In the 1960s Gerry Anderson coined the phrase "Supermarionation" (a portmanteau of "super", "marionette" and "animation") for his puppet television shows, this is seen by most as his popular series, and one I grew up with in childhood. Basically set between the years 2065 to 2067, the story revolves around the adventures of the Tracy family, who have formed secret organisation International Rescue, dedicated to saving human lives around the world. The family are headed by ex-astronaut multi-millionaire philanthropist Jeff Tracy (Peter Dyneley), a widower with five adult children: Scott (Shane Rimmer), Virgil (David Holliday and Jeremy Wilkin), Alan (Matt Zimmerman), Gordon (David Graham), John (Ray Barrett). They reside in a luxurious villa on Tracy Island, their hidden base, along with engineer, scientist and inventor Brains (David Graham), Malaysian manservant Kyrano (David Graham) and his daughter Tin-Tin (Christine Finn), and Grandma Tracy (Christine Finn). Most important to the operation of International Rescue are five machines named the "Thunderbirds": hypersonic rocket plane Thunderbird 1, piloted by Scott; supersonic carrier aircraft Thunderbird 2, piloted by Virgil; single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft Thunderbird 3, piloted by Alan; utility submersible Thunderbird 4, piloted by Gordon; and space station Thunderbird 5, which relays the distress signals, manned by John. Disasters that occur around the world include industrial accidents and sabotage, when these distress calls are relayed the appropriate Thunderbird crafts are launched ("Thunderbirds Are Go!"). Also integral to the operation are the secret missions carried out by undercover agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (Sylvia Anderson), an English aristocrat, and her butler Aloysius Parker (David Graham), their primary mode of transport is FAB 1, a specially- modified pink Rolls-Royce. To remain a secret organisation, the Thunderbird crafts are equipped with camera detection technology, so they will no be photographed or filmed. The most persistent adversary of the organisation, often trying to get the secrets of the Thunderbirds, the criminal known only as the "Hood", a villain operating in a temple in the Malaysian jungle, who possesses hypnotic powers (through his glowing eyes) and black magic, he also has telepathic control over Kyrano, his estranged half-brother. There were 32 episodes of this classic show, the puppet characters are all likable, the stories all have their own charm, the music by Barry Gray is great, and there are plenty of exciting scenes, with explosions, disasters and rescues, and some laughs along the way to keep you watching, it is a most entertaining show for adults and children alike, a great family science-fiction adventure. The episode "Give or Take a Million" was number 75 on The 100 Greatest Christmas Moments, the programme was number 24 on The 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows, and it was number 60 on The 100 Greatest TV Programmes. Very good!
Review of Thunderbirds
