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) with all-colour footage. Jim Sangster and Paul Condon, authors of "Collins Telly Guide", praise the opening titles, writing that "Of all the programmes we've looked at for this book, there is none with a title sequence as thrilling as "Stingray"." According to John Peel, the "Stingray" title sequence contrasts greatly with those of "Supercar" and "Fireball XL5", which he describes as "straight narrative openings". Peel also argues that "Stingray" has influenced the "rapid cutting, pounding rhythms and extreme stylising" of subsequent TV title sequences. The series' closing titles focus on the love triangle between Atlanta, Troy, and Marina, with Troy