Thunderbirds 

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

Creators:

Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson

Stars:

Sylvia Anderson, Peter Dyneley, David Graham

Cast

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

Storyline

The year is 2065. The location is a secret island base. The Tracy family run International Rescue - a top secret organization whose ongoing mission is to aid humanity. With the support of five incredible THUNDERBIRDS craft, the London agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, her butler and ex safe-cracker Parker and genius Brains, the Tracy family battle the forces of evil.

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Plot Keywords:

international rescue | 21st century | marionette | series title spoken by character | vertical take off and landing aircraft | 

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to "Guinness World Records 2008", the character of Jeff Tracy holds the record for the "Highest Earning TV Character", said to be worth an estimated $US50 billion; assets included maintenance of Tracy Island, all the Thunderbird machines, and so on.

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Goofs

In all episodes that show Thunderbird 1 taking off from Tracy Island, the launch sequence contains a major error. As TB1 descends the ramp to the launch bay, the wings are at right angles to the direction of travel. As it emerges from the tunnel, the wings are aligned in the direction of travel. In other words, the craft has rotated 90 degrees as it goes down into the launch bay.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits include scenes from that week's episode. Gerry Anderson would later reuse this gimmick in "Space: 1999" (1975) and "Space Precinct" (1995).

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Alternate Versions

Episodes were later edited together into the following made-for-video releases: Thunderbirds: Countdown to Disaster Thunderbirds in Outer Space Thunderbirds to the Rescue

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Connections

Referenced in Undermind: Puppets of Evil (1965)

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Soundtracks

Thunderbirds (Main Titles)
Written by Barry Gray
Performed by The Barry Gray Orchestra
Voice: Peter Dyneley

User Reviews

To re-live the magic of toys

You know what I like about this show: it takes me back in time to the days when I loved to play with toys, the days when I used to spend the whole afternoon in the bedroom of a friend of mine playing on the floor with our toys, late into the night, imitating the sound of jet engines with our mouths, crashing our plastic planes into one another, mimicking gunfights, battles, explosions. A few weeks ago I was surprised to find that Chilean TV is replaying the show on Sundays. Last time I had seen one episode must have been fifteen years ago or more, I don't know. I watched and I found myself transported through time back to those days. I can't play with toys anymore, I have lost that childhood thing for toys. But watching the show I re-live the magic of toys, I feel again the beauty and the spell of toy trains, toy cars, toy trucks, toy soldiers, toy planes, etc. And I didn't remember the show looking so gorgeously great on TV (perhaps the reason for that is that back then I watched the show in black and white). Big fun from past!

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1965 (UK)

Also Known As:

Donnervögel

Company Credits

Production Co:

AP Films (APF), Associated Television (ATV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min (32 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) Stereo (re-mastered version)

Color:

Color (Videcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1