Adult Swim revives Gerry Anderson's puppetry with Hit Squad

Adult Swim announced Hit Squad at the Annecy Festival, reviving Gerry Anderson’s marionette-based approach to television. The series is based on a 1983 pitch for “a puppet-based television format with merchandising potential,” and follows a style long associated with Anderson’s 1960s shows such as Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds.

Warner Bros. Animation executive vice president Peter Girardi said he attempted to license Anderson’s earlier work but ran into rights complications and then contacted Anderson’s son to find archived ideas. Russell McLean and Darren Walsh, who worked together on the puppet-focused Black Mirror episode “The Waldo Moment,” are updating Anderson’s style with modern technology.

All the effects are practical, with CGI used for mouth movements. A preview screened at the panel centers on a new agent being debriefed on her first day on Hit Squad.

France, Annecy

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