Anybody else grew up with Thunderbirds?

Dutchfinger

Thunderbirds is a fantastic show from the 60'ies, a real product of that time, and a show that has a HUGE sentimental value to me. Now, I didn't grow up in the 60'ies myself, as I was born in 1990... However, during the early 90'ies Thunderbirds was aired frequently and had a huge popularity. My mother used to record most of the episodes on VCR back then, I was already fond of the show as a three year old! Eventually I bought all of the episodes on DVD, as of today, I still remember all 32 episodes out of the top of my head, whenever I get to see it, the sentimental value is just enormous to me!

In Thunderbirds you can see a lot of the James Bond influence, as the show was made in 1965 when the huge spy craze was really taking place. There is even an episode called "the man from MI5" with a character based on Sean Connery's James Bond. Also there was an episode which I thought kind of had From Russia with Love touches to it. (The Perils of Penelope)

So whenever I get to see Shane Rimmer in a James Bond movie, I always kind of get a smile on my face, as he was the voice actor of Scott Tracy, the hero of my childhood! - And of course, Derek Meddings, who worked on special effects in many Bond movies, also did this for Thunderbirds..

I do know there's a forum member here with the username "Thunderbird 2" who obviously must be a fan as well, are there any other fans here?

Just curious!

Thunderpussy

I grew up watching Thunderbirds. Fantastic special effects for their day ( with several model
makers working on the Bonds ) still think the episode with the Giant Crocs is brilliant. -{
I used to make models myself and would always be collecting bits of packaging and off cuts
from plastic bottles to make my own sets etc.

Donald Grant

That's interesting. The other day Thunderbirds Are Go was shown on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) here in the States. I remember watching them on T.V. As a very young child and was transfixed by the models and puppetry. Was too young to understand what was going on, but was very fascinated. It brings back warm childhood memories whenever I see them. I do recognize the Bond influence and need to add the series to my collection.

DG

Mark Hazard

I was brought up on all of Gerry Anderson's early series (first time round) - Twizzle, Four Feather Falls, Torchy The Battery Boy, Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Secret Service, UFO - and then I started to grow up, not much mind.

Dutchfinger, did you realsie that Scott Tracy was supposedly based on Sean Connery?

Dutchfinger

Thunderpussy wrote:

I grew up watching Thunderbirds. Fantastic special effects for their day ( with several model
makers working on the Bonds ) still think the episode with the Giant Crocs is brilliant. -{
I used to make models myself and would always be collecting bits of packaging and off cuts
from plastic bottles to make my own sets etc.

The Attack of The Alligators! Brilliant episode indeed!
Out of the top of my head, some of my favorite episodes as a kid were: (in case another diehard fan wonders)
"The uninvited" "Operation Crash Dive" "Move, and you're dead" "Martian invasion" "Trapped in the Sky."

Donald Grant wrote:

It brings back warm childhood memories whenever I see them.  I do recognize the Bond influence and need to add the series to my collection.

Great to see more fellow fans of the show here!

Mark Hazard wrote:

Dutchfinger, did you realsie that Scott Tracy was supposedly based on Sean Connery?

Yes I did realise this! Although indeed 'supposedly'.. Scott had blue eyes, Connery's were brown etc... There are some simalarities of course, they both have 'handsome' looks... But I wouldn't directly see Connery's face in it. I think the model they used in the Man from MI5 (Even called Bondson) was obviously supposed to be him!

GordoLeiter

Great tv series that eventually became a blockbuster movie in 2002 staring Bill "Game over maaaan!" Paxton

Thunderpussy

Ah, the Movie.

BIG TAM

I was just that bit too young to catch THUNDERBIRDS first time round. Caught up with it later & was hooked. I was introduced to Gerry Anderson's wonderful of Supermarionation through CAPTAIN SCARLET & JOE 90. Ah, those wonderful Dinky toys, too.

Moore Than

I grew up with Thunderbirds and remain a fan. Attack of the Alligators, Terror in New York City and Sunprobe are classic episodes. For sheer drama and entertainment Thunderbirds is up their with the best of them. All involved in the production of the series deserve great credit.

I also enjoy Captain Scarlet but am not such a fan of Stingray and Joe 90, though they have great theme tunes.

Thunderbird 2

"This is Thunderbird 2, approaching danger zone, preparing to launch Thunderbird 4!"

One of the best Sci Fi series ever made. Deserved more respect than the 2004 movie.

Dutchfinger, first Thanks for namechecking me in the first post. Derek Meddings designed the Thunderbirds themselves as well as the basics of Tract Island. I was lucky enough to talk to him not long before he started work on Goldeneye, a true gent, and very modest about his achievements in film and television.

I am a big Sci Fi buff, Star Trek, Star Wars, and numerous others inc Bond of course. But right in the centre are the Tracy family, Lady P and Parker. Thunderbirds is a real classic and deserves a good quality sequel.


Trivia - Shane Rimmer is not the only Tracy Brother in Bond. Jeremy Wilkin (Virgil Tracy II) played Captain Forsythe in TSWLM.

Dutchfinger

Thunderbird 2 wrote:

"This is Thunderbird 2, approaching danger zone, preparing to launch Thunderbird 4!"

One of the best Sci Fi series ever made. Deserved more respect than the 2004 movie.

Dutchfinger, first Thanks for namechecking me in the first post. Derek Meddings designed the Thunderbirds themselves as well as the basics of Tract Island. I was lucky enough to talk to him not long before he started work on Goldeneye, a true gent, and very modest about his achievements in film and television.

I am a big Sci Fi buff, Star Trek, Star Wars, and numerous others inc Bond of course. But right in the centre are the Tracy family, Lady P and Parker. Thunderbirds is a real classic and deserves a good quality sequel.


Trivia - Shane Rimmer is not the only Tracy Brother in Bond. Jeremy Wilkin (Virgil Tracy II) played Captain Forsythe in TSWLM.

Great to see so much love for this show! And yes, indeed one of the best Sci Fi series ever! I think there isn't any other show in the world that has a bigger personal sentimental value to me then Thunderbirds has!
And, Wow! It must have been a tremendous expierence to talk to Derek Meddings! Where did you meet him anyway?

I almost forgot about Jeremy Wilkin being in The Spy Who Loved me as well! - (I always kind of preffered David Holiday doing the voice of Virgil Tracy on the sidenote...) But Shane Rimmer's voice just has that huge sentimental impact! The first five minutes of You Only Live Twice always immediatly bring me back to Thunderbirds hearing his voice saying: "We lost our radio contact!" - Good old Scott!

Anyway once again, great to see more people loving this show! Even though I was far from being born in the 60'ies, it shows that it truly was a great decade full of fantasy and creativity! You only need to look at the Bond movies from that time to notice. And I am very glad to have been able to grow up with a show from that fantastic decade during the 90'ies!

TonyDP

I also grew up on the Thunderbirds; loved that show as a kid and its still one of the most imaginative things on TV.

Another often overlooked fact is that the main characters were named after NASA's Mercury astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Alan Shepard, Virgil Grissom (who was tragically killed in the Apollo 1 fire), Gordon Cooper and John Glen.

Donald Grant

TonyDP wrote:

I also grew up on the Thunderbirds; loved that show as a kid and its still one of the most imaginative things on TV.

Another often overlooked fact is that the main characters were named after NASA's Mercury astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Alan Shepard, Virgil Grissom (who was tragically killed in the Apollo 1 fire), Gordon Cooper and John Glen.

Wow, I did not know that. I've always been somewhat fascinated by the U.S.'s early space program comprising Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. I remember playing for hours with my GI Joes and the Space Walk Mystery Space Suit. Cool tidbit!

DG

Thunderbird 2

Dutchfinger wrote:

And, Wow! It must have been a tremendous expierence to talk to Derek Meddings! Where did you meet him anyway?

I almost forgot about Jeremy Wilkin being in The Spy Who Loved me as well! - (I always kind of preffered David Holiday doing the voice of Virgil Tracy on the sidenote...) But Shane Rimmer's voice just has that huge sentimental impact! The first five minutes of You Only Live Twice always immediatly bring me back to Thunderbirds hearing his voice saying: "We lost our radio contact!" - Good old Scott!

Sorry to say it was not a face to face meeting, DFinger, it was on the phone. Long story short, I was doing some research to get a crude demo film made demonstrating launch procedures for a possible Thunderbirds sequel back in 1992. I had called Thunderbirds Art director Bob Bell to enquire about possible reference material, specifically for Creighton Manor. Mr Bell was working on Alien III at the time, and he in turn put me in contact with Mr Meddings. The sequel project itself fell through as my eventual proposal went no-where with Carton Media International in 2000, who at that time, owned the rights. - A no brainer really in retrospect. However that phone call and a similar one with Sylvia Anderson were the high points that far eclipsed the project itself!


Re Virgil Tracy - I agree. David Holiday gave Virgil a commanding authoritative tone that balanced with Scott and their Father, esp on operations if Scott wasn't present. "Perils of Penelope" spings to mind straight away. I actually thought Mr Wilkin was better cast as the mild mannered but effective Captain Ochure in Captain Scarlet. (Alongside David Healy and Ed Bishop, who both appear in DAF). Mr Wilkin def has a talent for multiple character voices though! A group of very talented performers all of them.


Another piece of Trivia - Creighton Manor was based on the design of Stourhead House in Wiltshire. Its well worth a visit in itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stourhead
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead/

Donald Grant

Thunderbirds 6 is presently on in the U.S.A. on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Way cool!

DG

Jedi Master

LOVE the Thunderbirds! Was so disappointed with that live action film from a few years ago. Bloody Americans ruining everything as usual! )

toutbrun

Recorded them all on VHS at the time.

Moore Than

Thunderbirds are Go! - FAB!

The team behind visual effects on films like The Hobbit and The Adventures of TinTin is to help produce a remake of the 1960's TV series, Thunderbirds. The Weta Workshop, which has also worked on King Kong and Avatar, is co-producing the new show with New Zealand based Pukeko Pictures. Thunderbirds are Go! will be broadcast on ITV(UK) in 2015 and will feature CGI animation and live action model sets.

Thunderbirds to be remade for ITV series in 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/21321230