Supermarionation "Thunderbirds", who closely resembled Sylvia Anderson, and Captain Blue in "Captain Scarlet", who looked like Ed Bishop (the similarity was reportedly coincidental). Other characters were based on well-known film actors: Troy Tempest of "Stingray" was based on James Garner, Scott Tracy of "Thunderbirds" on Sean Connery and Captain Scarlet on Cary Grant. "Stingray" also featured the only non-speaking Supermarionation puppet: the water-breathing woman Marina. Occasionally, close-ups of a live actor's hand would be inserted to show actions such as turning keys and pressing buttons. This was affectionately parodied in the 2004 live-action feature film "Thunderbirds", with a brief shot of
Stingray (1964 TV series) Sky One from 2002 to 2003. In the US, the series was first broadcast in 1965. Premiering in colour, it was syndicated across more than 100 markets with total sales exceeding £3 million. Sci-Fi Channel aired the series between 1992 and 1997 as part of its "Sci-Fi Cartoon Quest" programming block. "Stingray" was featured in the Supermarionation tie-in comic "TV Century 21" from its first issue, published by AP Films (Merchandising) in January 1965. The 1960s also saw the publication of two original novels by Armada Books: "Stingray" and "Stingray and the Monster", written by John William Jennison under the