Works based on Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds, a British science-fiction puppet television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, has inspired various adaptations, imitations and cultural references, in various forms of media, since its first appearance in 1965.

The series has been recognised for its popularity and endurance, particularly in its country of origin,[1] and is generally regarded as the most successful series devised by the Andersons.[2]

Among other works, Thunderbirds has been followed by two film sequels, a live-action film adaptation and an animated TV remake. It is currently being remade as Thunderbirds Are Go, which combines computer animation and live action and will be broadcast on CITV in the UK in 2015.

Film sequels and adaptations

The popularity of Thunderbirds gave rise to two full-length film sequels with financial backing by United Artists. They premiered on 12 December 1966[3] and 29 July 1968.[4] Both were written and produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and directed by David Lane,[5][6] and neither was a critical or commercial success.[7][8] During the early 1980s, several Thunderbirds episodes were combined to create three compilation TV films, and in 2004, nearly 40 years after the original TV series was first broadcast, a live-action film adaptation was released.

Compilation films

In the early 1980s, episodes from a number of the Andersons' 1960s Supermarionation series were re-edited and combined into made-for-TV compilation films by ITC's New York offices, supervised by producer Robert Mandell and writer David Hirsch.[9] Intended to be broadcast in a two-hour family timeslot (including advertisement breaks), and branded "Super Space Theater", this new format was sold to cable networks and into syndication in United States.[9] Three Thunderbirds compilations, all one-and-a-half hours in length and re-edited with new, animated title sequences, were made: Thunderbirds To The Rescue (1980) is a combination of "Trapped in the Sky" and "Operation Crash-Dive",[10] Thunderbirds In Outer Space (1981) of "Sun Probe" and "Ricochet",[11] and Countdown to Disaster (1982) of "Terror in New York City" and "Atlantic Inferno".[9][11] Although rights issues entailed by the 1980s home video releases of the "Super Space Theater" compilations delayed VHS releases of individual Thunderbirds episodes (in their un-cut form) until the early 1990s, the UK versions proved to be a major commercial success for the distributor, Channel 5 Video.[9]

Live-action film

Main article: Thunderbirds (film)

A live-action film adaptation – Thunderbirds, directed by Jonathan Frakes and produced by StudioCanal, Universal Pictures and Working Title Films – premiered on 24 July 2004. All the Thunderbird machines seen in the film are based on the original designs, albeit with modern refinements. Since BMW, current owners of Rolls-Royce, refused its permission for use of the brand, a modified Ford Thunderbird appears as FAB 1. The plot of the film concentrates mostly on Alan Tracy, Tin-Tin and a newcomer – Brains' son, Fermat – who must rescue their families, Lady Penelope and Parker while the Hood plots a gold bullion raid on the Bank of England.

The film was poorly received both critically and commercially,[12] opening in 11th place at the North American box office, grossing only £1.3 million in the UK on its opening weekend,[13] and drawing a negative response from fans of the TV series.[14] Sylvia Anderson, who served as an unofficial production consultant,[15] endorsed the adaptation; in her memoirs, she expresses regret for the "negative vibes that were already being circulated before even a foot of film was being shot. But I suppose there was bound to be a backlash from genuinely passionate fans who jealously guarded the Thunderbirds legacy."[14] According to Anderson, series cinematographer John Read responded positively at a test screening.[16] By contrast, Gerry Anderson denounced the film as "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life"[17] and an "absolute, unmitigated disaster".[18] Like Sylvia, he had been contacted as a possible consultant, but declined the studio's offer after rejecting the concepts for the re-imagined Thunderbirds machines;[19] additionally, he declined an offer of £750,000 to attend the film's premiere.[18] He received no on-screen credit for his role in co-creating the TV series.[19]

Plans for a live-action film had first been announced by ITC's Los Angeles offices in 1993.[20] Originally expected to be released in time for Christmas 1995, the film was to have been directed by Renny Harlin, with Tom Cruise a possibility for the role of Scott Tracy.[21] Other actors under consideration included Bob Hoskins (as Parker) and Patsy Kensit, Joanna Lumley and Emma Thompson (as Lady Penelope). Following PolyGram's acquisition of ITC in 1995,[22] its subsidiary Working Title (represented by Tim Bevan) resumed the development of the abortive project, with filming now scheduled to commence in August 1998.[23] By 1997, Peter Hewitt had been hired to direct on the basis of Karey Kirkpatrick's script.[23] Kristin Scott Thomas had been contracted to play Lady Penelope, while Pete Postlethwaite had yet to accept an offer to appear as Parker.[23] The Baldwin brothers – Alec, Daniel, William and Stephen – had been suggested for the roles of the Tracy sons, with Sean Connery a candidate for Jeff Tracy.[23] Other filming techniques were briefly considered, including computer and stop-motion animation.[23] As he would in subsequent years, Anderson was offered a consultant post; he was dropped from the production when Working Title determined that it already had sufficient numbers of creative staff attached to the project.[24]

A combination of budgeting concerns, disagreements over the writing and characterisation, and the poor commercial reception to films such as Lost in Space and The Avengers (both adaptations of older TV series), caused the development of the film to stall for a second time.[23] In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram and merged with Universal – an acquisition that Sylvia Anderson, who had given Hewitt's version her endorsement, believes impacted negatively on the production: "It seemed Seagram ... cared nothing for this 'work in progress' and the whole Thunderbirds saga fell between the cracks."[25] Frakes' version, co-produced by Bevan, did not enter production until 2003.[15] Anderson adds that the many delays experienced in adapting Thunderbirds for live-action cinema may be partly attributable to her divorce: "[Gerry's and my] parting broke up a winning combination ... The two creators [of Thunderbirds] were going in different directions – the winning team was no more. How to entrust millions of dollars to only one of the duo? Which one? The name above the title or the character creator?"[26]

TV adaptations and revival attempts

In the 1970s, the Andersons sold what remained of their intellectual and profit participation rights to many of the Supermarionation productions, including Thunderbirds.[12][27][28] Consequently, neither was able to assert creative control over the various Thunderbirds updatings that appeared in the 1980s and 1990s.[12][29] Of her attempt to continue the adventures of Lady Penelope and Parker as an American-produced TV spin-off series, Sylvia Anderson remembers that ITC "dismissed [the idea] out of hand."[30] TV presenter Mike Smith, then a DJ for Capital Radio, started a campaign to revive Thunderbirds at the start of the 1980s.[31]

After Lew Grade resigned from ITC Entertainment|ITC, the ownership of the company changed hands three times (first to Robert Holmes à Court, then Alan Bond, and finally ITC's New York offices)[24] before both the company and the rights to its film and TV catalogue were acquired by PolyGram, based in Los Angeles, in 1995.[32] They subsequently passed to Carlton International Media in 1999,[32] and then Granada plc between 2003 and 2004 (following a merger with Carlton).[33] The current rights holder of the Thunderbirds TV series and brand is ITV Studios, the distributor of the 2015 remake.[34]

Japanese remake

Main article: Thunderbirds 2086

Kagaku Kyuujo-Tai TechnoVoyager (Scientific Rescue Team TechnoVoyager) – a 1982 Japanese anime series dubbed for, and exported to, Anglophone countries as Thunderbirds 2086 – is based on Thunderbirds[9][12] but written with a stronger emphasis on futuristic technology. In this re-imagining, developed from a concept by Anderson titled Thunderhawks (but without his knowledge, involvement or approval),[35][36] International Rescue is stationed within an arcology, operates 17 Thunderbird vehicles, and employs personnel from a diverse range of backgrounds.[37] Distributed by ITC under the supervision of Robert Mandell,[9] Thunderbirds 2086 comprised 24 episodes, but was cancelled in Japan after the first 18 had been broadcast.[35] In the UK, 13 episodes aired on BBC1 in 1986.[37][38]

US re-edits

Two teenagers, one boy and one girl, on the bridge of an untidy space station
The "Hack Masters", Tripp and Roxette, of UPN's short-lived Turbocharged Thunderbirds (1994–95)

From 5 February 1994,[20] the Fox Broadcasting Company broadcast Thunderbirds (re-styled Thunderbirds USA or Thunderbirds Are Go!)[20] on its Fox Kids programming block.[21] In response to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and other successful, contemporary children's programmes, and to acquaint American audiences with the series' premise before the release of a film version (then expected to appear in 1995), ITC edited 13 of the original episodes to fill a half-hour timeslot, also overlaying new opening titles, synthesised theme and incidental music, character voices and dialogue (provided by American actors).[21] The series was not renewed for a second season and, to date, has never been transmitted in the UK.[20]

Thunderbirds was syndicated in a brand-new format as Turbocharged Thunderbirds, a PolyGram-Bohbot co-production, on the United Paramount Network (UPN) from 18 December 1994.[12][22][39] Conceived as a comedy, this second re-edit preserved most of Fox's alterations, although a number of episode titles were changed.[39] Fox additionally inserted live-action footage of a pair of Californian teenagers from the year 2096 – Tripp (Travis Wester) and Roxette (Johna Stewart), nicknamed the "Hack Masters" – who are pulled into the parallel universe of the planet "Thunder-World".[22] There, they ally themselves with "simulated lifeforms" of International Rescue (the 1960s puppet characters) against the evil "Atrocimator" (voiced by Tim Curry) and his "head-honcho", the Hood (Malachi Throne), serving Jeff Tracy (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) from the orbital listening platform Hackmaster Command.[22]

A single series of 13 episodes was transmitted in the United States; as with its antecedent, Turbocharged Thunderbirds has never received a UK broadcast.[23] Cull describes the series as a "grotesque hybrid show",[40] while Archer and Hearn consider it "risible".[41] After viewing a sample of footage, Anderson judged Turbocharged Thunderbirds to be "the most diabolical thing I had ever seen in my life ... absolutely appalling".[41] He held the acting, dialogue, and "gaudily painted set" of Hackmaster Command in especially low regard and was prepared to initiate legal action against the producers until his name was removed from the credits.[23][41]

Revival attempts

Prior to the 2013 announcement of an official remake, Gerry Anderson made a number of attempts to resurrect Thunderbirds. In 1976, in association with Star Trek and Space: 1999 producer Fred Freiberger, he developed Inter-Galactic Rescue 4 for the American NBC network as an updating of both Thunderbirds and Supercar.[9][42] The series was to have been filmed in live action and to have followed the adventures of the variable-configuration land-, sea-, air- and space-rescue vehicle of the title, Rescue 4, patrolling the "north-west quadrant of space".[9][42] Century 21 designers Reg Hill, Brian Johnson and Martin Bower contributed pre-production concept art, but the 13-episode proposal was ultimately rejected by NBC in favour of rival story ideas.[9][42]

In 1984, following the completion of Terrahawks, Anderson conceived T-Force, which would have transferred International Rescue's base of operations to a giant submarine, re-imagined FAB 1 as a custom-built Porsche, and eliminated Brains' short-sightedness and stutter.[43][44] Although Anderson was unable to secure the funding necessary to develop the series further,[21] some of the plot devices originally intended for T-Force eventually surfaced in Firestorm (2003),[44] a Japanese anime series based on an idea by Anderson and John Needham.[45]

In 1993, the concept for T-Force was re-developed under the title G-Force,[46] and later as GFI – an abbreviation of Gee Force Intergalactic, the rescue organisation that was to have featured in lieu of International Rescue.[21] The flagship of the G-Force fleet, the colossal spaceship Galaxy, was to have housed a factory capable of manufacturing vehicles and equipment specialised to fulfil the requirements of any rescue mission.[21] Only one of the 13 scripted or partially scripted episodes of GFI – "Warming Warning", written by Tony Barwick[47] – was filmed; it combined traditional cel animation (for sequences featuring the characters) and computer animation (for vehicle sequences).[21] The former, which was provided by a Russian studio, was judged to be of poor quality; when it was determined that re-creating and upgrading this material would render the series cost-prohibitive, production on GFI was abandoned.[21] According to Anderson, "the studio in Moscow was, in my opinion, ill-equipped. After some six months of desperately trying to make this co-production work, I finally had no option but to call it off."[48]

In September 2005, a QuickTime video clip titled Thunderbirds IR was published on online P2P networks; it included a trailer of a proposed Thunderbirds remake, to be produced by Carlton Television. Made using a combination of CGI and puppetry, the clip included footage of a re-designed Thunderbird 1, the characters of Scott Tracy and the Hood, and the rescue of a falling lighthousekeeper; Scott was seen to walk, and perform a backflip with the tongue-in-cheek quip "Look, no strings!". Visual effects company The Mill had been contracted to provide computer animation. Although Anderson endorsed the project after meeting the Carlton staff in the early stages of development, production of the new series was postponed indefinitely when Carlton merged with Granada plc.[49]

Writing in 2005, following the completion of New Captain Scarlet, Anderson stated that he had been unable to secure Thunderbirds remake rights from Granada.[33] By July 2008, he was still in negotiations with ITV, but promised a new version of Thunderbirds that would be "updated for the 21st-century audience" and which would, he hoped, be filmed in CGI.[50] He added, "This is very much a pet ambition of mine, and I am putting everything into what I consider would be ITV's answer to Doctor Who.[50] Although Anderson continued to express his belief that such a series would finally be produced with his involvement, ITV continued to withhold the rights into late 2008 and early 2009.[51][52][53]

2015 remake

On 11 January 2011, a new series of Thunderbirds was announced by Anderson during an interview for BBC Radio 5 Live. Anderson stated that he was unable to reveal many details because he had signed a non-disclosure agreement, but that the production of the series was assured and that it would indeed be made in CGI, with modernised characters and vehicles. In the 15 January edition of The Sun, he said that he had yet to script the first episode, but that he had "fleshed it out" in his mind.[54]

Anderson died in December 2012, initially leaving the future of the new series uncertain. However, in February 2013, a ITV press release confirmed that ITV Studios and New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures were planning to re-invent Thunderbirds as a series of twenty-six 30-minute episodes, to be filmed using a mixture of computer animation and live-action model sets and broadcast on the CITV channel. The remake was expected to appear in 2015, the original series' semi-centennial year.[55]

In September 2013, the 2015 transmission year of the remake, now titled Thunderbirds Are Go, was confirmed.[34] It was revealed that the character of Lady Penelope will be voiced by Rosamund Pike, while David Graham will reprise the role of Parker.[34] The regular voice cast also includes Rasmus Hardiker (as Scott and Alan Tracy), David Menkin (Virgil and Gordon), Thomas Sangster (John), Kayvan Novak (Brains), Sandra Dickinson (Grandma), and Andres Williams (the Hood).[34] Two new characters were also announced: Kayo, a friend of the Tracy brothers, is to be voiced by Angel Coulby, while Adjoa Andoh will provide the voice of Colonel Casey.[34] The head writer, Rob Hoegee, previously scripted Generator Rex (2010) and Slugterra (2012–13).[55] Comedian David Baddiel announced on Twitter that he had been commissioned to write one episode.[56] Weta Workshop, whose previous commissions include the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will contribute special effects to the series.[34]

References, parodies and imitations

A model space rocket stands ready for lift-off in a crowded city square
A model Thunderbird 3 is the centrepiece at a Thunderbirds-themed exhibition in Trafalgar Square. Thunderbird 2 models have been displayed at the Millennium Dome, Science Museum and other London venues.[57]
A series of railway carriages
The Class 57 "57301 Scott Tracy", a Virgin Trains rescue locomotive

Since its first appearance, Thunderbirds has had a significant impact on British popular culture and media worldwide.[32] Anderson and Christopher Burr's Terrahawks (1983–84), whose eponymous starring organisation defends Earth against antagonistic androids that have invaded from Mars, and which was filmed using a puppetry technique known as "Supermacromation", is thematically similar to Thunderbirds (albeit written as a science-fiction comedy).[58]

The mission of International Rescue inspired the foundation of the Red Cross-funded International Rescue Corps, originally a brigade of British firefighters who volunteered humanitarian services to the Italian authorities in the aftermath of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.[9] Still operational, the charity appointed Gerry Anderson as honorary president[59] and has since assisted at disaster zones in various other countries.[9]

British rail operating company Virgin Trains owns a fleet of 16 Class 57/3 diesel locomotives used primarily for "rescue" tasks, such as towing Pendolino trains in the event of break-downs or unexpected detours onto non-electrified lines; all 16 are named after Thunderbirds characters or vehicles.[32] Since 1994, Virgin Group's airline, Virgin Atlantic, has operated a Boeing 747-400 named Lady Penelope; it was so christened to reflect its registration code, "G-VFAB".[32][60] In 2011, the British Royal Mail launched a commemorative stamp range based on the Anderson series; among the items was a mini-sheet of lenticular stamps bearing holograms of Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3 and 4.[61][62]

Peter Jackson has spoken of the influence of Thunderbirds on his career as a film director: "... Thunderbirds was probably the first influence, I guess. I knew it wasn't real. You know, I could even relate to it on a level of it not being real because I had a lot of Matchbox toys and I used to recognise my Matchbox toys in Thunderbirds. You know, I used to be very proud of myself when I'd see, you know, this little truck or lorry sort of trundle by in an episode of Thunderbirds and in my playbox I had exactly the same sort of Matchbox toy. And that sort of was the beginning, really, when I think about it, of, like, the connection of 'This isn't real, these are models, you know, they're making all this stuff up'."[63] The series has also influenced the work of author Warren Ellis (for example, in the premise of his 2002 comic series Global Frequency).[64]

In 2003, Image Comics published The Agency – a comics mini-series set in an alternative universe reminiscent of that of the Gerry Anderson Supermarionation series of the 1960s. In this parallel world, the Tomahawks (an organisation similar to International Rescue) operate a VTOL rapid-transit aircraft (similar to Thunderbird 1), an airborne carrier craft (similar to Thunderbird 2), a "sub-atomic warhead" (similar to Thunderbird 3), and Tomahawk 5 (a space station). They are associated with Lady Pippa, a former British spy (similar to Lady Penelope's pre-IR career as a British secret agent), who has a chauffeur, Burgess (an analogue of Parker). Unlike IR, the Tomahawks are not staffed by a single family of independent wealth and corporate means. Moreover, it is set in an alternate early twenty first century, thirty years after Nigel Cord (a James Bond analogue) failed to prevent the launch of two nuclear missiles at Moscow and Washington DC, resulting in the nuclear devastation of each, the effective decapitation of the Soviet Union and weakening of the United States and the restoration of the (machiavellean) United Kingdom as the world's only superpower. The Agency also contains pastiches of other Anderson series such as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Joe 90, as well as the James Bond film and Green Hornet multimedia series.

Film and TV

The comedy of the American puppet film Team America: World Police (2004), produced by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, was inspired by the idiosyncrasies of Thunderbirds-era Supermarionation techniques.[57] In an interview, Stone and Parker stated that while they were not especially fans of Thunderbirds, they thought highly of the series' visual style: "What's made it last is the time and care that the people who did that show put into the marionettes".[65] In the 1960s BBC comedy Not Only... But Also, actors Peter Cook and Dudley Moore performed a sketch titled "Superthunderstingcar" – a parody of Thunderbirds as well as other Anderson puppet series, including Supercar and Stingray.[32][66] The 1980s Australian comedy show The D-Generation featured a recurring Thunderbirds-themed sketch of live actors imitating wire puppets, with various storylines (such as "Thunderbirds Pizza", in which the characters operate a global pizza-delivery business).

The Aardman Animations short film Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave includes an homage to the series:[32][57] after Wallace receives a telephone call for window-cleaning services, his movement from his living room to his garage, then onto his motorcycle, and then out into the street – all via automated machinery – is reminiscent of Virgil Tracy's launch of Thunderbird 2.[67] Further homages can be found in the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999),[32] the TV sitcom Spaced (1999–2001),[57] and the design of the computer-animated characters of TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–13).[68] A 1994 episode of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2004) features the Lady Penelope puppet in a dream sequence based on the character of Edina Monsoon undergoing surgery: Penelope informs Edina that she is dying, but that Brains is working on a chemical formula to save her life. In the United States, MTV broadcast a sitcom parody of Thunderbirds, Super Adventure Team, in 1998.

Theatre

A sign for a stage play at Aldwych Theatre reads "Four Weeks Only! – Starring The Original West End Cast – Andrew Dawson – Gavin Robertson – Thunderbirds F.A.B. (Featuring Captain Scarlet) – Inspired By The Works Of Gerry Anderson"
Billboard for the mime show Thunderbirds: F.A.B. at the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End

From 1974 to 1975, the company Stage Three – co-founded by Thunderbirds puppeteer Christine Glanville – hosted a Thunderbirds rod puppet stage show at Bournemouth Pier and other venues.[9][69]

In 1984, Mime Theatre Project artists Andrew Dawson and Gavin Robertson devised a tribute stage show, Thunderbirds: F.A.B.,[37] which went on to break West End sales records at the Apollo Theatre in London's Shaftesbury Avenue in 1989.[70][71] Also featuring the title character of Captain Scarlet, and with Dawson and Robertson performing all the parts themselves (including, by wearing enlarged, strap-on helmets, the Thunderbirds machines), the original show toured internationally and popularised a staccato-like style of movement that became known as the "Thunderbirds walk".[70] According to Robertson, it was initially planned that the miniature Thunderbirds models be positioned on the shoulder,[71] "but we figured they'd be too small to be seen at the back of the theatre, so we then decided to wear them like huge hats."[72]

Dawson and Robertson's style of acting was later exported to a 1987 TV advertisement for Exchange & Mart magazine, in which Dawson appears in costume as Scott Tracy.[73] The stage show was re-launched in 1991, 1995 and 2000 and 2001[32] as Thunderbirds: F.A.B. – The Next Generation, incorporating additional characters from Stingray and Captain Scarlet, and with Wayne Forester and Paul Kent replacing Dawson and Robertson as performers.[70][72][74]

In a flyer for the early 2000s tour, co-director Dawson stated, "We try to re-create everything that everyone loves about Thunderbirds in a live show – the noises, the funny puppet walk. Anyone who has ever seen Thunderbirds – and there can't be many people who haven't – will enjoy the show." Anderson himself initially had low expectations, but after seeing the show considered it "superb" and "original".[75]

Music

Cover versions of "The Thunderbirds March" have been released by musicians and bands such as Billy Cotton, Joe Loss, Frank Sidebottom, The Rezillos and The Shadows.[32] The Royal Marines Band Service added the theme to its repertoire, performing it at the public unveiling of Concorde in France in 1969.[76] Both the march and Peter Dyneley's introductory countdown have been adopted by British group Level 42 for use in live concerts, as seen in the video release of their 1987 performance at the old Wembley Stadium in London; an updated version, combined with the opening fanfare to the band's song "Heaven in My Hands", is still used to start their gigs. The countdown has also been used by American hip hop group Beastie Boys for events including the 2007 Live Earth concerts.

Songs inspired by Thunderbirds include We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It's "International Rescue" (1989), Busted's "Thunderbirds Are Go!" (the end theme of the 2004 film adaptation) and V6's "Thunderbirds (Your Voice)" (2004).[32] In 1998, Australian band TISM released the single "Thunderbirds Are Coming Out", the music video for which focuses on a socially awkward teenager who sees the Thunderbird machines on TV and is immediately impressed; thereafter, he is inspired to conform to the norms of adolescent life. Other music video allusions to Thunderbirds include Wax's "Right Between the Eyes" (1986).[77]

In 1983, Gerry Anderson directed his first music video in the form of "SOS", a song performed by Moya Griffiths (the singing voice of Kate Kestrel in Terrahawks) which features lyrical references to the Thunderbirds characters and vehicles.[78][79] In 1991, at the request of producer-director Steve Barron,[80] and in collaboration with Andrew Dawson, Gavin Robertson and Thunderbirds puppet operator Christine Glanville,[77][81] Anderson directed the video for the Dire Straits single "Calling Elvis". It mixes newly filmed footage of Thunderbirds-style puppets (some with likenesses of the band members), scenes from the TV series, and clips of the band in live performance.[21][77][82][83]

In 1990, TV producer Gary Shoefield released a re-mix album titled Power Themes 90, containing techno covers of themes to various British TV programmes.[66][77] Among these was Thunderbirds, whose theme was re-mixed under the name "Thunderbirds Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)", and billed as "featuring MC Parker".[77] A music video compilation was also released; the segment for "Thunderbirds Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)" contains footage from the TV episodes intercut with specially filmed shots of the original Parker puppet, dressed in "era" clothing and working as a DJ.

Advertising

Between 1965 and 1967, AP Films created a series of Thunderbirds-themed television advertisements for the brands Lyons Maid and Kellogg's, featuring contributions from the original voice cast and promoting such products as the Fab ice lolly and Sugar Smacks breakfast cereal.[84][85]

In 1990, Gerry Anderson filmed a car insurance advert for Swinton Insurance titled "Parker's Day Off",[73] in which Lady Penelope, at the wheel of FAB 1, drives with a dangerous recklessness that is only checked when Parker comes to her rescue in Thunderbird 2.[43] The title character was played by the original Parker puppet and was worked by veteran operator Christine Glanville.[43]

In 1993, a Thunderbirds-themed advert for the Nestlé Kit Kat chocolate bar, "Scott Takes a Break", was filmed.[73] This includes the original "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown and shots of all the Thunderbird machines taking off – except Thunderbird 1.[73] Inside the cockpit, Scott is honouring the product's slogan by "having a break" with a Kit Kat, while an agitated Jeff repeatedly orders him to launch: "Thunderbirds! GO!"[73]

In 2001, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) made use of Thunderbirds in an advert prompting drivers to pay their road tax within the deadline: Lady Penelope snips Parker's strings for accidentally allowing FAB 1's wheels to be clamped.[86] The same year, Travelcare made an advert with the tagline "We'll tell you what the brochures won't": two girls in a swimming pool are disturbed as the floor starts to slide away; as Thunderbird 1 blasts off, they are revealed to be on Tracy Island, and only narrowly avoid being incinerated by the rocket exhaust.

In 2008, Specsavers commissioned an advert starring the characters of Virgil Tracy and the Hood to promote its new "Reaction" varifocal lenses.[86] The mini-adventure sees Virgil being pursued by the Hood (both of them wearing jetpacks) over mountainous terrain. When Virgil emerges from a tunnel into the dazzling sunshine, his Specsavers lenses immediately darken to protect his vision; the Hood is not so fortunate and, blinded by the light, crashes into one of the mountains, his jetpack exploding. The advert was filmed in London over five days using techniques similar to those employed by the original crew.[86] Jan King, who joined AP Films for Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, returned as puppet operator for the filming of the scene, which was heavily reliant on greenscreen chroma key compositing for the inclusion of the mountainous backgrounds.[86] He notes that the advertisement used "ordinary carpet thread for the strings, because [the studio] wanted the strings to be seen rather than not seen."[86]

Another late-2000s advert, released by Britvic to advertise its Drench! water product, features Brains dancing to the 1992 song "Rhythm Is a Dancer". Half-way through, he sits down to rest and drink some Drench! before resuming the dance, and the advert ends with the slogan "Brains perform best when they're hydrated". The official "Stay Drenched!" website hosted a making-of video revealing that Brains' movements were realised by a mixture of live-action puppetry, motion capture and computer animation.

Video Games

Thunderbird was the inspiration for the style of Nintendo's Star Fox franchise. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the series, has stated that he is a fan of Thunderbirds, and that the distinctive style of the show is what inspired the puppet styled look and actions that'd be applied to the Star Fox characters since Star Fox 64.[87]

References

  1. ↑ Dobson, Nicola (2009). Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons. Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-8108-5830-5.
  2. ↑ Cook, John R.; Wright, Peter, eds. (2006). British Science Fiction Television: A Hitchhiker's Guide. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-84511-048-2.
  3. ↑ Bentley 2005, p. 97.
  4. ↑ Bentley 2005, p. 99.
  5. ↑ Bentley 2005, p. 96.
  6. ↑ Bentley 2005, p. 98.
  7. ↑ Bentley 2005, p. 41.
  8. ↑ Marriott, p. 159.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bentley 2005, p. 117.
  10. ↑ Bentley 2008, p. 361.
  11. 1 2 Bentley 2008, p. 362.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Cull 2009, p. 6.
  13. ↑ Cull 2006 (August), p. 206.
  14. 1 2 Anderson, p. 163.
  15. 1 2 Anderson, p. 161.
  16. ↑ Anderson, p. 167.
  17. ↑ Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (7 February 2009). "Gerry Anderson Auctions Thunderbirds Treasures". The Guardian (London: Guardian Media Group). Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  18. 1 2 La Rivière, Stephen (director, producer); Anderson, Gerry (interviewee) (2007). Stand By For Action (Video). Film24. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  19. 1 2 Cull 2006, p. 119.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Bentley 2008, p. 115.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bentley 2005, p. 121.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Bentley 2005, p. 122.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bentley 2005, p. 123.
  24. 1 2 Archer and Hearn, p. 275.
  25. ↑ Anderson, p. 160.
  26. ↑ Anderson, p. 159.
  27. ↑ Archer and Hearn, p. 222.
  28. ↑ Anderson, p. 111.
  29. ↑ Anderson, p. 88.
  30. ↑ Anderson, p. 151.
  31. ↑ Archer, p. 60.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Bentley 2008, p. 117.
  33. 1 2 Bentley 2005: Foreword by Gerry Anderson, p. 5.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plunkett, John (30 September 2013). "Thunderbirds Are Go! Blends Old and New for Return of Classic Series". The Guardian (London: Guardian Media Group). Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  35. 1 2 Bentley 2008, p. 363.
  36. ↑ Marriott, p. 188.
  37. 1 2 3 Bentley 2005, p. 118.
  38. ↑ Bentley 2008, p. 364.
  39. 1 2 Bentley 2008, p. 116.
  40. ↑ Cull 2006 (August), p. 203.
  41. 1 2 3 Archer and Hearn, p. 262.
  42. 1 2 3 Bentley 2008, p. 336.
  43. 1 2 3 Bentley 2005, p. 120.
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  51. ↑ "Talking Shop: Gerry Anderson". BBC News Online. 7 October 2008. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
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  53. ↑ Kilkenny, Daniel (11 July 2009). "Thunderbirds Creator Blasts ITV". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  54. ↑ "Anderson Mania – New Thunderbirds and Stamps". Fanderson. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
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  56. ↑ David Baddiel on Twitter, 23 October 2013.
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  86. 1 2 3 4 5 Richard, Farrell, ed. (Spring 2012). "Should Have Gone to Specsavers (Jan King Interview)". Andersonic (Richard Farrell) 1 (13): 34–36.
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Bibliography
  • Anderson, Sylvia (2007). Sylvia Anderson: My Fab Years!. Neshannock, Pennsylvania: Hermes Press. ISBN 978-1-932563-91-7. 
  • Archer, Simon (2004) [1993]. Gerry Anderson's FAB Facts: Behind the Scenes of TV's Famous Adventures in the 21st Century. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-638247-8. 
  • Archer, Simon; Hearn, Marcus (2002). What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0-563-53481-5. 
  • Bentley, Chris (2005) [2000]. The Complete Book of Thunderbirds (2nd ed.). London: Carlton Books. ISBN 978-1-84442-454-2. 
  • Bentley, Chris (2008) [2001]. The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide (4th ed.). London: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1. 
  • Cull, Nicholas J. (2006). "The Man Who Made Thunderbirds: An Interview with Gerry Anderson (19 July 2003, XXth International Association for Media and History Conference)". In Cook, John R.; Wright, Peter. British Science Fiction Television: A Hitchhiker's Guide. London: I.B. Tauris. pp. 116–30. ISBN 978-1-84511-048-2. 
  • Cull, Nicholas J. (August 2006). "Was Captain Black Really Red? The TV Science Fiction of Gerry Anderson in its Cold War Context". Media History (Routledge) 12 (2). doi:10.1080/13688800600808005. ISSN 1368-8804. OCLC 364457089. 
  • Cull, Nicholas J. (2009). "Gerry Anderson (1929–)". Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction. Routledge Key Guides. Bould, Mark; Butler, Andrew M.; Roberts, Adam; Vint, Sherryl. Oxford; New York City: Routledge. pp. 3–7. ISBN 978-0-203-87470-7. 
  • Marriott, John (1993). Supermarionation Classics: Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Rogers, Dave; Drake, Chris; Bassett, Graeme. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1-85283-900-0. 

External links

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