"Thunderbirds" (1965) TV series 1965-1966

Creators:

Gerry Anderson
Sylvia Anderson
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

15 September 1965 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Family | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In the 21st century, the Tracy family operate a unique private mechanized emergency response service.

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Disaster | Early Warning System | Secret Identity | Rescue Team

Cast

Peter Dyneley	...	Jeff Tracy / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Shane Rimmer	...	Scott Tracy / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Graham	...	Brains / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Ray Barrett	...	John Tracy / ... (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Christine Finn	...	Tin-Tin Kyrano / ... (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Matt Zimmerman	...	Alan Tracy / ... (29 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Holliday	...	Virgil Tracy / ... (26 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson	...	Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward / ... (24 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Directed by
Desmond Saunders		(11 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Lane		(9 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Elliott		(8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Brian Burgess		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Writing credits
Gerry Anderson		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Fennell		(10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo		(7 episodes, 1965-1966)
Dennis Spooner		(6 episodes, 1965-1966)
Donald Robertson		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Martin Crump		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Tony Barwick		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Produced by
Gerry Anderson	....	producer / executive producer (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Reg Hill	....	associate producer / producer (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Read	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1966)

Series Original Music by
Barry Gray		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Cinematography by
Paddy Seale		(4 episodes, 1965)
John Read		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Harry MacDonald		(15 episodes, 1965-1966)
Harry Ledger		(10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Peter Elliott		(6 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Art Direction by
Bob Bell		(26 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Costume Design by
Sylvia Anderson		(unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound (4 episodes, 1965)
Roy Lafbery	....	dialogue editor (3 episodes, 1965)
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Derek Meddings	....	supervising special effects director / special effects director (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Joy Cuff	....	model maker (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Geoff Meldrum	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 1965)

Series Other crew
Gerry Anderson	....	script supervisor (31 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson	....	script supervisor (31 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo	....	script editor (25 episodes, 1965-1966)
Mary Turner	....	puppetry supervisor (20 episodes, 1965-1966)
Christine Glanville	....	puppetry supervisor (19 episodes, 1965-1966)

Production Companies

• AP Films (APF)
• Associated Television (ATV)

Distributors

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC) (1964) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• A&E Home Video (????) (Canada) (DVD)
• A&E Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) (1965-1968) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Carlton International Media
• Epix Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• NHK (1966) (Japan) (TV)
• Super Channel (2002) (Japan) (TV)
• TechTV Inc. (2002-) (USA) (TV) (syndication)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

50 min (32 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Videcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:TV-G | UK:U

Company:

AP Films (APF)

Trivia:

To add to the timelessness the "Thunderbirds" series, great attention was paid to the smallest detail. For example, none of the cars had registration plates giving away the date.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In five episodes, there are newspapers with the date Friday, 24 December 1964 on the front cover, and was clearly not intended to be seen by viewers. (Oddly enough, 24 December 1964 was a Thursday).

Quotes:

[Opening narration]
Jeff Tracy:5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Thunderbirds are go!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Getaway: Episode #17.31" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Flying High

Wonderful wonderful Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds was a major part of my childhood. EVERYTHING stopped for Thunderbirds. It did not matter how many times we watched the episodes they remained as fresh as the first viewing. There is a lot of camp humour about the puppets dangling around on their strings but I never noticed that much due to the brilliant idea of never making the characters actually walk. Seriously you watch the TV episodes again you never see anyone put one foot in front of the other. Even the lithe brave Tracys scoot around on little hoverbikes that defy all the laws of physics.

All this did not matter I simply adored EVERYthing about the Thunderbirds series. If I was not watching it I was building Thunderbird craft out of LEGO or sawing the crude wheels of the few Thunderbird toys that were available. Then Captain Scarlet came along and shot down the Thunderbirds. That was quite a good series but it never gripped me as much. Then the years rolled by with only TV21 to keep my appetite for the show nourished until even that with its full colour photos from the show came to an end. Reluctantly I had to leave the Tracy's world and return to my own. AND THEN! The entire series was released on DVD. I had to own it! With trepidation I inserted the first disk . Would the show seem childish and crude against my current diet of StarTrek, Starwars and all the others. Not a bit, as soon as that countdown began once again and the screen was rocked by those explosions I had seen so many times before I was hooked ! Again I was amazed at how fresh and alive the episodes are even after all these years. Even the special effects hold their own in our CGI world. Thunderbirds is an absolute classic. If you have never watched it then I envy you.