Thunderbirds are go again… not that they ever really went away for the show’s long-standing fans

by

As a lifelong movie and TV buff, I can’t believe it’s been 60 years since Thunderbirds first blasted onto our screens! And it feels so fitting that it’s a diamond anniversary. You know, like a diamond – the toughest natural material – the idea behind Thunderbirds is just brilliantly conceived. It’s one of those concepts that genuinely feels timeless; time simply hasn’t diminished its impact. It’s a true classic!

Built on a strong base of classic heroism and doing good, the show seemed destined for success. However, it’s gone above and beyond, not only updating itself for today’s audiences, but also continuing to amaze new viewers with its timeless combination of puppets and models.

I’m happy to be an example of how the show has continued to captivate audiences over the years. Here’s how…

While Thunderbirds first aired on September 30, 1965, I likely first saw it during reruns in the 1970s. It’s hard to be precise now, but two specific scenes really stand out in my memory.

I first became captivated while watching The Uninvited on London Weekend Television one Sunday morning. It’s the episode featuring Scott in Thunderbird 1 being shot down over the Sahara Desert. He and two archaeologists then discover a forgotten civilization hidden within a pyramid. It was a completely exhilarating experience, and it solidified my lifelong fandom.

Thrilling danger, gadgets like James Bond uses, a little bit of spying, a villain you love to hate, and Tracy Island – the ultimate playground with its swimming pool that moves and rocket launch pads. What child didn’t adore all of that?

I also remember my grandmother taking me to a puppet show when I was very young, in a village hall in Cookham, Berkshire. I don’t remember much about the show itself, but what really stood out to me was a tiny, pink Rolls-Royce parked outside – it was about the size of the puppets! I was completely captivated by it.

That stylish six-wheeled vehicle naturally brings me to the products created around the show. Fab 1 – Lady Penelope’s customized, machine-gun-equipped Rolls-Royce – was only one of many toys, models, books, comics, and games that young fans would either save their allowance for, or more often, request for Christmas.

When Thunderbirds wasn’t being broadcast on television, one of the primary ways children could continue enjoying the show was through the colorful and well-made comic book, TV Century 21.

The exciting stories of the Tracy brothers and their family, including Lady Penelope and Parker, were wonderfully brought to life through the artwork of many talented illustrators. One notable artist was Frank Bellamy, whose stunning illustrations for TopMob, particularly his work related to Doctor Who, are still considered a highlight in the magazine’s history.

As a film buff, I always loved collecting things related to my favorite shows, and back then, you could find souvenirs in the most surprising places! Take breakfast cereal, for example. I distinctly remember being thrilled to trade with a friend – we’d do “swapsies” – and I ended up leaving his house with a bright green plastic figure of The Hood, the main villain from Thunderbirds. He was one of six collectible characters that Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks gave away with their cereal!

I was determined to see everything related to the show. After watching all 32 episodes of the TV series, and even the first movie, Thunderbirds Are Go, I went out of my way to find Thunderbird 6. When I read in my local newspaper about a special showing in a village far away, I arranged a ride to get there, but I cycled all the way back home. The thrill of seeing the film actually made the journey home feel easier.

It would have been impossible to imagine back then that I would eventually meet one of the people who made the show, and join the standing ovation for the other creator. But that’s exactly what occurred.

I first encountered Gerry at a small convention – a “Mini-Con” – held on August 16, 1981, at a community center in Lane End, Buckinghamshire. I had been watching the Anderson shows that came after Thunderbirds, and back then, I was a massive Space: 1999 fan.

I was so excited, I brought a poster I’d made specifically for that show with me. I finally worked up the nerve to show it to him, and he actually wrote “Approved” on it and signed it! It completely made my day – honestly, it probably made my year. It was such a special moment and I’ll always treasure having that autographed poster.

I remember back in 2015, at a Fanderson convention, Sylvia gave this really honest and funny talk about her time in the industry. I wasn’t able to chat with her one-on-one – she wasn’t in the best of health, sadly – but her speech was incredible. The whole room just jumped to their feet, giving her a standing ovation to show how much her work meant to television. It was a really moving moment, and I was so glad I got to witness it.

Let’s back up a bit. Once I finished school and started working, you might assume my Thunderbirds videos (yes, these are from before DVDs and Blu-rays were common!) would just sit on the shelf, forgotten. But then I had children, and one of the best parts of being a parent is sharing your favorite shows from when *you* were a kid with them!

I guess it all started with classics like Bod, Mr Benn, and Bagpuss, but I quickly moved on to introducing my kids to the amazing world of the Tracy brothers. It was perfect timing, actually, because International Rescue was having a huge revival in the 90s and 2000s. The original BBC broadcasts used to pull in around six million viewers every week, and TopMob even commemorated the comeback in 2000 with four special collector’s covers. It was a great time to be a fan!

Not to mention the incredible popularity of Tracy Island! When the Thunderbird headquarters became the must-have Christmas gift in 1992, causing it to quickly sell out, Blue Peter stepped in with a remarkably successful “make your own” version, complete with an informative factsheet.

My wife and I eventually brought our children to the glamorous London debut of the 2004 movie Thunderbirds. They didn’t pay much attention to the director, Jonathan Frakes – who played Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation – as he walked around, but they really enjoyed getting their portraits drawn and receiving Thunderbirds shaped from balloons.

Ten years later, the story wonderfully came back around for the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds. A fresh TV show, Thunderbirds Are Go, which blended computer-generated imagery with traditional model sets, debuted in 2015. Three special “Anniversary Episodes” were filmed in Slough – the very place where the original series was made. It was a real fan moment for me to see how everything came together.

The Stirling Road studios saw a fresh wave of film-makers move in, continuing the tradition of using puppets and models. Producer and director Stephen La Rivière shared with me, “Getting to work on Thunderbirds is a dream come true.” He added, “It’s also a way for me to honor the creators whose work I’ve always respected.”

It was wonderful watching the puppeteers breathe life into characters like Scott Tracy and Lady Penelope, talking with the model makers in the workshop, and imagining what it was like during the time of AP Films and then Century 21. Between 1957 and 1969, they consistently produced classic TV shows, including Stingray and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, as well as, of course, the most celebrated of Anderson’s creations. It truly was a golden age of television.

It’s a testament to the skill of those creators that two beloved episodes of Thunderbirds received a fresh look and were shown in UK cinemas… not when the show originally aired in 1965, but all the way in 2025! This really highlights why it remains the Andersons’ most significant production.

This feels especially meaningful to me personally, as I write this. When I was younger, my friends and I absolutely loved Thunderbirds. We used to act out scenes from the show during our playtime, and we even tried to recreate its impressive production quality in the Super-8 films we made ourselves. It’s come full circle now.

During a speech I gave at a friend’s wedding, I joked: “We learned everything we know today from watching Thunderbirds when we were kids.” I didn’t mean that literally, of course. But it felt completely true in terms of the fun and lessons we took from it.

Read More

2025-09-30 09:36