Thunderbirds

From ToyReview

Thunderbirds Overview

Thunderbirds have been around since the 1960s, yet their popularity remains. Though the show was named Thunderbirds, Thunderbirds are actually the Crafts used by International Rescue to save the world. International Rescue is a secret organisation consisting of billionaire Jeff Tracy and his five sons: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan. Each Thunderbird craft is numbered 1 to 5 and is piloted by one of the sons. Based on a Pacific island, the series follows the adventures of the Tracy Family and other famous characters, such as Lady Penelope. There have been many toys based on the 1960s series, and toys continue in production today. Dinky Toys were first to produce Thunderbird toys in the 1960s and then Matchbox began production in the 1990s. Konami and Aoshima (Japanese toy companies) are currently producing replicas of the crafts used in the TV series. Over the years there have been countless Thunderbird toys, not only are the Thunderbird crafts available, but also characters, other vehicles and sets too.

Storyline and History

Thunderbirds is a 1960's TV show made by the production team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Their production company, AP Films (renamed Century 21 Productions), created the action-adventure series for ITC Entertainment and Clearwater Features and the series premiered on British television in September 1965. Two series were produced, containing 32 episodes in total. Originally each episode lasted 25 minutes, however when ITC Entertainment boss Lew Grade was shown the first completed pilot episode, he was so excited by what he saw that he requested each episode to last 50 minutes. The show used a form of puppetry known as 'Supermarionation'. Two full-length feature films were made due to the popularity of the TV series: 'Thunderbirds Are GO' (1966) and 'Thunderbird Six' (1968).

Thunderbirds was originally set in 2026 and follows the adventures of the Tracy family who live on a remote Pacific island. They are secret members of International Rescue, an emergency response organisation who rescue people with their futuristic vehicles, the Thunderbirds. Head of the family is Jeff Tracy, a former astronaut abandoning his space career to raise his five sons after the tragic death of his wife. Scott Tracy is the eldest son, he was with the US Air Force before joining International Rescue. John Tracy was also an astronaut prior to his involvement with International Rescue, he is the quietest and most intellectual of all the Tracy brothers. Virgil Tracy is the most serious of the Tracy brothers and the pilot of Thunderbird 2. Gordon Tracy is an expert oceanographer and the designer of a unique underwater breathing kit, which he modified for International Rescue. Alan Tracy was a champion driver before becoming the pilot of Thunderbird 3, he is the youngest of the Tracy brothers. Their adventures also include Jeff's elderly mother, the scientific genius 'Brains', the family's servant Kyrano and his daughter TinTin.

Thunderbird 1 is piloted by Scott Tracy, the main role for this vehicle is to get to the danger zone as quickly as possible to assess the situation. The craft is 115 feet long and has a top speed of 15,000 miles per hour. Thunderbird 2 is piloted by Virgil Tracy and carries all of International Rescue's heavy equipment. The craft is slower than Thunderbird 1 with a maximum speed of 5,000 miles per hour, but often plays a main role in the danger zone. Thunderbird 3 is a space rocket piloted by Alan Tracy, the rocket is used for all space rescues and also links to Thunderbird 5. It is the tallest vehicle, measuring 287 feet, and is launched from its hanger beneath the Tracy Island Round House. Thunderbird 4 is piloted by aquanaut Gordon Tracy and is one of the fastest known craft on or under the sea. Thunderbird 5 is the space station, which is the core of the communications network. The Mole and FAB 1 are other Thunderbird vehicles.

International Rescue covers the whole world, including space. Some of the disasters that International Rescue attends are accidents, however many are caused by deliberate sabotage, often caused by 'The Hood'. 'The Hood' is a persistent villain and is Kyrano's half brother. Lady Penelope is International Rescue's London agent and is often accompanied by her chauffeur Parker. A live action feature film premiered in 2004 though did not perform as well at the box office as expected. A DVD was released in early 2005.

Toys

There have been so many Thunderbird toys produced since the launch of Thunderbirds in the 1960s that there are now many variations available. Most of the toys have fine details and are usually brightly coloured which adds to their appeal. Each of the Thunderbird toy crafts can be purchased, as can the character figures, other vehicles e.g. FAB 1, and so much more. Many Tracy Island sets have been created and since the new film in 2004, many more Thunderbird toys have been launched. Thunderbird costumes, puzzles, books, skateboards, framed pictures and board game are also available. Thunderbird toys continue to be popular with small children, and even adults enjoy collecting them. Both the character figures and Thunderbird toy crafts are well made plastic replicas of characters and crafts in the TV series and films.

Thunderbirds Links

• Official Thunderbirds Website