Stingray (1964 TV series) "P.W.O.R." – short for "Proceeding With Orders Received". "Stingray" is piloted by the square-jawed Captain Troy Tempest. He is paired with Southern navigator Lieutenant George Lee Sheridan, nicknamed "Phones" for his role as "Stingray"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hydrophone operator. Troy and Phones board "Stingray" by sitting on twin injector seats in Marineville's stand-by lounge, which are lowered into the vessel via injector tubes and then clamped into place. They answer to the crusty "hoverchair"-bound Commander Sam Shore, whose daughter, Lieutenant Atlanta Shore, takes shifts in the Marineville control tower and is enamoured of Troy. At the start of the series, the WASP learns
Gerry Anderson October 1963. This real-life drama inspired Anderson to create a new programme format about a rescue organisation, which eventually became his most famous and popular series, "Thunderbirds" (1964–1966). The dramatic title was inspired by the letter Anderson's older brother Lionel had written to his family during World War II. Grade was very enthusiastic about the concept and agreed to back a series of 25-minute episodes (the same length as "Stingray"), so the Andersons scripted a pilot episode, "Trapped in the Sky", and began production. Gerry initially wanted actress Fenella Fielding to perform the voice of Lady Penelope, but Sylvia convinced