Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson has died at the age of 83 near Oxfordshire.
His son Jamie said he died peacefully in his sleep at midday on Boxing Day in a nursing home, having suffered with mixed dementia for the past few years.
"We've been really, really touched by just the outpouring of gratitude for what Dad did for TV in this country," Jamie Anderson told Sky News.
Anderson also created Captain Scarlet, Stingray, Joe 90 and Space:1999.
Nick Williams, the chairman of Fanderson - a Gerry Anderson appreciation society - said: "To those who met him Gerry was a quiet, unassuming but determined man.
"His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works.
"Gerry's legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world."
Anderson was diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago and his condition worsened over the past six months.