Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds is a British science fiction-supermarionation series, created in the 1960s by Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia. The title tune is by composer Barry Gray. The series is broadcast several times around the world since 1965.

The series revolves around the organization International Rescue, an organization that aims to combat disasters with advanced machines and equipment. The series consists of 32 episodes of approximately 50 minutes and two films: Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6. In addition, appeared in the 2004 live action film Thunderbirds.



Content
[hide] *1 Story  ==Story[ Edit] == The series is set in the 21st century. Lack of clarity about the exact years. In the beginning of the series was thought 2026, but in the first film, this was revised to 2065. The year 2026 has starred in the last episode of the series, Give or Take a Million, which represents a calendar Christmas 2026.
 * 2 Production
 * Idea 2.1
 * 2.2 making the series
 * 2.3 Supermarionation
 * 2.4 voice actors
 * 2.5 Music
 * 3 the machines
 * 4 Characters
 * 4.1 The Tracy family
 * 4.2 other members of the Organization
 * 4.3 Other persons
 * 5 Broadcast
 * 5.1 original broadcast
 * 5.2 episodes of the television series
 * 5.3 broadcasts in Netherlands
 * 5.4 Current broadcasts
 * attempts at modernisation 5.5
 * 5.6 new series
 * 6 Cinema movies
 * 7 Merchandising
 * 7.1 toys
 * 7.2 Books
 * Thunderbirds today 8
 * 9 Derivatives, references and parodies
 * 10 external links

The series follows the adventures of the Tracy family, which consists of the millionaire and former astronaut Jeff Tracy and his five sons Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Alan, John – each one named after a Mercury Sevenastronaut (Scott Carpenter, Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, Gordon Cooper and John Glenn). [1]  the title role of the TV film shows the five brothers with their produce die-cast metal in order of (declining) age: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan.

Along with Jeffs mother (who in the series only "Grandma" is called), the scientist Brains, Kyrano householder and his daughter Tin-Tin attend the Tracy's on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Secretly they are all members of the Organization International Rescue, an international disaster relief around the world technologically advanced rescue team comes help with their machines, the Thunderbirds. International Rescue is assisted by their agent in London, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, and her butler-chauffeur Aloysius "Nosey" Parker. The two are a kind of James Bond agents.

Most disasters where the Thunderbirds on coming down, are the result of natural disasters or accidents, but sometimes there is sabotage. A common opponent of the team is The Hood, which often causes major disasters to lure the Thunderbirds in the hope their equipment to photograph. ==Production[ Edit] == ===Idea<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Gerry Anderson came up with the idea for the series by a mine disaster in Germany. There hit a number of miners trapped underground in October 1963. The equipment that was needed to save them, all the way from Bremen had to take the train to the site of the disaster to be brought, which eight hours would go last. Anderson followed the rescue operation and figured out that it would be great if there is an organization that could be on the ground within an hour with the right stuff.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The name Thunderbirds came from his older brother who was a fighter pilot in the United States and during one of his first solo flights over an air base was flown that Thunderbird Field was called. Is sometimes wrongly thought that the name would come from an American air display that The Thunderbirds is called. ===Making the series<span class="mw-editsection" len="341" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Gerry Anderson's original intent was to make an action series with real actors. He was however, after he had shown his scripts to several television stations, getting rejected, because the series by the many technical equipment would cost too much money. Because he still like to continue with the series wanted, he decided to make a series of dolls. He already had a lot of experience with dolls series, of which the best known were:Four Feather Falls, Supercar (broadcast by TROS-forerunner REM-Island), Fireball XL5 and Stingray .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The puppet technique in Thunderbirds is much more sophisticated, giving the whole less wooden looks. The decoration of the decors and the realism of the models and special effects helped for that the series eventually attracted not only children but also their parents and gave the series over the years eventually a cult status, which reached its peak in the 1990s.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Although he now worked with puppets, the series continues to be one of the most expensive at that time was created. Each scene took a lot of time to make because of the many backgrounds and scale models that were needed. Some of the models were made by professional model makers. In addition, the scale models of the machines with paint "outdated", making them look more realistic appearance. The special effects were very tricky, at thumbnail size partly due to the fact that not all effects on such a small scale realistic. Especially water and water droplets can be difficult to reduce the scale of the models or puppets. Sometimes a whole day was the film crew busy for 5 to 6 seconds movie. The series is still known for the high quality of the thumbnail effects. The leader, Derek Meddings, did in this dolls series the experience on that later would come to pass in its effects for Superman and James Bond movies. ===Supermarionation<span class="mw-editsection" len="335" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Gerry Anderson loved really not of puppets with their tight faces. That is why he used a new technique he called supermarionation . The dolls were moved not only with strings, but it also had a mechanism in their head that the eyes and mouth perfect let move with the narration. Anderson tried to handle the controls as little as possible on to drop by to dye them in the colors of the background. In most cases this went well, but many close-upscènes are still clearly the threads in picture.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">For very difficult actions, such as picking up an object or pressing a button, was often a close up with a real hand. One rarely saw further walk. The pilots were brought to their devices, and with slides on the crash site they made often use devices that one could describe as flying mopeds without wheels. ===Voice Actors<span class="mw-editsection" len="330" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The voice actors for the series were all experienced actors, some of whom had worked for some time with Anderson. David Holliday (who did the voice of Virgil in the first season) was the only American. All the others were British, Australian or Canadian.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Australian actor Ray Barrett did the voices of John Tracy and The Hood. He previously worked with Anderson. So he did the voice of both Commander Shore and Titan in the series Stingray. He could perfectly imitate both American and Australian accents. When Thunderbirds began, Barrett was already a minor celebrity on British television. Although normally Sylvia Anderson and Christine Finn the female (at) accounted for characters in the series, Barrett did the voice of the older Duchess of Royston in The Duchess Assignment, to great amusement to the rest of the crew.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The experienced Canadian actor Shane Rimmer (Scott) did in addition to Thunderbirds also contributed to subsequent Anderson Productions, where he also wrote scenarios. In addition, he appeared in several James Bond films.

<p lang="en" len="51" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">All voice actors also did a number of characters <p lang="en" len="171" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">(Paul Maxwell, Charles "Bud" Tingwell and John Tate were not in the credits of the series mentioned, but Maxwell and Tingwell were mentioned in the credits of the movies.) ===Music<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">A critical element of the success of the series was the (background) music. The music was composed by Barry Gray, who provided the music for all series of Anderson to Space: 1999 series 1. His Thunderbirds Marchis one of the most famous television melodies and is among other things in the world loved by military bands.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Gray wrote a song for the end credits originally also with text, but that was never used. The song, Flying High, popped up eventually in the episode Ricochet, with changed text. ==The machines<span class="mw-editsection" len="330" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="60" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">International Rescue has five primary vehicles:


 * Thunderbird 1
 * An aircraft can get speeds up to 25,000 kilometres per hour.


 * Thunderbird 2
 * A large transport aircraft, such as the Thunderbird 4 rescue vehicles that takes smaller.


 * Thunderbird 3
 * A rocket intended for space rescues and for contact with the Thunderbird 5.


 * Thunderbird 4
 * A yellow submarine, during the series, the smallest of the produce die-cast metal (only the Thunderbird 6 is even smaller).


 * Thunderbird 5
 * A space station. The Thunderbird 5 is the largest of the produce die-cast metal and is alternately manned by Alan and John.


 * Thunderbird 6
 * A plane of the type Tiger, that only in the film Thunderbird 6 is used.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are also many smaller for rescue equipment used, which always are transported by the Thunderbird 2 . Well-known of these are the Mole and the Firefly.

<p lang="en" len="274" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Another well-known vehicle from the series is the FAB 1, the Rolls Royce of Lady Penelope. ==Characters<span class="mw-editsection" len="329" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===The Tracy family<span class="mw-editsection" len="336" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * Jeff Tracy
 * Ex-astronaut, multimillionaire and the father of the brothers Tracy. Jeff is the mastermind behind the Organization and coordinates all rescue from behind his desk.


 * Scott Tracy
 * The oldest of the brothers. He is the pilot of Thunderbird 1 and coastronaut of the Thunderbird 3. In the absence of Jeff Scott takes charge of the organisation.


 * John Tracy
 * The second oldest. He usually mans the Thunderbird 5 but is occasionally interspersed with Alan.


 * Virgil Tracy
 * The middle of the brothers and pilot of Thunderbird 2. Virgil also often reddingsmachines the other controls. His hobbies are painting and playing the piano.


 * Gordon Tracy
 * The aquanaut (Captain) of the Thunderbird 4.


 * Alan Tracy
 * The youngest of the brothers Tracy and Thunderbird 3 astronaut.


 * Granny
 * The mother of Jeff and Grandma of the Tracy brothers. Her real name is unknown.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The title movie of each episode shows the Tracy brothers also in this order, followed by Brains and Lady Penelope (as London agent). Tin-Tin Kyrano, Grandma, and Jeff are not mentioned in the title movie. ===Other members of the Organization<span class="mw-editsection" len="351" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * Brains
 * The design genius of all produce die-cast metal. He stutters and carries a large glasses. He is sometimes also on a rescue mission. His real name is unknown. In episode 29, he used the pseudonym Hiram k. Hackenbacker, and in the film Thunderbird 6 it was Mr. X. In 2004 the movie was Hiram also his real name.


 * Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward
 * A noblewoman and secret agent of the organization. She lives in a villa just outside London and often goes for International Rescue on a mission.


 * Parker
 * Lady Penelopes butler and an ex-burglar. He is a master at cracking locks and safes, something that during his work for International Rescue still sometimes comes in handy. Has the nickname "the nose".


 * Kyrano
 * Half brother of the Hood and the family butler Tracy.


 * Tin-Tin
 * Kyrano's daughter.

===Other persons<span class="mw-editsection" len="336" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * The Hood
 * The archenemy of the Thunderbirds and half-brother of Kyrano. His master plan is often to capture images from the Thunderbirds in action and who then sell it to the highest bidder.

==Broadcast<span class="mw-editsection" len="330" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Original broadcast<span class="mw-editsection" len="346" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">A total of 32 episodes of Thunderbirds were made between 1965 and 1966, although the production originally began as early as 1964. The episodes were made for the British production company ITC Entertainment, and aired on ATV.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The production of Thunderbirds stopped suddenly in the fall of 1966, when the second season had only six episodes. This was a decision made by Lew Grade after a failed attempt to sell the series in the United States.According to a report, however, were three major American television networks, CBS, NBC and ABC, interested in the series and Grade they wanted to set up against each other to be able to ask a higher price.However, when one of them dropped off, hooked up the other two also know. Although the series was still a hit in England, found Grade that it was too expensive to continue without interest yet has become of American channels. ===Episodes of the television series<span class="mw-editsection" len="354" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Broadcasts in Netherlands<span class="mw-editsection" len="345" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In Netherlands, the series was broadcast from september 1965 (rather than in England) by the AVRO, one episode per month, up to May 1968. After the summer holidays of that year three more episodes are repeated.

<p lang="en" len="784" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The first ten episodes were broadcast in black and white and were equipped with Dutch votes, starting from september 1967 they were in color (one of the few colors broadcasts at that time-the Path of Destruction episode was repeated from the Firato daily without subtitles where colour television was introduced), but in the original English version with Dutch subtitles. ===Current broadcasts<span class="mw-editsection" len="340" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Today, the series in England still regularly repeated on BBC Two and on RTÉ Two in Ireland. Thunderbirds is also very popular in Japan, where it was first broadcast in 1966 by the NHKchannel. About three years long (2000 – 2003) sent the satellite channel Boomerang UK daily episodes from.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Thunderbirds was also broadcast on the now defunct American cable network TechTV from 5 August 2002 to 20 June 2004. In Australia, the channel regularly from the Channel 9 series in the 1970s and 1980s, especially on Saturday morning. ===Attempts at modernisation<span class="mw-editsection" len="346" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Some versions of the series that were broadcast by Fox Network and American companies in the 1990s used re-recorded voices and music. To the great displeasure of older fans.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Even more notorious among fans was Turbocharged Thunderbirds, a fully customized version of the series that aired in 1995 only a short time. Flight scenes were accelerated and the Thunderbirds were living in a cyber world that "Thunderworld" was mentioned. They were in contact with two children who gave this guarded and the Thunderbirds Thunderworld commands. In this series were all original dialogues were replaced by other and new stories (of questionable level) fabricated on existing scenes from the old series. In The Uninvited are some archaeologists suddenly t-shirt vendors on the road to the next disco tent. Gerry Anderson was livid and lovers of the series were likewise not to mention. This version of the series that also disappeared just as quickly as he had come.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 2000, the series was remastered with Dolby Surroundsound and released on dvd. Also this adjustment was not equally well received, especially since the dvd had the original series does not have the ability to choose if the mono audio Dolby Surround "improvements" did not want to hear. The same adjustment is also used for the British BluRay Edition, which cut off the 4: 3 picture format to the more popular 16: 9, to the displeasure of the fans again. The picture quality was a lot better and reached the level at which was shown too much of what illusion should have kept. Japan again In 2012 is in a BluRay set released in 4: 3 format and with the correct restoration of the original mono sound next to the Dolby Surround sound. However, in some episodes the sound not entirely synchronous. ===New series<span class="mw-editsection" len="332" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In september 2005 rumours started to do that there is a new Thunderbirdsseries would come true. A QuickTimevideo file titled Thunderbirds IR was released around that time. Some scenes were shown of a planned new series. The trailer was created using both the classic dolls like modern computer animation. It was suggested that this new Thunderbirdsseries would be released in 2005. To date, this has not happened under the same title, but there is a movie released under the title Team America: World Police. The latter is a parody of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park) based on Thunderbirds but is indeed highly modernized.That movie fell nor at anyone in good soil, because he would be too coarse and not the real Thunderbirds-feel would give.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Slingshot-TASNG_2-0" len="180" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [2]  In February 2013, it was announced that ITV Studios rather always works on the new version called Thunderbirds Are Go! which is expected by 2015 appears on British television. The series is as expected use of CGI and live-action models.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" len="164" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [3] ==Cinema Movies<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The popularity of the series led to the production of two cinema films, financially supported by United Artists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" len="164" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [4]  In 2004 appeared also a live-action film. None of the movies turned out to be a success. The original dolls versions from 1966 and 1968 had good puppets, models and effects but contain too little story and too few Thunderbirds-disasters making them as television series had become so popular. The live-action film from 2004 dates from the time that all kinds of cinema movies based on TV series were released-on a single after mostly unsuccessful. Also here were found to have little awareness of what the creators to the success factors of the original series were. Together with the fact that the producers from the United States came and the original series hardly knew, this led to that the film was not a success. Director Jonathan Frakes 's comment that "this is not just a movie-it is an adventure, the first of many" is no truth become.

==Merchandising<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Toys<span class="mw-editsection" len="329" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Several companies, including Matchbox and Dinky Toys, were given permission to produce die-cast metal to make the toy models and characters. These proved very popular and are one of the best selling merchandise-series ever. The original toy models of Thunderbirds are now very rare and loved as collectibles.
 * Thunderbirds Are Go (1966)
 * Thunderbird 6 (1968)
 * Thunderbirds(2004)

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In the nineties again a large amount of Matchbox Thunderbirds-toys for connecting to the repeat broadcasts of the television series. This new series was primarily intended for outside the United States. In Canada brought the toy company Vivid Imaginations from toy models in 2004 related to the live-action film that appeared that year in the cinemas. Japanese companies produced In 2007, Konami and Takara still newThunderbirdstoys based on the original television series. ===Books<span class="mw-editsection" len="326" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p lang="en" len="83" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Was published a number of books based on the television series, especially in 1966:

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1992 Corgi Books published book versions of four episodes, namely The Uninvited, Brink of Disaster, Sun Probe and Atlantic Inferno.
 * Thunderbirds, John Theydon (pseudonym for John w. Jennison), 1966
 * Calling Thunderbirds, Theydon, 1966
 * Ring of Fire, Theydon, 1966
 * Thunderbirds Are Go, Angus p. Allan, 1966 (book version of the movie of the same name)
 * Operation Asteroids, John w. Jennison, 1966
 * Lost World, Jennison, 1966

<p lang="en" len="63" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The character Lady Penelope even got its own book series:

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There also appeared a comic book series in the early nineties around the Thunderbirds titled Thunderbirds: The Comic. The stories in this strip were both new stories as comic versions of some television episodes. ==Thunderbirds today<span class="mw-editsection" len="347" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The series has become a worldwide cult is Thunderbirds and is popular with both children and adults. This is partly because the series, although he had to continue for a children's series, is not only aimed at children.The series has no children as main characters (in fact, only 4 of the 32 episodes contain kindpersonages: City of Fire, Cry Wolf, Security Hazard and Give or Take a Million) and the series was already made to entertainment for the whole family.
 * A Gallery of Thieves, Kevin McGarry, 1966
 * Cool for Danger, McGarry, 1966
 * The Albanian Affair, John Theydon, 1967

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Although the series was not as bloody as the following Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, it came regularly for that characters died (by accident or murder) and large-scale destruction took place. Many of the themes in the series today are still relevant, such as airplanes that are sabotaged ("Trapped in the Sky), hijacked (Alias Mr. Hackenbacker) or into the sea deposit and sink to the bottom with the passengers still on Board (Operation Crash Dive). Also nuclear disasters (The Mighty Atom and 30 Minutes After Noon) are still relevant. ==Derivatives, references and parodies<span class="mw-editsection" len="356" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==
 * Because the series was popular in Japan, there was also an animated series created based on the original series called Thunderbirds 2086. But apart from the title this series had nothing to do with Gerry Anderson's series.
 * In 1990 used the British car insurance company Swinton for a television commercial for the Thunderbirds. In the movie, Parker apparently a day off and must control the FAB 1, Lady Penelope itself where they inevitable damage caused.
 * In 1993 used the food company Nestlé in a television commercial for the Thunderbirds for KitKat. In this we see the traditional countdown from 5 to 1 as in the opening of each episode, only at the words "Thunderbirds Are Go" rises the Thunderbird 1 Then one sees not. Scott in the cockpit of the Thunderbird 1 enjoy a piece of KitKat.
 * In 2005, the creators of the Comedy Central series South Park the movie Team America: World Police, in which the same supermarionation technique as those in Thunderbirds was applied. In terms of technique the film had all the ingredients that the live-action film from 2004 so node was missing.
 * In support of the series (and earlier and later supermarionation series) was in Great Britain the youth magazine TV21 issued. TV21 had a local variant In Netherlands, known as TV2000 . In it were in addition to otherThunderbirds also appears in comic books published by broadcast on Dutch television series included, as Thierry la Fronde, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Batman and Daktari .
 * In 1991 used the British band Dire Straits the Thunderbirds-puppets for the video clip of their song Calling Elvis. Gerry Anderson helped themselves to this video clip.
 * Vehicles undergoing seem produce die-cast metal, come in many other series and films. Examples of such series are Futurama, Sonic X and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water .
 * A British information film from 2001 featured the Thunderbirdscharacters. The film showed how FAB 1 got a wheel clamp because Lady Penelope road tax had not paid her.
 * In 2008 used the British optician chain Specsavers the dolls of Virgil and The Hood to advertise their new Reactionlenzen. In the commercial fly with jetpacks Virgil and The Hood through a tunnel. As soon as they leave the tunnel colouring Virgil glasses black, so he does not suffer from the Sun. However, The Hood is blinded as he has, and not such a glasses on bumps into a mountain.
 * Likewise in 2008 used the British soft drink producer Britvic, performing the Brainspop in an advertising message for spring water. In the movie dances Brains on the music of Rhythm Is a Dancer. He stops halfway to what to drink spring water under the slogan "Brains perform best when they're hydrated".
 * Travelcare travel agency used the Thunderbird 1 and its well-known launch from under a swimming pool in a commercial. Points two women take a dip in a pool, after which the pool; and the Thunderbird 1 suddenly appears. The ladies run screaming away while the Thunderbird 1 behind them takes off.
 * The Australian band INSTRUMENT MECHANIC released a single titled Thunderbirds Are Coming Out. In this single is a teenager described that after seeing Thunderbirds on television decision to change his life.