Roberta Leigh
Production
Biography
Roberta Leigh was an assumed name for Rita Lewin (née Shulman) (22 December 1926 – 19 December 2014) who was a British author, artist, composer and television producer. She wrote romance fiction and children's stories under the pseudonyms Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott and Rozella Lake. She published her first novel in 1950 and was still actively working on new titles until a year before her death. In addition, she wrote and produced the children's puppet television series The Adventures of Twizzle, Sara and Hoppity, Torchy the Battery Boy, Wonder Boy and Tiger, Send for Dithers and Space Patrol.
Known For
Space Patrol is a science-fiction television series featuring marionettes that was produced in the United Kingdom in 1962 and broadcast beginning in 1963. It was written and produced by Roberta Leigh in association with the Associated British Corporation.
Space Patrol
The Adventures of Twizzle is the very first television show produced by AP Films and specifically Gerry Anderson, after being approached by author Roberta Leigh and her colleague Suzanne Warner. Sources vary as to who directed the series. In addition to his production duties, Anderson also directed the action whilst photography was directed by Arthur Provis, Anderson's founding partner at AP Films. The music for the songs were written by Leslie Clair, the music was scored by Barry Gray, art direction came from Reg Hill and special effects were by Derek Meddings, all of whom would become long-time collaborators with Anderson.
The Adventures of Twizzle
Torchy the Battery Boy was the second television series produced by AP Films and Gerry Anderson, running from 1960 to 1961. It was another collaboration with author Roberta Leigh and was directed by Anderson, with music scored by Barry Gray, art direction from Reg Hill and special effects by Derek Meddings. The second series of 26 episodes was produced by Associated British-Pathé without the involvement of Anderson and AP Films. Both series have been released on DVD. The series followed adventures of the eponymous boy doll with a battery inside him and a lamp in his head, and his master Mr Bumbledrop, voiced by Kenneth Connor, who also voiced a number of other characters.
Torchy the Battery Boy
A variation on the format of Space Patrol, featuring an organisation operating a fleet of patrol craft responsible for protecting the Earth and other Solar planets.
The Solarnauts
A pilot for an unproduced British science fiction space adventure series.
The Solarnauts
Gerry Anderson’s successful career spanned 60 years. Released a decade after his death, this documentary draws on exclusive access to over 30 hours of previously unpublished interviews, in order to share the untold stories that defined his life and body of work.
Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted
Space Bureau of Investigations agent Paul Starr attempts to save an atomic power station on Mars from attack.