Desmond Saunders

Directing

Desmond Saunders

Born — Died

1926-06-24 — 2018-04-02

Place of birth

Lewisham, London, England, UK

Known for

Directing

Credits

36 titles

Desmond "Des" Saunders (24 June 1926– 21 April 2018) was a British television director and film editor. He had a long association with producer Gerry Anderson, having served as a director for the series Supercar (1961–62), Stingray (1964–65), Thunderbirds (1965–66), Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–68), Joe 90 (1968–69) and Terrahawks (1983–86). Saunders was also production controller for Joe 90 and co-wrote one of the episodes, "Lone-Handed 90". He briefly worked as a production supervisor for The Secret Service (1969). Elsewhere in television, Saunders had both production and post-production roles for The Protectors (1972–73). His film editing credits are: RX for Murder (1958), A…

Known for

Film credits

Series credits

Behind the camera

Stingray: Hostages of the Deep poster
NR

When an undersea alien named Gadus kidnaps World Navy Admiral Carson and his wife from their remote island home, Troy, Phones and Marina head off on a rescue mission in Stingray.

Stingray: Hostages of the Deep

1965

Stingray: The Ghost Ship poster
NR

When an old galleon is spotted in the middle of the ocean, Commander Shore joins the Stingray crew to investigate, but they unknowingly walk into a trap set up by an undersea pirate.

Stingray: The Ghost Ship

1964

Stingray: Subterranean Sea poster
NR

The Stingray crew are about to go on a well-deserved vacation, but have to cancel when two scientists discover a new underground seabed.

Stingray: Subterranean Sea

1964

Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman poster
NR

In the Himalayas, Last Penelope and Parker investigate a series of kidnappings attributed to the Abominable Snowman, only to find themselves in the clutches of the Hood!

Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman

2015

Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman poster
NR

In the Himalayas, Last Penelope and Parker investigate a series of kidnappings attributed to the Abominable Snowman, only to find themselves in the clutches of the Hood!

Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman

2015

Stingray: Aquanaut of the Year poster
NR

After receiving the 'Aquanaut of the Year' award, Troy finds himself part of a 'This is Your Life' programme where he reminisces some of his greatest adventures.

Stingray: Aquanaut of the Year

1965

Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive poster
NR

After a series of Fireflash airliners start inexplicably crashing into the sea, International Rescue volunteers to assist in the investigation.

Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive

1965

Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker poster
6.0

Brains' new airliner Skythrust hosts a fashion show aboard its maiden flight, but the plane is hijacked by crooks intent on stealing a revolutionary fabric to be modelled by Lady Penelope.

Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker

1966

Stingray: Raptures of the Deep poster
NR

After rescuing two stranded aquanauts, Troy finds a load of jewels and becomes a rich, selfish snob. He turns his back on the WASPs and builds a palace on the ocean floor where he bosses his friends around.

Stingray: Raptures of the Deep

1964

Stingray: Star of the East poster
NR

An Eastern dictator named El Hudat arrives in Marineville, wishing to become a member of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol.

Stingray: Star of the East

1965

Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope poster
9.0

Lady Penelope goes on the trail of a kidnapped scientist, only to find herself in mortal danger at the hands of a megalomaniac determined to exploit the expert's work to his advantage.

Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope

1965

Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep poster
NR

International Rescue must save the crew of a new super tanker when it sails into a patch of sea harbouring a fungus that reacts explosively with the vessel's cargo of liquid fuel.

Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep

1966

Stingray: Marineville Traitor poster
NR

When Lieutenant Fisher is attacked and an essential component for a new device is stolen from the control tower, all signs point to a traitor within Marineville. Troy believes that Commander Shore might be the spy and tries to get proof.

Stingray: Marineville Traitor

1965

Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact poster
7.0

Hired by General Bron to sabotage Britain's new Red Arrow fighter jet, the Hood endangers two technicians when he causes the plane's second prototype to crash into a TV relay tower.

Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact

1965

Thunderbirds 1965: Introducing Thunderbirds poster
NR

International Rescue founder Jeff Tracy takes his new agents, Lady Penelope and Parker, on a tour of his family's island, where his sons demonstrate their amazing Thunderbird machines.

Thunderbirds 1965: Introducing Thunderbirds

2015

Thunderbirds 4K Double Bill - Atlantic Inferno / Attack of the Alligators! poster
NR

Thunderbirds is blasting off back to the cinemas once again with a double bill of two classic episodes restored, for the first time ever, in ultra HD with HDR and newly restored 5.1 surround sound.

Thunderbirds 4K Double Bill - Atlantic Inferno / Attack of the Alligators!

2026

Thunderbirds: Security Hazard poster
NR

After discovering a young boy aboard Thunderbird 2, Jeff tries to decide how to deal with the stowaway while his sons break protocol by enthralling him with tales of their past adventures.

Thunderbirds: Security Hazard

1966

Thunderbirds: Give or Take a Million poster
4.0

On Christmas Eve, two bank robbers stow away on board a rocket ship delivering gifts to a children's hospital - one of which is a special invitation to Tracy Island.

Thunderbirds: Give or Take a Million

1966

Thunderbirds: The Uninvited poster
9.0

While returning to base, Scott is attacked by mysterious fighter aircraft and shot down over the Sahara. Discovered by two archaeologists, they soon find themselves in search of the legendary lost Pyramid of Khamandides.

Thunderbirds: The Uninvited

1965

Thunderbirds: The Imposters poster
NR

When International Rescue is framed for theft, the organisation's intelligence network must clear their name before the Tracys are arrested, responding to a distress call they cannot ignore.

Thunderbirds: The Imposters

1966

Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril poster
7.0

The US Army are testing their new armoured vehicle, the Sidewinder, when suddenly the ground gives way, leaving the machine stuck in a burning pit. International Rescue are called in to haul it out and rescue the three-man crew on board.

Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril

1965

Thunderbirds: Atlantic Inferno poster
NR

While Jeff goes on vacation with Lady Penelope in Australia, Scott struggles to coordinate International Rescue's response to a fire that threatens an oil drilling platform in the Atlantic.

Thunderbirds: Atlantic Inferno

1966

Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected poster
8.0

The year is 2020, and Mars has been invaded by the evil android Zelda, who plans the total destruction of the human race; on Earth, an elite fighting force, the Terrahawks, stands ready at its secret base to counter Zelda's first attack.

Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected

1983

Inside the Labyrinth poster
7.6

A behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film, 'Labyrinth', featuring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

Inside the Labyrinth

1986

The Amazing Adventures Of Joe 90 poster
NR

A remarkable invention turns a nine-year-old boy named Joe into a secret agent with super-powers and plunges him into a sensational career.

The Amazing Adventures Of Joe 90

1981

Invaders from the Deep poster
5.3

A compilation of four episodes from the Supermarionation series Stingray. When aquatic aliens plot to take over the planet, the world aquanaut security patrol are called in to battle the aliens.

Invaders from the Deep

1981

This Is Supermarionation poster
8.0

A compilation of the best of Supermarionation in High Definition. Sit back and enjoy some rare treats on a journey through Supermarionationland. Parker, Lady Penelope and Brains are your hosts, introducing some of the very best episodes from the Supermarionation archive as well as news items, commercial breaks with tie-in adverts and much more. Stand By For Action! - Four Feather Falls: Gunfight on Main Street - Supercar: False Alarm - Fireball XL5: Space City Special - Stingray: Pilot - Thunderbirds: Terror in New York City - Captain Scarlet: The Mysterons - Joe 90: Hi-Jacked - The Secret Service: More Haste, Less Speed

This Is Supermarionation

2014

HD21 The Worlds of Gerry Anderson in High Definition poster
NR

Episodes from Gerry Anderson's Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and The Secret Service in High Definition.

HD21 The Worlds of Gerry Anderson in High Definition

2016

Thunderbirds to the Rescue poster
NR

A compilation of two episodes from the Supermarionation series Thunderbirds. A new super satellite has gone into orbit. Permanently manned, it is now in space to help humanity as the monitor station always on the alert to spot trouble, receive messages for help and set in motion the world's most exciting organisation, International Rescue...

Thunderbirds to the Rescue

1980

Stingray: In Search of the Tajmanon poster
NR

Stingray and its crew are sent to look for the missing Tajmanon temple in Africa, after it mysteriously vanishes and evidence points to a certain tribe as the culprits. The situation quickly worsens when the crew find themselves captured.

Stingray: In Search of the Tajmanon

1964

Captain Scarlet vs. The Mysterons poster
NR

Astronauts on a mission to Mars attack the city of the Mysterons, a race of aliens with the ability to create duplicates of beings and objects. In revenge, the Mysterons declare war on humanity.

Captain Scarlet vs. The Mysterons

1980

Countdown to Disaster poster
NR

International Rescue sends the incredible Thunderbirds on the most dangerous rescue missions yet. They must save the Empire State Building from collapsing on New York City and at the same time battle a deadly fire blazing out of control in a mid-Atlantic oil station.

Countdown to Disaster

1982

Stingray: Rescue from the Skies poster
NR

Lieutenant Fisher is training to be an aquanaut and is in command of Stingray for a training exercise involving target practice. However, Agent X-2-Zero has planted a bomb on the last target, hoping for a chance to destroy Stingray.

Stingray: Rescue from the Skies

1965