Gerry Anderson who created Supercar and Fireball XL5 (which feature in my own interests and blog posts) produced a range of TV shows for children (and others) especially using puppets, but also live action shows, and more recently had been involved in CGI productions like the New Captain Scarlet. Gerry died in 2014, but his creations live on.
His best known creation is “Thunderbirds”, which first aired on TV in the mid 1960s using puppets, and was later repeated for a new generation of fans in the 1990s. Now ITV is producing a new show using a mixture of physical models and CGI using the WETA Workshop in New Zealand for the production.
The show is set in 2060 with the International Rescue team based on a spectacular island in the Pacific and using a range of rescue vehicles to give assistance where it is required. The Tracy brothers and their associates pilot and operate the vehicles on land, in the air, underwater and in space.
- Thunderbirds HQ – Join International Rescue
- Thunderbirds on Twitter
- Thunderbirds on YouTube
- Thunderbirds on Tumblr
- Fanderson – Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society
Join International Rescue
The series is accompanies by social media and a web site where fans can join International Rescue and be part of the excitement and fun… join at Thunderbirds HQ…
Premier on 4th April 2015 – Ring of Fire – Missions Open
The new Thunderbirds are Go premiered in the UK at 5pm on 4th April 2015 with the double length “Ring of Fire” story. Around that time the Thunderbirds.com/International Rescue web site missions also became available…
Week 2 – Space Race
Week 3 – Crosscut
Week 4 – Fireflash
Week 5 – Unplugged
Week 6 – Runaway
Week 7 – EOS
Week 8 – Slingshot
This week, an Apple iPad/iPhone or Android scanner application was introduced, which unlocked craft interiors…
Week 9 (Premiere on Sunday 24th May 2015) – Tunnels of Time
Week 10 – Skyhook
Week 11 – Under Pressure
Week 12 – Heavy Metal
Final Scores – Season 1 Part 1 (as at 1st August 2015)
Week 13 – Transmission Break
The second half of season 1 started in UK on ITV and CITV on 31st October 2015. A Thunderbird 2 “Rescue Challenge” online game was included…
Week 14 – Falling Skies
Week 15 – Relic
Week 16 – Breakdown
Week 17 – Heist Society
Week 17 also included a Design Challenge to design the “Ultimate Space Hotel”…
Week 18 – Recharge
An overrunning “Aurora Generator” in the Arctic is fixed by International Rescue..
Week 19 – Extraction
Week 20 – Hexpert
Week 21 – Comet Chaser
Week 22 – Designated Driver
Week 23 – Chain Of Command
Week 24 – Touch and Go
Introducing Kayo’s vehicle – Thunderbird Shadow – and it’s launch sequence on Tracy Island.
Week 25 – Undercover
Week 26 – Legacy
Thunderbirds Season Two
Season two will be broadcast sometime later in 2016.
WETA Workshop in Wellington, New Zealand produced the Thunderbirds are Go TV episodes and the special model and GCI effects included in them.
Behind the Scenes Web Site – http://wetaworkshop.com/projects/thunderbirds-are-go/
Studio Tour 2015-2016 – http://wetaworkshop.com/visit-us/workshop-tours/tour/thunderbirds-are-go-behind-the-scenes-experience