, the voice of Lady Penelope
As well as voicing Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds from its debut in 1965 until 1968, Sylvia also worked on Joe 90, Captain Scarlet and Stingray.
@ThunderbirdsHQ
We're very sad to hear that Sylvia Anderson, co-creator of Thunderbirds has passed away.
9:41 AM - 16 Mar 2016
95 Retweets 53 likes
Born in south London to a boxing champion and a dressmaker, she went on to have a career in television spanning five decades.
She recently worked as head of programming for HBO in the UK and had been writing a show with her daughter entitled The Last Station.
Mrs Anderson's daughter said she "would always find time to take care of people who were suffering or in need of support".
The pair had planned a charity ball for Breast Cancer Care, which will now go ahead in May in her memory.
Mrs Anderson is survived by her daughter, who is a singer-songwriter, son Gerry Anderson Junior, an anaesthetist, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Sylvia and Gerry Anderson with Troy Tempest from Stingray, 1966 Photo: Rex Features. No use without permission.
Gerry Anderson, the husband of Sylvia Anderson, who died in 2012
Gerry Anderson besides Lady Penelope's pink Rolls-Royce
Speaking last September, Mrs Anderson said she had had "fun" playing a great aunt to her original character, voiced by Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, in ITV reboot Thunderbirds Are Go.
She had a "creativity and genuine love for her characters" that touched fans around the world, her daughter said.
13 May 1966: Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia are pictured at the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London, with The Television Society Silver medal awarded to Thunderbirds
Behind the camera, Mrs Anderson took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design.
When asked if she saw herself as a pioneer for women in television during the 1960s, Mrs Anderson was modest.
"I never waved the flag or anything about being a woman, but I was a woman with a group of men," she said.
"Now and again I would get a director and I would go on set, one in particular, no names of course, and he was very, very huffy because I was a woman giving him notes on what he had shot the previous day, and I tried to do it very carefully."
Thunderbirds Are Go, a CGI remake of Thunderbirds, was released last year and shown on CITV, with a second series to air in late 2016
Sylvia Anderson, voice of Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope, dies at 88 - Telegraph
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