2003 has been a great year for Gerry Anderson fans. It hasn’t been too bad a year for me either. Several of his shows have just recently reached audiences in the form of DVD sets. I was familiar with Gerry Anderson’s name because I watched his three of his most famous shows when I was young. His live action series, “Space: 1999” and “U.F.O.” were favorites of mine, as well the “Thunderbirds.” This last one wasn’t exactly live action, however. Anderson had helped to design a new form of puppetry called ‘supermarionation.’ This allowed the creators a greater ability to lip-sync voices and to give the puppets a more ‘realistic’ look with the use of finer wiring systems. Anderson’s work was also recognizable by the really cool miniature sets, gadgets and vehicles. While I was very familiar with “Thunderbirds”, I had no idea that Anderson had created several other shows both before and after this one. This year alone, I’ve had the opportunity to check out a few of these, including “Supercar” and “Joe 90”, and expect over the coming year to see a few more.

While we’re still in 2003, A&E is releasing yet another Anderson series called “The Secret Service.”

Created in 1968, “The Secret Service” was to be Anderson’s final ‘supermarionation’ series and one of his personal favorites. The main character of the series is Father Unwin who, on the surface appears to be an ordinary priest. What sets him apart is an unusual gadget in his possession called the Minimizer. The Minimizer can shrink people down to a very small size. Upon its discovery by the government, Unwin is recruited to aid in secret missions. He is assigned a partner, Matthew Harding, and together they face danger head-on.

Father Unwin was voiced by Stanley Unwin, and while his name might be unknown to most of you, fans of British comedy will undoubtedly instantly recognize it. His vocal performance of Father Unwin is quite charming and is a large part of what makes this short-lived series a worthwhile watch. I’ve really enjoyed watching all of these ‘supermarionation’ series, in part for their entertainment value, but also for the opportunity to see how Anderson’s work evolved and improved with each one.

“The Secret Service” was unusual in the fact that it blended full-size live-action in with the miniature sets and puppets. Occasionally you would see live actors from a distance, and then it would cut to close-ups of the puppets. And in the opening credits, you always got a look at the real Stanley Unwin.

A&E’s DVD set for “The Secret Service” includes all 13 episodes that were created on 2 discs. There aren’t many extras, but they were able to secure a commentary by the show’s producer, David Lane. Since the shows are kind of short, the commentary is as good as it can be in under 30 minutes. If you choose to listen to it, there is a clever audio introduction by voice actor Gary Files. He introduces the commentary as his character, Matthew Harding, and is quite lively with his, secret confessions.

I would still say that of all the Gerry Anderson ‘supermarionation’ creations, “Thunderbirds” is my favorite, which is why I gotta get ahold of that DVD set and am looking forward to the upcoming motion picture live action version. But after watching the DVD set of “The Secret Service”, I’d rank this one a close comes second.

Episodes:
A Case for the Bishop
A Question of Miracles
To Catch a Spy
The Feathered Spies
Last Train to Bufflers Halt
Hole in One
Recall to Service
Errand of Mercy
The Deadly Whisper
The Cure
School for Spies
May-Day, May Day!
More Haste, Less Speed

Extras: Commentary with Producer David Lane on the Pilot Episode “A Case for the Bishop”, Secret Confessions with Special Agent Matthew Harding, Gerry Anderson Biography
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: A&E
Release Date: 12/30/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give The Secret Service a B