The Secret Service was a unique blend of live action and Supermarionation originally shown on three ITV regions in 1969 - ATV, Granada & Southern. Unfortunately only 13 episodes were ever made - it was cancelled by Lew Grade. The reason given was Americans wouldn't be able to understand the strange gobbledegook language spoken by Father Unwin - which missed the point entirely!
Set in present day (1969) Britain and working for B.I.S.H.O.P (British Intelligence Service Headquarters Operation Priest) Father Stanley Unwin and his gardener Matthew Harding led a double life. In reality they were both secret agents and they made quite a team. Using a unique device called the The Minimizer Father Unwin could reduce Matthew down to one-third normal size and he would then be transported around in a special case.
Father Unwin drove around in a yellow vintage 1917 Model T Ford named Gabriel with Matthew in tow. With his reduced stature Matthew could enter aeroplanes, tanks and cars without being seen.
Main Characters
- Father Stanley Unwin - Stanley Unwin
- Matthew Harding - Gary Files
- Mrs. Appleby - Sylvia Anderson
- The Bishop - Jeremy Wilkin
- Agent Blake - Keith Alexander
- Agent Saunders -
Episodes
(Production Order)
(Broadcast Order)
Cast and Crew
Credited
Produced by
David Lane
Format by
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Directed by
Alan Perry
Characters Created by
Sylvia Anderson
Music Composed and Directed by
Barry Gray
Vocal Title Music by
The Mike Sammes Singers
Teleplay by
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Production Supervisor
Des Saunders
Supervising Visual Effects
Derek Meddings
Lighting Cameraman
Paddy Seale
Script Editor
Tony Barwick
Supervising Editor
Alan Killick
Art Director
Keith Wilson
Production Manager
Frank Hollands
Puppet Co-Ordinator
Mary Turner
Puppet Operators
Wanda Webb
Rowena White
Charmaine Wood
Wardrobe
Iris Richens
Sculptors
Tim Cooksey
Plugg Shutt
Film Editor
Alan Killick
Camera Operator
Ian Vinson
Assistant Director
Geoff Pittman
Dialogue Synchronisation
John Drake
Senior Visual Effects Director
Jimmy Elliott
Visual Effects Designer
Mike Trim
Models
Peter Aston
Property Master
Peter Holmes
Visual Effects Unit
Director
Bill Camp
Lighting Cameraman
Les Paul
Camera Operator
Nick Procopides
Location Unit
Director
Ken Turner
Lighting Cameraman
Ted Wooldridge
Camera Operator
Noel Rowlands
Manager
Gren Nott
Supervising Sound Editor
Peter Pennell
Sound Editor
Tony Roper
Music Editor
George Randall
Sound Re-Recording
Anvil Films Limited
Character Voices
Keith Alexander
Sylvia Anderson
Gary Files
David Healy
Stanley Unwin
Jeremy Wilkin
Executive Producer
Reg Hill
Trivia
- The Secret Service was the final Gerry Anderson series to use the Supermarionation brand, although he did try unsuccessfully to revive the genre in the pilot The Investigator.
References
- Main article: References or Tributes
| Supermarionation: | |
|---|---|
| About Supermarionation: | What is it? | Who makes it? | The marionettes | the legacy |
| The Series: | Four Feather Falls |Supercar | Fireball XL5 | Stingray | Thunderbirds | Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons | Joe 90 | The Secret Service |
| The Films: | Thunderbirds Are Go | Thunderbird 6 |
| Other Uses: | Calling Elvis | The Investigator |
| Imitators and tributes: | Paul starr | Team America World Police | Interster | X-Bomber (Star Fleet) | Superthunderstingcar | Thunderbirds F.A.B. | Misc. Parodies and references |