What Might've Been: The Secret Service (1969)

 It would not be fair to include Gerry Anderson's 1969 series, The Secret Service, as a puppet-centric series for children. On the surface, it does not appear to be the case. Instead, it appears to be a transitional series, as Anderson and then-wife Sylvia, the series' creator, were moving from puppets to live-action, starting with the following year's UFO.

ITC frontman Lord Lew Grade was not happy with the finished product, however, hence only 13 episodes were produced with a mix of puppets and live-action backgrounds. It would be the last puppet series Anderson would produce until Terrahawks in the mid-80's.

Comedian and former war correspondent Stanley Unwine was the inspiration and voice for his puppet alter-ego, a priest who was secretly a spy. Sylvia Anderson was part of the voice cast as well, as normal.

Following is a sample episode, "The Cure":

The Secret Service never aired in the US in its original run in 1969, and some episodes, such as "The Cure", are available on YouTube, so for many of us, it's an introduction to something as different from, say for example, Fireball XL-5 or Thunderbirds as the seasons themselves.

Rating: B-.