Thunderbirds (TV series): Difference between revisions

Thunderbirds
Genre	Science fiction, Disaster, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Created by	Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Written by	Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Tony Barwick, Martin Crump, Alan Fennell, Alan Pattillo, Donald Robertson, Dennis Spooner
Directed by	Brian Burgess, David Elliott, David Lane, Alan Pattillo, Desmond Saunders
Voices of	Peter Dyneley, Shane Rimmer, Sylvia Anderson, Ray Barrett, David Holliday, Jeremy Wilkin, David Graham, Matt Zimmerman, Christine Finn, Paul Maxwell, Charles Tingwell, John Tate
Composer	Barry Gray
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	32 (64 in 30-minute "cliffhanger" format) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Gerry Anderson (Series Two)
Producers	Gerry Anderson (Series One) Reg Hill (Series Two)
Cinematography	John Read
Editors	Peter Elliott, David Lane, Harry Ledger, Harry MacDonald, Len Walter
Camera setup	Single
Running time	49–51 minutes approx.
Production company	AP Films
Original release
Network	ATV
Release	30 September 1965 (1965-09-30) – 25 December 1966 (1966-12-25)
Related
Thunderbirds 2086 (1982 re-make) Turbocharged Thunderbirds (1994 re-edit)

Thunderbirds is a 1960s British science-fiction television series, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, filmed by their production company AP Films and distributed by ITC Entertainment, which was produced using a mixed method of marionette puppetry and scale-model special effects termed "Supermarionation". Set in the 21st century, the series follows the exploits of International Rescue, a secret organisation formed to save people in mortal danger with the help of technologically-advanced land, sea, air and space vehicles and equipment, launched from a hidden base on Tracy Island in the South Pacific Ocean. The main puppet characters are multi-millionaire ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, the founder of International Rescue, and his five sons, who pilot the craft of the Thunderbirds fleet. Periodically re-aired since its original 1965–66 broadcast, Thunderbirds has influenced numerous TV programmes, films and advertisements, has been followed by three feature-length films and a stage play, and has inspired various merchandising campaigns.

Premise

Main article: List of Thunderbirds episodes

The events of Thunderbirds start in 2065. Co-creator Gerry Anderson envisioned a setting of "100 years in the future" – a date supported by visual evidence in the episode "30 Minutes After Noon", and by contemporary tie-ins, such as the Thunderbirds strip in the comic TV Century 21 and the Century 21 mini-album "Thunderbird 3" (in which narrator Alan Tracy states that the year is 2065). The events of the first film sequel, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), occur in 2065 and 2067, and those of the second, Thunderbird 6 (1968), in 2068; the setting of the final TV episode, "Give or Take a Million", is Christmas 2067. The Zero-X spacecraft that appears in Thunderbirds Are Go returns in the first episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, which is also set in 2068. However, some Thunderbirds episodes suggest, either visually or verbally, other settings: 1993 vintage champagne is referenced in "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker", and according to a calendar on Tracy Island, the events of "Give or Take a Million" take place in December 2026.

The series follows the adventures of the Tracy family, headed by multi-millionaire American astronaut Jeff Tracy (one of the first to land on the Moon) and comprising his five sons: Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John – all named after one of the Mercury Seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Virgil Grissom, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper and John Glenn. Unknown to the world, the Tracys front International Rescue, a secret organisation dedicated to the preservation of human life, aided by a collection of highly-advanced land, sea, air and space rescue vehicles headed by a five-machine fleet known as the Thunderbirds. With Jeff's elderly mother, the scientist and engineer Brains (birth name unknown, although he occasionally assumes the alias "Hiram K. Hackenbacker"), and the manservant Kyrano and his daughter Tin-Tin (Alan's romantic interest), the Tracy family reside on a remote, un-charted island in the South Pacific Ocean (called "Tracy Island" in tie-in media, although not in the series itself), where their machines' secrets may be prevented from falling into the hands of criminals, spies and other unscrupulous persons jealous of International Rescue's technological superiority. Tracy Island's ulterior purpose is not visible from the air, since International Rescue's vehicles are launched from subterranean hangars accessible only via launch tubes concealed inside the Tracy Villa lounge. Visitors to the island remain ignorant of the Tracys' covert double life thanks to a security initiative known as "Operation Cover-Up", which erases what little evidence is outwardly visibile of International Rescue's presence.

Although the organisation's objectives are strictly humanitarian, International Rescue's operations are sometimes necessitated not by misadventure, but by deliberate sabotage that endangers human life. For missions entailing criminal investigation, or requiring military intelligence, it incorporates a worldwide network of undercover operatives, headed by English aristocrat Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her Cockney butler and chauffeur Aloysius "Nosey" Parker. Based at Creighton-Ward Mansion in Kent, Penelope and Parker's primary mode of transport is a heavily-armed, amphibious, pink, customised Rolls-Royce called FAB 1. Foremost among International Rescue's enemies, meanwhile, is the criminal mastermind The Hood (named, like Tracy Island, only in tie-ins). Operating from an ancient temple in the Malaysian jungle, and possessing powers of hypnosis and voodoo-like dark magic, as well as being a master of physical disguise, the Hood exerts a strong telepathic influence over his estranged half-brother, Kyrano. Exploiting his sibling's weak-mindedness and inside knowledge of the International Rescue organisation, he regularly manoeuvres the Tracy brothers into rescues that unfold according to his own villainous designs; this gives the masked Hood opportunities to spy on the Thunderbirds machines and, by selling their stolen secrets, become rich.

International Rescue's radio code, "F.A.B." – defined by the Collins English Dictionary as "an expression of agreement to, or acknowledgement of, a command", – was not conceived as an acronym. When asked what the "initials" stood for in 2000, Anderson responded: "... absolutely nothing! ... The abbreviation "fab", as in "fabulous", was all the rage and I just changed it a bit." In tie-in media, the expression has been interpreted as "Fully Advised and Briefed," in a manner similar to "P.W.O.R." ("Proceeding With Orders Received"), a radio confirmation code used in Stingray, and "S.I.G." ("Spectrum Is Green") and "S.I.R." ("Spectrum Is Red"), affirmative and negative codes used in Captain Scarlet.

International Rescue vehicles

Main articles: Thunderbirds machines and Thunderbird 2 pod vehicles

The five primary International Rescue vehicles are:

• Thunderbird 1 – a 115 feet (35 m)-long, hypersonic, variable-sweep wing rocket plane used for fast response and rescue-zone reconnaissance, and as a mobile control base. Piloted by rescue primary co-ordinator Scott Tracy and launched from underneath the Tracy Villa swimming pool.
• Thunderbird 2 – a 250 feet (76 m)-long, heavy-duty, supersonic, VTOL, lifting body carrier aircraft used for transporting major rescue equipment and vehicles, including Thunderbird 4, in detachable containers called "Pods". Piloted by Virgil Tracy and launched from the Tracy Island runway.
• Thunderbird 3 – a 287 feet (87 m)-tall, re-usable, vertically-launched single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spacecraft used for space rescue and maintenance of Thunderbird 5. Piloted by astronaut Alan Tracy (typically with Scott as co-pilot) and launched from underneath the Tracy Island Round House.
• Thunderbird 4 – a 30 feet (9.1 m)-long utility submersible used for underwater rescue. Piloted by aquanaut Gordon Tracy and typically launched from Thunderbird 2's Pod 4.
• Thunderbird 5 – a space station in permanent geostationary orbit used for monitoring emergency broadcasts and distress signals and relaying communications within International Rescue. Manned alternately by "Space Monitors" John and Alan Tracy.

International Rescue uniform

The Tracy brothers wear a common blue uniform comprising a polo-neck tunic, trousers, boots, and a simplified side cap. Other members of International Rescue are occasionally shown in uniform. The uniform is accompanied by a sash bearing the International Rescue insignia and holding a sidearm and two pouches. Each pilot's sash is a different colour, matching the coloured cuffs on his boots.

• Scott Tracy – light blue
• Virgil Tracy – canary yellow
• Alan Tracy – white
• Gordon Tracy – orange
• John Tracy – lilac

• Jeff Tracy – metallic gold (sash carrying the logo of the Barnardo's children's charity). Not seen in the series itself, Jeff's uniform was used exclusively in publicity for Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), and later re-appeared in books and on the DVD box set.
• Brains – brown and leather-like. Brain wears the uniform only while flying the Tiger Moth bi-plane in Thunderbird 6 (1968).
• Tin-Tin Kyrano – none. For her one official rescue mission onboard Thunderbird 3 in "Sun Probe", as well as in (briefly) "The Uninvited", Tin-Tin wears a blue uniform with pale-blue belt but no sash.

Production

Conception and filming

I started to think that there really ought to be dumps around the world with rescue gear standing by, so that when a disaster happened, all these items of rescue equipment could be rushed to the disaster zone and used to help to get people out of trouble ... I was thinking, 'Rescue, yes, rescue, but how to make it science fiction? What about an international rescue organisation? They'll need to fly to the danger zone and they'll have to have a transporter to bring the heavy equipment up. But villains will be after their equipment, so they'll have to be located in a secret location – an island in the Pacific that hasn't been mapped yet ...' And by the time I got to Lew [Grade], I had the basis of the story.

Gerry Anderson

Commissioned by Lew Grade of ITC Entertainment, Thunderbirds was the fourth Supermarionation children's series to be made by AP Films. The logo of Supermarionation had previously introduced episodes of Four Feather Falls (1960), Supercar (1961–62), Fireball XL5 (1962–63), and Stingray (1964–65). Gerry Anderson's inspiration for the underlying concept was the West German mining disaster that later came to be known as the Wunder von Lengede ("The Miracle of Lengede") – on 24 October 1963, the collapse of a nearby dam flooded an iron mine at Lengede, Lower Saxony, killing 29 miners and trapping 21 more underground; two weeks later, on 7 November, the final 11 survivors were rescued. The heavy-duty drill required to excavate a rescue shaft had had to be requisitioned from Bremen, many miles away, and the time necessary to transport the equipment by rail to the accident zone had seriously endangered the 11 workers' chances of returning to the surface alive.

Wanting to differentiate this concept from the premises of his first four puppet TV series, with plots that would appeal as much to adults as to children and a half-hour early-evening timeslot, Anderson retired with his wife, Sylvia, to their holiday villa in Portugal to develop the series and script the pilot episode. The title, Thunderbirds, was inspired by a letter sent from Arizona by Anderson's elder brother, Lionel, while he had been serving as an RAF pilot overseas during the Second World War. Lionel, who would not survive the war, had made reference to a nearby USAF base, "Thunderbird Field". Anderson's working title had been "International Rescue"; however, drawn to the "punchiness" of "Thunderbirds", he elected both to re-name the series and the fleet of star rescue vehicles, which had originally been designated Rescues One, Two, Three, Four and Five.

Many of the Thunderbirds production staff had contributed to its immediate antecedent, Stingray. For the new series, the crew was expanded, and Thunderbirds was filmed at AP Films' Stirling Road studio on the Slough Trading Estate, using Arriflex cameras and 35 mm Eastman Kodak film. Shooting commenced in September 1964 after a summer of pre-production, and a first series of 26 episodes was completed in less than a year. Pairs of episodes were filmed simultaneously, at a rate of two per month, on separate soundstages and by different puppet crews (designated "A" and "B") to speed up the filming. Alan Pattillo, a veteran scriptwriter and director of Anderson productions, became AP Films' first script editor in late 1964 to lighten the burden on Anderson who, despite keeping overall storyline control, had become weary of reviewing and revising scripts himself. The producers assigned directorship of episodes in twos: the more seasoned Pattillo and David Elliott represented one pair, alternating with the less experienced Desmond Saunders and young newcomer David Lane.

Some episodes of Thunderbirds display live human hands in shots of one or more scale puppet characters, as part of an innovation in camera work for AP Films: an visual illusion, generated by forced perspective, gives the impression that the size of the hand is proportionate to that of a puppet body.

... Lew [Grade] watched ["Trapped in the Sky"], and at the end he jumped up shouting, 'Fantastic, absolutely fantastic! This isn't a television series – this is a feature film! You've got to make this as an hour!' ... Everything had been geared towards the 25-minute format and we had to continue shooting half-hour episodes until we could introduce the new regime and start producing hour-long episodes. We then went back and shot extra footage, which we added to the half-hour shows to convert them to run 50 minutes ... I'm glad we did it, because it made the series much bigger and much more important. But it was still a very, very difficult job.

Gerry Anderson

Thunderbirds was the first 50-minute series to be produced by AP Films. In December 1964, Grade viewed the finished pilot, "Trapped in the Sky", at a private screening in London and was so enthusiastic with the result that he ordered Anderson to increase the episode length from 25 to 50 minutes, and increased the series' budget to approximately £40,000 per episode. This process was challenging for the production staff, who had been filming at the rate of one episode per week, since eight 25-minute episodes had already been filmed, scripts for ten more had been written, and considerable re-writing and re-editing would be necessary to satisfy the new running time. Altogether, the time spent doubling the lengths of the was more than seven months. Anderson and Pattillo hired Tony Barwick to assist them in the scripting of "filler" scenes and subplots, which provided many opportunities to strengthen the characterisation. Ironically, the episodes were later divided into two parts to fill a conventional half-hour slot (forming 64 episodes of 25 minutes' duration). Footage from specially-extended episodes proved useful to the scriptwriters during the development of the final episode of Series One, "Security Hazard": since "Attack of the Alligators!" and "The Cham-Cham" had considerably over-spent their budgets, a clip show was conceived whereby scenes from four early episodes would be re-cycled (in the form of narrative flashbacks) and connected via a small length of newly-filmed linking material to lower production costs.

A second series was commissioned in late 1965 and commenced production in March 1966, at the same time as Thunderbirds Are Go, with Barwick taking over from Pattillo as script editor. Since both staff and studio floor space had been divided between the two productions, filming for Series Two progressed at only half the previous speed under "B" crew (a rate of one episode per month). While Paddy Seale, the "A" crew lighting cameraman, supervised the film shooting, "B" crew's Julien Lugrin was appointed director of photography for the Series Two episodes. With filming for Thunderbirds Are Go completed by June 1966, "A" crew resumed work on the TV series to film what would, ultimately, prove to be its penultimate episode, "Ricochet". Thunderbirds ceased production suddenly and unexpectedly in the autumn, six episodes into the production of Series Two. The decision was made by Grade after a business trip to the United States to sell the programme in summer 1966 ended in failure. According to written accounts of the event, three American TV networks – NBC, ABC and CBS – had all bid for the series, with Grade thinking that he could play them off against one other to drive up the price; when one network withdrew from the process, either due to Grade's demands or a loss of interest in the series, the others immediately followed. Although Thunderbirds was highly popular in the UK by this time, Grade believed that a complete second series would be too expensive to produce without the support of the American market. Instead, the programme was sold into first-run syndication in the United States, to reasonable success.

Casting and characters

Regular Puppet Cast

Name	Date of Birth	Nationality	Occupation	Voice actor(s)
Jeff Tracy	2 January 2009	American	Founder and leader of International Rescue Former astronaut and Air Force colonel	Peter Dyneley
Scott Tracy	4 April 2039	American	Pilot of Thunderbird 1 Co-pilot of Thunderbird 3 Former Air Force pilot	Shane Rimmer
John Tracy	8 October 2040	American	Space Monitor of Thunderbird 5 Astronomer and writer	Ray Barrett
Virgil Tracy	15 August 2041	American	Pilot of Thunderbird 2 Painter and musician	David Holliday (Series One) Jeremy Wilkin (Series Two)
Gordon Tracy	14 February 2043	American	Aquanaut of Thunderbird 4 Oceanographer and former Olympic champion	David Graham
Alan Tracy	12 March 2044	American	Astronaut of Thunderbird 3 Part-time Space Monitor of Thunderbird 5 Former motor-racing champion	Matt Zimmerman Ray Barrett (one episode)
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward	24 December 2039	English	International Rescue's London field agent Aristocrat and socialite	Sylvia Anderson
Aloysius "Nosey" Parker	30 May 2013	English	Butler and chauffeur to Lady Penelope Former professional burglar and safe-cracker	David Graham
Brains	14 November 2040	American	Scientist, engineer and inventor	David Graham
Tin-Tin Kyrano	20 June 2043	Malay	Assistant scientist and engineer on Tracy Island	Christine Finn
Kyrano	Unknown	Malay	Manservant and chef on Tracy Island Botanist and scientist	David Graham
Grandma Tracy	Late 1980s	American	Assistant housekeeper and chef on Tracy Island	Christine Finn
The Hood	17 July 2018	Unknown	Master criminal and black magic practiser Half-brother of Kyrano and half-uncle of Tin-Tin	Ray Barrett

Puppet dialogue was recorded weekly at AP Films' own Slough studio (on Sundays, since many of the cast had other acting commitments during the week), and edited at the Gate Recording Theatre. The actors had no obligation to memorise their lines, and distributed the supporting voice parts amongst themselves on the day. Voice recording sessions were typically supervised by the Andersons and script editor Alan Pattillo.

During the character development process, the first priority for the Andersons, Reg Hill and John Read was that Thunderbirds have trans-atlantic appeal – the estimated production costs being so high that the financial viability of the series depended on winning the support of American TV networks. As such, the primary puppet cast was to be predominantly American, with Lady Penelope and Parker serving as the only British regular cast-members. Anderson stated, "I thought, 'I've got to do something for the home audience. Now, we British can laugh at ourselves, so therefore we had Penelope and Parker as this comedy team. And in America they love the British aristocracy too.'" According to Bignell, Penelope and Parker's "Britishness" adds diverting elements of "cool Britannia" to an otherwise fully North American setting.

Nevertheless, while American characters are in the majority, the only American voice artist to be cast for Thunderbirds was expatriate stage actor David Holliday, who was first noticed by Sylvia Anderson and hired as the voice of Virgil Tracy for Series One. British, Australian and Canadian actors, who satisfied the Andersons' requirements for accentual versatility and spontaneity, made up the rest of the cast, who voiced both regular and one-off or recurring supporting characters. Following the completion of the first 26 episodes, Holliday returned to the United States; the part of Virgil was subsequently awarded to English-Canadian actor Jeremy Wilkin, who voiced the character for both Series Two and the film sequels, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968).

English actor David Graham, with whom Anderson had collaborated since 1957, had previously contributed to Four Feather Falls, Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray, and had also been one of the original voices of the Daleks in Doctor Who (1963–present). Graham supplied four main character voices – Gordon Tracy, Brains, Kyrano and Parker; of his casting, he commented, "I'd been with Gerry for so long that I think he already had me down for Parker and the others." He added that Brains' stutter was a natural evolution of his characterisation: "It seems that with clever people the mind works faster than the mouth can speak." The Cockney manner of Parker, Graham's joint favourite character from the series, was based on that of a waiter employed at a pub in Cookham, Berkshire, which was frequented by the production staff while Thunderbirds was in the initial stages of development. Anderson paid for Graham to dine regularly at the pub so as to study the accent of Arthur, who had formerly been in the service of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Anderson did not inform Arthur of his importance in the development of the character, fearing that the waiter would not appreciate the public recognition that it might bring.

Along with Graham, Australian expatriate Ray Barrett was the first actor to be cast for the series. Like Graham, he had worked for the Andersons previously, voicing both Commander Shore and Titan for Stingray. He provided the regular voices of John Tracy and the Hood, in addition to many supporting parts. Drawing on experience acquired from radio work in Australia, Barrett was skilled at performing a wide range of voices in quick succession, and at affecting both British and American accents convincingly; of scenes that required two or more of his characters to hold a conversation with one another, he remembered, "I said, 'Just keep the tape going', and I changed the voices as I went along, talking to myself!" Villainous characters would typically be voiced by Barrett and Graham, who would negotiate responsibility for the parts between themselves.

As well as voicing the patriarch of the Tracy family, Jeff, English-Canadian actor Peter Dyneley had a recurring part as Commander Norman, the head of air traffic control at London Airport, who first appears in "Trapped in the Sky". Canadian expatriate actor Shane Rimmer (the voice of Scott Tracy) went on to appear in – and occasionally write scripts for – other Anderson productions. He was selected after the Andersons viewed, and were impressed by, his performance in the BBC soap opera Compact (1962–65); at the time of his casting, Rimmer had been touring as a variety show solo singer in Leeds. While providing dialogue for Thunderbirds, Rimmer acted alongside Graham in person in the 1966 Doctor Who serial The Gunfighters. Fellow Canadian Matt Zimmerman, then appearing in West End theatre, was chosen for the voice of Alan Tracy – late in the casting process – on the recommendation of his friend, Holliday: "... they were having great difficulty casting the part of Alan as they wanted a certain sound for him, being the youngest brother. David, who [was] a bit older than I am, told them that he had this friend, me, who would be great." Zimmerman's casting followed the completion of "Trapped in the Sky", in which Alan's voice was provided by Barrett.

Anderson's only choice for Lady Penelope had been Fenella Fielding, but his wife, Sylvia Anderson, insisted that he give the part to her. Sylvia had previously provided the voices of Jimmy Gibson in Supercar, Dr Venus in Fireball XL5 and (twice only) the otherwise mute Marina in Stingray. The voice of Penelope was based on both Fielding and Joan Greenwood. Bringing Tin-Tin and Grandma Tracy to life was Christine Finn, best known to contemporary viewers as Barbara Judd from the BBC science-fiction serial Quatermass and the Pit (1958–59). Together, Sylvia Anderson and Finn were additionally responsible for voicing the majority of the female and child guest characters; however, Barrett broke with custom when, to the considerable amusement of the rest of the cast, he voiced the elderly Duchess of Royston in the episode "The Duchess Assignment". For their supporting contributions, Paul Maxwell (Series Two; formerly the voice of Colonel Steve Zodiac in Fireball XL5), Charles Tingwell (Series Two) and Australian actor John Tate (Series One and Two) received no on-screen credit, although both Maxwell and Tingwell went on to give credited performances in Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6.

It has been stated that the introductory "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown voice-over was provided by Brian Cobby (1929–2012) who, from 1985 to 2007, was the voice of the British speaking clock. While Cobby himself maintained this, and stated that he had actually received repeat-fee royalties from the BBC, the claim has been rejected by the surviving members of the Thunderbirds cast, as well as Gerry Anderson himself, all of whom are certain that the voice is that of Peter Dyneley in character as Jeff Tracy.

Design and effects

Puppet design

Staffing the AP Films puppet sculpting department were Christine Glanville (also supervising puppet operator), John Brown, John Blundall and Mary Turner, who together designed and built the 13 members of the main puppet cast in six months. Since the filming was divided between two soundstages and two crews, the sculpters were required to build all the primary characters in duplicate, with the result that minor physical differences are discernable between some puppets and their copies. Many of the characters' appearances were based on contemporary actors and other entertainers, whom the sculptors typically selected while browsing the showbusiness directory Spotlight. Jeff Tracy's likeness was based on Lorne Greene, Scott's on 1960s James Bond actor Sean Connery, Virgil's (loosely) on Robert Reed, Alan's on both Reed and Derren Nesbitt, John's on Adam Faith and Charlton Heston, Brains' on Anthony Perkins, and Parker's on Ben Warris, a member of The Crazy Gang. Virgil's appearance was strongly influenced by Alan's, when Brown experienced difficulties in realising the character and Glanville suggested that he base his work on the Tracy brother whose puppet she had already completed.

Puppet heads were initially sculpted in either Plasticine or clay and, after the rough aspect had been finalised, used as the template for a silicone rubber mould, which was subsequently laminated in layers of Bondaglass (fibreglass mixed with resin). Once detached from the mould, this Bondaglass shell was fitted with eyeballs, leather mouth parts, a mohair wig, and a solenoid to trigger lip movements synchronised with the pre-recorded puppet dialogue; this was played into the studio during filming via EMI TR-90 tape recorders fitted with RC circuits, which converted the audio to electronic pulses. Eleven steel conductor wires, 0.005 inches (0.13 mm) wide, relayed the sound from the tape recorder to the solenoid, completing the "Supermarionation" process. During filming, a "floor puppeteer" would hide the wires as much as possible by applying powder paint that matched the colour scheme of the puppet set.

As for the previous Supermarionation series, Stingray, variety was given to the facial expressions of the main characters by means of removable heads: in addition to heads with neutral expressions, puppets were provided with "smilers", "frowners" and "blinkers". The plastic puppet bodies were issued in three types – "large male" (for the Tracy family and the Hood), "small male" (for supporting male characters) and "small female". Costumes generally avoided less flexible synthetic materials, the wardrobe department opting for cotton, silk and wool on account of the better mobility that they afforded the puppet characters. Lady Penelope's attire was inspired by contemporary Carnaby Street fashions and others advertised in Vogue magazine.

Once finished, the puppets measured approximately 22 inches (56 cm) (1⁄3 human scale) in height and weighed between 7 and 9 pounds (3.2 and 4.1 kg). During filming, the puppet operators controlled the marionettes' movements, with the assistance of a camera viewfinder-powered feedback CCTV system, from a re-positionable gantry about 12 feet (3.7 m) above the studio floor. The puppet likenesses and mechanics are remembered favourably by operator Wanda Brown, who has expressed a preference for the Thunderbirds generation of Supermarionation puppets over those that appeared in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–68) and subsequent series, and which were modelled in realistic bodily proportions: "The puppets were easier to operate and more enjoyable because they had more character to them ... Even some of the more normal-looking faces, such as Scott and Jeff, for me had more character than the puppets in the series that came afterwards." Shane Rimmer, who voiced Scott, speaks positively of the puppets being "very much caricatures", for it rendered them "more lovable and appealing ... There was a naive quality about them and nothing too complex. They all had their slight weaknesses and could make mistakes, and that was all part of their success." In fact, following the completion of Stingray, AP Films had already down-scaled the puppet heads slightly to a size that less visibly emphasised the caricature.

Production design

Bob Bell and Keith Wilson jointly directed the art department during the production of Series One. When filming for Series Two commenced in March 1966, concurrently with that for Thunderbirds Are Go, Bell attended to the film and thereafter served only in a supervisory capacity on the TV episodes; Wilson, meanwhile, managed the set design for the latter, entrusting "technical" production design elements (such as vehicle interiors) to newcomer John Lageu. Interior design was initially complicated by the proportions of the puppets, with Bell struggling to decide whether to construct the sets in a scale favouring the puppet bodies or the caricatured, over-sized heads and hands. Eventually, he resolved to adopt a "mix-and-match" approach to scaling. For the building of Creighton-Ward Mansion, the set designers paid considerable attention to detail, going so far as to acquire 1⁄3-scale furniture decorated in Georgian and Regency styles.

Special effects

The special effects supervising director for all the Andersons' productions from Supercar to UFO (1970) was Derek Meddings, who went on to oversee effects for the James Bond and Superman film series. Struggling to accommodate the effects requirements for Thunderbirds with the single model unit that had sufficed for all previous Supermarionation productions, Meddings established a second visual effects unit, directed by Brian Johncock (now Johnson), and a third unit exclusively for air-to-air flying sequences, directed by Peter Wragg. By March 1966, Meddings' supervisory commitments had been divided between the production of Series Two and that of the first film sequel, Thunderbirds Are Go, which was being filmed concurrently at the AP Films Studios; while Meddings developed the special effects for the film, effects work for the TV episodes was mostly delegated to former camera operator Jimmy Elliott. Episodes typically included about 100 special effects sequences.

One of Meddings' first tasks during pre-production in summer 1964 was to film stock footage shots of the Thunderbird vehicles and primary settings, such as Tracy Island. Meddings was additionally charged with designing the primary vehicles, since former head designer Reg Hill was serving only as associate producer. Scale models for a number of the Thunderbird machines were constructed by a professional model-making company, Master Models of Middlesex, while others were custom-made by Meddings and his team from commercially-available radio-controlled vehicle building kits. Meddings was dissatisfied with the prototype Thunderbird 2, which had originally been blue instead of green, until he inverted the aircraft's wings. Thunderbird 3, whose appearance was based on the Russian Soyuz rocket, was realised as a model standing 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, although the largest model to be built for filming proved to be FAB 1, the miniature for which was required to accommodate the 2 feet (0.61 m)-tall puppets of Lady Penelope and Parker. Measuring 7 feet (2.1 m) in length, the large-scale plywood FAB 1 model cost £2,500 to build in 1964; post-decimalisation, this is equivalent to £30,000. Thunderbird 5, which Meddings discovered to be the most challenging of all the vehicles to visualise, was based on the design of the Tracy Island Round House. Rolls-Royce provided AP Films with a genuine radiator grille for close-up shots of FAB 1, such as when its retractable machine guns are seen to fire.

A new addition to the effects department for the production of Thunderbirds was Mike Trim, who became Medding's adviser in the design of the vehicles and buildings (in particular, the Thunderbird 2 Pod Vehicles) that populate the world of Thunderbirds. Meddings and Trim pioneered the technique of "customising" models and sets by applying pieces drawn from commercial model kits and machine parts to add surface detail. For example, the air-conditioning silos visible on either side of Thunderbird 1 in its underground hangar were originally 1960s periscope toys manufactured by J & L Randall. The Thunderbirds models were also "aged" with paint and dust to give an impression of work-weary vehicles. These techniques became standard practice in the special effects industry and were put to use in the building of the miniature spacecraft and other vehicles for the films of the original Star Wars trilogy (1977–83).

Among Meddings' innovations for Thunderbirds was a cyclical, moving effects stage (christened the "rolling road") to be used for sequences portraying aircraft flight, take-off and landing, as well as the driving of land vehicles. Judging that the established method – pushing or pulling scale models across a static base, or against a static background – resulted in an unconvincing illusion of movement, and was becoming increasingly impractical due to the limited studio space, Meddings devised a new solution; it was first put into action during the production of the pilot episode, in which International Rescue's remotely-operated Elevator Cars speed down a runway to assist in the controlled landing of the Fireflash airliner. Meddings' plan was to build a belt of canvas, stretched on top of rollers and powered by an electric motor; with the help of wires, the miniature Elevator Car models remained stationary on the "rolling road" and the Fireflash model was lowered onto the soundstage from overhead, simulating the aircraft's descent. Meanwhile, more rollers, painted to represent a sky background, were erected at a right angle to the canvas belt, and both roller motors were synchronised to ensure that the speeds of the two systems stayed equal. This process simplified the jobs of the camera and lighting effects crews, since the models had no requirement to move and effects sequences became more straightforward to film and light. For shots of airborne aircraft, which utilised a technique originally developed for Stingray known as the "rolling sky", the illusion was enhanced by blowing smoke from a fan across the soundstage to simulate passing clouds, and by connecting the canvas belt at an angle to conceal the plainly visible partition. The "rolling road" system would later be used in the special effects filming of a number of James Bond films.

Miniature explosions seen in the series utilised materials such as petroleum and fuller's earth. Originally filmed at high speed, the sequences were slowed down to normal during post-production to achieve more persuasive results. Meddings positioned Jetex chemical pellets, capable of issuing jets of air, underneath the bodies of model vehicles to simulate dust trails. For high-quality rocket lift-offs and landings, the department commissioned a British company to supply thrustless, solid-fuelled rocket canisters in a range of sizes; they would ignite for approximately 10 seconds and could be fitted within the various scale models to provide powerful exhaust effects. Firing was accomplished electronically by passing current down the tungsten wires by which a member of the crew suspended the scale model while "flying" it from the overhead gantry. Remembering the careful timing and calculated arm and leg movements required to "fly" models persuasively, "Wag" Evans, the builder of the large-scale balsa wood Thunderbird 2, stated, "There was quite a sense of balance that you had to have and it was a case of shifting your weight from one foot to another without going up or down, while keeping your hand and body on the same plane. If you got a slight twitch in the hand, it was accentuated on the model below, so you got an enormous lurch of the model." Impressed by their work on Thunderbirds, director Stanley Kubrick employed several members of the Andersons' effects crew as supervisors for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Music

Music for Thunderbirds was composed and conducted by Barry Gray, who scored all TV series produced by AP Films and Century 21 Productions up to the first series of Space: 1999. The title theme, "The Thunderbirds March", was recorded on 8 December 1964 at the Olympic Studios in Barnes, London with an orchestra of 30 musicians. Gray's original master recordings for the Anderson series were discovered in a storage facility in Chelsea in 1993 but later lost again after being returned to then-copyright holders Carlton Media International. They were subsequently re-located and used as the basis of two soundtrack albums released by Silva Screen Records in 2003 and 2004. A third album, The Best of Thunderbirds, featuring tracks from the first two in addition to previously un-released material, was released in 2005.

Gray's original ending theme music, with lyrics performed by Gary Miller, was ultimately abandoned. Originally recorded in August 1965, and titled "Flying High", it was dropped in favour of the "Thunderbirds March" two weeks before the first episode was broadcast. A song would have continued AP Films' tradition of contrasting the opening and closing titles themes (the first typically instrumental, the second lyrical). A modified version of "Flying High" is heard in the closing scenes of the Series Two episode "Ricochet" (1966).

The Thunderbirds March and the "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown that introduce the opening titles were adopted by British band Level 42 for its live shows, as seen in the video release of their 1987 performance at the Wembley Stadium in London. An updated version, blended with the opening fanfare to the band's own song, "Heaven in My Hands", continues to kick off Level 42's concert gigs today. The countdown has also been used by the American hip hop band Beastie Boys for live shows; an example is the 2007 London Live Earth concert.

In 1990, TV producer Gary Shoefield released a re-mix album titled Power Themes 90, which included techno covers of the themes of many British TV programmes. Among these was Thunderbirds, whose theme was re-mixed under the name "Thunderbirds Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)" and billed as "featuring MC Parker"; it achieved fifth position in the UK charts. To accompany this, a music video compilation, titled Power Themes 90, was released; the video for "Thunderbirds Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)" comprises footage from episodes of the series interspersed with newly-filmed shots of the original Parker puppet dressed in "era" clothing and acting as a DJ.

CD releases

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic website
Uncut magazine

All tracks are written by Barry Gray

No.	Title	Lyrics	Notes	Length
1.	"Main Titles"		Stock track	1:36
2.	"Sun Probe"		From "Sun Probe"	2:05
3.	"Tracy Island and International Rescue"		Stock track	1:10
4.	"Monorail to Disaster"		From "The Perils of Penelope"	2:10
5.	"Thunderbirds Are Go!"		Stock track	4:28
6.	"Dangerous Game – Latin Rhythm Instrumental"		From "The Cham-Cham"	2:08
7.	"Suite from 'Vault of Death'"		From "Vault of Death"	8:47
8.	"The Man From MI.5"		From "The Man From MI.5"	4:28
9.	"Suite from 'Desperate Intruder'"		From "Desperate Intruder"	7:27
10.	"Commercial Break"		(Featuring stings, and background music to 1960s Thunderbirds-themed Lyons Maid advertisements)	2:46
11.	"Dangerous Game" (Lyrical)	Sylvia Anderson (as Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward)	From "The Cham-Cham"	1:51
12.	"Let's Play Ad-Lib"		From "The Cham-Cham"	2:20
13.	"Lady Penelope on the Move/Suite from 'Pit of Peril'"		From Thunderbirds Are Go (first part)	1:37
14.	"The Fate of the Sidewinder"		From "Pit of Peril"	2:01
15.	"Pit of Peril"		From "Pit of Peril"	2:49
16.	"Rescue!"		From "Pit of Peril"	2:04
17.	"Jeremiah and Lady Penelope"		From "The Impostors"	2:06
18.	"Deadly Plot – The Hood and the Fireflash"		From "Trapped in the Sky"	4:09
19.	"Fireflash Landing"		From "Trapped in the Sky"	1:15
20.	"FAB 1 Pursuit"		From "Trapped in the Sky"	1:00
21.	"The Tracy Lounge Piano"		From "Trapped in the Sky"	2:00
22.	"End Titles"		Stock track	1:09

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic website
Starburst magazine
Uncut magazine

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Notes	Length
1.	"Main Titles"			Stock track	1:25
2.	"Danger At Ocean Deep"			Suite from "Danger At Ocean Deep"	2:17
3.	"Spoke City Jazz"			From "30 Minutes After Noon"	1:39
4.	"Easy Listening Radio Music"			From "30 Minutes After Noon"	1:17
5.	"Drama on the South East Asia Pass"			From "End of the Road"	5:22
6.	"Taking a Desperate Chance"			From "End of the Road"	3:25
7.	"Thunderbirds To The Rescue"			From "End of the Road"	2:40
8.	"Penelope in France"			From "The Perils of Penelope", "The Duchess Assignment" and "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker"	4:02
9.	"Elegance, Charm and Deadly Danger"			From "The Perils of Penelope" and "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker"	2:52
10.	"Dangerous Game" (Lyrical)	Jack Clegg		From "The Cham-Cham"	1:39
11.	"Century 21 March"			Stock track	2:01
12.	"Space Observatory 3 Space FX"			From "The Impostors"	2:02
13.	"San Martino"			From "Path of Destruction"	2:47
14.	"The Noon Day Sun"			From "Move – And You're Dead"	1:15
15.	"New York City Lights"			From "The Duchess Assignment"	0:56
16.	"The Duchess"			From "The Duchess Assignment"	0:35
17.	"World Exclusive Foiled"			From "Terror in New York City"	1:38
18.	"Moving the Empire State Building"			From "Terror in New York City"	3:31
19.	"The Rescue of Ned Cook"			From "Terror in New York City"	2:33
20.	"Dangerous Game" (Piano)		Barry Gray	From "The Cham-Cham"	2:08
21.	"Lady Penelope and the Mouse"			From "The Mighty Atom"	1:11
22.	"Journey of the Martian Space Probe"			From "Day of Disaster"	1:32
23.	"Coralville Surprise/The Bank Job"			From "Give or Take a Million"	3:41
24.	"Christmas on Tracy Island"			From "Give or Take a Million"	4:01
25.	"Sleepy Time"			From "Security Hazard"	0:46
26.	"End Titles"			Stock track	1:07
27.	"Flying High" (Bonus track)	Gary Miller		Un-used end titles theme	1:25

Original broadcast

The title card for the first series carries a copyright date of 1964, since this was the year in which the pilot, "Trapped in the Sky", was filmed. Other Series One episodes were filmed in 1965 (and completed post-production during December that year), with Series Two following in, and dated, 1966. Thunderbirds debuted on British television on 30 September 1965 in the ATV Midlands broadcasting region; the final Series One episode, "Security Hazard", aired in March the following year. Other ATV regions followed, with ATV London starting transmissions on 25 December 1965. The final Series Two episode, and series finale – the Christmas-themed "Give or Take a Million" – was first broadcast in the UK on 25 December 1966. During the 1960s, Thunderbirds was broadcast in approximately 30 countries, generating £350,000 in overseas pre-sales revenue for ITC before October 1965.

The availability of repeats of Thunderbirds in the 1960s and 1970s was dependent on the broadcasting region; ATV Midlands transmitted the series regularly from 1966 to 1973, while viewers in Yorkshire, previously served by Granada Television, received no transmissions at all between 1968 and 1976 (due to a decision by Yorkshire Television not to purchase any of Anderson's series). Thunderbirds aired on ITV for the final time in 1981, after which it had no further repeats in the UK until a decade later, when the BBC acquired the rights and networked the series (i.e., simultaneously in all regions) on BBC2, starting on 20 September 1991. Since the end of the original 1992 network run, the BBC has repeated the series six times: from October 1992 to May 1993 (first series only), during the 1994 Christmas season (seven episodes only), from 2000 to 2001 (digitally remastered by Carlton International Media), and in the summers of 2003, 2005 (the series' 40th anniversary year) and 2006.

The series was repeated in full on UK Gold from 1994 to 1995, on Bravo from 1995 to 1997, on Cartoon Network from 2001 to 2002, and on Boomerang from 2001 to 2003. On Syfy, the series was repeated alongside Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Joe 90 in 2009. A Gaelic-language dub, Tairnearan Tar As ("Thunderbirds Are Go") was broadcast in weekly five-minute instalments in the BBC Scotland region from 23 September to 2 December 1993; it was repeated in 1994 on BBC Two Scotland during school hours.

Film sequels and adaptations

Main articles: Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6

The popularity of Thunderbirds resulted in the release of two full-length film sequels, with financial backing by United Artists, which premiered on 12 December 1966 and 29 July 1968. By 1966, AP Films had been re-branded the "Century 21 Organisation". Both films were written and produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and directed by David Lane, and neither was a critical or commercial success. During the early 1980s, several Thunderbirds episodes were combined to create three compilation TV films, and in 2004, a live-action film adaptation was released, nearly 40 years after the original TV series was first broadcast.

Super Space Theater

Main article: List of Thunderbirds episodes § Compilation films

In 1981, episodes from a number of Gerry Anderson's 1960s Supermarionation series were re-edited and combined into made-for-TV compilation films by ITC's New York offices, supervised by Robert Mandell and David Hirsch. Intended to be broadcast in a two-hour family timeslot (including commercial breaks), and branded "Super Space Theater", this 90 to 95-minute format was sold to TV cable networks and into syndication in United States. Three Thunderbirds compilations, briefly cut and edited with new, animated title sequences, were produced: Thunderbirds To The Rescue is a combination of "Trapped in the Sky" and "Operation Crash-Dive", while Thunderbirds In Outer Space pairs "Sun Probe" with "Ricochet" and Countdown to Disaster mixes "Terror in New York City" and "Atlantic Inferno". Although rights issues entailed by the 1980s home video releases of the "Super Space Theater" compilations delayed VHS releases of individual Thunderbirds episodes (in their un-cut form) until the early 1990s, the UK versions proved to be a major commercial success for the distributor, Channel 5 Video.

Thunderbirds (2004)

Main article: Thunderbirds (film)

A live-action film adaptation – Thunderbirds, directed by Jonathan Frakes and produced by StudioCanal, Universal Pictures and Working Title Films – premiered on 24 July 2004. All the Thunderbird machines seen in the film are based on the original designs, but also display modern refinements; since BMW, current owners of Rolls-Royce, refused to give permission for use of the brand, a modified Ford Thunderbird appears as FAB 1. The plot of the film mostly side-lines the majority of the primary characters in favour of Alan, Tin-Tin and a newcomer – Brains' son, Fermat – who must save the adults from the machinations of the evil Hood. The 2004 film was poorly received both critically and commercially, opening in 11th place at the North American box office and drawing a negative response from fans of the original TV series. While his ex-wife Sylvia, a production consultant on the film, endorsed Frakes' version and attended the London premiere, Gerry Anderson denounced the film as "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life."

Plans for a live-action film had first been announced by ITC's Los Angeles offices in 1994. With a Christmas 1995 release expected, the film was to have been directed by Renny Harlin, with Tom Cruise a possibility for the role of Scott Tracy and other artists being considered including Bob Hoskins (as Parker) and Patsy Kensit, Joanna Lumley and Emma Thompson (as Lady Penelope). After ITC was acquired by PolyGram in 1995, Working Title Films (a PolyGram subsidiary) re-developed the abortive project, with production scheduled to start in August 1998. By 1997, Peter Hewitt had been attached to direct, and a script had been written by Karey Kirkpatrick. Meanwhile, Kristin Scott Thomas had been contracted to play Lady Penelope, while Pete Postlethwaite had yet to accept an offer to appear as Parker; the Baldwin brothers – Alec, William, Daniel and Steven – had been proposed for the roles of the Tracy sons, with Sean Connery a candidate for Jeff. Other filming techniques were briefly considered, including CGI and stop-motion animation. A combination of budgeting difficulties, disagreements regarding scripting and characterisation, and the poor commercial reception to other 1998 films such as Lost in Space and The Avengers (both adaptations of older TV series) resulted in further delays, and the film did not enter production until 2003.

Merchandise

File:FAB1model.jpg

Konami FAB 1 toy car

During the mid- to late-1960s, sales of Thunderbirds tie-in merchandise were so high that Century 21, as AP Films was known from 1966 onwards, established three subsidiary companies to compensate for the increased demand: Century 21 Merchandising, Century 21 Music and Century 21 Toys.

In 2011, the British Royal Mail launched a commemorative Gerry Anderson-themed stamp series, which included a lenticular mini-sheet displaying holographic Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Toys

By 1966, the popularity of Thunderbirds in the UK had prompted commentators to name that year's end-of-year shopping season "Thunderbirds Christmas". At the time of the series' original broadcast, companies including Matchbox, Dinky and J. Rosenthal were awarded licences by AP Films Merchandising to manufacture die-cast metal and plastic toys based on the Thunderbird vehicles; in all, the subsidiary issued approximately 120 such licences. Themed birthday cards for children, for ages 6 to 10, were available in Australia in the mid-1960s; Japanese model kits of the vehicles continued to be marketed into the 1980s. Bandai manufactured toys to co-incide with the UK release of the live-action film in 2004, and fellow Japanese companies Aoshima, Konami and Takara continue to manufacture Thunderbirds toys designed using the original vehicle schematics – an example is Takara's Thunderbird 2 model (with functioning lights and landing struts).

When Thunderbirds was revived on BBC2 in the early 1990s, Matchbox launched a brand-new range of toys. After poor sales in 1991 (due to demand for toys far outstripping supply), by Christmas 1992 the series had provided manufacturers with the most successful British tie-in merchandising campaign since Star Wars in the 1970s and 1980s. Matchbox's Tracy Island playset quickly became the UK's most sought-after toy, resulting in stock shortages nationwide. So widely demanded was the product that, in 1993, the BBC children's TV programme Blue Peter aired a making-of (hosted by presenter Anthea Turner) showing how viewers could build their own model using household waste. Demand for a free instruction manual detailing the process became such that the BBC was forced to withdraw its viewer offer and instead release Turner's demonstration, titled Blue Peter Makes a Thunderbirds Tracy Island, on VHS.

The 1991 Matchbox range consisted of:

The Matchbox Thunderbirds TV commercial.

• Thunderbirds 1 – 4 & Fab 1 Die Cast Vehicles – Available separately, together as a rescue pack (or in commemorative packaging through the Radio Times)
• Tracy Island Electronic Playset – featuring electronic sounds, fold back palm trees, revealing swimming pool and a raising launch pad for Thunderbird 2 – So scarce this was at Christmas, it made the headlines on the BBC News
• Action Figures of the Tracy Brothers, Jeff, Brains, The Hood, Lady Penelope, Parker (Note: Alan was released with a cream coloured sash and later corrected to a white coloured sash)
• Electronic Thunderbird 1 – on a base with mechanised opening wings, electronic firing light and sound
• Electronic Thunderbird 2 – capable of containing two of the above mentioned action figures, and with electronic sounds and a mini Thunderbird 4
• Pod Vehicle Set – The Mole, Firefly and Recovery Vehicle all compatible with the Electronic Thunderbird 2
• Pull Back Action Vehicles of Thunderbirds 1,2 & 4
• 10" Dolls of Scott, Virgin, Alan, Gordon and John

After the success of the Thunderbirds repeats and merchandise, the BBC scheduled Stingray for repeats, and Matchbox once again produced a small toy line. However when the BBC resurrected Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, the toy licence was re-issued to Vivid Imaginations, who later went on to produce a similar range of toys (to that of Matchbox) for the early 2000 revival of Thunderbirds.

The Vivid Imaginations range included:

The TV commercial for Vivid Imaginations Tracy Island Electronic Playset.

• Thunderbirds 1: 4, Fab 1 & The Mole – available separately or together, this time made of plastic and slightly larger than the Matchbox range
• Thunderbird 5: withdrawn because of inappropriate electronic sounds, later reissued and not capable of docking with Thunderbird 3
• Tracy Island Soundtech Electronic Playset: very similar to the Matchbox design, capable of holding the Thunderbird Vehicles and featuring 12 sounds through a hidden electronic control desk displaying above the Tracy Brother portraits
• Tracy Island Powertech Transforming Playset: a miniature version revealing vehicle hanger interiors with various sounds and features
• Thunderbirds 1-4 Soundtech Electronic Playsets: with miniature figures, revealing cockpit and sounds
• Action Adventure Set: to scale with the above mentioned Thunderbird 2 playset, featuring the Mole, Firefly, the Hood's Submarine and six figures
• Several dolls and action figures were also available

A Virgin Group limited edition Thunderbird 2 was available - in red rather than green. Selected items from this collection were re-released in different packaging for the series' 40th anniversary in 2005, with the Tracy Island playset advertised as having "new interactive launch stations". Vivid Imaginations went on to produce toys for Stingray and Captain Scarlet, and will market a product line for the upcoming ITV Thunderbirds re-make.

Audio episodes

Century 21 Records, a subsidiary company of Century 21 established in September 1965, produced nineteen 7-inch, 33 RPM, EP "mini-albums" based on the TV series. Sixteen are adapted from original episode soundtracks, edited to a running time of 30 minutes and including additional narration from a member of the original voice cast, who performs in character. The other three are brand-new adventures; voice actors Peter Dyneley, David Graham and Sylvia Anderson are featured in all three, Ray Barrett in two and Shane Rimmer in one. To satisfy increasing demand from comics writers for stories showcasing Lady Penelope and Parker, two records – F.A.B. and The Stately Homes Robberies – are narrated from the point of view of the International Rescue agents instead of the Tracy family.

Code	Title	Writer(s)	Notes
MA 103	Introducing Thunderbirds Alternative title: Introducing The Thunderbirds	Alan Fennell	A prequel to the first TV episode, "Trapped in the Sky", in which Lady Penelope visits Tracy Island for the first time. Released prior to September 1965 to acquaint potential TV viewers with the series' premise. Later re-issued as one side of Lady Penelope Presents (Century 21, LP, LA 2) and as part of Gerry Anderson Presents TV Favourites – Volume 1 (Marble Arch Records, LP, MAL 770).
MA 107	F.A.B. Alternative title: The Abominable Snowman	Desmond Saunders David Graham	Investigating reports of supposed attacks by the legendary Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas, Lady Penelope and Parker are abducted by a disguised Hood. Later re-issued as one side of Lady Penelope Investigates (Century 21, LP, LA 4).
MA 108	Thunderbird 1	Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (episode)	Adaptation of "Trapped in the Sky", with narration by Scott Tracy (Shane Rimmer)
MA 109	Thunderbird 2	Dennis Spooner (episode)	Adaptation of "End of the Road", with narration by Brains (David Graham)
MA 110	The Stately Homes Robberies	Alan Fennell Jim Watson (story)	A series of burglaries at various English stately homes draws Lady Penelope and Parker into a plot to raid the Tower of London and steal the Crown Jewels. Released in June 1966. Later re-issued as one side of Lady Penelope Investigates.
MA 112	Thunderbird 3	Alan Fennell (episode)	Adaptation of "Sun Probe", with narration by Alan Tracy (Matt Zimmerman)
MA 113	Thunderbird 4	Alan Fennell (episode)	Adaptation of "Atlantic Inferno", narrated by Gordon Tracy (David Graham)
MA 114	The Perils of Penelope	Alan Pattillo (episode)	Adaptation of "The Perils of Penelope", with narration by Lady Penelope (Sylvia Anderson)
MA 118	Lady Penelope and Parker	Dennis Spooner (episode)	Adaptation of "Vault of Death", with narration by Lady Penelope (Sylvia Anderson)
MA 119	Brains and Tin-Tin	Donald Robertson (episode)	Adaptation of "Desperate Intruder", with narration by Tin-Tin (Christine Finn)
MA 120	International Rescue	Dennis Spooner (episode)	Adaptation of "The Impostors", with narration by Scott Tracy (Shane Rimmer)
MA 121	Thunderbirds	Dennis Spooner (episode)	Adaptation of "Day of Disaster", with narration by Gordon Tracy (David Graham)
MA 122	Lady Penelope	Alan Pattillo (episode)	Adaptation of "The Cham-Cham", with narration by Parker (David Graham)
MA 123	Brains	Alan Pattillo (episode)	Adaptation of "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker", with narration by Brains (David Graham)
MA 124	Brink of Disaster	Alan Fennell (episode)	Adaptation of "Brink of Disaster", with narration by Parker (David Graham)
MA 125	Atlantic Inferno	Alan Fennell (episode)	Adaptation of "Atlantic Inferno", with narration by Gordon Tracy (David Graham)
MA 126	Ricochet	Tony Barwick (episode)	Adaptation of "Ricochet", with narration by Brains (David Graham)
MA 128	One Move and You're Dead	Alan Pattillo (episode)	Adaptation of "Move – And You're Dead", with narration by Tin-Tin (Christine Finn)
MA 129	Thirty Minutes After Noon	Alan Fennell (episode)	Adaptation of "30 Minutes After Noon", with narration by Parker (David Graham)

Books

Between 1966 and 1967, eight original novels, based on the TV series, were written by John William Jennison (four using the pseudonym "John Theydon") and Kevin McGarry; three focus on the character of Lady Penelope. In 1992, Corgi Books published four novelisations for children, all written by Dave Morris, based on the scripts for episodes "The Uninvited", "Brink of Disaster", "Sun Probe", and "Atlantic Inferno".

In 2008, FTL Publications launched a new series of Thunderbirds original novels, written primarily by Joan Marie Verba with art by Steve Kyte. It was the first licence for Thunderbirds titles to be granted to an American publisher, and the books constitute the first new, official series of Thunderbirds novels to be written since 1967. Countdown To Action, published in June 2008, presents the founding of International Rescue, exploring the establishment of the organisation and the construction of its machines. The other books individually highlight the five Tracy brothers, in addition to Brains.

Year	Title	Writer	Publisher	Notes
1966	Thunderbirds	"John Theydon" (John W. Jennison)	Armada Books	When a mysterious meteorite lands in the Gobi Desert, Scott Tracy and the Hood are overpowered by an extraterrestrial intelligence. Re-printed as Thunderbirds 1: Thunderbirds in 1989 by Titan Books.
1966	Calling Thunderbirds	"John Theydon"	Armada Books	Lady Penelope and her cousin are kidnapped by a Peruvian explorer and the Hood, who are both seeking to recover ancient Inca treasure. Re-printed as Thunderbirds 2: Calling Thunderbirds in 1990 by Titan Books.
1966	Thunderbirds: Operation Asteroids	John W. Jennison	World Distributors	A rescue mission to the Moon is hi-jacked by the Hood; he returns to Earth in Thunderbird 3, holding Lady Penelope, Brains and Tin-Tin hostage and plotting to attack major cities from orbit with nuclear devices.
1966	Thunderbirds: Lost World	John W. Jennison	World Distributors	On New Guinea, Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Tin-Tin are abducted by descendants of a lost but scientifically-advanced tribe allied with the Hood, who intends to wreak havoc with the natives' anti-gravity technology.
1966	Lady Penelope: Cool for Danger	Kevin McGarry	World Distributors	Lady Penelope and Parker are embroiled in the initial stages of a coup d'état in the European state of Revonia, in part triggered by Penelope's arch-enemy Mr Steelman's desire for world domination.
1966	Lady Penelope: A Gallery of Thieves	Kevin McGarry	World Distributors	Mr Steelman's latest scheme is to hold the galleries of the world to ransom by stealing unique works of art and replacing them with counterfeits.
1966	Thunderbirds: Ring of Fire	"John Theydon"	Armada Books	Following a rescue at a disintegrating nuclear power station, Thunderbird 1 is caught in a volcanic eruption; the nuclear explosion has furthermore opened a fissure in the Earth's crust, threatening widespread destruction.
1966	Thunderbirds Are Go	Angus P. Allan	Armada Books	Novelisation of the film Thunderbirds Are Go (1966).
1967	Lady Penelope: The Albanian Affair	"John Theydon"	Armada Books Century 21 Publishing	Lady Penelope's mission to pursue a reporter who has photographed the Thunderbirds machines is complicated by the involvement of a criminal organisation intent on selling the images to a rogue Balkan state.
1992	Sun Probe	Dave Morris	Corgi Books	Novelisation of the TV episode "Sun Probe" (1965).
1992	The Uninvited	Dave Morris	Corgi Books	Novelisation of the TV episode "The Uninvited" (1965).
1992	Brink of Disaster	Dave Morris	Corgi Books	Novelisation of the TV episode "Brink of Disaster" (1965).
1992	Atlantic Inferno	Dave Morris	Corgi Books	Novelisation of the TV episode "Atlantic Inferno" (1966).
2008	Countdown to Action!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights Jeff Tracy. ISBN 978-8-9653575-7-9.
2008	Action Alert!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights Scott Tracy. ISBN 978-0-9653575-8-6.
2009	Deadly Danger!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights Virgil Tracy. ISBN 978-0-9653575-9-3.
2010	Situation: Critical!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights John Tracy. ISBN 978-098252322-3.
2011	Extreme Hazard!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights Gordon Tracy. ISBN 978-193688101-7
2012	Danger Zone!	Joan Marie Verba	FTL Publications	Highlights Alan Tracy. ISBN 978-1-936881-08-6
2012	Arctic Adventure	Anthony Taylor	FTL Publications	Highlights Brains. ISBN 978-0-9825232-5-4.

Comics

A comic strip starring the characters of Lady Penelope and Parker, set at a time prior to their recruitment by International Rescue, debuted in the weekly AP Films Publishing children's title TV Century 21 in early 1965, several months before the transmission of "Trapped in the Sky". A full-length Thunderbirds strip first appeared in the comic's 51st issue, published in January 1966; initially written by Alan Fennell, this mostly replaced the "Lady Penelope" strip, which moved to a newly-established sister comic of the same name. Illustrated by Frank Bellamy, the strip was a centrepiece of TV Century 21 (later re-branded as TV 21) for 30 stories and 186 issues, until October 1969.

A Thunderbirds Annual was published by the re-branded Century 21 Publishing from 1966 to 1968, and a Lady Penelope version until 1969. Thunderbirds also featured in the parent TV Century 21/TV 21 annual until 1969; the same year, a joint Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds annual was published.

All the Bellamy-illustrated strips, as well as some strips that originally appeared in Lady Penelope, were re-printed in Fleetway Publications' Thunderbirds: The Comic between 1991 and 1994; various other re-prints had appeared in Polystyle Publications's Countdown (briefly titled TV Action + Countdown) and Thunderbirds Holiday Special series during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1992, Ravette Books re-printed 13 strips in a graphic album series.

Video games

In 1985, a Thunderbirds video game was released for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum; in the game, the player was required to explore an Egyptian-styled labyrinth using Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2. In 1989, Grandslam Entertainment released a title for the Commodore 64 and Commodore Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, MSX and ZX Spectrum. In 1990, Activision released a NES version; in 1993, a title by Super Famicom, subtitled Kokusou Kyuujotai Shutsudou Seyo!, was released in Japan only.

SCi Games published a Game Boy Color game in 2000. The following year, it further released a collection of Microsoft Windows themes and screensavers called "F.A.B Action Pack" as well as a Game Boy Advance game titled Thunderbirds: International Rescue. In 2004, another Game Boy Advance title was released by Vivendi Universal Games. A new Thunderbirds video game was released in Europe for the PlayStation 2 on 6 July 2007; the North American release was cancelled.

Home video releases

After Lew Grade resigned from ITC, the ownership changed hands internally three times before the company as a whole was successively acquired by PolyGram (based in Los Angeles), Carlton Television (in the UK) and Granada plc (following a merger with Carlton Communications in 2003 and 2004).

From the 1980s to the 1990s, PolyGram issued a limited number of episodes on home video as edited for "Super Space Theater". Fourteen volumes of episodes were released in pairs on VHS in the late 1980s by Channel 5 Video (not to be confused with the Channel 5 TV channel, then un-formed); the final volume, billed as a "special edition", included a black-and-white "making-of" feature, which was also added to later DVD releases. Digitally remastered by Carlton, Thunderbirds was released on Region 2 DVD in 2000, after a rights dispute had been resolved. Region 1 counterparts were released by A&E Home Video in 2001, with a "Complete Series" box set following in 2002; it was re-issued in slimmer packaging in 2008. Thunderbirds has since been released on Blu-ray Disc: the Region B version is in fact region-free and presents episodes in a widescreen 16:9, as opposed to the original 4:3, aspect ratio. A Japanese Blu-ray set, released by Geneon Universal in 2013, re-instates the 4:3 ratio.

Carlton/ITV releases include:

Title	Format	Country	Region	Release Date (* DVD only)	No. of Discs	Picture Format	Special Features (DVD/Blu-ray only)
Thunderbirds – The Complete Series	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, re-released in slimmer packaging in 2004	9	4:3	The Thunderbirds Companion, FAB Fact Files, Printable CD Rom Cross Sections, Featurettes, Original Artwork & Memorabilia, TV Commercials
Thunderbirds – Volume 1	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (digibook), *2008	1	4:3	Characters FAB Fact File, Quiz with Behind The Scenes Bonus
Thunderbirds – Volume 2	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	Machines FAB Fact File, Machines Featurette
Thunderbirds – Volume 3	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	Tracy Island FAB Fact File, Characters Featurette
Thunderbirds – Volume 4	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	Gerry Anderson FAB Fact File, Lady Penelope & Parker Featurette
Thunderbirds – Volume 5	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	TV Century 21 Records & Mini Albums FAB Fact File, Making Of Featurette
Thunderbirds – Volume 6	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	TV Century 21 Comics FAB Fact File, TV Adverts
Thunderbirds – Volume 7	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	Novels FAB Fact File, TV Adverts
Thunderbirds – Volume 8	DVD, VHS	UK	2	2000, *2004 (new cover)	1	4:3	Production Crew FAB Fact File, Secrets Featurette
The Brains Behind Thunderbirds	VHS	UK	N/A	2001	N/A	4:3
Thunderbirds – The Complete Series	Blu-ray	UK	Free	2008	6	16:9
Thunderbirds – Blu-ray Collectors Box	Blu-ray	Japan	Free	2013	9	4:3	Collectors Booklet, The Thunderbirds Companion, FAB Fact Files, Featurettes, TBC

Reception

Nothing was as successful as Thunderbirds. Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was very successful, but once you've had a smash hit, everything tends to look less successful in comparison.

Gerry Anderson

Director David Lane considers Thunderbirds to be "really the ultimate Gerry Anderson programme". Jeff Evans, writer of The Penguin TV Companion, praises the series, commenting that "the format provided plenty of scope for character development and tension building." In an essay on Anderson's science fiction, Jonathan Bignell writes that the title sequence – in which the Tracy family's portraits are superimposed on the Thunderbirds machines, their silhouettes colour-coded to their uniform's sashes – reflects Anderson's partiality to "visual revelation of machines and physical action". Evaluating the length and detail of the Thunderbird 1, 2 and 3 launch sequences, Bignell identifies a "focus on vehicles", as well as a fixation on futuristic technology in general; to some degree, this is exploited to compensate for the limited mobility on the part of the Supermarionation puppets, which could not be made to walk persuasively on screen. The series' emphasis on the mechanical has been explored further by Nicholas J. Cull, who opines that, of all Anderson's series, Thunderbirds is the most evocative of his science fiction's recurring theme – the "necessity of the human component of the machine", and individual courage triumphing over technology, as demonstrated in Thunderbirds by the dangers of technology that "over-reaches" itself.

Critics including Bignell and Cull have analysed Thunderbirds as a product of the Cold War era. Bignell notes that the Hood's villainy extends beyond the boundaries of geopolitical schisms: his "Oriental appearance" and exotic powers "associated him with James Bond villains of the period, and pervasive fears of China as a 'third force' antagonistic to the West."

In a forward to John Marriott’s book Thunderbirds Are Go", Gerry Anderson suggests a number of reasons why the show has remained as popular, several years after its initial broadcast. He comments, "The show contains elements that appeal to most children – danger, jeopardy and destruction – but because International Rescue’s mission is to save life there is no gratuitous violence." He also believes that “It has strong family atmosphere where Dad reigns supreme. His sons are always in the forefront of the action and the audience share his concern for their safety.” When talking about the series format he notes that it is “an hour-long show which allows time to introduce new characters, giving the audience the opportunity to get to know and like them before they are put into seemly hopeless situations.”

The series' presentation of tobacco smoking was the subject of a study published in the medical journal Tobacco Control in 2002. Kate Hunt of the University of Glasgow records on-screen examples of tobacco consumption in 26 of Thunderbirds' 32 episodes, with "Martian Invasion" containing the highest number (eight). According to Hunt, smoking on the part of the primary puppet cast is "generally associated with high status, high self-esteem, social and sexual desirability, and pleasure and leisure". The character of Lady Penelope is shown to be a smoker in 10 of the 17 episodes in which she appears; by contrast, the three junior Tracy brothers (Alan, Gordon and John) appear to be non-smokers, possibly on account of their "lack of maturity, their isolation from peers, or the closeness of their family set-up". As for non-recurring minor characters, the selection and application of tobacco product is frequently a clear indication of social class, with high-ranking male characters likely to hold cigars in their hands, and characters "of most dubious social worth" sometimes puffing constantly on cigarettes fixed between their lips.

Hunt further comments that Thunderbirds' attitude to women and smoking is difficult to ascertain due to the under-representation of female characters, a reflection of the "more marginal status of women in the mid-1960s"; Tin-Tin, a socially-ambiguous young woman, is seen to smoke in only one episode. Hunt determines that the depictions of smoking in Thunderbirds mostly "concur with the tobacco industry's efforts to associate tobacco consumption with glamour and success, health and wealth", adding that on occasion it is used to "'mark' 'baddies'". Furthermore, she concludes that Thunderbirds does not actively promote smoking, an opinion rejected by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation at the time of the series' 2000s re-launch on BBC Two.

Summing up the series, John Marriott, in his book Thunderbirds Are Go, expresses the view that "Thunderbirds has sparked the imagination of a world public like no other puppet series before or since." Discussing the effect that it has had on viewers, he believes that "its influence, extending beyond millions of eager viewers, has also been both technical and ideological." Anderson agrees, and adds that "it did excite a future generation of scientists and engineers, whose ideas have been shaped by the craft and their capabilities." In acknowledgement of the series' success, the Royal Television Society awarded Anderson the Silver Medal for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in 1966; the same year, he was appointed an honorary fellow of the British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society.

Current broadcast

Today, the series is repeated on BBC Two in the UK and RTÉ Two in Ireland. Thunderbirds also has a considerable following in Japan, where it was first broadcast by NHK in 1966. From 2000 to 2003, the satellite channel Boomerang UK broadcast episodes daily, eventually showing the whole series of 32 episodes roughly 34 times. Thunderbirds was also syndicated on the now-defunct American cable network TechTV from 5 August 2002 to 20 June 2004; however, episodes were split into two 30-minute parts, and were filled with "pop-up trivia" and arrows pointing at various spots on the screen. It currently airs in the United States in High Definition on Family Room, a VOOM TV network.

In Australia, the Channel 9 Network screened the series many times from the 1970s to as recently as 2007 in a Saturday morning timeslot, and on weekdays during school holidays. Thunderbirds has also aired on Channel 9's second digital station Go! on Saturday mornings, and the original (uncut) series was repeated several times on the Foxtel cable network in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Most recently, Foxtel has broadcast Thunderbirds on the SF Channel on weekdays.

Modernising attempts

Main article: Thunderbirds 2086

Financial difficulties resulted in Anderson selling his intellectual property rights to most of his Supermarionation productions, including Thunderbirds, in the mid-1970s. Consequently, he was unable to assert creative control over the various Thunderbirds updatings that appeared in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Japanese anime TV series Kagaku Kyuujo-Tai TechnoVoyager (Scientific Rescue Team TechnoVoyager, 1982) – dubbed for and exported to Anglophone countries as Thunderbirds 2086 – is based on Thunderbirds but written with a stronger emphasis on futuristic technology. In this re-imagining of the 1960s series, developed without Anderson's knowledge or involvement, International Rescue is stationed within a colossal arcology, operates 17 Thunderbird vehicles, and employs personnel from many different backgrounds. Distributed by ITC under the supervision of Robert Mandell, Thunderbirds 2086 comprised 24 episodes and was broadcast in the UK in 1986.

In the early 1990s, the Fox Broadcasting Company broadcast Thunderbirds (re-styled Thunderbirds USA) on its Fox Kids programming block. To familiarise American audiences with the series premise prior to the planned release of a feature-length film (then expected to appear in 1995), and in response to the success of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993–95) and other popular children's programmes, ITC edited 13 of the original episodes to fill a half-hour timeslot (co-incidentally, the running time of the first episodes as they were originally produced in 1964) and overlaid new opening titles, music and character voices (provided by American actors). A limited number of re-edited episodes were subsequently released on home video.

The "Hack Masters", Tripp and Roxette, of the short-lived Turbocharged Thunderbirds (1994–95)

From 18 December 1994, Thunderbirds was syndicated in a brand-new format under the title Turbocharged Thunderbirds. Co-produced by PolyGram and Bohbot, the re-working preserved most of Fox's editing while adding live-action footage of two Californian teenagers – Tripp (Travis Wester) and Roxette (Johna Stewart), nicknamed the "Hack Masters" – who are drawn into the year 2096 of a parallel universe. There, they ally themselves with the simulated life-forms (played, via stock footage, by the original puppet characters) of the planet "Thunder-World" against the villainous "Atrocimator" (voiced by Tim Curry). The main characters' dialogue includes such exclamations as "Booyah!", "Cowabunga!" and "Don't have a cow!". A single series of 13 episodes aired in the United States; to date, Turbocharged Thunderbirds has not been broadcast in the UK. Anderson publicly expressed disapproval of the series and asked the programme-makers to remove his name from the production credits.

In 2000, Thunderbirds was re-mastered with Dolby Surround Sound for DVD release. To draw maximum benefit from the 5.1 audio, the new sound mix included additional contemporary sound effects and foley (mainly explosions, aircraft noise, and other mechanical noise) inserted on top of the original track at suitable points. Anderson, who had received no royalties from the distribution of the series since signing away the rights in the 1960s, was hired as "re-mastering consultant", and the DVDs were released in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia in 2002. Thunderbirds has also been released on Blu-ray Disc, panned and scanned vertically to a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Revival attempts

Prior to the 2013 announcement of the official re-make, Gerry Anderson made several attempts to resurrect Thunderbirds. In 1976, in association with Star Trek and Space: 1999 producer Fred Freiberger, he developed Inter-Galactic Rescue 4 for the American NBC network; the series was to have been filmed in live action and followed the adventures of a variable-configuration air, sea and space rescue vehicle, Rescue 4. Century 21 Productions regulars Reg Hill, Brian Johnson and Martin Bower contributed to the pre-production design work, but the 13-episode proposal was ultimately rejected by NBC. In 1984, after the production of Terrahawks had been completed, Anderson conceived T-Force, an updating of Thunderbirds that would have transferred International Rescue's base of operations to a submarine.

In 1993, this concept was further developed under the title G-Force, and later GFI (an abbreviation of Gee Force Intergalactic, the rescue organisation that was to have appeared instead of International Rescue). The flagship of the G-Force fleet was to have been the spacecraft Galaxy, which housed a factory capable of manufacturing vehicles and equipment specialised to fulfil the requirements of any rescue mission. Although plans for T-Force had prematurely collapsed due to a lack of funding, one of the 13 planned episodes of GFI – "Warning Warning", written by Tony Barwick – was filmed, combining traditional cel animation (for character sequences) and CGI (for vehicles). The former, which was provided by a Russian animation studio, was of poor quality, and when it was determined that re-working and upgrading the footage would render the series cost-prohibitive, production on GFI was cancelled.

In September 2005, a QuickTime video file, titled Thunderbirds IR, appeared on P2P networks. It opened with music by Barry Gray and clips of the original Thunderbirds launchings, before shifting to scenes from a new series, to be produced by Carlton Television. The trailer, produced using a combination of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and puppetry, included scenes showing a re-designed Thunderbird 1, Scott Tracy, the Hood, and the rescue of a falling lighthousekeeper. Scott was seen to walk, and perform a backflip (making the tongue-in-cheek quip "Look, no strings!"). The series was developed with Asylum responsible for puppet work and set design and The Mill for CGI. Gerry Anderson, after meeting the Carlton team in the early days of development, gave the project his blessing; however, when Carlton merged with Granada plc, work on the series was postponed indefinitely. Writing in 2005, after the filming of a Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons re-make had been finished, Anderson stated that he had been unable to secure Thunderbirds re-make rights from Granada.

On 29 August 2008, The Sun announced that Anderson was planning to produce a new CGI version of Thunderbirds, and that he was in discussions with ITV for the rights to the original series. Although Anderson expressed his belief that such a series would eventually be produced with his involvement, ITV refused to return the rights in 2008 and 2009. On 11 January 2011, a new series of Thunderbirds was announced by Anderson during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live. Anderson stated that he was unable to reveal many details because he had signed a non-disclosure agreement, but that the production of the series was assured and that it would be made in CGI, with modernised characters and vehicles. In the 15 January edition of The Sun, he said that he had yet to script the first episode, but that he had "fleshed it out" in his mind.

New series (2013)

Anderson died on 26 December 2012, initially leaving the future of the new series uncertain. However, a press release issued on 4 February 2013 confirmed that ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures planned to re-invent Thunderbirds as twenty-six 30-minute episodes, using a mixture of computer animation and live-action model sets, for CITV. It was expected to be broadcast in 2015, the original series' semi-centennial year.

References, parodies and imitations

A Thunderbirds-themed exhibition in Trafalgar Square in London in 2004. In recent years, Thunderbird 2 models have been displayed at the Millennium Dome, Science Museum and other venues.

Film, TV and radio

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker co-produced the puppet film Team America: World Police (2004), whose comedy was inspired by the idiosyncrasies of Thunderbirds-era Supermarionation techniques. Stone and Parker have stated that, while they were not particularly fans of Thunderbirds (having been born after it first aired), they were admirers of its visual style: "What's made it last is the time and care that the people who did that show put into the marionettes". The Aardman Animations short film Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave (1995) incorporates a homage to Thunderbirds: after Wallace receives a telephone call for window-cleaning services, his method of transferring from his living room to his garage, onto his motorcycle, and then out onto the street, is reminiscent Virgil Tracy's launching of Thunderbird 2. Additional homages are found in the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced (1999–2001).

In the 1960s BBC comedy TV series Not Only... But Also, starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, a sketch titled "Superthunderstingcar" was performed; it was a parody of Thunderbirds as well as other Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced puppet series, including Supercar and Stingray. The 1980s Australian comedy series The D-Generation included a Thunderbirds-themed sketch featuring live actors pretending to be string puppets; it was performed a number of times during the series' run, every time with a different storyline – one example being "Thunderbirds Pizza", which has the crew managing a worldwide pizza-delivery business. In 1987, Shane Rimmer, Matt Zimmerman and David Graham reprised the voices of Scott Tracy, Alan Tracy and Parker for a comedy mini-series transmitted on BBC Radio 2 in support of the BBC's November Children in Need telethon.

A 1994 episode of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous features the Lady Penelope puppet in a dream sequence that draws its basis from the character of Edina undergoing surgery: Penelope informs Edina that she is dying, but that Brains is working on a chemical formula to save her life. In the United States, MTV broadcast an adult-situation parody of Thunderbirds, Super Adventure Team, in 1998. The design of the CGI characters in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–13) is inspired by Thunderbirds, as is the premise of the Warren Ellis comic book Global Frequency (2002).

Advertising campaigns

In 1990, Gerry Anderson filmed a car insurance TV advert for Swinton Insurance titled "Parker's Day Off", in which Lady Penelope, at the wheel of FAB 1, drives dangerously and requires rescue by Parker in Thunderbird 2. The title character was played by the original Parker marionette, kept by Anderson since the 1960s and worked by original series puppet operator Christine Glanville.

In 1993, a Thunderbirds-themed advert for the Kit Kat chocolate bar was broadcast. This included the original "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown (re-recorded by a new voice actor) and shots of all the machines taking off except Thunderbird 1 – in the cockpit, Scott was, to honour the product's slogan, "having a break" with a Kit Kat. Meanwhile, a cantankerous Jeff repeatedly ordered Scott to launch: "Thunderbirds! GO!"

In 2001, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) made use of Thunderbirds in an advert prompting drivers to pay their road tax on time: Lady Penelope snipped Parker's strings for accidentally allowing FAB 1's wheels to be clamped. The same year, Travelcare produced an advert with the tagline "We'll tell you what the brochures won't": two girls in a swimming pool were disturbed as the floor started to slide away; as Thunderbird 1 blasted off, they were revealed to be on Tracy Island, and narrowly avoided incineration by the rocket exhaust.

Billboard for the 1989 production of Thunderbirds FAB in London

In 2008, Specsavers produced an advert starring the characters of Virgil Tracy and the Hood to promote its newly-launched "Reaction" lenses. Made using the same production techniques employed by the original production crew, it was published on the official Specsavers YouTube page and screened on commercial TV. This mini-adventure saw Virgil, wearing a jet pack, being chased by the Hood over a mountain pass. When Virgil flew out of a tunnel into the dazzling sunshine, his Specsavers lenses immediately darkened to protect his vision; the Hood was not so fortunate and, blinded by the light, crashed in a fireball into the mountainside.

Another late-2000s advert, released by Britvic to advertise its product Drench! water, featured Brains dancing to the 1992 song "Rhythm Is a Dancer". Half-way through, he rested and drank some Drench! before resuming the dance, and the advert finished with the slogan "Brains perform best when they're hydrated". The official "Stay Drenched!" website hosted a making-of video revealing that Brains' movements were supplied by a combination of live-action puppetry, motion capture and CGI.

Miscellaneous

The mission of the International Rescue organisation inspired the foundation of the Red Cross-funded International Rescue Corps, originally a brigade of British firefighters who volunteered their humanitarian services to the Italian authorities in the aftermath of the Irpinia earthquake. Still operational, the charity has since assisted at disaster zones in various other countries. Meanwhile, the British railway operator Virgin Trains employs a group of 16 Class 57/3 diesel locomotives primarily for "rescue" duties, towing electric Pendolino trains in the event of breakdowns or unexpected detours onto non-electrified lines; all 16 trains are named after Thunderbirds characters or machines.

In 1984, mime artists Andrew Dawson and Gavin Robertson devised a Thunderbirds stage show, Thunderbirds: F.A.B., which went on to surpass West End sales records at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, London. Also featuring the title character of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and with Dawson and Robertson performing all the parts themselves (including, via helmets, the Thunderbirds machines), the original show toured internationally and popularised a style of movement that became known as the "Thunderbirds walk".

Virgin Trains' Class 57 locomotive "57301 Scott Tracy"

The show was re-launched in 1991 as Thunderbirds: F.A.B. – The Next Generation, incorporating additional characters from Stingray and Captain Scarlet, and with actors Wayne Forester and Paul Kent replacing Dawson and Robertson. In a flyer for the 2001 tour, Dawson stated, "Every time Thunderbirds returns [to British TV] people call us up and ask us if we are still doing the show. We try to re-create everything that everyone loves about Thunderbirds in a live show – the noises, the funny puppet walk. Anyone who has ever seen Thunderbirds – and there can't be many people who haven't – will enjoy the show." Before the success of Thunderbirds: F.A.B., from 1974 to 1975, the company Stage Three – whose founders included Thunderbirds puppeteer Christine Glanville – presented a Thunderbirds rod puppet stage show at Bournemouth Pier and Woodville Halls Theatre in Gravesend, among other venues.

Gerry Anderson directed the music video for the Dire Straits single "Calling Elvis" (1991), which incorporates a mixture of new footage of Thunderbirds-style puppets (some with likenesses of the band members), old material from the original 1960s episodes, and clips of the band in performance. Australian band TISM released a single titled "Thunderbirds Are Coming Out" (1998); the music video focuses on a socially-awkward teenager who sees the Thunderbird machines on TV and is immediately impressed – thereafter, he is inspired to conform to the norms of adolescent life.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

• Archer, Simon; Hearn, Marcus (2002). What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0-563534-81-5.
• Bentley, Chris (2005) [2000]. The Complete Book of Thunderbirds (2 ed.). London: Carlton Books. ISBN 978-1-84442-454-2.
• Bignell, Jonathan (2011). "'Anything Can Happen in the Next Half-Hour': Gerry Anderson's Transnational Science Fiction". In Hochscherf, Tobias (ed.). British Science Fiction Film and Television: Critical Essays. Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Vol. 29. Leggott, James (ed.). North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 73–85. ISBN 978-0-7864-8483-6.
• Cull, Nicholas J. (2006). "The Man who Made Thunderbirds: An Interview with Gerry Anderson". In Cook, John R.; Wright, Peter (eds.). British Science Fiction Television: A Hitchhiker's Guide. London: I.B. Tauris. pp. 116–30. ISBN 978-1-845110-48-2.
• Cull, Nicholas J. (2006). "Was Captain Black Really Red? The TV Science Fiction of Gerry Anderson in its Cold War Context". Media History. 12 (2). Routledge. doi:10.1080/13688800600808005. ISSN 1368-8804. OCLC 364457089. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Cull, Nicholas J. (2009). "'Gerry Anderson (1929–)'". Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction. Routledge Key Guides. Bould, Mark; Butler, Andrew M.; Roberts, Adam; Vint, Sherryl. Oxford; New York City: Routledge. pp. 3–7. ISBN 978-0-2038-7470-7.
• La Rivière, Stephen (2009). Filmed in Supermarionation: A History of the Future. Neshannock, Pennsylvania: Hermes Press. ISBN 978-1-932563-23-8.
• Marriott, John (1992). Thunderbirds Are Go!. London: Boxtree. p. 7, 88. ISBN 978-1-85283-164-6.
• Marriott, John (1993). Supermarionation Classics: Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Rogers, Dave; Drake, Chris; Bassett, Graeme. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1-852839-00-0.
  • Previously published as Marriott, John (1992). Thunderbirds Are Go!. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-852831-64-6.
• Peel, John (1993). Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet: The Authorised Programme Guide. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-863697-28-9.

External links

• Defunct official website (Archived 31 August 2006)
• Thunderbirds at Gerry Anderson's official website
• Thunderbirds at IMDb
• Thunderbirds at BBC Online
• Thunderbirds at the BFI's Screenonline
• Interview with Sylvia Anderson
• Making of Thunderbirds-themed Specsavers TV advertisement