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Thunderbirds first aired in 1965 and followed the Tracy family's International Rescue. Jamie Anderson, son of creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, says the show's bright, positive spirit and real-life rescue legacy still endure.
Thunderbirds first aired in 1965 and remains an incomparable piece of TV history more than 60 years later. The British series followed five brothers and their wealthy father in the year 2065 as they carried out valiant rescue missions with no strings attached.
Optimistic Future And Jeff Tracy
It presented a daring and strikingly optimistic view not just of the future, but of humanity as a whole. The story begins with philanthropic, fabulously wealthy ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, who dedicates his life to saving humanity. His headquarters is a mid-century vintage James Bond-style villa on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. From there, Jeff and his five handsome, talented sons blast off in hi-tech vehicles to stage daring rescues.
These almost totemic, futuristic feats of engineering are the Thunderbirds. The idea began when creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, already making ambitious and successful TV shows, learned of a disaster unfolding in Germany. A mine had collapsed, sealing 50 men deep underground, and a group of brave volunteers set out to rescue them.
Inspiration From German Mine Disaster
Jamie Anderson, son of Gerry and Sylvia and CEO of Anderson Entertainment, says his father became obsessed with the idea that trapped people had no idea others they had never met were making great efforts to save their lives. That moment led to the creation of Thunderbirds. Jamie Anderson recalls his father thinking, what if you could create a group that could get anywhere in the world, super fast, and rescue people in danger?
The series charts the adventures of International Rescue, a secret organisation dedicated to that wonderfully optimistic mission. Anderson says his father grew up in poverty during the second world war, which claimed the life of his brother during RAF operations. A child growing up in that is going to seek the opposite, he says. Gerry's brother Lionel was another direct inspiration for Thunderbirds.
Anderson describes Lionel as one of those really annoying people who was handsome, smart, witty, artistic, could dance, was musical and confident. He was the original Tracy brother, says Anderson, and his characteristics were spread across the boys. They are kind of like the light of Lionel hitting a prism and being split into the five brothers. Those five brothers became the pilots of the Thunderbirds, the futuristic vehicles deployed by International Rescue.
Marionettes And De Puppetifying Puppets
The brothers were played not by humans but by marionettes. Anderson says they never wanted to use puppets and wanted to make Hollywood epics with real, proper actors instead of fibreglass marionettes. So much of Thunderbirds is born out of embarrassment, he says, recalling the bloody puppets dangling by carpet thread with painted-on eyes. His father's constant quest was to make them look better, to de-puppetify the puppets.
The sheer scale of Thunderbirds becomes almost overwhelming when you realise Gerry and Sylvia were essentially turning out 50-minute-long films cast entirely with puppets. Those puppets moved through and interacted with countless bespoke sets and props, acting out deceptively complex stories in globe-spanning locales. The level of detail in Thunderbirds remains bewildering to this day. Over its 36-episode run, followed by two feature-length films, viewers watched stories flitting between classic disaster films, spy capers, space-age sci-fi and cold war intrigue.
For each challenge, International Rescue had an answer. Thunderbird 1, a sleek hypersonic rocket plane, was used for recon and piloted by Scott Tracy. Thunderbird 2, a surreal snub-nosed aircraft carrier, carried pods that deployed a never-ending array of specialist equipment, piloted by Virgil. Thunderbird 3 was a spaceship piloted by Alan.
Thunderbirds Vehicles And Lady Penelope
Thunderbird 4 was a sleek little submarine piloted by Gordon and deployed by Thunderbird 2. Finally, Thunderbird 5 was the space station from which International Rescue handled worldwide comms, helmed by John Tracy. Asked which Thunderbird is best and why it is Thunderbird 2, Anderson says it is obviously 2. Though the series focused on the Tracy brothers and their valiant rescue missions, the spotlight was often stolen by Lady Penelope.
A model, socialite and secret agent, she frequently collaborated with International Rescue and brought a touch of MI6 mystique and humanity to the proceedings. She was often accompanied by Parker, her resourceful valet, and was based on and voiced by Sylvia, who injected heart and warmth into the show. Anderson says Sylvia brought such an awareness of culture and character and style. The look and feel of the 60s, which was always looking towards the future, was bright and positive.
That positivity went on to inspire the creation of a real International Rescue, the International Rescue Corps, in the 1980s. Anderson says his father was president and he was briefly vice-president before it closed a few years back. They were volunteers who went around the world and helped people in need, so there was a real-life impact. After more than 60 years on television, Thunderbirds remains an incomparable piece of TV history.
It is a show about a billionaire who dedicates his life, time and money to helping those in need with no strings attached. Thunderbirds is available to stream on 9Now in Australia, on ITVX in the UK, and on Peacock Premium in the US.
Gerry And Sylvia Anderson Jamie Anderson International Rescue 1960S Television Lady Penelope
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