Ken Turner (director)
Encyclopedia
Ken Turner is a British
television and film director
and screenwriter who has worked extensively on series created by Gerry Anderson
.
As well as directing various episodes of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
(1967-68), Joe 90
(1968-69) and UFO
(1970-71), he also served as assistant director
on the film Thunderbirds Are Go
(1966).
Away from the Anderson productions, he scripted and directed the 1971 sex comedy
film The Love Pill and directed for the 1978 TV series The Bubblies.
He also collaborated with David Mitton
, director on Thomas and Friends, to establish their own company, Clearwater Films, from which they started to make TV advertisements using stop-motion animation. After Turner left the company, Mitton teamed up with director Robert D. Cardona
to change the name to Clearwater Features
, the production company behind the first two seasons of Thomas and Friends and its spin-off series, TUGS
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
television and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter who has worked extensively on series created by Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
.
As well as directing various episodes of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
(1967-68), Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
(1968-69) and UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
(1970-71), he also served as assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on the film Thunderbirds Are Go
Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science-fiction film based on Thunderbirds, a 1960s television series starring marionette puppets and featuring scale model effects in a filming process dubbed "Supermarionation"...
(1966).
Away from the Anderson productions, he scripted and directed the 1971 sex comedy
Sex comedy
Sex comedy is a term for comedy movies with sexual content usually referring to those made in the United Kingdom in the mid 1970s. They may range from comic pornographic films like the Confessions series to relatively innocent comedies that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humour,...
film The Love Pill and directed for the 1978 TV series The Bubblies.
He also collaborated with David Mitton
David Mitton
David Nelson Godfrey Mitton was a British television producer and director, and an experienced model maker and author, best known for directing and producing the children's television shows TUGS and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends...
, director on Thomas and Friends, to establish their own company, Clearwater Films, from which they started to make TV advertisements using stop-motion animation. After Turner left the company, Mitton teamed up with director Robert D. Cardona
Robert D. Cardona
Robert D. Cardona is an American writer, producer, director and animator. Cardona co-founded Clearwater Features, along with David Mitton, in 1980.-Career:...
to change the name to Clearwater Features
Clearwater Features
Clearwater Features Ltd. was a British film production company that produced the first two seasons of the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from 1984 to 1986, for The Britt Allcroft Company. Clearwater is also known for creating the hit children's TV show TUGS...
, the production company behind the first two seasons of Thomas and Friends and its spin-off series, TUGS
TUGS
TUGS is a British children's television series, first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who...
.