The world of television was today in mourning at the loss of one of the most innovative and creative individuals to have graced the medium with his presence.  Gerry Anderson, the man who produced the classic puppet series of Thunderbirds, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlett has passed on at the age of 83.

Gerald Alexander Abrahams was born in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital in Bloomsbury and lived the early part of his life in Kilburn, London. Born of Jewish descent, the family’s ancestral name was Bieloglovski, his grandfather having fled from Eastern Europe. The family name was changed on arrival by British immigration in 1895 and was changed again by his mother who liked the sound of the name Anderson.