Thunderbirds 2086
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| Thunderbirds 2086 | |
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 The Thunderbirds 2086 title card |
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| 科学救助隊テクノボイジャー (Scientific Rescue Team Techno Voyager) |
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| TV anime | |
| Studio | Jin Productions Toei Animation |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Original run | 17 April 1982 – 11 September 1982 |
| Episodes | 24 (List of episodes) |
Thunderbirds 2086 (科学救助隊テクノボイジャー Kagaku Kyūjo Tai TechnoVoyager?) is a Japanese anime series based on the original Gerry Anderson Supermarionation series Thunderbirds. This sequel series was produced by ITC Japan but is not officially recognised as part of Thunderbirds canon, due to the non-involvement of either Gerry or Sylvia Anderson. Despite this the English dub of the series contains music and sound effects from Anderson's series' Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It ran for 24 episodes in 1982 and the original TV show in Japan was named Scientific Rescue Team TechnoVoyager.
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[edit] Background
Thunderbirds 2086 takes place roughly twenty years after the original series (generally accepted as taking place around 2065, though other dates are seen on screen) and chronicles the adventures of the Thunderbirds, a rescue team working for the International Rescue Organisation. Unlike the original International Rescue, which was small-scale and family-oriented, the IRO is a vast organisation comprising numerous branches and overseen by the Federation, the 2086 equivalent of the United Nations. No direct historical connections are identified between the two series, but it can be assumed that the original International Rescue evolved into its 2086 incarnation over those thirty years. The Tracy family are not mentioned in the animated series. In the animated series, the actual team is known as the Thunderbirds, whilst in the original series the name merely referred to their vehicles. The animated series is otherwise very similar to the original, with most episodes revolving around a natural or man-made disaster which the Thunderbirds team must investigate and help resolve. Unlike the original series, Thunderbirds 2086 also has an on-going story arc revolving around a breakaway independence group known as the Shadow Axis, led by the mysterious Star Crusher. There is a heavy intimation in the series that Star Crusher is not human and may be some kind of alien entity.
[edit] Base
As in the original show, IRO's headquarters is an island in the Pacific (sometimes assumed to be the original Tracy Island). However, the IRO's HQ is a huge pyramid containing an entire city inside. It is known as the Arcology. Like the original International Rescue, IRO maintains a space station in orbit to monitor mayday calls. Thunderbird 6 is the space station in this new series. Both the Arcology and TB6 are home to many thousands of people.
[edit] Vehicles and Characters
Like their original series counterparts, the vehicles are the real stars of the show. There are 17 Thunderbird vehicles, each with a different purpose and speciality. The Thunderbird craft are often referred to using abbreviated designations: TB-1, TB-2, etc. Oddly, the introductory dialogue in the show describes the characters as cadets, whilst all of the episodes give their rank as Captain (although Gran Hanson is the senior captain in charge of the group).
- Thunderbird 1 is an aircraft similar in design to the space shuttle. It is capable of space flight and can combine with Thunderbirds 2 and 3 to form a larger vessel. It is piloted by Captain Dylan Beyda.
- Thunderbird 2 is a large cargo hauler identical in purpose to the original series' Thunderbird 2, although it is blue rather than green and stores the smaller interchangeable vehicles inside its cargo bay rather than through the use of hanger pods. TB-2 has space flight capabilities and is piloted by Captain Jesse Rigel and Captain Jonathon Jordan Jnr.
- Thunderbird 3 is an APC-like moble command centre used to monitor situations on the ground. It can split in half and merge with TB-1 and TB-2 for transportation to remote parts of the world. It is piloted by Captain Grant Hanson, the oldest and most senior-ranking of the Thunderbirds.
- Thunderbird 4 is a yellow submarine like its original series counterpart but much larger. It is too large to be carried by TB-2 and usually makes its way to the disaster area after being directly launched from the Arcology. It is piloted by Captain Kallan James, the only female crewmember of the Thunderbirds team.
- Thunderbird 5 is a large ground-tunnelling vehicle which is reminiscent of the original series' pod vehicle known as the Mole. However, TB-5 is much larger. It is carried into missions by TB-2.
- Thunderbird 6 is the largest Thunderbird, a massive space station which serves a similar purpose to the original series' Thunderbird 5. TB-6 is manned by hundreds if not thousands of IRO personnel and is described as a floating city.
- Thunderbirds 7 and 8 are fast interceptor aircraft which can be stored either inside TB-1 or TB-2 and used as drones. The only difference between them is that TB-8 has VTOL capability.
- Thunderbird 9 is a walker-robot used for repair and upgrade work. It is always carried by another craft.
- Thunderbird 10 is an exceptionally fast spacecraft which can reach speeds of over Mach 176 and is used for rapid travel from Earth to other planets.
- Thunderbird 11 is an armoured high-speed ground vehicle carried aboard TB-3. Although never shown or referenced in the show, it is shown in the 1983 Thunderbirds 2086 annual.
- Thunderbird 12 is a bulldozer-like vehicle which can move extremely heavy weights.
- Thunderbird 13 is a smaller submarine which is carried inside TB-4 and deployed to reach places too small for TB-4 to travel.
- Thunderbird 14 never appears but is referenced in one episode. It is a deep-water bathyscaphe capable of travelling far below crush depth.
- Thunderbirds 15 and 16 are small tracked vehicles stored inside TB-3 and apparently capable of drone operation. TB-15 is virtually identical to the original series' Mole and is essentially a much smaller version of TB-5. TB-16 is a reconnaissance and scout vehicle.
- Thunderbird 17 is a huge spacecraft which is bigger than any other Thunderbird bar only TB-6, where it spends most of its time docked. TB-17 is used for extended operations away from Earth and can store all of the other Thunderbirds (apart from TB-6) inside it.
Commander Jared Simpson is the commanding officer of the IRO and gives our heroes their missions. He is the Jeff Tracy figure of the animated series. He has a nephew, Skipper Simpson, a young boy who idolises the Thunderbirds and hopes to one day join their ranks.
Oddly, for an organisation numbering in the thousands, the Thunderbirds team is always picked to handle major problems and the same five-person team is always dispatched to the danger zones.
