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) incorporates elements from the documentary series "This Is Your Life", which required APF to obtain the approval of its creator, Ralph Edwards. With negotiations between Edwards and APF taking longer than expected, work commenced on an alternative series finale in which Commander Shore and Admiral Denver view highlights from a selection of "Stingray"s missions on a film projector; however, the production of this episode was halted when Edwards gave APF permission to proceed with "Aquanaut of the Year". The linking material from the abandoned episode was re-discovered in either 2000 or 2001 and subsequently included on "Stingray" DVD releases. Several