Century 21 Productions

Century 21 Productions was a British film and television production company of the 1960s and 1970s, best known for the hit TV series Thunderbirds.

Related Topics:
Film - Television - Thunderbirds

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The company was originally founded in 1957 as AP Films, a partnership between four independent British film-makers, Gerry Anderson, Arthur Provis, John Read and Reg Hill. Provis later left the company and was replaced by Anderson's wife Sylvia. As AP Films, the company produced a string of successful British children's TV series including Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray.

Related Topics:
AP Films - Gerry Anderson - Arthur Provis - John Read - Reg Hill - Supercar - Fireball XL5 - Stingray

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APF was purchased in 1962 by Lew Grade, the owner of ATV, and in 1964 the company name was changed to Century 21 Productions. Under this banner it produced the children's Supermarionation series Thunderbirds (1964-66), Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons (1967) and Joe 90 (1968), as well as two Thunderbirds feature films, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1967).

Related Topics:
Lew Grade - ATV - Supermarionation - Thunderbirds - Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons - Joe 90 - Thunderbirds Are Go - Thunderbird 6

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Its first live action feature was the science fiction thriller Doppelgänger (1970), which was nominated for an Academy Award for special effects. This was followed by its first live action TV series, UFO (1970), which proved to be its last production.

Related Topics:
Doppelgänger - Academy Award - Special effects - UFO

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Although other companies made children's TV series using puppets or marionettes, the APF / Century 21 Supermarionation productions were by far the most successful and best-known programs of their kind They are notable for their imaginative plots, futuristic settings, high production values and their impressive miniature special effects.

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Aside from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson -- who became world-famous -- other important collaborators in the company's productions were cinematographer and Director of Photography John Read and producer Reg Hill, whose many important contributions to the company's productions are often overlooked. Prominent production team members included puppet master Christine Glanville, special effects director Derek Meddings and his 2nd Unit director Brian Johnson and composer-arranger Barry Gray, who composed and produced the themes and incidental music for all Anderson's productions up to and including the first series of ' in 1975.

Related Topics:
John Read - Reg Hill - Christine Glanville - Derek Meddings - Brian Johnson - Barry Gray

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The company also assembled a regular team of voice actors who worked on many series, including Shane Rimmer, Ray Barrett.

Related Topics:
Shane Rimmer - Ray Barrett

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