I was a second generation Thunderbirds fan. I first saw it when BBC2 repeated the series in the early 90's, although I wasn't aware of it being a programme made in the 60's (I was only three at the time). I was nonetheless hooked on it from the start. It's all about the quality of the programme, and Thunderbirds is certainly high quality.
What makes the show stand out is that the concept is unique; the idea of a rescue organisation going out of their way to save lives is inspired. And the 50 minute time slot is ideal; while the other Gerry Anderson productions had a half hour slot, which worked well for them, that wouldn't have had the same impact on Thunderbirds. The show has an epic feel to it, and could have felt too rushed.
The voice acting is top notch too; while the stars of the show are marionette puppets, which are limited to what they can do, it's all down to the voice acting, and you can't help but get drawn in to the story lines.
The story lines themselves are engaging, although there were a few weak episodes, which you kind of expect – after all, it would be boring if all the episodes were brilliant. And each episode featured a few clips as to what was coming up, which made it more exciting. They were like mini movie trailers! The first episode, Trapped in the Sky, is the perfect introduction to the series, and is one of the best opening episodes to any TV series. The others did play around with the formula – for example, some involved the team having to rescue one of their own, which added a touch of realism, as well as the team having them rescuing someone who knew them and keeping their identities safe, and they were even framed by impostors. During the main rescue, you felt for the characters in need, and were willing International Rescue to succeed.
After Thunderbirds finished, we were treated to two feature films, Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6, which weren't as good as the TV series, a live action film (the less said about that the better ) and it was revived by ITV in 2015, which is still good, but it's a half hour programme. The original Thunderbirds will always be the best.
What makes the show stand out is that the concept is unique; the idea of a rescue organisation going out of their way to save lives is inspired. And the 50 minute time slot is ideal; while the other Gerry Anderson productions had a half hour slot, which worked well for them, that wouldn't have had the same impact on Thunderbirds. The show has an epic feel to it, and could have felt too rushed.
The voice acting is top notch too; while the stars of the show are marionette puppets, which are limited to what they can do, it's all down to the voice acting, and you can't help but get drawn in to the story lines.
The story lines themselves are engaging, although there were a few weak episodes, which you kind of expect – after all, it would be boring if all the episodes were brilliant. And each episode featured a few clips as to what was coming up, which made it more exciting. They were like mini movie trailers! The first episode, Trapped in the Sky, is the perfect introduction to the series, and is one of the best opening episodes to any TV series. The others did play around with the formula – for example, some involved the team having to rescue one of their own, which added a touch of realism, as well as the team having them rescuing someone who knew them and keeping their identities safe, and they were even framed by impostors. During the main rescue, you felt for the characters in need, and were willing International Rescue to succeed.
After Thunderbirds finished, we were treated to two feature films, Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6, which weren't as good as the TV series, a live action film (the less said about that the better ) and it was revived by ITV in 2015, which is still good, but it's a half hour programme. The original Thunderbirds will always be the best.