A Quick Look at TV: STINGRAY

   Stingray was one of the famed Gerry Anderson Supermarionation adventure series, and was in fact the first such to be shot in color. Basically, the British Anderson created kids shows with adult bearings, straight-forward science fiction stories told with puppet characters. Stingray is one of my favorite examples, and was relentlessly cool in following the adventures of the crew of the futuristic submarine Stingray. The nautical theme was played to the hilt. Stingray was the flagship of WASP, the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, based in Marineville somewhere along the West coast of the United States. The captain was Troy Tempest. He and his sidekick Phones worked for Commander Shore, himself confined to a hover-chair/desk after being crippled in action. Shore's daughter Atlanta served as Troy's romantic interest, though their relationship could sometimes be strained by the presence of Marina, a mute princess from an undersea kingdom who joined up with WASP after Troy rescued her from the clutches of undersea dictator Titan, ruler of Titanica. Turns out there're dozens of undersea races, some good and some bad. Tempest and his crew were always running across spies, monsters, and natural phenomenon of the seven seas, as they patrolled the oceans to keep peace -and sometimes go on exploration missions. This one had me hooked from the opening, as we fade in on the open sea and hear Commander Shore bellow "Stand by for action!" Then we see a huge explosion erupt out of the surface of the water and the show's pounding theme music begins! Like most of Anderson's puppet shows, it seems to've been done with miniatures only because it would've been impossible to do with real actors and locations. Stingray was my first Anderson series, and thus will always have a special place in my heart. "Marineville, I am calling battle stations! Anything can happen in the next half hour..."