Sacha Dhawan, Nicola Walker and more to star in new Gerry Anderson-inspired series
First Action Bureau is produced by Gerry's son Jamie Anderson and Doctor Who's Nicholas Briggs.
Gerry Anderson became a TV icon as creator of over a dozen hit series, including Thunderbirds, Stingray and Space: 1999 – now, a new series from Anderson Entertainment is looking to recapture everything that fans loved about those classic shows, with a modern twist.
First Action Bureau – yes, the acronym is F.A.B. – is a new audio drama podcast that will be released for free, with a first series of 10 weekly episodes launching on 1st October.
The series will feature an all-star voice cast, including Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who), Nicola Walker (Unforgotten), Genevieve Gaunt (Harry Potter) and Paterson Joseph (Noughts + Crosses), as well as a number of Anderson alumni including New Captain Scarlet's Wayne Forester and Space Precinct's Richard James.
The podcast was developed and produced entirely in lockdown by Jamie Anderson, head of Anderson Entertainment and son of Gerry Anderson, and Nicholas Briggs, best known as the voice of Doctor Who's Daleks since 2005.
"First Action Bureau is something different from the worlds of Gerry Anderson," said Jamie. "Anderfans will recognise some elements from other Gerry Anderson series like Thunderbirds, UFO, Space:1999 and even Joe 90. But it’s striking out in a new direction - something contemporary and exciting - from the characters, themes and story, to the way we’ve structured and are delivering this story - as a free podcast to fans worldwide – so there’s no barrier to entry."
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Co-creator and director Nicholas Briggs added: "Having been a fan of Gerry Anderson’s shows since childhood, the opportunity to work with Jamie on this new chapter in the worlds of Gerry Anderson was one I couldn’t resist. We’ve had a fantastic time creating First Action Bureau and hope it’ll be tremendously exciting for Anderfans, audio drama fans and podcast lovers alike."
In the new series, The First Action Bureau exists to protect the Earth - near-utopian by 2068 - from criminal elements before they get the chance to act. Using decades of ‘big data’ and globally connected quantum artificial intelligence, the Bureau is able to predict criminal activity before it occurs.
Nero Jones is the best agent the Bureau has. But something strange is going on. Headaches and bizarre dreams are troubling this deadly assassin, and as her missions continue it becomes increasingly clear that all is not well... not just with her, but with the Bureau itself. But where do the lies end? And where does the truth begin?
Listen to a trailer for First Action Bureau below...
The launch of First Action Bureau will also mark the beginning of something potentially even more exciting for Gerry Anderson fans – the dawn of a connected universe, in the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
F.A.B. will form a shared world of stories alongside the upcoming puppet-led series Gerry Anderson's Firestorm and a planned animated reboot of 1980s series Terrahawks, as Jamie Anderson explained. "The last 12 months or so have been a very exciting time for us at Anderson Entertainment. We’ve been further developing our slate and have now built an entire ‘Anderverse’: a Marvel-style Gerry Anderson universe.
"The previously announced Terrahawks reboot, Gerry Anderson’s Firestorm and First Action Bureau now all exist in the same universe with interweaving and connecting storylines and character arcs. COVID lockdown has allowed us further time to develop and connect these projects, and I’m very excited by the potential of this new 'Anderverse''.
"We’re already in conversation with a number of potential high profile partners, and I’m certain that with the right partners that we can bring together the British version of a Marvel universe, all built around Dad’s incredible legacy."
First Action Bureau will be available via all major podcast platforms, with its first three 10-minute episodes launching on 1st October.
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