Desmond Saunders
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 Woman's Temptation (1959), Escort for Hire (1960), Compelled (1960), Tarnished Heroes and So Evil, So Young (both 1961) and Voyage of the Damned (1976). He was sound editor for Floods of Fear (1959).
While working on puppet series for Anderson, the A.P. Films team received constant requests to make the puppets more real. Once, Saunders chose all of the male puppets and put little penises on them. When the girls came in during the morning, there was, as Saunders describes, "the most terrible uproar". In response, he said: "Well, you know, you gotta bring them to life somehow, haven't you?".
He died on 21 April 2018 at the age of 91.
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Movies (47)
Thunderbirds 4K Double Bill - Atlantic Inferno / Attack of the Alligators!
2026 · Director
Target: Captain Black!
2026 · Supervising Technical Director
Century 21 Revisited
2025 · Himself
Thunderbirds 55/GOGO
2022 · Teleplay
HD21 The Worlds of Gerry Anderson in High Definition
2016 · Director
Thunderbirds 1965: Introducing Thunderbirds
2015 · Producer
Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman
2015 · Producer, Writer
This Is Supermarionation
2014 · Director
Filmed in Supermarionation
2014 · Self
Inside the Labyrinth
1986 · Director
Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected
1983 · Director
Countdown to Disaster
1982 · Director
Invaders from the Deep
1981 · Director
The Amazing Adventures Of Joe 90
1981 · Director
Thunderbirds to the Rescue
1980 · Director
Captain Scarlet vs. The Mysterons
1980 · Director
Voyage of the Damned
1976 · Editor
The Secret Service: More Haste, Less Speed
1969 · Production Supervisor
The Secret Service: A Case For The Bishop
1969 · Production Supervisor
Thunderbirds: Give or Take a Million
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: Atlantic Inferno
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: Security Hazard
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: The Imposters
1966 · Director
Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive
1965 · Director
Thunderbirds: The Uninvited
1965 · Director
Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact
1965 · Director
Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope
1965 · Director
Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril
1965 · Director
Stingray: Aquanaut of the Year
1965 · Director
Stingray: Marineville Traitor
1965 · Director
Stingray: Hostages of the Deep
1965 · Director
Stingray: Eastern Eclipse
1965 · Director
Stingray: Star of the East
1965 · Director
Stingray: Rescue from the Skies
1965 · Director
Stingray: In Search of the Tajmanon
1964 · Director
Stingray: Raptures of the Deep
1964 · Director
Stingray: Subterranean Sea
1964 · Director
Stingray: The Ghost Ship
1964 · Director
Tarnished Heroes
1961 · Editor
So Evil, So Young
1961 · Editor
Date at Midnight
1960 · Editor
A Taste of Money
1960 · Editor
A Woman's Temptation
1959 · Editor
Rx Murder
1958 · Editor
The Crimson Pirate
1952 · First Assistant Editor
TV shows (10)
Presented in Supercolorisation
2022 · Director
Thunderbirds: The Anniversary Episodes
2020 · Teleplay
Stand by for Action
2007 · Self
Terrahawks
1983 · Director
The Secret Service
1969 · Production Supervisor
Joe 90
1968 · Director, Writer, Production Manager
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
1967 · Director
Thunderbirds
1965 · Director
Stingray
1964 · Director
Supercar
1961 · Director