Gerry Anderson's son launches campaign to find 'lost' voice of Joe 90

The series was the latest in a line of successful projects from Gerry and Sylvia, who had previously devised the likes of Fireball XL5 (1962-63), Stingray (1964-65), Thunderbirds (1965-66), and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967-68).

Joe was voiced in all 30 episodes by Len Jones, then aged 16. Prior to Joe 90, Jones had appeared in television series such as Z-Cars (between 1964 and 1968) and Dixon of Dock Green (in 1966), and went on to feature in The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972) and Survivors (1975), as well as the film Straw Dogs (1971).

Jones’ last known acting credit was in 1975 – since then, little is known about the actor, his whereabouts and what he went on to do.

A feature in the Bolton News from 2005 stated that Len then lived in Feltham near London and given up acting aged 23 to work as a London bus driver. In a radio interview with Christian O’Connell for Virgin Radio’s breakfast show in June 2006, Christian was told by a friend of Len’s that Len was working in a warehouse at the time.

On 15th July, a new book is being released to celebrate Joe 90 – Project 90: Technical Operations Manual is a hardback 128-page guide which promises to explore "the comprehensive details of Project 90 – from approved vehicles and state-of-the-art equipment, featuring over 100 new illustrations and new images of vehicles, to skilled personnel and gripping mission case studies."

To mark the book's release, Gerry Anderson's son Jamie Anderson – now Managing Director of Anderson Entertainment – has called on fans to help track down Jones.

"I’m very excited for Joe 90 fans to be able to get their hands on a copy of this stunning book," said Jamie. "It is a must-have collectable for anyone fascinated by the mysterious world of Joe 90 with its espionage and secret agents. Before the release of the book in July, I would love to be able to track down Len Jones, the actor who gave Joe McClaine his voice.

"Len seems to have disappeared from the world of film and television, and I would be thrilled to meet him, present him with a copy of the book and chat with him about what it was like to 'be' Joe. The last I heard was from a radio interview in 2006, when Len was living in the Southeast somewhere. But that was 17 years ago, so who knows where he is now.

"I’ve been known to be a bit of a critic of Joe 90; it certainly isn’t my favourite of my father’s works. As a kid, I always found Joe to be quite irritating. However, I now finally find myself being able to watch it and appreciate the craft and the imagination that went into it. Technically, Joe 90 is yet another step up from Captain Scarlet, and the characterisation is much improved. If we can find Len, then I think it could complete my reconciliation with Joe 90.

"If Len Jones is reading this, or if anyone knows where Len is, please get in touch. I’d be so excited to finally meet Len, 55 years after being the voice of Joe McClaine, and talk with him about what it was like.

"I know that there are many thousands of Joe 90 fans who would also love to know more about Len and his time working with my father on Joe 90. I’m appearing at the Brit Sci Fi Festival in Leicester in June, talking about the new book Project 90: Technical Operations Manual, and it would be an absolute honour to have Len attend as our most special guest, if he can possibly make it."

If you have any information on Len Jones' whereabouts, you can contact Jamie and the team at Anderson Entertainment at joe90@gerryanderson.com.

Project 90: Technical Operations Manual is released on 15th July 2023 and is available to pre-order now.

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