Logo descriptions by Cody E.
Logo captures by


Background: AP Films (later becoming Century 21 Productions) was a British independent film production company of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. The company became world-famous with its imaginative children's action-adventure marionette shows - most notably Thunderbirds - produced for British independent broadcasting companies Associated-Rediffusion, Granada, ABC Weekend TV and ATV.


AP Films

1st Logo
(1957-1962)

Logo: In an oval, we see the words "MADE BY" positioned over the letters "APF."

Variants:

• One show had the otherwise-superimposed logo as a live-action shape, hainging from a bar.
• Some shows have "MADE BY" positioned above the oval.
• Some shows have "MAIDENHEAD" (presumably the marionette-making company) below the oval.
• "Torchy the Battery Boy" has "in association with GRANADA T.V. NETWORK" below the oval.

FX: None. The live-action shape swung a little.

Cheesy Factor: The oval kind of looks hand-drawn.

Music: The closing theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on AP Films-produced shows of the period.

Scare Factor: None to low.



2nd Logo
(1962-1965)


Logo: We see the APF oval logo from the last logo, now stretched out at the center making the logo seem more round. Above it we see "AN" and below it we see "TELEVISION PRODUCTION."

FX: None, it's a still logo.

Cheesy Factor: The words "AN" and "TELEVISION PRODUCTION" kinda detract from the cool, 3D-ish look of the APF logo.

Music: None. Sometimes it used the show's closing theme.

Availability: Seen on AP Films-produced shows of the period.

Scare Factor: None to low.
_______________________________________________________________

Century 21 Cinema/Television Productions

(1965-1970)

Logo: We see a slanted grey CENTURY above a much bigger 21, which is red and also slanted. Underneath that, we see the slanted words TELEVISION PRODUCTION (for TV shows) or CINEMA PRODUCTION (for movies); TELEVISION/CINEMA are gray while PRODUCTION is red. Next to the word "CENTURY" is the phrase "a GERRY ANDERSON," in a thick white font (thin stretched-out font for movies). Behind the whole design we see several circle outlines stretching and moving outward, as if they're being transferred from a radio tower. After a few seconds, we see an orange-colored cone shape (presumably representing a spaceship) zoom up from the bottom-left corner of the screen and fly through the numbers "2" and "1", eventually lodging itself in between them. The presentation freezes, then fades out.

FX: The radio tower circles, the cone flying.

Cheesy Factor: Limited animation. Cool design, though.

Music: A high violin note, which rapidly falls in tone, ending with a cymbal crash when the cone hits. The crash leaves an echo, which is heard as the logo fades out.

Availability: Seen on any Century 21-produced shows and/or movies of this period.

Scare Factor: Low to medium.