The Cham-Cham

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“The Cham-Cham”
Thunderbirds episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 25
Written by Alan Pattillo
Directed by Alan Pattillo
Original airdate 24 March 1966
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Martian Invasion" "Security Hazard"
List of Thunderbirds episodes
See also: Cham Cham

"The Cham-Cham" is the 25th episode of the first series of the Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds. Its original air date on ATV Midlands in the United Kingdom was 24 March 1966. It was written and directed by Alan Pattillo.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

When aircraft are shot down during live broadcasts of a particular tune, International Rescue suspects foul play. Tin-Tin and Lady Penelope (posing as mysterious singer Wanda Lamour) investigate.

[edit] Plot

At Matthews Field Air Force base, USA, an RTL2 cargo plane prepares to transport weapons amid tight security. A high level of secrecy surrounds the mission due to the mysterious destruction of two previous RTL2 flights by unknown forces. As they lift off, the crew listen to a radio broadcast of the Cass Carnaby Five - the number one pop group of the moment with their song "Dangerous Game". Meanwhile, on Tracy Island, Jeff, Scott, Gordon, Tin-Tin and Virgil are listening to the same station, as are Alan and John onboard Thunderbird 5. Suddenly the space stations systems pick up the distress signal of the RTL2, which is then destroyed by the same three unidentified aircraft that attacked the last two cargo transporters.

After returning to Tracy Island, Alan points out that the attacks on the RTL2 flights coincide with a live performance of "Dangerous Game" on Radio Maxwell. Brains suggests that the music may contain a code which could disrupt the RTL2 missions. While Brains and Alan examine a recording of the transmission, Jeff sends Lady Penelope (in the guise of singer Wanda Lamour) and Tin-Tin on an undercover mission to the Paradise Peaks Hotel in the Swiss Alps, where the Cass Carnaby Five are performing.

At the hotel, Penelope and Tin-Tin introduce themselves to the group and their entourage. Tin-Tin is particularly taken with Cass and finds it hard to believe he is involved in any misdoing. However, Penelope's suspicions are roused by Carnaby's musical arranger, Olsen. After Olsen hastily leaves the concert, Penelope finds Parker working undercover at the bar, who informs her of the location of Olsen's chalet. Meanwhile, Brains has analysed a recording of "Dangerous Game" and is convinced that it does contain a code of somekind, although he needs time before he can decipher it.

The next day, Penelope and Tin-Tin ski to Olsen's chalet half way down the mountain and find him using a large computer to encode the flight plans for the next RTL2 mission. They film the machine before heading back to the hotel. However, Olsen soon spots their tracks in the snow and contacts a waiter at the hotel, ordering him to intercept the pair before they make it back.

Unaware that they have been detected, Penelope and Tin-Tin continue back to Paradise Peaks as the Olsen's accomplice trains a gun on them from higher up the mountain. Luckily, Parker overheard the waiter's telephone conversation with Olsen and followed him. He grabs the gun from the waiters hands just as he shoots, and, after a struggle, they both fall and roll down the slope, ending up in a large snowball which crashes into a rock, knocking the waiter unconscious.

After reaching the hotel, Penelope and Tin-Tin transmit the footage of Olsen's computer to Tracy Island, where Brains recognises it as a "Cham-Cham", a device which can convert information into a coded signal - in this case the Cass Carnaby Five's music. Jeff informs Washington DC of their findings, and the risk to another RTL2 flight which is about to launch, but the commander of Matthews Field airbase is skeptical and refuses to act. Meanwhile, Brains has written a new arrangement of "The Dangerous Game" containing a different coded message which should direct the enemy aircraft towards the US Air Force base.

That evening, Olsen gives Cass a new arrangement of the song (containing the hidden code) for that nights performance. Cass is reluctant to make more changes to the tune, but Olsen is insistent. Tin-Tin pleads with Cass to play Brains' version instead, but he insists he has no choice. Jeff sends Scott to Matthews Field in Thunderbird 1 to convince them of the imminent danger to the RTL2.

As the Cass Carnaby Five play, agents at the enemy airbase listen to the radio broadcast and decode the signal, relaying the coordinates of the RTL2 flight to their fighter pilots. As the hostile aircraft are about to take off, Lady Penelope comes on stage as Wanda Lamour and sings Brains' revised version of "Dangerous Game". As she does so, the enemy airbase receives new coordinates and unwittingly redirects the aircraft over Matthews Field where they are destroyed by US fighters.

While the RTL2 flight has been saved, Jeff is concerned for the safety of Penelope, Tin-Tin and Parker now that their cover has been blown and sends Virgil and Alan in Thunderbird 2 to Paradise Peaks. The three International Rescue agents leave the hotel under the cover of darkness in a cable car. However, Olsen sees them leave and starts cutting the cable. He is interrupted by Cass Carnaby, who attempts to stop him, but it is too late. Thunderbird 2 arrives to find the cable car accelerating freely towards the terminus at the bottom of the mountain. Diving after the car, Virgil and Alan attempt to capture it with magnetic grabs but are unsuccessful. Instead they lower four cables from the underside of Thunderbird 2 and instruct Parker to climb on top of the cable car and harness them to it.

Perched precariously on top of the speeding car, Parker manages to attach the cables, aided by Penelope's umbrella. Virgil fires the retros onboard Thunderbird 2, bringing the car to a stop near the bottom of the mountain, but Parker loses his grip and slides off. As Thunderbird 2 releases its cables and flies away, Penelope and Tin-Tin pick themselves up but are distraught when they realise Parker has fallen from the cable car. However, moments later they see him parachuting down with Penelope's umbrella.

That evening, Parker, Penelope and Tin-Tin return to Paradise Peaks, where they are joined by Virgil and Alan. As they relax in the hotel lounge, they listen to Cass Carnaby playing a slow version of "Dangerous Game" on the piano. Penelope expresses her satisfaction that the tune will no longer be responsible for any more attacks. Outside, a worried Alan asks Tin-Tin if she's upset to leave Cass at Paradise Peaks to go back to Tracy Island, but she assures him that it will be good to get home again.

[edit] The Cast

[edit] Guest Voice Cast

[edit] Main Equipment

The vehicles and equipment featured in this episode are:

  • Thunderbird 1
  • Thunderbird 2
  • Thunderbird 3
  • Thunderbird 5
  • RTL2 cargo transporter
  • 'Ladybird' (Tin-Tin's jet)

[edit] Trivia

  • The artists' agent Maxie previously appeared as film producer Bletcher in "Martian Invasion".
  • Cass Carnaby has a picture of the Duchess of Royston ("The Duchess Assignment") on the wall of his dressing room.
  • The Duchess herself is also seen staying at Paradise Peaks. She can be seen dancing next to Lady Penelope and Olsen whilst they are dancing.
  • "The Cham-Cham" was adapted for audio on the Century 21 mini-album 'Lady Penelope (MA 122), narrated by David Graham as Parker.
  • Sheiler previously appeared as Hector McGill in "Attack of the Alligators!".
  • The Foreign Colonel was previously seen as the International Air Minister in "Operation Crash-Dive".

[edit] External links

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