title: Playhouse Disney

text: One of the Playhouse Disney block's most popular series was "Bear in the Big Blue House", an educational puppetry series from Jim Henson Television that debuted on October 20, 1997, focusing on the adventures of Bear (performed by Noel MacNeal); the series was named by "TV Guide" as one of the "top 10 new shows for kids" that year. For the first three years of its run, the Playhouse Disney block originally aired each weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and weekends from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Following each program, which usually ran 23 minutes (most of which, with the exception of films, aired without promotional interruption), the remainder of the time period was filled by either short segments and music videos (the latter of which were originally aired under the banner "Feet Beat") or an episode of an acquired short series.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: On April 16, 2001, Playhouse Disney introduced a new on-air graphics package produced by motion graphics company Beehive; actress Allyce Beasley began serving as the U.S. block's promo announcer at this time, a capacity she would hold until March 30, 2007. Radio Disney cross-promoted the block by rebranding its "Mickey and Minnie's Tune Time" block as "Playhouse Disney", and in 2002, the TV block's "Feet Beat" interstitials were renamed "BB's Music Time" to promote the Radio Disney block. On June 25, 2001, Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group (now Disney-ABC Television Group) announced plans to launch Playhouse Disney Channel, a companion digital cable and satellite channel that would have served the same target audience as the Disney Channel block; plans for the network were later scrapped, although Disney-ABC International Television would launch dedicated Playhouse Disney channels and blocks in international markets (including Canada, Afro-Eurasia and Latin America) between 2002 and 2007. The Walt Disney Company acquired the broadcast rights to "The Wiggles" as part of their purchase of the Fox Family Channel in 2001; "The Wiggles" moved to Playhouse Disney in June 2002 and became one of the block's most watched shows during its run.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: Like Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney was a commercial-free service, but it did show short "promotional spots" (structured as short-form segments for Disney products targeted at the block's demographics) alongside – beginning in 2002 – underwriter sponsorships (with companies such as McDonald's) within breaks between programs (preschool-targeted programs that aired between 3:00 and 7:00 a.m. Central Time outside of the Playhouse Disney banner, included the promotional shorts for Disney entertainment products that were seen during Disney Channel's afternoon and nighttime schedule). On September 30, 2002, Playhouse Disney changed its logo to reflect Disney Channel's on-air rebranding. As part of the block's effort to phase out its older interstitial material, it introduced a mascot that month named Clay (voiced by Debi Derryberry), an anthropomorphic clay figure who often used the catchphrases "It's true!" and "Are you with me?".


title: Playhouse Disney

text: On March 31, 2007, Ooh and Aah, two puppet monkeys (who served as the main characters for one of the short series featured on the Playhouse Disney lineup, "Ooh, Aah & You") became the official hosts of the block, replacing Clay. Every summer since 2007, Playhouse Disney's end time was truncated to four hours on weekdays (from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). Episodes from Disney Channel's original series were aired during the late morning and early afternoon hours. However, the weekend schedule continued to air for seven hours. By this point, the Playhouse Disney block had expanded to air from 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays, and 4:00 to 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on weekends, each running a different schedule.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: On May 26, 2010, Disney-ABC Television Group announced the launch of Disney Junior, a relaunching of Playhouse Disney that would serve as the brand for the Disney Channel block and a new standalone digital cable and satellite channel in the United States, as well as the new brand for the existing Playhouse Disney-branded cable channels and program blocks outside the US. The Playhouse Disney block ended its 14-year run on February 13, 2011, with the last program to air being an episode of the short series "Handy Manny's School for Tools" at 1:55 p.m. Eastern Time.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: The Disney Junior block debuted on February 14, 2011, with the "Little Einsteins" episode “Fire Truck Rocket” as its first program. Several former Playhouse Disney series were carried over to the relaunched block including "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Special Agent Oso", "Imagination Movers", "Handy Manny", and "Little Einsteins". With the relaunch of the block, the block's mascots Ooh and Aah were retired and several of its older programs were entirely discontinued (however, "Ooh and Aah & You" was later briefly available on the Disney Junior website as a part of the Fan Favorites week of July 18, 2011 and was also later carried in reruns on the Disney Junior cable channel). Additionally, its episodes are available on Disney Junior's YouTube channel as of January 6, 2011.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: The 24-hour Disney Junior cable channel debuted on March 23, 2012, with the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" episode "Mickey's Big Surprise" as its first program, mainly featuring a mix of original series and programs held over from the Playhouse Disney library (which largely aired as part of the channel's overnight schedule until mid-2014 when overtime, more Playhouse Disney shows were taken off the air completely after premiering it's series finales and ceasing to air in reruns). Disney Junior took over the channel space held by the Disney-owned soap opera-focused channel Soapnet, largely due to that channel's existing subscriber reach (being carried in 75 million households with pay television). An automated Soapnet feed remained in operation for providers that did not yet reach agreements to carry the Disney Junior channel or providers that were required to continue carrying Soapnet in addition to Disney Junior until Soapnet fully ceased operations by going quietly dark on December 31, 2013, at 11:59 pm, following the last program to air being an episode of "General Hospital".


title: Playhouse Disney

text: On September 28, 1999, the Playhouse Disney brand was extended internationally with the launch of a self-branded block on Disney Channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. On September 29, 2000, Disney Television International expanded the block with the launch of a channel in the country alongside the launch of Toon Disney and Disney Channel +1 on the Sky Digital platform. On April 4, 2009, Egmont Group launched a companion "Playhouse Disney" magazine in the United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland that focused on the channel's four most popular shows: "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "My Friends Tigger & Pooh", "Handy Manny" and "Little Einsteins". Each issue included "to do" pages and suggested activities for parents and children based on an educational theme. The Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel UK & Republic of Ireland was eventually disposed of in July 2004 after reducing hours of programming. The Playhouse Disney channel available there, however, continued to air until it was replaced by Disney Junior on May 7, 2011.


title: Playhouse Disney

text: On November 30, 2007, Astral Media launched a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney Channel under a brand licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group; the channel operated as a multiplex channel of Family Channel, which had long maintained a programming distribution agreement with Disney Channel for the domestic rights to the U.S. channel's series until January 2016. A Canadian-French version of Playhouse Disney was launched on July 5, 2010, also by Astral Media. The English & Canadian-French channels were both replaced by Disney Junior on May 6, 2011.


title: Dumbbell

text: The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It can be used individually or in pairs, with one in each hand.


title: Dumbbell

text: The forerunner of the dumbbell, halteres, were used in ancient Greece as lifting weights and also as weights in the ancient Greek version of the long jump. A kind of dumbbell was also used in India for more than a millennium, shaped like a club – so it was named Indian club. The design of the "Nal", as the equipment was referred to, can be seen as a halfway point between a barbell and a dumbbell. It was generally used in pairs, in workouts by wrestlers, bodybuilders, sports players, and others wishing to increase strength and muscle size.


title: Dumbbell

text: The term "dumbbell" or "dumb bell" originated in late Stuart England. In 1711 the poet Joseph Addison mentioned exercising with a "dumb bell" in an essay published in "The Spectator".


title: Dumbbell

text: Although Addison elsewhere in the same publication describes having used equipment similar to the modern understanding of dumbbells, according to sport historian Jan Todd, the form of the first dumbbells remains unclear. The Oxford English Dictionary describes "apparatus similar to that used to ring a church bell, but without the bell, so noiseless or ‘dumb’", implying the action of pulling a bell rope to practice English bellringing.


title: Dumbbell

text: By the early 17th century, the familiar shape of the dumbbell, with two equal weights attached to a handle, had appeared. There are currently three main types of dumbbell:


title: Defense Distinguished Service Medal

text: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the national security or defense of the United States. The medal was created on July 9, 1970, by President Richard Nixon in . President Nixon awarded the first medal, on the day the Executive Order was signed, to General Earle Wheeler, who was retiring from the US Army after serving as Chief of Staff of the United States Army and then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.


title: Defense Distinguished Service Medal

text: It is equivalent to the United States Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal.


title: Defense Distinguished Service Medal

text: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is the United States Department of Defense's highest non-combat related military award and it is the highest joint service decoration. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is awarded only while assigned to a joint activity. Normally, such responsibilities deserving of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal are held by the most senior officers such as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chiefs and vice chiefs of the military services, and commanders and deputy commanders of the Combatant Commands, the Director of the Joint Staff, and others whose duties bring them frequently into direct contact with the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and other senior government officials. In addition, the medal may also be awarded to other service members whose direct and individual contributions to national security or national defense are recognized as being so exceptional in scope and value as to be equivalent to contributions normally associated with positions encompassing broader responsibilities.


title: Defense Distinguished Service Medal

text: This decoration takes precedence over the Distinguished Service Medals of the services and is not to be awarded to any individual for a period of service for which an Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal is awarded.


title: Defense Distinguished Service Medal

text: The medal is gold in color and on the obverse it features a medium blue enameled pentagon (point up). Superimposed on this is an American bald eagle with wings outspread facing left grasping three crossed arrows in its talons and on its breast is a shield of the United States. The pentagon and eagle are enclosed within a gold pieced circle consisting, in the upper half of 13 five-pointed stars and in the lower half, a wreath of laurel on the left and olive on the right. At the top is a suspender of five graduated gold rays. The reverse of the medal has the inscription ""For Distinguished Service"" at the top in raised letters, and within the pentagon the inscription "FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO", all in raised letters.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Another Cinderella Story is a 2008 American teen musical comedy film directed by Damon Santostefano and written by Erik Patterson and Jessica Scott. The film stars Selena Gomez, Drew Seeley and Jane Lynch. It is a sequel to "A Cinderella Story" (2004) and the second installment in the "A Cinderella Story" series. Like the first film, it is a retelling of the "Cinderella" fairy tale in a modern setting. The film was released on DVD on September 16, 2008 and premiered on ABC Family on January 18, 2009.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Mary Santiago, a high school senior aspiring to become a dancer, was adopted by washed-up pop star Dominique Blatt, because her deceased mother was one of Dominique's dancers. At home, Dominique and her snobby daughters Britt and Bree treat Mary as a slave. While in school, Mary and her best friend Tami are bullied by Britt, Bree, and Joey Parker's ex-girlfriend, Natalia Faroush. Joey Parker, a famous celebrity and pop star, has returned to school for his senior year and to remember why he started dancing, accompanied by his best friend, Dustin/The Funk. He is also hosting a dance contest where the winner will be his partner in his next music video. It is revealed that Natalia is determined to get back together with him.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Joey hosts a dance class that Natalia, Britt, and Bree attend. Mary sneaks behind the one-way mirror and is the only one able to match his moves, but her cell phone rings and she flees. Later, Dominique, hoping to revitalize her career, asks Joey to perform a duet with her while Britt and Bree hit on him, but he refuses and brings up a time Dominique insulted him on TRL.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: The school holds a masquerade ball on Valentine's Day, but Dominique plans to go partying and orders Mary to clean her room by midnight. Fortunately, Tami contacts her sister's boyfriend's family, who owns a cleaning service; and offers to help. Tami provides them with outfits for the ball. Joey and Mary stun everyone with their skills, but Britt and Bree spill a bowl of M&M's and Mary falls. Joey helps Mary up and takes his mask off, shocking her. Mary notices a clock and realizes she has fifteen minutes before Dominique arrives. She accidentally drops her Zune, but returns home just in time.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: The next day, Joey announces to the school that he has the Zune, saying whoever can announce the top four most played songs is the mystery girl. A bunch of girls (and a few boys) get in line and try to do it, obviously failing. Britt and Bree conclude Mary is the mystery girl and threatens to release an embarrassing video she made when she was eleven, if she tries to tell Joey. Tami convinces her not to care about that, and she tries to tell him, but he blows her off.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: At Britt and Bree's birthday party, Dustin recognizes Tami as his dance partner and flirts with her having proved his identity. Mary tries to tell Joey again, but Britt and Bree play the video. Embarrassed, Mary runs to her room. She plays the song from the ball. Joey realizes she was the mystery girl and asks her on a date. Later, Mary receives a letter saying she has been accepted by the Manhattan Academy of Performing Arts, but when the academy calls to confirm it, Dominique answers and claims Mary has "two broken legs".


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Attempting to stop the date, Britt and Bree give Mary a ridiculous number of chores, but this backfires when Joey helps her by dancing through them. She helps him write his next song. He "invites" her to his house, but when she arrives, she sees through the window, Natalia talking to Joey in bed and runs off in tears. Dominique insincerely comforts her and claims the academy rejected her.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Joey is confused when she gives him the cold shoulder. Dustin confronts Tami, who berates Joey for cheating on Mary. They clarify Natalia broke into his house to drive Mary away. Tami agrees to help them. The dance contest is near, and Tami and Dustin convince a still bitter Mary to attend. A Manhattan Academy representative is there at Joey's invitation. After Britt, Bree, and Natalia put on lackluster performances, Joey calls Mary to the stage and convinces her to dance with him. The duo performs the song they wrote. Joey admits that there's nothing going on between him and Natalia. Mary wins the contest and Natalia admits Mary did great. The representative reveals Dominique's lie and says Mary is accepted. Joey and Mary kiss. Dominique tries to leave the stage and falls, ironically breaking both of her legs.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: As Mary, Joey, Tami, and Dustin load Mary's belongings in a van, a wheelchair-using Dominique begs her not to go as Joey and Mary share another kiss and drive away.


title: Another Cinderella Story

text: Amber Wilkinson of "Eye for Film" gave the film three out of five stars and said the age difference between Gomez and Seeley was inappropriate, saying that "it's a shame there isn't more thought put into their age." She also said that the "characters are so wafer thin they barely cast a shadow." Although Wilkinson says that the film is completely different from "A Cinderella Story", Lacey Walker, reviewing for "Christian Answers", notes several aspects of the two films that were directly parallel to each other. Walker also gave it three out of five stars, praising the script, saying the writers "peppered this story with a surprising dose of humor and some pleasing plot twists." However, Walker specifically criticized the "glaringly obvious" age difference between the 15-year-old Gomez and the 26-year-old Seeley.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening act and backup singers for Johnny Cash.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Originally performing Southern gospel music at local churches, the group billed themselves as The Four Star Quartet, and later The Kingsmen. In 1963, when the song "Louie, Louie" by the garage rock band also called The Kingsmen became famous, the group elected to bill themselves as The Statler Brothers. Despite the name, only two members of the group (Don and Harold Reid) were actual brothers and no member had the surname of Statler. The group actually named themselves after a brand of facial tissue they had noticed in a hotel room (they later quipped that they could just as easily have named themselves "the Kleenex Brothers"). Don Reid sang lead; Harold Reid, Don's older brother, sang bass; Phil Balsley sang baritone; and Lew DeWitt sang tenor and was the guitarist before being replaced due to ill health by Jimmy Fortune in 1982.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The band's style was closely linked to their gospel roots. "We took gospel harmonies," said Harold Reid, "and put them over in country music." Most of their albums contain at least one gospel song, and they produced several containing only gospel. They also recorded a tribute song to The Blackwood Brothers, who influenced their music. The song "We Got Paid by Cash" was written by the Statler Brothers as a tribute to Johnny Cash, who discovered and mentored them.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Very early in the group's history, before the group named themselves The Statler Brothers, Joe McDorman was their lead singer.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The Statlers began their career at a performance at Lyndhurst Methodist Church near their hometown of Staunton, Virginia, under the name The Four Star Quartet. In 1964, they started an eight-year run as Johnny Cash's opening act and backing vocalists. This period of their career was memorialized in their song "We Got Paid by Cash". They were featured regularly on "The Johnny Cash Show", his ABC hit that ran from 1969 to 1971. Due to their expanding career, the Statlers left Cash's entourage around the mid-1970s to concentrate on their own career, a departure that took place on good terms.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Two of the Statlers' best-known songs are "Flowers on the Wall", their first major hit that was composed and written by Lew DeWitt, and the socially conscious "Bed of Rose's". In the 1980s, the Statlers were a mainstay on The Nashville Network (TNN), where their videos were shown regularly. Also on TNN, between 1991 and 1998, they hosted "The Statler Brothers Show", a weekly variety show, which was the network's top-rated program for its entire 7-year run.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Throughout the Statlers' career, much of their appeal was related to their incorporation of comedy and parody into their musical act, due in large part to the humorous and comedic talent of group member Harold Reid; they were frequently nominated for awards for their comedy as well as their singing. They recorded two comedy albums under the pseudonym Lester "Roadhog" Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys, and one-half of one side of the album "Country Music Then and Now" was devoted to satirizing small-town radio stations' Saturday-morning shows.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The Statlers earned the number-one spot on the "Billboard" chart four times, for "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?" in 1978, "Elizabeth" in 1984, and in 1985, "My Only Love" and "Too Much on My Heart". Since forming, the Statlers have released over 40 albums.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: In 1980, the Statler Brothers purchased and renovated their former elementary school, Beverly Manor, in Staunton, occupying the complex for several years. The complex consisted of offices for the group, a small museum and auditorium, and an adjacent building that served as office space for unrelated businesses. A garage was built to store the two tour buses that the group had used for many years. The group has since sold the complex, which Grace Christian Church in Staunton converted back into an academic campus.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: In 1970, the group began performing at an annual Independence Day festival in Gypsy Hill Park in Staunton. The event, known as "Happy Birthday USA", lasted for 25 years, and included many country-music figures, including Mel Tillis, Charley Pride, and many others. The event drew as many as 100,000 fans each year. The group also honored their hometown with the song "Staunton, Virginia" on their 1973 album "Do You Love Me Tonight".


title: The Statler Brothers

text: DeWitt retired from the Statler Brothers in 1982 due to ill health. After a 3-year hiatus, he returned to the music industry as a solo artist until shortly before his death on August 15, 1990, from complications of Crohn's disease, at age 52.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Harold Reid (born on August 21, 1939) died on April 24, 2020, after a long battle with kidney failure, at age 80.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The group disbanded and retired after completing a farewell tour on October 26, 2002. Balsley and Don Reid continue to reside in Staunton, as did Harold Reid until his death in April 2020; Fortune, though, relocated to Nashville, where he continues his music career as a solo artist, having released three albums under his own name. The Statlers remain one of the most awarded acts in the history of country music.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Don Reid has pursued a second career as an author. He has written six books of his own. Reid and his sons Donald II "Debo" and Langdon co-wrote "You Know It's Christmas When . . ." His brother Harold and he co-wrote a history of the Statler Brothers titled "Random Memories", released in February 2008. In 2020, Reid wrote a complete anthology of the Statlers' songs, simply titled "The Music of the Statler Brothers."


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Wil and Langdon Reid, the sons of Harold and Don, respectively, formed a duo in the 1990s, originally performing under the name Grandstaff. In 2007, Grandstaff recorded "The Statler Brothers Song", a tribute song to the Statlers.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: In an interview on Nashville's WSM (AM) on March 25, 2010, Wil Reid said that they decided to change their name to Wilson Fairchild after many people got the name "Grandstaff" wrong during introductions. The name comes from "Wilson", Wil's middle name, and "Fairchild", Langdon's middle name.


title: The Statler Brothers

text: Sisters Kim and Karmen Reid (daughters of Harold) also enjoyed a brief stint as a country duo in the early 1980s, which included a guest appearance on an episode of "Hee Haw".


title: The Statler Brothers

text: The Statler Brothers have been credited as the first country music act to transfer the genre's nostalgia from a rural to a suburban setting. They have also been called "America's Poets" by Kurt Vonnegut. The bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent often performs with two other members of their band as a quartet in the style of the Statlers, often performing many of the Statlers' hits in their shows. Jimmy Fortune also sometimes tours with Dailey & Vincent.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s productions filmed with "Supermarionation" (marionette puppets containing electric moving parts).


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson's first television production was the 1957 Roberta Leigh children's series "The Adventures of Twizzle" (1957–58). "Torchy the Battery Boy" (1960), "Four Feather Falls" (1960), "Supercar" (1961–62) and "Fireball XL5" (1962–63) followed later, both series breaking into the U.S. television market in the early 1960s. In the mid-1960s Anderson produced his most successful series, "Thunderbirds". Other television productions of the 1960s include "Stingray", "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" and "Joe 90".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson also wrote and produced several feature films. Following a shift towards live-action productions in the 1970s, he had a long and successful association with media impresario Lew Grade and Grade's company ITC, continuing until the second series of "".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: After a career lull when a number of new series concepts failed to get off the ground, his career began a new phase in the early 1980s when audience nostalgia for his earlier Supermarionation series (prompted by Saturday morning re-runs in Britain and Australia) led to new Anderson productions being commissioned. Later projects include a 2005 CG remake of "Captain Scarlet" entitled "Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Gerald Alexander Abrahams was born in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital in Bloomsbury, London, and spent the early years of his life in Kilburn, and Neasden, London. He was educated at Kingsgate Infants School in Kilburn and Braintcroft Junior and Senior schools in Neasden, prior to winning a scholarship to Willesden County Grammar School. His parents were Deborah ("née" Leonoff) and Joseph Abrahams.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson's Jewish paternal grandfather had the surname Bieloglovski. He fled from an area near the Poland–Russia border and settled in London; his name was changed to "Abrahams" by an immigration official upon his arrival in 1895. Anderson's Jewish mother Deborah changed the family name to "Anderson" in 1939.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: At the start of the Second World War, Gerry Anderson's elder brother, Lionel, volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force; he was stationed in the United States for advanced training. Lionel often wrote letters to his family, and in one letter described a US Army Air Forces air base called Thunderbird Field, the name of which stayed in his younger brother's memory.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: On 16 October 1952, Anderson married Betty Wrightman (1929–2021). They had two daughters, Linda (b. 1954) and Joy (b. 1957).


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Gerry Anderson began his career in photography, earning a traineeship with the British Colonial Film Unit after the war. He developed an interest in film editing and moved on to Gainsborough Pictures, where he gained further experience. In 1947 he was conscripted for national service with the Royal Air Force. He was based at RAF Manston, an airfield near Margate, and served part of his time in air traffic control.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Two incidents in his final year with the RAF had a profound effect on Gerry. The first occurred during an aircraft display commemorating the Battle of Britain, when a Mosquito aircraft crashed on a road crowded with occupied cars; reports on the death toll ranged between twelve and 20 people. On another occasion, a Spitfire was coming in to land. It was only about 50 feet above the ground before the runway controller alerted the pilot to the fact the plane's undercarriage hadn't lowered. The pilot opened up the throttle and climbed away. As this was a moment Anderson always remembered, he found it all too easy to write about aircraft when he devised stories for "Thunderbirds". After completing his military service, he returned to Gainsborough, where he worked until the studio was closed in 1950. He then worked freelance on a series of feature films.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In the mid-1950s, Anderson joined the independent television production company Polytechnic Studios as a director, where he met cameraman Arthur Provis. After Polytechnic collapsed, Anderson, Provis, Reg Hill and John Read formed Pentagon Films in 1955. Pentagon was wound up soon after and Anderson and Provis formed a new company, AP Films, for Anderson-Provis Films, with Hill and Read as their partners. Anderson continued his freelance directing work to obtain funds to maintain the fledgling company.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: AP Films' first television venture was produced for Granada Television. Created by Roberta Leigh, "The Adventures of Twizzle" (1957–1958) was a series for young children about a doll with the ability to 'twizzle' his arms and legs to greater lengths. It was Anderson's first work with puppets, and the start of his long and successful collaborations with puppeteer Christine Glanville, special effects technician Derek Meddings and composer/arranger Barry Gray. It was Anderson's desire to move into live-action television.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: "The Adventures of Twizzle" was followed by another low-budget puppet series with Leigh, "Torchy the Battery Boy" (1958–1959). Although the APF puppet productions made the Andersons world-famous, Gerry Anderson was always unhappy about working with puppets. He used them primarily to get attention from and a good reputation with TV networks, hoping to have them serve as a stepping stone to his goal of making live-action film and TV drama.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: During the production of "The Adventures of Twizzle", Anderson started an affair with secretary Sylvia Thamm. Following his divorce from his first wife, Anderson married Thamm in November 1960.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: AP Films' third series was the children's western fantasy-adventure series "Four Feather Falls" (1959–60). Provis left the partnership, but the company retained the name AP Films for several more years. "Four Feather Falls" was the first Anderson series to use an early version of the so-called "Supermarionation" process, though this term had yet to be used.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Despite APF's success with "Four Feather Falls", Granada did not commission another series from them, so Anderson took up the offer to direct a film for Anglo-Amalgamated Studios. "Crossroads to Crime" was a low-budget B-grade crime thriller, and although Anderson hoped that its success might enable him to move into mainstream film-making, it failed at the box office.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By this time, APF was in financial trouble and the company was struggling to find a buyer for their new puppet series. They were rescued by a fortuitous meeting with Lew Grade, the Associated Television (ATV) boss who offered to buy the show. This began a long friendship and a very successful professional association between the two men.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The new series, "Supercar", (1960–61) was developed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and Reg Hill based on a story written by Sylvia Anderson and marked several important advances for APF. Sylvia Anderson took on a larger role and became a partner in the company. The series was also the official debut of Supermarionation, the electronic system that made the marionettes more lifelike and convincing on screen. The system used the audio signal from pre-recorded tapes of the actors' voices to trigger solenoids installed in the heads of the puppets, making their lips move in synchronisation with the voices of the actors, and actresses.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: One of Anderson's most successful ventures was inaugurated during the production of "Supercar". The establishment of AP Films (Merchandising) Ltd, a separate company set up to handle the licensing of merchandising rights for APF properties, was headed by Keith Shackleton (not the wildlife artist and TV presenter of the same name), a longtime friend of Anderson's from their National Service days.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The next series by APF was the futuristic space adventure "Fireball XL5" (1962). At the time it was the company's biggest success, garnering the honour of being the only Anderson series sold to an American TV network, NBC. Around this time, Anderson also saw his Supermarionation style attract imitators—most notably "Space Patrol (US title: Planet Patrol)" which used similar techniques and was made by several former employees and associates of Anderson, including Arthur Provis and Roberta Leigh.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: After the completion of "Fireball XL5", Lew Grade offered to buy AP Films. Although Anderson was initially reluctant, the deal eventually went ahead, with Grade becoming the managing director, and the Andersons, Hill, and Read becoming directors of the company.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Shortly after the buy-out, APF began production on a new marionette series, "Stingray" (1964), the first Supermarionation-based British TV series to be filmed in colour. For the new production APF moved to new studios in Slough. The new and bigger facilities allowed them to make major improvements in special effects, notably in the underwater sequences, as well as advances in marionette technology, with the use of a variety of interchangeable heads for each character to convey different expressions.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: APF's next project for ATV was inspired by a mining disaster that occurred in West Germany in October 1963. This real-life drama inspired Anderson to create a new programme format about a rescue organisation, which eventually became his most famous and popular series, "Thunderbirds" (1965–1966). The dramatic title was inspired by the letter Anderson's older brother Lionel had written to his family during World War II.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Grade was very enthusiastic about the concept and agreed to back a series of 25-minute episodes (the same length as "Stingray"), so the Andersons scripted a pilot episode, "Trapped in the Sky", and began production. Gerry initially wanted actress Fenella Fielding to perform the voice of Lady Penelope, but Sylvia convinced her husband that she herself ought to play the role. "Thunderbirds" also marked the start of a long professional association with actor Shane Rimmer, who voiced Scott Tracy.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Production on "Thunderbirds" had been under way for several months when Grade saw the completed 25-minute version of "Trapped in the Sky". He was so excited by the result that he insisted that the episodes be extended to fifty minutes. With a substantial increase in budget, the production was restructured to expand episodes already filmed or in pre-production, and create new 50-minute scripts for the remainder. Grade and others were so convinced that "Thunderbirds" would be a success that a feature-film version of the series was proposed even before the pilot episode went to air. At this approximate time, APF was renamed Century 21 Productions.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: After APF was renamed Century 21 Productions, it enjoyed its greatest success with "Thunderbirds", and the series made the Andersons world famous. However, it was cancelled midway through the second series because Grade was unable to sell the show to an American network. Despite being wildly popular in the UK and abroad, Grade felt that without an American buyer, a full second series would fail to recoup its cost. It would later find moderate success in the United States through syndication.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: During the production of "Thunderbirds" the Andersons' marriage began to come under increasing strain, and the company also had a setback when the feature film "Thunderbirds Are GO" surprisingly flopped. In later interviews, Anderson said that he considered divorce, but this was halted when Sylvia announced that she was pregnant. Their son, Gerry Anderson Jr., was born in July 1967.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By that time, production had started on a new series, "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" (1967), which saw the advent of more realistic marionette characters which, thanks to improvements in electronics which allowed miniaturisation of the lip-sync mechanisms, could now be built closer to normal human proportions.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Century 21's second feature film, "Thunderbird 6", was also unsuccessful, and the problems were compounded by their next (and penultimate) Supermarionation series, "Joe 90" (1968). This series returned to more 'kid-friendly' territory, depicting the adventures of a young boy who is also a secret agent and whose scientist father uses a supercomputer called 'BIG RAT' which can 'program' Joe with special knowledge and abilities for his missions. Its relatively poor reception made it the last of the classic Anderson marionette shows.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson's next project took the special effects expertise built up over previous TV projects and combined it with live action. Century 21's third feature film, "Doppelgänger" (1969) (a.k.a. "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun") was a dark, "Twilight Zone"-style sci-fi project about an astronaut who travels to a newly discovered planet on the opposite side of the sun, which proves to be an exact mirror-image of Earth, starring American actor Roy Thinnes. Although it was not a major commercial success, "Doppelgänger" was nominated for an Academy Award for its special effects.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Century 21's return to television was the abortive series "The Secret Service", which this time mixed live action with Supermarionation. The series was inspired by Anderson's love of British comedian Stanley Unwin, who was known for his nonsense language, 'Unwinese', which he created and used on radio, in film and most famously on the 1968 Small Faces LP "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake". Despite Anderson's track record and Unwin's popularity, the series was cancelled before its first screening; Lew Grade considered that it would be incomprehensible to American audiences, and thus unsellable.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In 1969 the Andersons began production of a new TV series, "UFO", Century 21's first full live-action television series. This sci-fi action-adventure series starred American-born actor Ed Bishop (who had also provided the voice of Captain Blue in "Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons") as Commander Edward Straker, head of the secret defence organisation SHADO, set up to counter an alien invasion. "UFO" was more adult in tone than any of Anderson's puppet series, and mixed Century 21's signature futuristic action-adventure and special effects with serious dramatic elements. "UFO" was the last series made under the Century 21 Productions banner.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: During production of "UFO," Gerry Anderson was approached directly by Harry Saltzman (at the time co-producer of the James Bond film series with Albert "Cubby" Broccoli), and was invited to write and produce the next film in the series, which was to be "Moonraker." Collaborating with Tony Barwick to provide the characterisation, whilst he himself focused on the action sequences, Anderson wrote and delivered a treatment to Saltzman. Nothing ultimately came of it, and Broccoli and Saltzman proceeded to make "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and "Live and Let Die" (1973) and, after co-producing 1974's Bond film, "The Man with the Golden Gun", the Saltzman-Broccoli partnership dissolved. Offered £20,000 for the treatment, Anderson refused, fearing that if he accepted he would not be at the helm when it was made; the next Bond film to be made was 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me." (This film used only the title of the actual Ian Fleming novel.) Anderson started legal proceedings against Broccoli for plagiarism of story elements but withdrew the action shortly after, nervous of the legal might lined up against him. He relinquished the treatment, and received £3,000 in compensation. A film version of "Moonraker" was eventually produced in 1979, but did not involve any of Anderson's material.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By the time "UFO" concluded, the relationship between the Andersons had deteriorated. Although produced under the aegis of a new company, Group Three Productions (the three being both of the Andersons and Reg Hill), Anderson decided not to work with his wife on his next project, the ITC action series "The Protectors". It was one of Anderson's few non-original projects. Lew Grade himself was heavily involved in the programme, and cast both the lead actors, Robert Vaughn and Nyree Dawn Porter. The production was difficult for Anderson, who clashed with the famously difficult Vaughn. There were also many logistical problems arising from the Europe-wide filming of the show, but it was very successful in both the UK and America and its theme song "Avenues and Alleyways" became a hit record in the UK for singer Tony Christie. It was also the first live-action series produced by Anderson to survive to a second season.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Following "The Protectors", Anderson worked on several new projects, none of which he was able to take into production. A proposed second series of "UFO" was not undertaken, and a return to marionettes in the television pilot for a series called "The Investigator" failed to find a buyer. Elements of the abandoned second series of "UFO" were eventually turned into what became the most expensive television series ever made at that time, "".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Another futuristic science-fiction adventure, it was based on the premise that a huge thermonuclear explosion on the Moon's surface (caused by the storage of nuclear waste there) projected the Moon out of orbit and into interplanetary space. The series starred the American husband-and-wife actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, who had gained international fame in the TV series "". They were cast at the insistence of Grade, and against Sylvia Anderson's strenuous objections.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The Andersons' marriage broke down irretrievably during the first series of "" in 1975; Gerry announced his intention to separate on the evening of the wrap party. Sylvia severed her ties with Group Three, and to alleviate his financial plight, Gerry Anderson sold his share of the profits from the APF/Century 21 shows and their holiday home in Portugal to Lew Grade, in return for a one-off payment.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Between making the two series of "Space: 1999", Anderson produced a one-off television special, "The Day After Tomorrow" (also known as "Into Infinity"), about two spacefaring families en route to Alpha Centauri, for an NBC series of programmes illustrating current scientific theory for popular consumption. While making this project, Anderson met Mary Robins (b. 1949), a secretary working at the studios; they began a relationship and were married on 11 April 1981.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: "Space: 1999" was successful enough that a second (and final) series went into production in 1976 with American producer Fred Freiberger brought in to replace Sylvia Anderson. Freiberger was known for producing the final season of the original "". Under Freiberger the series underwent a number of cast and cosmetic changes. "Space: 1999" marked the end of Anderson's association with ATV.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By the late 1970s, Anderson's life and career were at a low point: he was in financial difficulty, found it hard to get work, and he experienced family difficulties.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: During December 1980, Gerry and Sylvia's marriage was officially over, and they divorced. In 1981, episodes of many of Anderson's Supermarionation series were combined and edited together as films. These aired under the title "Super Space Theatre". A number of similar reedited feature-length productions were also syndicated and released on VHS video tape (for example, "Destination: Moonbase Alpha", which was a reedited version of a two-part "Space: 1999" storyline). Some of these were marketed in the US as part of a series of action-adventure videos featuring specially shot introductions by actress Sybil Danning.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In the early 1980s, Anderson formed a new partnership, Anderson Burr Pictures Ltd, with businessman Christopher Burr. The new company's first production was based on an unrealised concept devised by Anderson in the late 1970s for a Japanese cartoon series. "Terrahawks" marked Anderson's return to working with puppets, but rather than marionettes this series used a new system dubbed 'Supermacromation' which used highly sophisticated glove puppets—an approach inspired by the advances in this form of marionation made by Jim Henson and his colleagues.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: It featured another reuse of the "Captain Scarlet"/"UFO" formula of a secret organisation defending against aliens. "Terrahawks" ran successfully from 1983 to 1986 in the UK but fell short of a four-year American syndication deal by one season when the show was cancelled. "Terrahawks" retains a cult following to this day. Anderson had claimed on record that he would rather forget the show.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson hoped to continue his renewed success with a series called "Space Police", a new show mixing live action and puppets. The "Space Police" name had already been registered by another company, so Anderson's programme eventually emerged in 1995 as "Space Precinct". A pilot film had previously been made with Shane Rimmer, but it took almost ten years to get the concept to the screen. In the meantime, Anderson and Burr produced the cult stop-motion animated series "Dick Spanner", which enjoyed many showings on the British Channel 4 in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the final project completed by Anderson Burr. Anderson then joined the Moving Picture Company as a commercials director, and provided special effects direction for the musical comedy "Return to the Forbidden Planet".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The cult appeal of "Thunderbirds" and the other Supermarionation series grew steadily over the years and was celebrated by comedy and stage productions such as the hit two-man stage revue "Thunderbirds FAB". In the early 1990s, ITC began releasing home video versions of the Supermarionation shows, and the profile of the shows was further enhanced by productions such as the Dire Straits music video for their single "Calling Elvis", which was made as an affectionate "Thunderbirds" pastiche (with Anderson co-producing), and by Lady Penelope and Parker appearing in a series of UK advertisements for Swinton Insurance.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In 1991 Gerry asked journalist and author Simon Archer to write his biography, following an interview by the latter for a series of articles for "Century 21" magazine. In September that year in the UK, BBC2 began a repeat showing of "Thunderbirds", which rivalled the success of its original run a generation before. This was also surprisingly the series' network television premiere, having never been shown nationally by ITV. It became so popular in Britain that toy manufacturers Matchbox were unable to keep up with the demand for the Tracy Island playset, leading children's show "Blue Peter" to broadcast a segment showing children how to construct their own for a second time, the first being during the original run. The fan base for the Anderson shows was now worldwide and growing steadily, and Anderson found himself in demand for personal and media appearances.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In response to this greater demand Anderson performed a successful one-man show in 1992, which Archer had written and constructed. Entitled "An Evening with Gerry Anderson", it took the form of an illustrated lecture in which he talked about his career, and his most popular shows. He also made numerous media and personal appearances to tie in with revivals and video cassette releases of "Stingray", "Thunderbirds", "Captain Scarlet" and "Joe 90".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson was interviewed for the BBC's 1993 "Doctor Who" documentary, "Thirty Years in the TARDIS". He joked that, despite his career of making children's programming, the "real tragedy of my life" was that his own son Jamie (appearing with him) was a "Doctor Who" fanatic.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By 1993 Archer published the trivia book "Gerry Anderson's FAB Facts". Archer was killed in a car crash on London's orbital M25 motorway on his way to the publishers to collect one of the first print run to present to Anderson, and the book later had to be withdrawn from sale and thousands of copies destroyed as a result of a copyright dispute with ITC America.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The renewed interest enabled Anderson to return to television production, but several projects including "GFI" (an animated update of "Thunderbirds") did not make it into production. Finally, in 1994, Anderson was able to get "Space Precinct" into production. It was followed by "Lavender Castle", a children's sci-fi fantasy series combining stop-motion animation and computer-generated imagery.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In the meantime, the biography, which had been set aside since Archer's death, had been picked up again and was completed by Stan Nicholls from Archer's original notes and manuscript, finally being published in 1996 shortly before "Lavender Castle" went into production.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Around this time Anderson was reunited with his elder son, Gerry Jr., Anderson reportedly experienced powerful feelings of animosity toward his ex-wife Sylvia at the idea she had been responsible for his enforced estrangement from his son.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: By December 1999, Anderson was working on plans for a computer animated sequel to "Captain Scarlet", and he showed early test reels at a few fan conventions. These reels had the visual design and characters looking very much as they had in the original show, although the vehicle designs had been somewhat modernised. Several years after the initial tests the project evolved into the remake "Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet," by which time the entire appearance had been significantly updated.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to Animation.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Along with his then business partner John Needham, Anderson created another new series entitled "Firestorm", financed by Japanese investors and featured anime style animation. Other planned shows with other Japanese backers, including "Eternity" failed to come to fruition. "Firestorm" was sold throughout south-east Asia. Anderson and Needham parted company in 2003.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson was originally approached to be involved in a live-action feature film adaptation of "Thunderbirds" as far back as 1996, but he was actually turned away by the producers of the 2004 film "Thunderbirds," which was directed by Jonathan Frakes, after first being invited to meet with them. He distanced himself overtly from the project, later turning down an offer of $750,000 simply to write an endorsement of the film shortly before its release; Sylvia Anderson served as a consultant on the project and received a "special thanks" credit in the film. The film received poor critical reviews and was unsuccessful at the US box-office. Anderson disliked the film, describing it as "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: "Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet" finally premiered in the UK in February 2005. The show cost £23,000,000 to produce, and was the most expensive children's programme ever to be made in the UK (until Ragdoll's In the Night Garden came out 2 years later). Many companies invested in producing toys and merchandise. Broadcaster ITV incorporated episodes into an existing children's show and showed it in two halves, separated by games and adverts. Disappointing merchandising sales followed. The accompanying comic lasted only six editions before being scrapped by its publishers. Anderson's displeasure at ITV's handling of the show was widely reported. The series was subsequently released on DVD.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: 2005 also saw the 40th Anniversary of "Thunderbirds," and a wide range of merchandise was produced to celebrate the event. In 2006, ITV re-ran the entire series on its fledgling CITV channel, a digital service available on cable, satellite and the Freeview service. ITV4, another digital channel, also ran repeats of "UFO" and "" up until the end of 2009.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: In March 2011, Anderson was working with Daniel Pickering and Annix Studios on a new project named "Christmas Miracle", a children's CGI animated feature.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson died in his sleep on 26 December 2012 at the age of 83 after a diagnosis of dementia. The news was announced on his son Jamie's website, who wrote, "I'm very sad to announce the death of my father, Thunderbirds creator, Gerry Anderson. He died peacefully in his sleep at midday today (26th December 2012), having suffered with mixed dementia for the past few years. He was 83."


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Voice actor Matt Zimmerman who voiced Alan Tracy and supporting characters in "Thunderbirds" spoke to BBC News about Anderson's death praising his work saying "it's a big part of people's lives" saying also that "people speak of the shows with such affection, and I held Gerry with that kind of affection as well. I am very pleased to have known him and I feel very sorry for Jamie and his wife Mary." David Graham who voiced Gordon Tracy, Parker, Brains and Kyrano said it was "a very sad day".


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Tributes from across the world of television and radio poured in, among them TV presenter Jonathan Ross, DJ Chris Evans, comedian Eddie Izzard and actors Brian Blessed and John Barrowman. Ross tweeted "For men of my age his work made childhood an incredible place to be." Blessed, who worked with Anderson on "Space 1999" and "The Day After Tomorrow" said, "I think a light has gone out in the universe. He had a great sense of humour. He wasn't childish but child-like and he had a tremendous love of the universe and astronomy and scientists."


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Fanderson chairman Nick Williams paid tribute to Anderson by saying "To those who met him Gerry was a quiet, unassuming but determined man. His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works. Gerry's legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world."


title: Gerry Anderson

text: The Humanist funeral was announced for Friday 11 January 2013 at Reading crematorium. His son Jamie went on to say that his father expressed his desire to let fans of the shows attend his funeral, alongside friends, family and cast members. Jamie also spoke about the number of messages sent by fans, saying, "We have been so touched by the outpouring of sympathy from all over the world. We have had messages from India, Uganda, Australia – and from people aged between seven to 70. It is so nice to know how my father touched people's lives across all the continents." Jamie went on to add, "But I'm proudest of him for the contribution he made to the Alzheimer's Society. He was so torn apart by his illness. But his involvement with the charity raised £1million in just a year."


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Anderson was cremated, following a ceremony that brought together hundreds of colleagues, family and fans. Anderson's coffin was decorated with a floral Thunderbird 2 as his body was taken into the service, where musical scores of the "Thunderbirds" theme tune and "Aqua Marina" from "Stingray" were played. Amongst the hundreds in attendance was car owner Melvin Jarvis, who drove to the service in a full-scale replica of Lady Penelope's Rolls-Royce FAB1. Also in attendance was Shane Rimmer, who voiced Scott Tracy in "Thunderbirds"; he spoke about his time on the show, saying, "It was a truly unique experience. Gerry's office was like the Oval Office at The White House at times, such was the mystique of the place. "Thunderbirds" really broke a mould as it was one of the first TV shows that had appeal on both sides of the Atlantic."


title: Gerry Anderson

text: On 25 March 2013, in an announcement on the official Gerry Anderson website, Anderson's younger son Jamie announced that a number of projects that Anderson had been unable to finish during his lifetime were being developed by his company Anderson Entertainment and would be financed primarily through Kickstarter crowdfunding. On 27 July 2013 the name of the first Gerry Anderson legacy project was announced on the official Gerry Anderson website as a trilogy of novels entitled "Gemini Force One". The first novel, "Black Orchid", was published in 2014. In 2019 a pilot episode for a new puppet-based science fiction series based upon concepts developed by Anderson, "Gerry Anderson's Firestorm", was released on YouTube by Anderson Entertainment. It uses a combination of hand- and electronically controlled puppets and green screen effects in an updated form of Supermarionation dubbed "Ultramarionation". Production of a full-length series was scheduled to begin in 2019.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: An info-commercial style advertising campaign for Blue Car European coach tours show during 1960–1961 in fifteen minute segments on British television.


title: Gerry Anderson

text: Over the years, various British comics have featured strips based on Anderson's creations. These started with "TV Comic" during the early 1960s, followed by "TV Century 21" and its various sister publications: "Lady Penelope", "TV Tornado", "Solo" and "Joe 90" (which were produced by a company affiliated with Anderson). In the 1970s there was "Countdown" (later renamed "TV Action"). There were also tie-in annuals that were produced each year featuring Anderson's TV productions.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, billed as Finally, was a professional boxing match fought between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson for the WBA heavyweight championship on November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The bout was Tyson's first defense of the WBA title that he had won from Bruce Seldon on September 7 of that year.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: The referee officiating the fight was Mitch Halpern. The fight was promoted by Don King Productions and carried on pay-per-view by Showtime.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: The bout was the first fight pitting the two boxers against each other and it would be followed up with a controversial rematch.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Tyson and Holyfield got acquainted while preparing for the 1984 Summer Olympics, being both on the "losing squad," second-ranked substitutes for their much higher regarded No. 1 teammates. However, Holyfield managed to beat Ricky Womack twice and qualify into the Olympic team, while Tyson did not make it, losing on points to Henry Tillman.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Afterward, Tyson took steps to become a power in the heavyweight division while Holyfield went on to win the bronze medal in Los Angeles. In 1986, Tyson became the youngest fighter ever to win a world heavyweight championship when he knocked Trevor Berbick out in the second round to win the WBC title as part of an ongoing series of fights designed to unify the belts of the WBA, WBC, and the IBF and create an undisputed world champion. The next year, Tyson won the other two championships to become the first fighter since Leon Spinks to be an undisputed world heavyweight champion.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Holyfield came up through the ranks of the light heavyweight division before making his name as a cruiserweight. In what was still a relatively young division — having only been sanctioned as a title-holding weight class since 1979 — Holyfield quickly became its first undisputed champion when he won all three major sanctioning bodies' titles. He moved up to heavyweight in 1988 and continued to work his way up the rankings. By 1990, he was looking to challenge Tyson and after some hard negotiating the two fighters would agree to a fight later that year.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas, which he had intended as a tune-up fight for the Holyfield match, derailed those plans. Holyfield was given the first shot at the new champion and won in a third-round knockout. Tyson, meanwhile, entered into a fight with Canadian heavyweight contender Donovan Ruddock with the winner to face Holyfield. However, a controversial ending to the fight, which Tyson won by technical knockout, led to an immediate rematch and further delayed the showdown between Tyson and Holyfield. After Tyson won decisively, a fight was signed for November 18, 1991. An injury and Tyson's subsequent conviction for rape in 1992 indefinitely shelved the fight, as Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Holyfield, meanwhile, went on to reign as undisputed champion until losing to Riddick Bowe in November 1992. He would regain the WBA and IBF titles from Bowe in a rematch the following year, then lost them to Michael Moorer in 1994. Holyfield was then forced to retire due to a misdiagnosed heart condition, only to come back a year later. He fought Bowe one more time in the fall, getting knocked out for the first time in his career, and then fought overmatched former cruiserweight world champion Bobby Czyz and knocked him out.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Tyson was released from prison in 1995 and resumed his career with great fanfare. He fought journeyman Peter McNeeley in his first fight and then, before a national television audience, knocked out fringe contender Buster Mathis, Jr. The WBC installed him as its number one contender and ordered the winner of a fight between Oliver McCall, their champion who knocked out Lennox Lewis in 1994, and Frank Bruno, a veteran British contender who had fought and lost to Tyson during his first run as champion, to fight him in their next bout. Bruno defeated McCall by decision, but then was soundly beaten by Tyson within three rounds.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Tyson would be stripped of the title for agreeing to fight WBA champion Bruce Seldon in his next fight instead of Lewis, the top contender. He knocked Seldon out in the first round and a fight was set up with Holyfield, who despite his former championship pedigree was regarded as past his prime.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Preparing to fight Tyson, Holyfield employed Mike Weaver, the WBA ex-champion, as a personal assistant. He also employed David Tua, whose style and anthropometrics were close to Tyson's, as a sparring partner.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Showtime promoted the event as a heavyweight title tripleheader, as two other champions were defending their titles that night as well. In all, five (including Tyson's ) were contested for that night.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Another promoted fight featured star women's boxer Christy Martin, who had gained some notoriety and was becoming a star; she defeated Bethany Payne by knockout in the first round.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Undefeated WBC world minimumweight champion Ricardo Lopez knocked out contender Morgan Ndumo in the sixth round to retain his title.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: WBA super bantamweight champion Antonio Cermeno defeated challenger Eddy Saenz after his opponent decided not to continue following the fifth round.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: The first of the three heavyweight title fights followed. The IBF title match was contested with Michael Moorer taking on Francois Botha. Moorer had defeated Axel Schulz earlier in 1996 for the title that had been stripped from lineal champion George Foreman; Botha had defeated Schulz in an earlier fight for the vacant title but the result was vacated following a doping violation. Moorer knocked the previously undefeated Botha out in the final round to retain the title.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: The last fight before the main event was contested for the WBO championship. Henry Akinwande, a British fighter who defeated Jeremy Williams for the title Riddick Bowe vacated to set up the third and last fight with Holyfield, took on former NABF champion Alexander Zolkin. Akinwande emerged victorious with a tenth-round knockout in the first defense of his belt.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Tyson came out fast and sent Holyfield reeling with his first solid punch. Holyfield, who had studied Tyson's style intensively, later explained that Tyson dipped to his left, from which position he usually loaded up a left hook, but on this occasion surprised Holyfield by firing a right cross. Holyfield tied Tyson up and revealed the first surprise of the his superior as he pushed Tyson backwards. Tyson would never seriously hurt Holyfield for the remainder of the fight. Holyfield defended effectively for the rest of round one and hammered Tyson with several counterpunches. After the end of the round, Tyson threw a punch after the bell; an unintimidated Holyfield retaliated. In the second, Holyfield drove Tyson into the ropes and stung him with a hard combination, and his strategy for the match became clear. As Tyson mainly threw one punch at a time, Holyfield blocked the first attack, then used his strength to clinch, and shove Tyson backwards. Keeping Tyson on the back foot minimized his power and affected his balance, and gave Holyfield the opportunity to come forward and score with combinations to the head. As the rounds passed, Tyson was unable to adjust, and found himself being thoroughly outboxed. In the fifth round, Tyson landed a fierce combination, his best of the match, and Holyfield did not stagger.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: In the sixth round, Tyson was cut by a headbutt from Holyfield that Halpern judged to be accidental. Then, as the round progressed,


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Holyfield caught Tyson with a left that dropped him to the canvas. This was the first time Tyson had been knocked down since his lone defeat, and Holyfield continued parrying Tyson's charges and catching him with punches to the head. With 15 seconds left in the seventh round, Tyson lunged at Holyfield as Holyfield came forward, resulting in a hard clash of heads. Tyson cried out in pain and his knees buckled, but again the referee judged the headbutt to be unintentional. Tyson was examined by the ring doctor, and tied Holyfield up for the rest of the round. During the next two rounds, Tyson continued missing wild punches and absorbing counterpunches from Holyfield. At the end of the tenth round, a punch from Holyfield sent Tyson staggering across the ring. Holyfield chased him into the ropes and landed a series of devastating blows. By the sound of the bell, Tyson was out on his feet and defenseless, but his corner allowed him out for the eleventh. Holyfield quickly landed another brutal extended combination, sending Tyson back into the ropes.


title: Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield

text: Halpern had seen enough, and he stopped the fight, giving Holyfield one of the most famous upset victories in the history of boxing. Holyfield also became the first person since Muhammad Ali to win a heavyweight championship belt three times, although, unlike Ali, Holyfield's third championship win had not been for the lineal heavyweight title, which was at that time held by George Foreman. At the post-fight press conference, Tyson addressed Holyfield: "Thank you very much. I have the greatest respect for you."


title: Anatidae

text: The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and in some cases diving in at least shallow water. The family contains around 174 species in 43 genera. (The magpie goose is no longer considered to be part of the Anatidae and is now placed in its own family, Anseranatidae.)


title: Anatidae

text: They are generally herbivorous, and are monogamous breeders. A number of species undertake annual migrations. A few species have been domesticated for agriculture, and many others are hunted for food and recreation. Five species have become extinct since 1600, and many more are threatened with extinction.


title: Anatidae

text: The ducks, geese, and swans are small- to large-sized birds with a broad and elongated general body plan. Diving species vary from this in being rounder. Extant species range in size from the cotton pygmy goose, at as little as 26.5 cm (10.5 in) and 164 g (5.8 oz), to the trumpeter swan, at as much as 183 cm (6 ft) and 17.2 kg (38 lb). The wings are short and pointed, and supported by strong wing muscles that generate rapid beats in flight. They typically have long necks, although this varies in degree between species. The legs are short, strong, and set far to the back of the body (more so in the more aquatic species), and have a leathery feel with a scaly texture. Combined with their body shape, this can make some species awkward on land, but they are stronger walkers than other marine and water birds such as grebes or petrels. They typically have webbed feet, though a few species such as the Nene have secondarily lost their webbing. The bills are made of soft keratin with a thin and sensitive layer of skin on top (which has a leathery feel when touched). For most species, the shape of the bill tends to be more flattened to a greater or lesser extent. These contain serrated lamellae which are particularly well defined in the filter-feeding species.


title: Anatidae

text: Their feathers are excellent at shedding water due to special oils. Many of the ducks display sexual dimorphism, with the males being more brightly coloured than the females (although the situation is reversed in species such as the paradise shelduck). The swans, geese, and whistling-ducks lack sexually dimorphic plumage. Anatids are vocal birds, producing a range of quacks, honks, squeaks, and trumpeting sounds, depending on species; the female often has a deeper voice than the male.


title: Anatidae

text: Anatids are generally herbivorous as adults, feeding on various water-plants, although some species also eat fish, molluscs, or aquatic arthropods. One group, the mergansers, are primarily piscivorous, and have serrated bills to help them catch fish. In a number of species, the young include a high proportion of invertebrates in their diets, but become purely herbivorous as adults.


title: Anatidae

text: The anatids are generally seasonal and monogamous breeders. The level of monogamy varies within the family; many of the smaller ducks only maintain the bond for a single season and find a new partner the following year, whereas the larger swans, geese and some of the more territorial ducks maintain pair bonds over a number of years, and even for life in some species. However, forced extrapair copulation among anatids is common, occurring in 55 species in 17 genera.


title: Anatidae

text: Anatidae is a large proportion of the 3% of bird species to possess a penis, though they vary significantly in size, shape, and surface elaboration. Most species are adapted for copulation on the water only. They construct simple nests from whatever material is close at hand, often lining them with a layer of down plucked from the mother's breast. In most species, only the female incubates the eggs. The young are precocial, and are able to feed themselves from birth. One aberrant species, the black-headed duck, is an obligate brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of gulls and coots. While this species never raises its own young, a number of other ducks occasionally lay eggs in the nests of conspecifics (members of the same species) in addition to raising their own broods.


title: Anatidae

text: Duck, eider, and goose feathers and down have long been popular for bedspreads, pillows, sleeping bags, and coats. The members of this family also have long been used for food.


title: Anatidae

text: Humans have had a long relationship with ducks, geese, and swans; they are important economically and culturally to humans, and several duck species have benefited from an association with people. However, some anatids are damaging agricultural pests, and have acted as vectors for zoonoses such as avian influenza.


title: Anatidae

text: Since 1600, five species of ducks have become extinct due to the activities of humans, and subfossil remains have shown that humans caused numerous extinctions in prehistory. Today, many more are considered threatened. Most of the historic and prehistoric extinctions were insular species, vulnerable due to small populations (often endemic to a single island), and island tameness. Evolving on islands that lacked predators, these species lost antipredator behaviours, as well as the ability to fly, and were vulnerable to human hunting pressure and introduced species. Other extinctions and declines are attributable to overhunting, habitat loss and modification, and hybridisation with introduced ducks (for example the introduced ruddy duck swamping the white-headed duck in Europe). Numerous governments and conservation and hunting organisations have made considerable progress in protecting ducks and duck populations through habitat protection and creation, laws and protection, and captive-breeding programmes.


title: Anatidae

text: The name Anatidae for the family was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. While the status of the Anatidae as a family is straightforward, and which species properly belong to it is little debated, the relationships of the different tribes and subfamilies within it are poorly understood. The listing in the box at right should be regarded as simply one of several possible ways of organising the many species within the Anatidae; see discussion in the next section.


title: Anatidae

text: The systematics of the Anatidae are in a state of flux. Previously divided into six subfamilies, a study of anatomical characters by Livezey suggests the Anatidae are better treated in nine subfamilies. This classification was popular in the late 1980s to 1990s. But mtDNA sequence analyses indicate, for example, the dabbling and diving ducks do not belong in the same subfamily.


title: Anatidae

text: While shortcomings certainly occur in Livezey's analysis, mtDNA is an unreliable source for phylogenetic information in many waterfowl (especially dabbling ducks) due to their ability to produce fertile hybrids, in rare cases possibly even beyond the level of genus (see for example the "Barbary duck"). Because the sample size of many molecular studies available to date is small, mtDNA results must be considered with caution.


title: Anatidae

text: While a comprehensive review of the Anatidae which unites all evidence into a robust phylogeny is still lacking, the reasons for the confusing data are at least clear: As demonstrated by the Late Cretaceous fossil "Vegavis iaai" — an early modern waterbird which belonged to an extinct lineage—the Anatidae are an ancient group among the modern birds. Their earliest direct ancestors, though not documented by fossils yet, likewise can be assumed to have been contemporaries with the non-avian dinosaurs. The long period of evolution and shifts from one kind of waterbird lifestyle to another have obscured many plesiomorphies, while apomorphies apparently are quite often the result of parallel evolution, for example the "non-diving duck" type displayed by such unrelated genera as "Dendrocygna", "Amazonetta", and "Cairina". For the fossil record, see below.


title: Anatidae

text: Alternatively, the Anatidae may be considered to consist of three subfamilies (ducks, geese, and swans, essentially) which contain the groups as presented here as tribes, with the swans separated as subfamily Cygninae, the goose subfamily Anserinae also containing the whistling ducks, and the Anatinae containing all other clades.


title: Anatidae

text: From subfossil bones found on Kauai (Hawaiian Islands), two enigmatic waterfowl are known. The living and assignable prehistoric avifauna of the archipelago contains as Anseriformes "Branta" geese and their descendants, and the moa-nalos as mentioned above. The following taxa, although certainly new species, cannot be assigned even to subfamily; that Kauai is the oldest of the large Hawaiian Islands, meaning the species may have been evolving in isolation for nearly 10 mya (since the Late Miocene), does not help in determining their affinities:


title: Anatidae

text: Similarly, "Branta rhuax" from the Big Island of Hawaii, and a gigantic goose-like anatid from Oahu are known only from very incomplete, and in the former case much damaged, bone fragments. The former has been alleged to be a shelduck, but this was generally dismissed because of the damage to the material and biogeographic considerations. The long-legged Kauai bird, however, hints at the possibility of a former tadornine presence on the archipelago.


title: Anatidae

text: The fossil record of anatids is extensive, but many prehistoric genera cannot be unequivocally assigned to present-day subfamilies for the reasons given above. For prehistoric species of extant genera, see the respective genus accounts.


title: Anatidae

text: Dendrocheninae – a more advanced relative of the whistling-ducks or an ancestral relative of stifftail ducks paralleling whistling-ducks; if not extinct possibly belong in Oxyurinae (including "Malacorhynchus")


title: Anatidae

text: The Middle Oligocene "Limicorallus" (from Chelkar-Teniz (Kazakhstan) was sometimes considered an anserine. It is now recognized as a primitive cormorant. The middle Eocene "Eonessa" was formerly thought to belong to Anatidae, however reexamination of the holotype in 1978 resulted in the genus being placed as Aves incertae sedis.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Sonic Generations is a 2011 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and Nintendo 3DS. Produced in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, the game follows Sonic and his sidekick Tails as they form an alliance with their past selves. It features two gameplay styles: "Classic", which plays from a side-scrolling perspective like that of the original Sega Genesis "Sonic" games, and "Modern", 3D levels similar to those in "Sonic Unleashed" (2008) and "Sonic Colors" (2010).


title: Sonic Generations

text: Development of "Sonic Generations" began following the completion of "Unleashed". Sonic Team sought to re-imagine the most popular aspects of the franchise in high-definition, and developed the game using the Hedgehog Engine. Each location and many bosses in the game are previously seen in an earlier entry in the series, with the game including numerous other references to past entries. Devil's Details and Dimps helped create the Windows and 3DS versions, respectively. The Windows version is noted for its active modding scene, where a dedicated community creates new gameplay mechanics, levels, and assets for the game.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The game received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, selling 1.85 million copies by May 2012. Reviewers found its visuals, audio, and gameplay to be highlights, and called it a good tribute to the franchise. It also received some criticism, mostly for its occasional frame rate and control problems. Reception to the 3DS version was mixed; reviewers criticized its short length and design, and deemed it worse than Dimps' previous "Sonic" games. The Classic iteration of Sonic introduced in the game has continued to make appearances throughout the franchise.


title: Sonic Generations

text: "Sonic Generations" is a platform game in which players control two variants of Sonic the Hedgehog: "Classic" or "Modern". Classic Sonic's gameplay is restricted side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" games released in the 1990s, and requires him to use moves such as the Spin Dash and the Spin Attack. Modern Sonic's gameplay follows the gameplay style of "Sonic Unleashed" (2008), and "Sonic Colors" (2010), featuring an amalgamation of third-person and side-scrolling perspectives and techniques such as boosting and homing attacks. Both Sonics collect rings as a form of health, and power-ups such as elemental shields, invincibility, speed shoes, skateboards, or Wisps. Players can also customize each Sonic's abilities, and purchase additional ones at a Skill Shop.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The game's main hub is a realm called White Space, in which the player can explore, converse with other characters, and access the game's levels, each of which are derived from a previous entry in the series. The levels are split into three separate eras: the Classic Era (focusing on levels from games for the Sega Genesis); the Dreamcast Era (focusing on levels from games for the Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2); and the Modern Era (focusing on levels from games for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3). Each level consists of two acts (one for each Sonic), and ten additional missions such as collecting a certain amount of rings or completing a level with the help of another character.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Upon reaching the end of the level, players are given a grade based on their performance, with an "S" rank being the best and a "D" rank the worst. After completing an era, players must defeat two bosses: a "rival" character and a main boss. Defeating each boss gives the player a Chaos Emerald, and once the game has been completed, both Sonics can transform into their super forms by collecting 50 rings in a normal level. As Super Sonic, the player is invincible and their speed is greatly increased. However the Sonics lose rings while in this form, and will revert to their standard form when all the rings are gone.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Hidden around each act are five Red Star Rings. Collecting these unlocks concept art, music, or, if all five are collected, a new ability. The concept art, as well as cutscenes and character profiles, can be viewed in a Collection Room, while music can be set to play in any level, mission, or boss. The game also features two forms of online leaderboards: "Ranking Attack", which challenges players to obtain the best time and score on each level, and "30 Second Trial", which challenges players to see how far they can get through a level in 30 seconds. An emulation of the original 1991 "Sonic the Hedgehog" game can be unlocked in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.


title: Sonic Generations

text: After his previous defeat, Doctor Eggman is left stranded in outer space with his robot henchmen Orbot and Cubot. A mysterious time-traveling entity known as the Time Eater appears; Eggman, realizing its potential, uses it to go back in time and team up with his past ("Classic") self. The two convert it to a robot to erase their past defeats from history. The Time Eater proceeds to attack Classic Sonic as he travels through Green Hill at the beginning of the original "Sonic the Hedgehog", and interrupts a birthday celebration being held for the present ("Modern") Sonic by his friends, scattering them all through different time portals. Modern Sonic awakens in White Space and rescues Tails after traveling through Green Hill.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Modern Sonic and Tails eventually meet their Classic counterparts, and form an alliance to restore their world. The two travel through locations from their past they find in White Space, restoring them to normal. They rescue many of their friends, including Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Cream, Blaze and the Chaotix, while battling old enemies for the Chaos Emeralds. Both Sonics eventually confront the two doctors, who overpower them using the Time Eater. However, the two Sonics use the Chaos Emeralds to transform into their super forms and defeat the Time Eater, restoring the timeline to normal. Everyone resumes celebrating Modern Sonic's birthday while Classic Sonic and Tails bid farewell and return to their time. Meanwhile, both Classic and Modern Eggman are left trapped in White Space.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Development of "Sonic Generations" began after the completion of "Sonic Unleashed" in 2008, when developer Sonic Team began discussing possible ideas for a twentieth anniversary "Sonic" game. The console/PC version of the game was directed by Hiroshi Miyamoto, and Yoshinobu Uba was the Lead Game Designer. Producer Takashi Iizuka wanted a game that incorporated the best of Sonic's history, and offered more replay value compared to previous games. The team eventually decided to split the gameplay into two separate playstyles: one representing the original games and another representing more recent ones. The team chose to develop on the high-definition (HD) Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, wanting the game to re-imagine levels and aspects of previous entries with high-quality graphics. A port for Windows was also made; development was handled by Devil's Details. Dimps assisted with production of the Nintendo 3DS version. Sega considered making the 3DS version a port of the console versions, but instead chose to develop from scratch to make it unique and celebrate Sonic's portable history. A version for the Wii was planned, but was eventually abandoned due to hardware constraints.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The game makes use of the Hedgehog Engine, the game engine Sonic Team used for developing "Unleashed". To help decide which levels would appear in the game, Sega polled all their employees and conducted an internet survey about popular "Sonic" stages, with the levels they found most popular being the ones that were incorporated into the game. One of the main rules Sonic Team made during development was not to use older assets or level designs, and certain levels were given a new visual element to provide a new dynamic, such as the caves in Green Hill. In choosing levels for the 3DS version, the team opted to use levels from the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS "Sonic" games rather than the original Game Gear games, wanting to use levels from games of more recent memory. According to Iizuka, one of the hardest parts of developing "Generations" was adapting 3D levels to 2D, since their "defining" elements and themes were designed to specifically work in 3D. Recreating the "classic"-style "Sonic" gameplay using the Hedgehog Engine was also cited as challenging, since the engine was designed for 3D gameplay. The Spin Dash ability was also made quicker to use to help younger players unfamiliar with it. The team faced bigger difficulties developing on the 3DS; Iizuka claimed they were unfamiliar with the system's capabilities and limitations.


title: Sonic Generations

text: In contrast to the casual-oriented "Colors", "Sonic Generations" was designed to appeal to the series' core audience. While multiple characters from throughout the franchise appear in the game, only Sonic was made playable. The script was written by "Sonic Colors" writers Ken Pontac and Warren Graff; according to Pontac, they both had more input in the story and cutscenes compared to "Colors". Sonic Team also created a new character: the Time Eater, who serves as the game's main antagonist. The game features numerous references to past "Sonic" games, among these being cameo appearances by several obscure characters on posters in City Escape. Fans who attended the "Sonic Boom" or the "Summer of Sonic" fan conventions in June 2011 were able to record a birthday message that appears during the game's credits sequence. Each version of the game also supports the option to play in stereoscopic 3D. According to Iizuka, he was the only one who advocated the feature, and it took trial and error before it was implemented.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The musical score of "Sonic Generations" was primarily composed and arranged by Jun Senoue, with contributions by Richard Jacques, Naofumi Hataya, Hideki Naganuma, Kenichi Tokoi, Tomoya Ohtani, Crush 40, Circuit Freq, and Cash Cash. The soundtrack consists of remixed versions of past tracks, alongside new material written for the game. Several soundtrack albums were released alongside the game. "History of the First Stage" features music from the first levels of several "Sonic" franchise games. "Sonic Generations: 20 Years of Sonic Music" contains several tracks hand-picked by Sonic Team, and was sold with the collector's edition. The complete, three-volume soundtrack, "Sonic Generations Original Soundtrack: Blue Blur", was released on January 11, 2012, under Sega's Wave Master label. It spans three discs and features 90 total tracks from both versions of the game.


title: Sonic Generations

text: "Sonic Generations" was first revealed in August 2009, when Sega accidentally leaked a press release including information about the game, then under the working title "Sonic Anniversary". The company officially revealed the game on April 7, 2011, when they posted a teaser trailer on their Facebook page. The trailer depicted the two variants of Sonic running through Green Hill. It was initially announced for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; the 3DS and Windows versions were leaked in a Sega Sammy Holdings financial earnings report. The 3DS version was confirmed in an interview with Iizuka that was published in "Nintendo Power". A demo version featuring Classic Sonic's version of Green Hill was released on June 23, 2011, the twentieth anniversary of the original "Sonic" game's release. A second demo, featuring Modern Sonic's Green Hill, was released on October 19, 2011. Demo versions of the game were also playable at E3 2011 and the New York Comic Con.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The console versions of "Sonic Generations" were first released in North America on November 1, 2011, followed by a European release on November 4 and in Japan on December 1. The Windows version was released on November 3. The 3DS version was released on in North America on November 22, 2011, and in Europe on November 25. The console and 3DS versions were made available for digital download in 2012. An official strategy guide for the game was published by BradyGames. In addition to the standard retail release, a collector's edition for the console version was released in Europe and Australia. It features the game and manual in limited lenticular box art in a steelbook case, a special booklet containing various "Sonic" artwork, a documentary disc about the history of Sonic, "Sonic Generations: 20 Years of Sonic Music", a limited and individually numbered gold ring, and a figurine of both Classic and Modern Sonic striking a pose on a ring.


title: Sonic Generations

text: A pinball minigame based upon "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" Casino Night level was released as downloadable content for the Steam version of the game on December 26, 2011. The minigame was included in the collector's edition and offered as a pre-order incentive for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.


title: Sonic Generations

text: A variety of community-created modifications ("mods") have been created for the Windows version of the game. These mods add multiple gameplay changes, such as new player characters and levels. Examples include "Unleashed Project", an effort to re-create "Sonic Unleashed" using "Sonic Generations" as a base; "Super Mario Generations", a mod that replaces Sonic with Mario; and "Super Sonic Generations", which expands upon the character's super forms.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The console and PC versions of "Sonic Generations" received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game was also successful commercially, selling 1.85 million copies worldwide across all platforms by March 31, 2012.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The game's presentation was well received. Nathan Meunier of "GameSpot" called the graphics arguably the best of the series, praising the detail put into recreating each level; this statement was echoed by Tim Turi of "Game Informer". Jack DeVries and Brian Altano of "IGN" offered similar praise for the visuals, and described its remixed tracks as "cool" and its sound effects as "spot on". Tom Bramwell of "Eurogamer" felt "Sonic Generations" was a worthy tribute to the "Sonic" franchise, though he still considered the franchise's previous entry, "Sonic Colors", to be better.


title: Sonic Generations

text: The gameplay was also positively received; critics praised its level design and replay value. Bob Mackey of "1UP.com" appreciated the variation between each level and their challenges and letting the player choose the levels they would like to play. DeVries and Altano considered the "classic"-style gameplay to be a successful revival of the 1990s "Sonic" games and the "modern"-style to be similarly enjoyable, though they offered minor criticism of the former's floaty physics and the latter's reliance on speed. Justin Towell of "GamesRadar" praised the level design to be among the best, claiming the Chemical Plant level gets "more fun with every play". Bramwell found the 3D levels surprisingly enjoyable. "Famitsu" favorably compared the sense of speed to that of racing games and praised the "nimble" camerawork, describing the overall experience as addictive.


title: Sonic Generations

text: Some aspects of the game were criticized, however. Mackey criticized its occasional framerate issues and on-rails sections. Bramwell felt that "Generations" still suffered from problems present in prior games, and found its controls laggy and criticized certain segments requiring split-second precision. DeVries and Altano found the boss fights to be limited and weak, wishing the game had the special stages seen in previous games. "Empire" considered the game's weak storyline to be its only problem. Of the game as a whole, "Famitsu" wrote that the game successfully delivered the series' traditional high speed and exhilaration. DeVries and Altano determined that "Sonic Generations" was accessible to everyone and gave it an Editor's Choice Award. Meunier felt that the game combined the best elements of old and new "Sonic" games well, and concluded that ""Sonic Generations" doesn't skimp on the speed or the fun".


title: Sonic Generations

text: In contrast to the console and PC versions, reviews for the 3DS version were "mixed or average", according to Metacritic. James Newton of "Nintendo Life" described it as "short and unambitious" and compared it unfavorably to the then-recently released "Super Mario 3D Land". Dan Whitehead of "Eurogamer" agreed, criticizing the handheld game's lack of variety, replay value, and inconsistent design and calling its levels "a pain to explore", though he offered praise for its visuals and recreations of classic "Sonic" moments. Both DeVries and Turi considered the 3DS version to be a rushed tie-in with the console version, and agreed that, while not a bad game, it was below the standard of Dimps' previous "Sonic" games.


title: Sonic Generations

text: In 2017, "GamesRadar" named "Sonic Generations" the seventh best game of the "Sonic" series, and "USgamer" named it the tenth best. Following the reemergence of "Classic" Sonic, Sega would later begin to include him in other modern "Sonic" games, such as "Sonic Dash" (2013) and "Sonic Runners" (2015). The 2017 game "Sonic Forces" follows a similar premise to "Generations", featuring both Classic and Modern iterations of Sonic as playable characters, and also uses an updated version of "Generations" game engine. Some journalists initially believed "Forces" was a sequel to "Generations", but Iizuka later clarified that it was a separate game.