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"Thunderbirds are GO!"

Without a doubt the pinnacle of all the Supermarionation series, Thunderbirds strikes the perfect balance between the characterisation of its large central cast and the excitement of its fabulous array of machinery and ambitious special effects. Devised after hearing of a German mine disaster and the ensuing rescue efforts, Thunderbirds went on to become the most popular and enduring series and spawned a merchandising empire, the like of which was unrivalled in the 1960s. Decades after its original broadcast and children still struggled to purchase Tracy Island for demand was so great, and its success has led to numerous successful revivals and remakes and also two Supermarionation feature films in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Having built on the progress made in all the series before, Thunderbirds provided a scale unlike its predecessors and ventured across the globe and into the far reaches of space, and yet could provide spy stories, love stories, endless action, espionage, and comedies about elderly women with gambling addictions or exploding dog food. But above all Thunderbirds provides a sense of being able to use exciting new technology for the good of mankind.

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Presented here is the original Thunderbirds information sheet issued by the studio containing details about the characters and the craft. Where the information here conflicts with on-screen information a note in italics has been added.

 

Top Secret

THUNDERBIRDS INFORMATION SHEET

 

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THUNDERBIRD 1

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Colour - Grey with blue and red markings

Length - 115 feet

Speed - 15,000 miles per hour

Pilot - Scott Tracy

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THUNDERBIRD 2

 

Colour - Green with red markings

Length - 250 feet

Speed - 5,000 miles per hour

Pilot - Virgil Tracy

THUNDERBIRD 3

 

Colour - Red with black markings

Length - 200 feet (stated to be 287 feet in Give of Take a Million)

Pilot - Alan Tracy

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THUNDERBIRD 4

 

Colour - Yellow with red markings

Length - 30 feet

Pilot - Gordon Tracy

THUNDERBIRD 5

 

Colour - Beige with gold markings (The craft is grey in the series)

Controlled by John Tracy

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LOCATION

 

Lonely Island somewhere in the Pacific.

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JEFF TRACY

 

Multi-millionaire, one of the first men on the moon. Age - 56.

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GORDON TRACY

 

Pilot of Thunderbird 4. Named after Leroy Gordon Cooper.

Age 22.

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SCOTT TRACY

 

Pilot of Thunderbird 1. Named after Malcolm Scott Carpenter.

Age - 30.

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ALAN TRACY

 

Pilot of Thunderbird 3. Named after Alan B. Shepard Jnr.

Age - 19.

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VIRGIL TRACY

 

Pilot of Thunderbird 2. Named after Virgil Ivan Grissom.

Age - 27.

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LADY PENELOPE

 

British agent and ally of the Tracy's.

Age - 26.

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JOHN TRACY

 

Controller of the Space Station. Named after John Herschel Glenn Jnr.

Age - 25.

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PARKER

 

Ex safe breaker, perfect butler and chauffeur to Lady Penelope.

Age - 52.

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KYRANO

 

Faithful servant of the Tracy family. Birth certificate lost in Malaya and therefore age not known.

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TIN-TIN

 

Kyrano's daughter and assistant to Brains.

Age - 22.

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BRAINS

 

Genius behind International Rescue's machines.

Age - 25.

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THE HOOD

 

Half brother of Kyrano and arch villain of the series. Named the Hood because he dons many disguises.

This is the only information permissible on the highly

secretive organisation - INTERNATIONAL RESCUE.

PRODUCER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Gerry Anderson

 

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PRODUCER

Reg Hill

 

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

John Read

 

DIRECTED BY

Alan Patillo

Desmond Saunders

David Elliott

David Lane

Brian Burgess

 

TELEPLAYS BY

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

Alan Fennell

Dennis Spooner

Martin Crump

Alan Pattillo

Donald Robertson

Tony Barwick

 

CHARACTER VISUALISATION / CHARACTERS CREATED BY

Sylvia Anderson

 

LIGHTING CAMERAMAN

Paddy Seale

Julien Lugrin

 

SPECIAL EFFECTS LIGHTING / SPECIAL EFFECTS LIGHTING CAMERAMAN   

Michael Wilson

 

CAMERA OPERATORS

Jimmy Elliott

Alan Perry

Geoff Meldrum

Noel Rowland              

Gary Coxall

Ted Cutlack

 

ART DIRECTOR / SUPERVISING ART DIRECTOR

Bob Bell

 

SPECIAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR / SUPERVISING SPECIAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR

Derek Meddings

 

PUPPETRY SUPERVISION

Mary Turner

Christine Glanville

                                                                       

SCRIPT SUPERVISION 

Gerry and SylviaAnderson

 

SCRIPT EDITOR                                                            

Alan Pattillo

 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL  

Tony Barwick

 

MUSIC COMPOSED AND DIRECTED BY

Barry Gray

 

PUPPET OPERATORS 

Yvonne Hunter

Wanda Webb                                                

Carolyn Turner

Judith Shutt

Ernest  Shutt                                                   

 

SCULPTORS

John Blundall

John Brown

Terry Curtis

Tim Cooksey

Peter Hayward

Mike Richardson

Joy Cuff         

 

SCULPTING SUPERVISION                                      

John Brown                 

 

CHARACTER VOICES           

Sylvia Anderson

Ray Barrett

Peter Dyneley

Christine Finn

David Graham

David Holliday

Paul Maxwell

Shane Rimmer

John Tate

Charles Tingwell

Jeremy Wilkin

Matt Zimmerman

 

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SPECIAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR

Jimmy Elliott

Shaun Whittacker-Cook

 

DESIGNER 

Keith Wilson

John Lageu

 

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR / ART DIRECTOR

Grenville Nott

 

SECOND ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Ken Turner

 

WARDROBE

Elizabeth Coleman

 

SUPERVISING EDITOR

Len Walter

 

EDITORS

Len Walter

David Lane

Harry MacDonald

Harry Ledger

Peter Elliott

 

SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR

John Peverill

 

SPECIAL EFFECTS 2ND UNIT

 

DIRECTOR

Brian Johncock

Ian Scoones

Shaun Whittaker-Cook

 

LIGHTING CAMERAMAN

Harry Oakes

 

CAMERA OPERATOR

John Foley

Gary Coxall

 

SOUND EDITOR

Brian Hickin

John Beaton

Tony Lenny

Norman Cole

Peter Pennell

 

DIALOGUE EDITOR

Roy Lafberry

 

SPECIAL EFFECTS ASSISTANT

Brian Johncock

Richard Conway

Peter Wragg

 

PROPERTY MASTER

Arthur Cripps

 

PROPERTIES MAKERS

Eddie Hunter

Tony Dunsterville,

Stuart Osborn

 

SOUND

Maurice Askew

John Taylor

Jean Taylor

Ken Scrivener

 

SPECIAL EFFECTS DESIGNER

Mike Trim

 

MODELS

Peter Aston

Ray Brown

Charlie Bryant

Eric Backman

Ezra Deering

Roger Dicken

Arthur ‘Wag’ Evans

Bill James

Brian Smithies

Mike Trim

David Mitton

James Channing

 

CHIEF ELECTRICIAN

Albert Scott

 

Filmed in Videcolor and Supermarionation.

An APF Television Production in association with ATV. 

Westrex Sound System.  An ITC World Wide Distribution. 

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