Picture the meeting that would have taken place at the AP Films studio before this episode went into production, or possibly before it was even written. Alan Pattillo wants to write a story about International Rescue fighting giant alligators. The team decide they’re going to go for it. One can only assume that from a very early stage it was the intention to use real animals on the set. The stories of the production team working with these beasts are legendary. But of course, the alligators are only a part of what makes this episode stand out as an incredible piece of film making, so let’s explore Attack of the Alligators! in as much depth as possible to appreciate the hard work of the AP Films crew.
Author Archives: Jack Knoll
Thunderbirds – 23. The Duchess Assignment
If I was to tell you there was a Thunderbirds episode all about an old woman with a gambling addiction who decides to rent out a portrait to a New York businessman, and ends up being kidnapped and trapped under a burning building – you probably wouldn’t believe me. If I was to then tell you that in my opinion, it’s one of the best episodes of the entire series you would probably never listen to anything I said ever again. Well you can do that if you like, because The Duchess Assignment is a real episode of Thunderbirds and it is certainly up there as one of my favourites. In my opinion there is just so much that The Duchess Assignment does right to pull off this unconventional story. It has the right amount of comedy, a great rescue, and just about every aspect of the production is extremely well done.
Thunderbirds -22. Danger At Ocean Deep
There is much that is unsaid or downright odd about Danger At Ocean Deep. Firstly, it has nothing to do with the Cliff Richard song, Ocean Deep, from 1983. That much is clear. Secondly, nothing actually takes place deep in the ocean as the title suggests. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, most of the plot is held together by the thinnest of threads that don’t make any sense. The thing is though, the story carries on with such conviction that you may struggle to notice what it is about the episode that doesn’t make any sense. My mind was somewhat blown when I sat down to watch this one again and I realised that I had been fooled for all these years into thinking this was a pretty solid episode with some interesting features. Maybe it still is, so let’s dive in…
Thunderbirds – 21. Cry Wolf
On the surface, Cry Wolf doesn’t have a lot going for it. It’s fundamentally a lighter story about teaching a couple of children a lesson which ends up going a bit wrong. There’s not much impressive machinery or seriously large scale disasters going on. The premise is a little more warm and fluffy in comparison to other episodes, at least to start with anyway. But is there more to this episode than just being ‘that one with the kids’?
Thunderbirds – 20. The Man From MI.5
The Man From MI.5 attempts to break the usual Thunderbirds mold by providing us with a story of spies and subterfuge rather than flat out rescuing. Comparing this episode to a James Bond movie is nothing new, but while there are obvious links in the form of the Bondson character, he’s very much pushed off to the side and Penelope is at the centre of this story. This week, she’s the bold, cool, and slightly eccentric version of the character that we all prefer to remember rather than the whiny and a bit useless Penelope we saw last week. So is this her greatest adventure yet?
Security Hazard: 2017
Happy New Year to you all! Welcome to the first post on this blog for 2017. It’s going to be something a little bit different. As well as taking a personal reflection on everything the Security Hazard blog has achieved since it launched in May of 2016, I would also like to take this opportunity to look forward and let you in on what to expect from this little corner of the internet in 2017 – things are changing, but we’ll get to that later.
Thunderbirds – 19. The Impostors
The fundamental premise of The Impostors is a work of sheer original brilliance. It takes the world of Thunderbirds and turns it upside down in a way that remains true to the original formula of the show. The episode is packed full of action, intrigue, and memorable guest characters to tell the story of International Rescue’s fall from grace as their global reputation is called into question. The Impostors turns away from the optimistic and heroic attitude of the series which simply marvels at incredible engineering and bravery, instead showing us the skeptics and the criminals who try to turn any situation to their advantage.
Thunderbirds – 18. 30 Minutes After Noon
30 Minutes After Noon is quite an oddity. It distinctly features two very different rescue missions, an awful lot of live action hand inserts and unusual camera angles, and some robots which… well we’ll come to those later. It couldn’t be clearer that this script originally started life as a half hour story but needed to be extended before production started. Yet despite being linked by the bracelet plot, the two halves of the episode feel like two completely separate stories that have been glued together afterwards. David Elliott directs the episode (or at least the second half of it) with flare and quirkiness, inspired as he was by the film The Ipcress File.
The Gerry Anderson Christmas Quiz
‘Tis the season to put on your favourite festive Gerry Anderson shows! Our gift to you this year is a Christmas quiz to sink your teeth into with a hot mince pie and a glass of whatever takes your fancy. Good luck and let us know how you did. There’s some tricky ones in there!
Thunderbirds – 17. Desperate Intruder
Brains is placed firmly in the centre of the action in this week’s episode as he becomes the only member of International Rescue to meet The Hood one on one. When an attempt was made to give him a prominent role in Day of Disaster he ended up being sidelined as the comic relief. Here the focus is only deadly danger and some of the most disturbing moments ever seen in Thunderbirds. There’s no question that The Hood is back to the level of nasty last seen way back in Trapped In The Sky.
Security Hazard 