5, 4, 3, 2, 1: Thunderbirds Are GO!
Thunderbirds was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Filming took place between 1964 and 1966, and was the duos fifth feature using marionette puppets and scenic models to create their special effects. This process would become affectionately known as “Supermarionation.”
Thunderbirds was a “futuristic” piece, and was set in the future in the year 2065. The show focuses on “The International Rescue” organisation as they fight to save the lives of people who often find themselves in danger using their technologically advanced rescue vehicles, The Thunderbirds!
The Thunderbirds are stored at a secret island base known as Tracy Island, whose founding father, ex astronaut Jeff Tracy carries out the rescue operations with the aid of his five sons, Scott, John, Virgil Gordon and Alan, who each pilot their own Thunderbird.
The show was first screened in the UK in 1965 and has since been repeated in over 66 different countries worldwide.
Along with the TV show, a radio adaptation was produced in the early 90’s as well as a slew of other merchandise, which, among others, includes a Japanese remake!
Thunderbirds was supplemented by two feature-length film sequels: Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968). The first, concerning the Zero-X spacecraft’s ill-fated mission to Mars, was commissioned by Lew Grade before the first episode of the TV series had aired in 1965. Written and produced by the Andersons, and directed by David Lane, both films were distributed by United Artists; Thunderbirds Are Go premiered in London on December 1966, Thunderbird 6 in July 1968. Neither film was a critical or commercial success, and Century 21 Cinema’s plans for additional sequels were abandoned.
In the early 1980s, episodes of Thunderbirds (as well as other Supermarionation series) were re-edited by ITC New York to create a series of made-for-TV compilation films. Branded “Super Space Theatre”, the format was intended for family viewing and was sold to cable networks and into syndication in the United States. Three Thunderbirds compilations, revised with new, animated title sequences, were produced: Thunderbirds To The Rescue (1980) Thunderbirds In Outer Space (1981) and Countdown to Disaster(1982).
A part-CGI remake, Thunderbirds Are Go!, will be broadcast in 2015 on CITV, 50 years after the original.
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger was Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running Super Sentai Series. It aired from February 17th 2013 to February 9th 2014 for 49 episodes. Long ago in the Read more
Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley as Zorro. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against Read more
Zone Fighter was a tokusatsu science fiction/superhero television series produced by Toho Company Ltd. It aired from April 2nd 1973 to September 24th 1973, with a total of 26 episodes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdhcjsVLDQY The series follows Read more
Zapped is a British sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that takes place in both in the real world and in a town called Munty which exists in a medieval fantasy world. The series Read more
Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan was a Philippine fantasy-drama television that span off from Space Sheriff Shaider. Originally it was conceived as a Filipino remake of Shaider but the Toei Company rejected the Read more
Mackenzie Crook returns in a new episode of his interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge. Crook already has two episodes under his belt which debuted last Christmas- The Scarecrow Read more
In Mackenzie Crook's second episode of Worzel Gummidge a mysterious man arrival to Scatterbrook known as The Green Man (Michael Palin). Through the episode it is revealed that The Green Man Read more
Anticipation was high for Mackenzie Crook's interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's scarecrow adventures and with many seemingly already making their mind up based on the trailer it was an uphill Read more
Children's TV is no stranger to weird psychedelic visions but none have ever matched the trippy shizzle that legendary magician Paul Daniels (and wife Debbie McGee) came up with for Read more
Debuting in 1983 and running for eight episodes (of which three episodes were directed by Bill Bixby), Wizards and Warriors, was a fantasy show which focused on two neighbouring kingdoms Read more
Created by Tom Greene, Wildside debuted on March 21st 1985 and ran for six episodes. The show starred William Smith, J. Eddie Peck, Howard Rollins, Sandy McPeak, Terry Funk, John D'Aquino, Read more
Whiz Kids was created by Philip DeGuere and Bob Shayne and originally aired from October 5, 1983 to June 2, 1984, lasting one season and consisting of 18 episodes. Richie Read more
Debuting in 1998 and running for thirteen episodes, Welcome to Paradox was an anthology show where all the stories took place in the fictional future city of Betaville although the Read more
Warrior of Love Rainbowman was a tokusatsu series created by Kōhan Kawauchi. It was the first superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and ran from October 6th 1972 to September 18th 1973 Read more
In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now Read more
Voyagers! was a science fiction time travel-based television series that ran between 1982 and 1983. It starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce and lasted for one season of twenty episodes. Read more
One of my favorite science fiction shows when I was a child was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison Read more
Viper was an American action-adventure TV series about a special task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California that is Read more
Running for eight episodes between February 3rd 1989 to April 14, 1989, Unsub came from the minds of David J. Burke, Stephen J. Cannell, and Stephen Kronish. It followed a special Read more
Ah Under the Dome how I love thee. You started so promisingly but after the fourth or fifth episode, you steadily deteriorated, like a cake left in the rain. First, there was your Read more
8 thoughts on “Thunderbirds”