In this article I have attempted to identify five elements of the show that particularly appealed to me and what made Terrahawks the mischevious but endearing younger cousin of Thunderbirds.
Monthly Archives: November 2016
Thunderbirds – 14. End Of The Road
The construction world of the future is a theme focussed on time and again in Thunderbirds. It often comes back to the idea that despite all the highly advanced and automated technology, it still takes hard work and human sacrifice to make things really happen. Despite all these tech-based endeavours, human characters are still the central focus of such stories, End of the Road being a standout example. It’s an episode full of spectacular special effects and some lovely looking guest vehicles – but also in the middle of it all is Eddie Houseman, a guest character whom we grow to like as we learn about his determination and his loose ties with the International Rescue organisation.
The Anderson Close-Up Quiz
How well do you really know your favourite Gerry Anderson shows? The objective of this quiz is simple – try and guess what these are all images of. But there’s a twist! Brains’ computer messed up some of the images and magnified them far too much. Get to work identifying them and let us knowContinue reading “The Anderson Close-Up Quiz”
Thunderbirds – 13. Terror In New York City
There’s no doubt that for most Thunderbirds fans, Terror In New York City is a classic. I first saw it as part of the Countdown to Disaster VHS compilation feature alongside Atlantic Inferno. Needless to say it was a tape that I watched as often as I could. The episode delivers not just one, but two standout moments which push the format of the series to the limit, giving us two of the most catastrophic and dramatic disasters ever seen in Thunderbirds.
Robert Vaughn – The Man From The Protectors
Actor Robert Vaughn, best known in Gerry Anderson circles as the star of The Protectors, passed away on Friday, aged 83. He had been suffering from leukaemia for a short time and was surrounded by his family when he died.
Thunderbirds – 12. The Perils of Penelope
If there was ever a case for Lady Penelope being the real star of Thunderbirds, this episode would be exhibit A. The Tracys take a backseat as Penelope and her bit of crumpet, Sir Jeremy Hodge, get caught up in an adventure full of sleuthing and danger!
Thunderbirds – Extending The First Eleven
For those of you that don’t know, every week I have been writing in-depth reviews of each episode of the original Thunderbirds series. During these reviews I have been closely studying what appears on screen and highlighting bits and pieces which point to how the episode was produced, and which parts worked well or didn’t work so well. Part of that process has involved analysing one aspect in particular which relates to the first eleven episodes to go into production.
Thunderbirds – 11. Brink of Disaster
There’s a general stereotype about Thunderbirds that the word ‘automatic’ should translate to the word ‘lethal’ by default. Brink of Disaster is the prime candidate for that being true. This episode brings us high stakes, with members of International Rescue in danger once again, and some enjoyable characters in the form of Warren Grafton and his crooked gang of businessmen. But there’s also something rather unremarkable about this episode which I want to try and pin down over the course of this review…
Security Hazard 