Gerry Anderson Primer: Dick Spanner

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Have you seen Dick Spanner before? Isn't it nice to hear Shane Rimmer's voice?

[@grumpyoldman3458]

I loved it, I often wondered if Gerry Anderson tried the dad puns at home and used the best (worst?) on the show.

[@SgtScorpious]

No on seeing it, yes on hearing it

[@StrayGator]

Always loved Dick Spanner. Wish they'd made more! I always wondered if the script for the third case was finished.

[@adamtaylor5749]

I watched late night version - CH4 messed about with times so didn't see end first story. CH4 messed about with time one eps was at 1.25am!

[@camieyt6260]

I’ve uploaded some of the episodes to my yt channel so people can still enjoy it as my videos are the only ones on yt still

[@DanteTube]

I don’t know why, but the visual effects are so amazing!

[@nightshardthefanguidebrony847]

Shane Rimmer will be missed he nailed the character very well and also i wish this would be brought back stop motion doesnt get that much recognition. especially from gerry's works

[@lucygoodwin4407]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@lucygoodwin4407]

Scott tracy thunderbird one was my ever bestest one episode 😭😭😭😭😭

[@MarkTheMorose]

I remember it from back in the day; the 'Spanner hammers washers and bolts' scene is pure, sheer genius!

[@viennapalace]

One of the greatest, if not the greatest stop-motion animated series ever produced on this planet. Nothing like it was produced before it & nothing since has come close. Shame there aren't more of them. The humor, the puns, the imagination, the sheer irreverence of it all... A true classic in every sense of the word!

[@davidburton2229]

My dad got this on DVD when it first came out and I've loved it ever since

[@paulware4701]

Many years ago I was in a bar in Portugal where I met a large group of Dutch agriculture students (as you do) who spoke limited English - and I spoke no Dutch. We chatted about this and that, and eventually the word "animation" came up (and I really can't remember how - I'm still surprised I can remember anything of that night). My effort to explain what "animation" meant fell on deaf ears - Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney, Snow White - nothing could get the idea across. Then, out of nowhere, I said "Dick Spanner". The cry went round the room: "Dick Spanner!!!!!!!!!" in assorted Dutch voices. Seems Mr Spanner was huge in Holland. Not sure what any of this proves, but it was great fun at the time.

[@parkerproductions4546]

I've really been enjoying this series. Learned of so many Gerry Anderson show I'd never seen or heard of before...! Keep it up!

[@1701echopapa]

Robots and bad puns? Where have you been all of my life?

[@ListerDavid]

Can not wait to see this! I love Spanner it is one of my favourites, I remember when channel 4 showed it at silly o’clock in the morning.

[@richardmattocks]

I remember watching Dick on Network 7. Utterly brilliant!

[@obungass]

Thanks for keeping this video 4:3 friendly. Loved watching this on the Sony WEGA CRT

[@TheRealKaiProton]

Back in the day, I watched this on Network 7, I had no idea it was Anderson back then, if only it could be revived.

[@lukegreen5341]

Shane Rimmer Is Also Played Commander Carter From The Spy Who Loved Me In 1977 With Roger Moore As James Bond 007 And He Also Played The Voice Of Scott Tracy From Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds The Original Series In 1965. Thanks Mate. X

[@alexkelly6449]

He was in Star Wars as well

[@lukegreen5341]

Oh Really. I've Didn't Know That Shane Rimmer Is Also A Big Star Wars Fan. Thanks Alex Kelly Mate. X

[@Omegajunior2658]

I've seen this 1987 British stop-motion animated comedy series on KZbin before. I thought I never watched any old British television programmes like that before in my entire life. It looks pretty interesting. Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@iandeeley9033]

Remember watching the first story in full on the Anderson TV website! Those were the days!

[@Brookspirit]

I remember watching this a the time. I enjoyed it. It's good to see it again.

[@Rhubba]

A few years ago I met Terry Adlam because he's a friend of a friend of mine. We have very similar senses of humour, and are big James Bond fans, and have since become friends. He's still cranking out the puns and writing funny, but always silly and slightly surreal sketches.

[@FloweredUp-n4t]

Remember finding the VHS tapes of both series of this in a charity shop getting on for 20 or so years ago and once i got around to watching them wondering why I'd never heard of this series before.

[@st3v3ndc]

I remember watching this in late 80's to early 90's along with max headroom and celebrity deathmatch, might have been on MTV at the time

[@Axaul]

I would’ve been disappointed if that “bizaaaahhrrree” sound bite wasn’t used 😂😂😂

[@StrayGator]

Who the hell keeps saying that?

[@menkomonty]

Rest in Peace, Shane.

[@MGSBigBoss77]

R.I.P. Shane Rimmer. Every great film director or producer has had their Bobby DeNiro for their Martin Scorsese? Noted film director; Joe Dante had the late actor 'Dick Miller' (R.I.P.) and Robert Picardo, John Carpenter has; Kurt Russell, Sam Raimi has; Bruce Campbell, James Cameron had Bill Paxton until his tragic death in recent years (R.I.P.) with whom he had the most collaborations with in his films! Shane Rimmer was Gerry Anderson's main guy for sheer decades as his; Bobby DeNiro! Rest in peace sir and thank you for the time we spent in the early 2000's at a convention, it was a pleasure meeting up with you.

[@ghosthead84]

I love Dick ... Spanner. Great addition to the Primer series, I've been eagerly awaiting this one. I picked up the most recent DVD release but have foolishly not watched it yet, time to remedy that.

[@garyhosty9874]

so nostalgic...I'd forgotten him completely - bonkers.

[@FurdemonLar]

I enjoyed watching Dick Spanner during the late 80's in Canada on First Choice Superchannel.

[@jackmessent3490]

"The name's Spanner, Dick Spanner - Private Investigator" R.I.P Shane Rimmer.

[@kenjackson6055]

Long may he solve crimes in the big pear of the heavens.

[@patwaters-actormoviereviewer]

When I found Episodes of this show online, my exact reaction was "WTF is this and What am I watching!?" It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen.

[@StrayGator]

Gotta wish there were more episodes!

[@michaelclarke124]

Both series are on you tube

[@robinstevens7651]

Never heard about this series. I love Philip Marlowe with Powers Boothe, and Mike Hammer (80's series)

Inlove it. I saw it when i was 10year old

[@listerofsmeg884]

just came across this after seeing the DVD advertised on FB. Never heard of it before. From the visuals and slightly adult gags i thought it was something off Adult Swim initially.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Welcome to the stranger side of Anderson!

[@thomasspooner6129]

I only ever occasionally caught bits of this on C4, although I remember the tennents ads well.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

"WOWSERS!" - Inspector Gadget.

[@wayneclayton5426]

'Bazar' Was it sampled from the series, or was it sampled from a pop song? Love Missile??

[@m-arky66]

Maybe, Sigue Sigue Sputnik , Love Missile F1-11?

[@boombringer4078]

I thought this was a fever dream 😂😂

[@darryllharden9141]

In respect and fairness I got both version of 2007 and 2017 DVD releases and l liked them both for all the right reasons and I managed to get one of them signed by Shane Rimmer himself when he made comic con appearances.

[@numberstation]

I think I was hung over every time I watched Dick Spanner.

[@abbynormal4740]

This would have been spot on study break viewing during college finals! 😆😂🤣

[@daviddunning4029]

I had forgotten the Lou Tennant ads. I assume that they used Viv Stanshall to voice him after hearing the Bonzos' "Big Shot" track which was also a parody of the film noir detective series.

[@DanielleKingdjdinosaur]

oh god i remember this.

[@limzog9]

Holy crap I remember the advert with the stick men ..didn't know it was Jerry Anderson

[@quillerpen]

Love Dick Spanner! But can someone please tell me where I can find the 'Case of the Screaming Dame'? I'd never even heard of that one before

[@GerryAndersonTV]

It’s an extra feature on the DVD set

[@leeselden1943]

Gerry Anderson is up there with Douglas Adam's and Seth Macfarlane (family guy) Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant

[@permvw]

Who is the narrator of the Primer videos? has he done any more videos on the channel?

[@ACtheLegend]

Chris Dale!

[@danyv8207]

Wow I think Dick Spanner inspired also a lot Matt Groening about Futurama and Bender

[@Omegajunior2658]

Did the gnome just fart in the beer ad from the 1980s? 😂😂😂

[@TheGaryHughes]

The early version of fallouts nick valentine?

[@timepoet77]

I wish this would air in the USA.

[@cyrilleliszt5670]

You've got Trump. He's a dick, and a spanner.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

@@cyrilleliszt5670 I really wish I was the one who got to say this first, congratulations.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

👍👍

[@Nige031077]

1 Dislike? 😕 Must've been a ex Controller of Ch 4. ☺

[@fhjack25]

7:26 the what

[@m-arky66]

The non Jewish version!

[@odizm5196]

look like something you see in Mtv's liquid television

[@DaveMan1K]

PLEASE tell me there's a Blu-ray release of this, or one is planned!

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Just DVD

[@DaveMan1K]

@@GerryAndersonTV Just found it on the store.

[@darryllharden9141]

"The name's Spanner!...Dick Spanner!...Private Investigator!". 'Dick Spanner P.I'.was first unleashed on the unsuspecting British Public in May 1987."What an entrance!".Set in a Parallel Universe not far from here, The show followed the cases of Dick Spanner A Robotic Private Detective living in a Futuristic and Dangerous City known as The Big Pear. Across 22,Six minute episodes, Dick would take a trip to Mexico in search of Harry the Human Cannonball who had disappeared after he was fired. And then to the glittering lights of Ivywood where he became embroiled in a battle between The Talls and The Smalls while searching for the maltese parrot."Bah!...Bah!, Wh,Whats up,Dick?". Dick's Investigations would often be aided by The Glamourous Mae East. "When she moved, it was like watching a sackful of bowling balls!". Frustrated by the suspicious Lieutenant O' Grady."O' Grady called me aside!...I called him Lieutenant O' Grady!". And almost thwarted by such Dastardly Villains as Sidney Sidestreet, Mob Boss Mendoza, Circus Owner,Senor Olover and Movie Director, Eric Von Strombow. "I spotted the resemblance...I figured they were identical Triplets!".Following completion of 'Terrahawks', Gerry Anderson had been producing Television Commericals, But was always open to new ideas from people who had worked with him previously.Terry Adlam, A former 'Terrahawks' Visual Effects Assistant was looking to work on these commercials as a story board artist and came to a meeting with Anderson armed with a portfolio of sketches and doodles. Anderson was particularly taken with an image of an Robotic Private Dectective .And Adlam pitched the character to him on the spot as a combination of Philip Marlowe and Inspector Cleaseau living in a futuristic Blade Runner style universe. "I told him the whole damn thing from the beginning!".Anderson instantly saw the potential of the character and teamed Adlam with Writer,Tony Barwick to begin working on scripts. Barwick who had most recently written 35 of the 39 episodes of 'Terrahawks' and had been primarily responsible for the show's drastic shift towards comedy, Was a perfect partner for the pun loving Adlam and his assignment to the new series insured that it would be the strangest and silliness Anderson Production of all time. "I took the elevator up to the 14th floor!...My office is on the 15th!... But that's another story!".The scripts would be packed with bad jokes and painful puns, Supported by whatever visual gags, The Team had dreamt up in the Bar the previous lunchtime. "I settled for a rusty nail!". The result was a series in which the narrative often took second place to the jokes which ran the gauntlet from amusing word play to looney tunes style slapstick and which was slighly more risque that any other previous Anderson Production.With the comedic tone of the series now firmly set, The first six minute episode was shot at April 1985 at Bray Studios which had previously served as the base of production for both Terrahawks and the Space:1999 model departments. "Remember that one?".And appropriately enough 'Terrahawks' Effects Director Steve Begg joined the team to help bring Dick to life. "I told them to hold their heads high!".In another noticable departure from what had gone before, the series would be produced using stop motion animation.Although had stop motion had ocasionally been used in previous Anderson series most notably in 'Terrahawks' This would be the first to be entirely animated in this way. "I left them to it!".This pilot was then pitched to broadcasters with the aim of getting a commission for a full series, Which finally came in the form of a request from Channel Four for 22, 6 Minute episodes. The 22 Episodes would actually form Two 11 Part Stories. 'The Case Of Human Cannonball'. and 'The Case of The Maltese Parrot'. Each installment would end with a cliffhanger that often saw Dick plunging to his doom, Frantically searching for his pockets for excatly the wrong tool to get him out of this latest jam."German Limbo Dancing by Unter Debarr!..Jumping geehosifer!...How many times can you be wrong?". however 'Dick Spanner' wasn't an especially a big budget production which prohibited the hiring of a full voice cast as a result Dick's narration would have to tell the whole story and his voice would be provided by none other than Scott Tracy himself Shane Rimmer. "It was time to hit the sack!...The sharp stab of pain made me realised...Was a dumb move!". Rimmer would prove to be a perfect fit for the character playing Spanner dead straight while also giving a bizarre dignity that only made his constant failure even more amusing."Ah ha!". Other character voices were provided as needed by members of the production team with The Glamourous Mae East needed east being voiced by none other than Terry Adlam himself.The series would air in the UK as part of Network 7, Channel Four's new Sunday Lunchtime magazine programme for young adults, With each episode usually appearing about 1:20 pm. "The Press was on to it like a shot!. "Can't wait!, This a scoop!".The show was well recieved by both the channel and viewers alike with its outrageous deeply surreal proving particularly popular with those still recovering from the night before. While Dick was pounding the streets of The Big Pear, Anderson had been producing a series of commercials for Tennent's Pilsner starring a very similar robotic private eye. "Lou!...Lou Tennent's the name!". Lou Tennent voiced by Vivian stanshall also lived in a surreal stop motion universe and had a girlfriend who bore a strong resemblance to Mae East. "I asked the Barman for a Tennent's Pilsner!...The cool taste was music inside me!". These ads usually ended with Lou being forced to choose between his tennents Pilsner or some measure of fame and fortune and always selecting the latter. "Tennent's Pilsner!...It's good!...But,huh huh,not that good!". Although Dick Spanner would not return for Network 7's Second Series,The show was so popular that Channel Four would scheduled seperate Late Night and Evening repeats of both adventures that recut each 11 Part Story into 2, Twenty five minute installments brief "When one door shuts ...Another one closes!".These would be last chance to catch Dick on British Television, Although a brief clip from the series would later appear in an episode of Anderson's Late 90's stop motion fantasy series 'Lavender Castle'. "Ripper!..I Haven't seen this for years!". In 2007 'Dick Spanner' was finally released on DVD, But much to the dismay of many fans the episodes were cropped into Widescreen and given an entirely new musical score and new end credits. "Another dumb move!". It would be another 10 Years before the complete uncut Dick arrived on DVD .This time featuring all 22 Episodes in their Original Format, Plus The Channel Four compilation versions. "Telegram for Mr,Spanner!".Even more exciting was the inclusion of several new adventures for Spanner,One of which was a recently rediscovered first installment of an abandoned third 'Dick Spanner' story from 1987. This time with Terrahawks actor Jeremy Hitchen proving the title character's voice. "The cold was getting to me...It was freezing my nuts off!". However Shane Rimmer would also be back to voice Dick for a new Two Part Anamatic 'The Case Of The Screaming Dame'.Written, Drawn and Directed by Adlam."Damn and Beavers!...I lost them!...But all the signs seem to intercade they were heading for the Docks!". This was to be Shane's final association with the character before he passed away in May 2019, Leaving behind a legacy of Television and Film Work that included many memorable contributions to the Gerry Anderson Universe. "Dick Spanner!...What a hoot!...He was probably the most lovable character I was ever associated with!". Despite being one of the most unusual and outlandish Gerry Anderson shows.Dick Spanner is also one of the funniest and most creative he ever produced. "They just don't write stuff that good,Today!".Although largely a parody of The Classic Detective genre and The Golden Age Of Hollywood, the series operated on the irrestistable principle that no joke was too broad, too irrelevant or too painful "I was right!...It was custardy!.And as a result appeals to both adults and children alike...Providing you cover their eyes during the naughty bits. Each story builds to a conclusion that has to be seen to be believed and at the centre of all this madness is Shane Rimmer's reliably dead pan Spanner struggling to keep his cool in a World where nothing makes sense. "This is over the top...Way over the top!". Even though some of the jokes really should come with Health Warnings, Dick Spanner is a series that's very difficult to dislike, And only can be really summed up in one word. "Bizahhrre!". "Who is it that keeps saying that?".

[@ACtheLegend]

I gotta ask...why?

[@midpuma513]

Watching this show is reminiscent of being drunk. Very based

[@richmcgee434]

Oh, the Big Pear. Big Apple/New York joke, gotcha. I had gone most of the video assuming it was spelled "Pair" and was an unsubtle boob joke, especially after the Club 69 Lecher Self Go poster. Not a "little" more risque than most of Anderson's work, no.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

It’s both... a triple entendre, if you will.

[@richmcgee434]

@@GerryAndersonTV Fair enough. But the wordplay's funnier than the boob joke.

[@thomaswhalley807]

Can you upload Gerry Anderson Primer Supercar and Lavender Castle

[@arguspanoptes9510]

Philip Marlowe meets meets Clouseau meets Terrahawks meets Airplane

[@timepoet77]

With The Naked Gun added

[@daled4191]

Nick valentine?

[@bobbytate9907]

Scripts were hilarious, voice acting was off the scale, music was wonderful, direction and visuals were deeply cool. ...animation was fucking TERRIBLE