The Perils of Penelope

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“The Perils of Penelope”
Thunderbirds episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 3
Written by Alan Pattillo
Directed by Alan Pattillo, Desmond Saunders
Production no. 12
Original airdate 14 October 1965
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Pit of Peril" "Terror in New York City"
List of Thunderbirds episodes
See also: The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

"The Perils of Penelope" is the 3rd episode of the first season of the Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds. It was the 12th episode to be produced. Its original air date on ATV Midlands in the United Kingdom was 14 October 1965. It was written by Alan Pattillo and directed by Alan Pattillo and Desmond Saunders.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

After the launch of a rocket powered by a revolutionary new fuel, one of the scientists contributing to the project is mysteriously kidnapped. It is up to Lady Penelope to go on the trail of the culprits, but her investigation places her in mortal danger from a megalomaniac.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

At Cape Kennedy, two pioneering scientists, Sir Jeremy Hodge and Professor Borrender, observe the successful launch of the Sun Probe. Powered by fuel converted from seawater using their top-secret formula, the spacecraft will carry a team of astronauts into the Sun's orbit to extract material from a solar prominence.

A few weeks later, Lady Penelope meets Sir Jeremy, actually a founder of International Rescue, at midnight in Paris. At the Atalante Restaurant, Hodge explains that Borrender has been missing for two days. After an International Conference in the city, he caught a long-distance monorail train but disappeared before it reached Anderbad. As Penelope prepares to sip her drink, Parker shatters the glass using FAB1’s machine-gun, explaining that it was drugged. A shady man, Dr Godber, promptly flees from a neighbouring table and is unsuccessfully chased by Hodge. However, Penelope picks up his cigarette packet, bearing an obscure crest.

While Parker drives Penelope to her hotel, Sir Jeremy divulges that the secret fuel could have resulted in Borrender’s kidnapping. If misused, it could potentially pollute the world’s oceans or cause political chaos and a world war. Penelope orders Parker to book places for herself and Hodge on the next train to Anderbad to investigate further. On Tracy Island, Jeff dispatches Virgil, Alan and Gordon in Thunderbird 2 to the outlet of the Anderbad Tunnel in case Penelope encounters any problems as the train passes under the Alps.

The next day, Penelope and Sir Jeremy travel to the Paris Heraldic Archives to unearth more on the strange crest. Inspecting the evidence, the owner tells them that they can find out more by searching in the vault below. As the couple descend, however, he removes a fake beard and glasses to reveal himself as Dr Godber. Downstairs, Penelope uncovers a large volume from which the cobwebs have recently been moved. Upon finding that vital pages have been ripped out and that someone anticipated their arrival, the door is slammed shut and lethal gas seeps into the vault. As their tormentor makes a swift getaway, Penelope and Hodge are saved by Parker, who fires FAB1’s rear harpoon clamps at the vault door and then accelerates the car, tearing the door from its hinges.

As their train departs from Paris, Penelope questions the attendant, Albert, on Borrender’s disappearance. He adamantly maintains that he has heard of no such passenger, but immediately reports back to Godber and insists that he gave nothing away. Later, in the restaurant car, Penelope discovers a malevolent note under her teacup: "Beware, you are dealing with desperate men". Meanwhile, Godber knocks Albert unconscious and throws him off the train. Parker, following the route of the train in FAB1, fails to notice Albert as he collapses while stumbling towards the road.

During the night, Penelope is disturbed in her compartment when she sees the shadows of someone’s legs pressing against her door. She and Sir Jeremy head to the luggage compartment, where they catch Godber checking their baggage tags. Claiming that he has replaced Albert as attendant, he quickly leaves. However, Parker later confirms that he is the same man who almost killed Penelope in Paris when his mistress relays a video transmission on her communicator.

At dawn, Thunderbird 2 sets down on a ridge near to the Anderbad Tunnel exit. Parker heads down to the station to meet Penelope and Sir Jeremy. Just as the train enters the tunnel, however, the carriages are plunged into darkness and the train grinds to a halt. Suspecting a power failure, Penelope is startled when Godber appears and orders them at gunpoint to step off the train. Soon after, the train rushes through the exit but Parker reports that there is no sign of Penelope and Sir Jeremy at the station. Leaving Alan and Parker to observe from the ridge, Virgil and Gordon launch the Monobrake from Pod 6 and set off up the tunnel.

At a subterranean hideout inside the tunnel, Godber tells Penelope and Sir Jeremy that he has complete control over all its traffic. His subordinate, Roache, opens a cell door to reveal Borrender, who was kidnapped in the same way before his train reached the station. When the scientists refuse to disclose their secret formula to Godber, who plans to use it for his own ends, he orders Roache to lower Penelope into the path of the next train tied to a ladder. With just nine minutes before the train is due to pass them, Hodge and Borrender, now bound, remind Godber of the hazards of misusing the fuel, but their warnings fall on deaf ears.

Onboard the Monobrake, Virgil and Gordon find the hideout. Gordon approaches the lair and opens fire with his gun. An intense fight between Gordon and Godber ensues. Sir Jeremy persuades Roache to stop the train, but Godber guns down his henchman and shoots the control console to render the train unstoppable. Taking Borrender hostage, Godber threatens to throw him in front of the express unless Gordon surrenders, but Tracy shoots the gun from his hand. Meanwhile, Virgil successfully shoots through the wires holding Penelope in the train’s path and rushes to cover her, leaving her unhurt.

Fearing that those in the tunnel are dead, Alan and Parker are relieved to see the Monobrake leave the tunnel 20 minutes behind the train.

Back in Paris, Penelope, Sir Jeremy and Alan await the arrival of Tin-Tin at the Atalante restaurant. Reluctantly, Penelope brings her glass to her lips, but the only explosion is that of fireworks, creating a dazzling display.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Regular Voice Cast

[edit] Guest Voice Cast

[edit] Main Equipment

The vehicles and equipment featured in this episode are:

  • Thunderbird 1 (returning Scott home from holiday)
  • Thunderbird 2 (carrying Pod 6)
  • Monobrake
  • FAB1
  • Anderbad Express Monotrain
  • Sun Probe

[edit] Goofs

  • During the shootout between Gordon and Godber, the colours on the front car of the Anderbad Express change from red and white to blue and silver.

[edit] Notes

  • The launch of the Sun Probe is seen at the start of both "The Perils of Penelope" and "Sun Probe", with the events of the latter episode taking place one week after the launch. This would suggest that the events of "The Perils of Penelope" take place immediately before those of "Sun Probe". As they were neither produced nor broadcast consecutively, this is effectively a prequel to the earlier story.
  • As he returns from leave, Scott pilots Thunderbird 1 in civilian clothing for the first and only time in the series.
  • The Anderbad Express Monotrain model also appears as the Pacific Atlantic Monotrain in "Brink of Disaster", which was produced immediately before.
  • The Anderbad Tunnel Control Chart in Godber’s hideout is an overhaul of the Marineville launch tunnel scanner featured in Gerry Anderson's previous series Stingray.

[edit] External links

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