Thunderbirds Are Go!

Lady Penelope and her real life creator Sylvia Anderson are looking forward to meeting everyone at SFX Weekender 2

Twenty-first Century heroes Steve Zodiac, Troy Tempest, Captain Scarlet, and Joe 90 all bear Sylvia’s hallmark for creating appealing and extraordinary characters. Most famously of all, she fashioned the popular Tracy family for the award-winning series Thunderbirds together with her most iconic character, the elegant, charming and deadly dangerous super-agent Lady Penelope - for whom she also supplied that unforgettably aristocratic voice. New worlds of live action adventure followed, with the launch of futuristic alien invasion UFO and the mind-stretching voyages of Moonbase Alpha in Space 1999 , both now recognised as outstanding achievements in science fiction television production. In the 1980’s Sylvia began a new role at the forefront of transatlantic film and television production as the UK’s representative for America’s leading cable TV channel Home Box Office (HBO) with responsibility for developing new production ideas and talent. It was during this time that her programmes enjoyed a spectacular return to popularity with repeat transmissions, best-selling toys and DVD releases, culminating in the Hollywood big screen live-action revival of Thunderbirds and even a highly prized accolade of an appearance on the cult comedy Absolutely Fabulous – an appropriate description for Sylvia Anderson’s remarkable contribution to popular entertainment. “Get out the Rolls Royce Parker, we’re going to Camber Sands…F.A.B My Lady!” FAB!

The SFX Weekender 2 takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex on Friday 4th February and Saturday 5th February 2011, with our Pre Party on Thursday 3rd February for the early birds. VIP tickets are already sold out, and tickets for the pre-party are going fast, but there are still other options available. Make sure you get yours before it's too late! Book now by calling 08700 11 00 34, or head to www.sfxweekender.com/tickets for more information.

I'm the Managing Editor, Entertainment here at GamesRadar+, overseeing the site's film and TV coverage. In a previous life as a print dinosaur, I was the Deputy Editor of Total Film magazine, and the news editor at SFX magazine. Fun fact: two of my favourite films released on the same day - Blade Runner and The Thing.