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Trapped in the Sky

Episode aired Sep 30, 1965
TV-G
53m

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

320

YOUR RATING

Action Adventure Family Sci-Fi

A criminal known only as the Hood places a bomb in the landing gear of a new supersonic airliner, Fireflash, hoping to draw out a newly created, privately funded emergency response team call... Read allA criminal known only as the Hood places a bomb in the landing gear of a new supersonic airliner, Fireflash, hoping to draw out a newly created, privately funded emergency response team called International Rescue.A criminal known only as the Hood places a bomb in the landing gear of a new supersonic airliner, Fireflash, hoping to draw out a newly created, privately funded emergency response team called International Rescue.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

320

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos11

+ 6

Top cast8

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Sylvia Anderson

Ray Barrett

John Tracy
(voice)
…

Peter Dyneley

Jeff Tracy
(voice)
…

Christine Finn

Tin-Tin Kyrano
(voice)
…

David Graham

Gordon Tracy
(voice)
…

David Holliday

Virgil Tracy
(voice)

Shane Rimmer

Scott Tracy
(voice)
…

Matt Zimmerman

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Virgil remote-controls two elevator cars while driving a third to cushion the crash-landing of the Fireflash airliner. On the craft's second landing attempt, elevator car #1 suddenly breaks free and speeds off the runway and overturns. This scene came about because during filming one of the model cars indeed broke free and slid off the miniature runway. The special effects crew and Gerry Anderson both agreed that this "gaffe" would work in the context of the story, so Anderson wrote this setback to International Rescue into the plot.

Goofs
As Fireflash makes its first landing attempt onto the elevator cars, the radio control elevator car on the left can be seen to bear the number 4, even before car 3 had crashed and car 4 had left the pod.

Quotes
[International Rescue has succeeded in saving the Fireflash aircraft via emergency elevator cars, but one driven by Virgil has crashed off the runway and is upside down]
Scott Tracy: Are you okay, Virgil?
[Virgil is trying to crawl right side up within his elevator car]
Virgil Tracy: Okay, Scott. Made good timing.
Scott Tracy: Great, Virgil! Just great.

Crazy credits
In the "opening credits" preview, Kyrano's scream can be heard. Later in the series, these previews would not include any actual sound effects.

Alternate versions
For the DVD release of the series the picture was digitally remastered. This also included some repair work to damaged library footage used in the pilot episode "Trapped In the Sky", specifically the paradise beach shot used to represent Tracy Island. Curiously when the episode was shown again in the UK the 5.1 remastered sound was included, but not the digital remastering/repair.

Connections
Edited into Turbocharged Thunderbirds: Trapped in the Sky (1994)

User reviews10

Featured review

9/10

An excellent start to the series

Trapped in the Sky is the ideal introduction to the world of Thunderbirds. It ticks all the right boxes on how to make an excellent first episode; it sets the scene well, we are introduced to the characters in a way that makes them instantly likable, and the rescue scene, which the whole episode has built itself up to, is the highlight of the episode. The script has a few plot holes, especially the failed rescue attempt by London Airport to remove the bomb, but you couldn't ask for a better start to the series.