Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

Classic Children's Television: The Genius of Gerry Anderson - 11 January 2011 

Royal Mail kicks off the new year with another issue playing on nostalgia of 60-somethings - the Genius of Gerry Anderson.

In 1961 the ITV network broadcast a revolutionary new puppet show called Supercar. Frustrated by the primitive technology of previous puppet shows producer Gerry Anderson had devised a new kind of animation called Supermarionation. This featured much more technically sophisticated puppets that were able to lip-synch dialogue while the problem of locomotion was solved by the simple expedient of putting the characters into vehicles for much of the show. 

Combined with a fast moving sci-fi plot and plenty of special effects the show become an instant success and launched Anderson’s career. Anderson was to produce five more iconic Supermarionation shows during the decade that followed before moving into live action TV with UFO, The Protectors and Space 1999.

				Let me know when this page changes it's private powered by ChangeDetection
				The stamps are in se-tenant strips of 3 (x2) within the sheet. Click on links below for 1st & 97p blocks. Stamp designs: 1st class - Joe 90 - 1968 to 1969 1st class - Captain Scarlet - 1967 to 1968 1st class - Thunderbirds - 1965 to 1966 97p - Stingray - 1964 to 1965 97p - Fireball XL5 - 1962 97p - Supercar - 1961 to 1962 The stamps are in reverse chronological order.

Miniature Sheet The Miniature Sheet focuses on Anderson’s most successful show Thunderbirds. The four stamps feature Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3 and 4 and are Royal Mail’s first stamps to use lenticular technology.  The Miniature Sheet can be tilted to show the launch sequences that were such an iconic part of the show’s opening titles that counted down to ‘Thunderbirds are Go!’. The border completes the line up with Thunderbird 5 1st Class – Thunderbird 4 Often transported in one of Thunderbird 2’s pods Thunderbird 4 is a submarine piloted by Gordon Tracy. 60p – Thunderbird 3 Piloted by Alan Tracy Thunderbird 3 carries out deep space rescues. 88p – Thunderbird 2 Piloted by Virgil Tracy Thunderbird 2 transports International Rescue’s equipment wherever it’s needed. 97p – Thunderbird 1 Piloted by elder brother Scott Tracy Thunderbird 1 is always first on the scene of a rescue

Stamp by stamp - backwards in time

1st Class – Joe 90
Each week nine year old Joe would download special skills from the Big Rat computer to carry out secret missions Broadcast 1968 to 1969.

1st Class – Captain Scarlet
Rendered indestructible by the alien Mysterons, Spectrum agent Captain Scarlet and his colour coordinated colleagues save the world in 32 episodes broadcast from 1967 to 1968.

1st Class – Thunderbirds
From their island hideaway International Rescue coordinate amazing rescue missions with their fantastic machines - like transporter Thunderbird 2 seen about to blast off. Broadcast from 1965 to 1966.

97p – Stingray
From 1964 to 1965 Troy Tempest and Phones of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, kept humanity safe from various undersea threats, in their submarine, Stingray. This was the first of Anderson’s shows in colour.

97p – Fireball XL5
Together with his robot sidekick Robert (who was voiced by Anderson) Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol kept the Earth safe from any interplanetary threat with his rocket ship Fireball XL5.

97p – Supercar
Featuring the adventures of inventor Mike Mercury and his amazing vehicle, that was equally at home on land, under water and in the air. First broadcast between 1961 and 1962.

Technical details:

The conventionally gummed stamps and miniature sheet are designed by GBH.  The stamps are printed in lithography by Cartor Security Printing. The stamp size is 41 x 30 mm in sheets of 30/60 with all over phosphor.
The miniature sheet is microlenticular printed by Cartor Security Printing, Meaucé, France and Outer Aspect Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 115 x 89mm, with stamps 41 x 30 mm. 

The retail booklet, contains 2 x 1st class Thunderbirds and 4 x 1st class gold Machin definitives. This is printed by Walsall Security Printers in gravure on self-adhesive paper.  The Machin definitives have a new security code MA11 for 2011.

Licensing rights: Joe 90™ and © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1969 and 2011; Captain Scarlet™ and © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1967, 2001 and 2011; Thunderbirds™ and © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1964, 1999 and 2011; Stingray © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1964,2002 and 2011; Fireball XL5™ and © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1961, 2002 and 2011; Supercar © ITC Entertainment Group Limited 1959, 2002 and 2011. All licensed by Granada Ventures Limited. All rights reserved.

All images are Copyright Royal Mail 2011.

Products issued and available from Royal Mail:
Mint set       Mint miniature sheet       Presentation Pack (contains set and MS)     Retail stamp booklet       Set of 11 Stamp Cards
 
Set on PO FDC     MS on PO FDC      

We will service a small quantity of self-adhesive Thunderbird and Machin singles on FDCs.  These will be for existing customers and any spare will be added to our online shop in due course.

Special Postmarks
Postmarks available for the day of issue will be shown below these may not be to scale.  NOTE: These postmarks cannot be obtained after the date of issue.

Ref FD1101 Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark	Ref FD1102 Slough East Sussex Official Postmark	Ref FD1102NP Slough non-pictorial Postmark	Ref L11999 Bloomsbury, London WC1	Ref L12000 Slough Berkshire
Ref L12002  London NW3	Ref L12001 London SE1	Ref M12008 Anderson Road, Birmingham	Ref M12007 Aston, Birmingham	Ref M12009 The Island, Tamworth
Ref L12003 Space Waye, Feltham, Middlesex	Ref W12013 Newton Tracey, N Devon	Ref N12010 The Rocket TSO, Liverpool 13	Ref N12011 Ilkley Toy Museum, West Yorkshire	Ref L12016 The Genius of Gerry Anderson, Pinewood
Ref L12017 Tracey Avenue Slough Fanderson	Ref L12018  Century 21 Productions, Slough Trading Estate	Ref L12015 Great Britain New Issues Commemorative Stamps of 2011 London WC1

If you wish to be told when this page is updated, please use the ChangeDetection panel alongside the stamps at the top of the page. If you have any questions about these stamps please email us.
NB: all emails will be acknowledged in 1-2 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement please email us from a different address (eg hotmail, gmail).