"Thunderbirds" (1965) TV series 1965-1966

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Creators:

Gerry Anderson
Sylvia Anderson
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

15 September 1965 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Action | Family | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In the 21st century, the Tracy family operate a unique private mechanized emergency response service.

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Futuristic | Rescue Team | Supermarionation | Disaster

Cast

Peter Dyneley	...	Jeff Tracy / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Shane Rimmer	...	Scott Tracy / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Graham	...	Brains / ... (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Ray Barrett	...	John Tracy / ... (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Christine Finn	...	Tin-Tin Kyrano / ... (30 episodes, 1965-1966)
Matt Zimmerman	...	Alan Tracy / ... (28 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Holliday	...	Virgil Tracy / ... (26 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson	...	Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward / ... (24 episodes, 1965-1966)

(more)

Series Directed by
Desmond Saunders		(11 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Lane		(9 episodes, 1965-1966)
David Elliott		(8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Brian Burgess		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Writing credits
Gerry Anderson		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Fennell		(10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo		(7 episodes, 1965-1966)
Dennis Spooner		(6 episodes, 1965-1966)
Donald Robertson		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Martin Crump		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Tony Barwick		(2 episodes, 1966)

Series Produced by
Gerry Anderson	....	producer / executive producer (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Reg Hill	....	associate producer / producer (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Read	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1966)

Series Original Music by
Barry Gray		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Cinematography by
Paddy Seale		(4 episodes, 1965)
John Read		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Harry MacDonald		(15 episodes, 1965-1966)
Harry Ledger		(10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Peter Elliott		(6 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Art Direction by
Bob Bell		(26 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Costume Design by
Sylvia Anderson		(unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound (4 episodes, 1965)
Roy Lafbery	....	dialogue editor (3 episodes, 1965)
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Derek Meddings	....	supervising special effects director / special effects director (32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Joy Cuff	....	model maker (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Geoff Meldrum	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 1965)

Series Other crew
Gerry Anderson	....	script supervisor (31 episodes, 1965-1966)
Sylvia Anderson	....	script supervisor (31 episodes, 1965-1966)
Alan Pattillo	....	script editor (25 episodes, 1965-1966)
Mary Turner	....	puppetry supervisor (20 episodes, 1965-1966)
Christine Glanville	....	puppetry supervisor (19 episodes, 1965-1966)

Production Companies

• AP Films (APF)
• Associated Television (ATV)

Distributors

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC) (1964) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• A&E Home Video (????) (Canada) (DVD)
• A&E Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) (1965-1968) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Carlton International Media
• Epix Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Super Channel (2002) (Japan) (TV)
• TechTV Inc. (2002-) (USA) (TV) (syndication)

Also Known As:

International Rescue (UK) (working title)
Tairnearan Tar As (UK: Gaelic title)

Runtime:

50 min (32 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Videcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:TV-G | UK:U

Company:

AP Films (APF)

Trivia:

The television relay tower (featured in the episode "Edge of Impact") is seen to be owned by British Telecommunications Ltd. The use of this company name in the series pre-dated the formation of the real-life British Telecommunications plc (or BT) by nearly twenty years.

Goofs:

Continuity: In all episodes that show Thunderbird 1 taking off from Tracy Island, the launch sequence contains a major error. As TB1 descends the ramp to the launch bay, the wings are at right angles to the direction of travel. As it emerges from the tunnel, the wings are aligned in the direction of travel. In other words, the craft has rotated 90 degrees as it goes down into the launch bay.

Quotes:

Virgil Tracy: Thunderbird Two to Thunderbird One, do you read me?
[Thunderbird One does not answer]
John Tracy: He's got to have made it, he's GOT to.
Virgil Tracy: Thunderbird Two to Thunderbird One, do you read me?
[static]
Scott Tracy: Loud and clear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Three Men in More Than One Boat (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Flying High

To re-live the magic of toys

You know what I like about this show: it takes me back in time to the days when I loved to play with toys, the days when I used to spend the whole afternoon in the bedroom of a friend of mine playing on the floor with our toys, late into the night, imitating the sound of jet engines with our mouths, crashing our plastic planes into one another, mimicking gunfights, battles, explosions. A few weeks ago I was surprised to find that Chilean TV is replaying the show on Sundays. Last time I had seen one episode must have been fifteen years ago or more, I don't know. I watched and I found myself transported through time back to those days. I can't play with toys anymore, I have lost that childhood thing for toys. But watching the show I re-live the magic of toys, I feel again the beauty and the spell of toy trains, toy cars, toy trucks, toy soldiers, toy planes, etc. And I didn't remember the show looking so gorgeously great on TV (perhaps the reason for that is that back then I watched the show in black and white). Big fun from past!