Thunderbirds
Trailer
Synopsis
Set in the 21st century, the secret organization International Rescue, led by ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy and his five sons, is dedicated to saving lives in mortal danger. Using technologically advanced vehicles that operate on land, sea, air, and space from their hidden base on Tracy Island, the team carries out high-stakes rescue missions.
Context & Trivia
Thunderbirds pioneered the "Supermarionation" technique, developed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. This technique involved the use of marionettes with rigid fiberglass heads containing a solenoid system to synchronize lip movement with pre-recorded dialogue. Ormiston Wire developed a very thin, durable metal wire, chemically treated to darken it and make it as invisible as possible, which was crucial for manipulating the marionettes. The main characters, such as Jeff Tracy and his five sons (Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon, and Alan), Lady Penelope, and Parker, were all puppets. The puppets' inability to walk convincingly led to much of the action being centered around futuristic vehicles. The series was produced by AP Films (later Century 21 Productions), Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's company. In 2015, three new Thunderbirds episodes were produced, based on original audio plays and using the same Supermarionation techniques to celebrate the series' 50th anniversary.
Puppeteers
Christine Glanville, Mary Turner, John Blundall, Judith Shutt
Voices
Peter Dyneley, Matt Zimmerman, Shane Rimmer, Ray Barrett, Sylvia Anderson, David Holliday, David Graham, Christine Finn, Jeremy Wilkin, Paul Maxwell, John Tate, Bud Tingwell
Puppet design
Sylvia Anderson
Puppet companies
AP Films · Century 21 Productions
Created by
Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
Direction
Desmond Saunders, David Elliott, David Lane, Alan Pattillo, Brian Burgess
Writing
Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson, Alan Fennell, Dennis Spooner, Martin Crump, Donald Robertson, Tony Barwick
Cast
Peter Dyneley, Matt Zimmerman, Shane Rimmer, Ray Barrett, Sylvia Anderson, David Holliday, David Graham, Christine Finn
Do you know more about this work?
Are you credited on this page and want your name corrected or removed? Request it here — no justification needed. For copyright claims or factual errors, use the same form.
