The Secret Service

The Secret Service was the final series to be made by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson that used the Supermarionation techniques they had developed during the 1960s on series like Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

The basic premise of the series is that country priest Father Unwin is actually an undercover agent for BISHOP (British Intelligence Secret Headquarters Operation Priest). Using a device called a Minimiser which is hidden in a book, Father Unwin is able to shrink his gardener, Matthew, to a size that enables him to be carried around in a briefcase and used on various dangerous assignments.

While earlier series had on occasion used humans for close-ups of objects being handled, The Secret Service took things one step further by using a mix of live action and puppetry. Voicing Father Unwin was Stanley Unwin, who often talked in his trademark 'Unwinese'. The series lasted for a mere thirteen episodes before ITC supremo Lew Grade pulled the plug.