Earlier this week, we marked the 59th of Thunderbirds‘ blast off on our television screens with Thunderbirds Day 2024. As the series approaches its landmark 60th anniversary next year, Thunderbirds continues to remain one of the most thrilling, adventurous and long-lasting creations from the worlds of Gerry Anderson.
This Thunderbirds Thursday, we’re counting down five reasons why we think that Thunderbirds remains timeless!
5. Adventurous rescue-themed storytelling
The world of 2065 is as exciting to inhabit as it is dangerous. Exciting advances in engineering, spaceflight, and civil construction aim to make the world a better and safer place to live. From the ultra-modern convenience of living in colossal city-sized towers to the scientific possibilities of capturing a portion of the sun, Thunderbirds presents us with a fully realised world of scientific advancement that remains susceptible to human error and genuine sabotage. Whenever a runaway disaster takes its stranglehold, International Rescue can be counted upon to blast off into action and save the day.
Thunderbirds showcases a futuristic world caught in the white heat of exciting technological pushes that can benefit all of humankind, but some of those pushes can be too close to the edge. Danger and disaster are often inevitable, but the equally futuristic International Rescue organisation regularly saves everyone from jeopardy and regularly highlights an enthralling and unpredictable array of imaginative rescue equipment in some of the most compelling action set-pieces seen on television. Thunderbirds immerses us in a thrilling yet grounded world of sci-fi adventure in which so much of what the series predicts in its depiction of space-age technology continues to come to life in reality.
4. A supersonic soundtrack
For many fans, Barry Gray’s soaring symphonies that he composed for Thunderbirds remain his greatest contribution to the worlds of Gerry Anderson. Gray’s musical score for Thunderbirds builds on his pre-existing skills and passions in symphonic music writing, but also brings in characteristic elements of percussion, jazz, and electronic music that give the sound of Thunderbirds much of its unique audible personality.
Whether its a serene accompaniment to the seemingly relaxed life on Tracy Island enjoyed by the Tracy family or something thunderingly dramatic to enliven a rapidly snowballing rescue emergency, Thunderbirds regularly demands a far-reaching range of musical moods, which Barry consistently met. The much-loved Thunderbirds March is one of Barry’s lauded pieces of music, an appropriately triumphant military-esque stride that often accompanies the ritualistic Thunderbird launch sequences.
3. Trans-generational tone
By today’s definitions of TV demographics, Thunderbirds is often shunted into being classified purely as children’s television, and while it’s undeniable that younger audiences were Thunderbirds‘ priority during its original broadcast in the mid 1960s, the series fashioned itself as being enjoyable for a far more multi-generational audience. Surely a standard approach in a time when only three television channels existed and viewership therefore was far more centralised. Thunderbirds‘ gadget-laden sense of adventure keeps younger audiences entertained, whilst older viewers can find much to enjoy in the series’ wry sense of humour and subtler inflictions of characterisation and storytelling.
That trans-generational tone has undoubtedly enabled Thunderbirds to acquire a strong sense of timelessness, as evidenced by its numerous revivals throughout the 1990s and 2000s that saw new and younger audiences become enraptured by the adventures of International Rescue. Thunderbirds‘ accepted status as children’s television is a rather deceptive one, as it blends plenty of thematic ingredients for multiple generations to enjoy.
2. Ground-breaking special effects
Once again building on the efforts of previous series, everything from The Adventures of Twizzle to Stingray each proved their own uniquely successive education for the special effects crew of AP Films in creating visually dazzling works of TV entertainment. Thunderbirds‘ ambitious visual effects demanded multiple special effects stages in operation, all under the command of Derek Meddings. Thunderbirds made pioneering use of the fish tank and rolling road techniques, both of which were designed to cast a spell over the viewer and immerse themselves in Thunderbirds‘ exciting world of deadly rescue adventure.
The International Rescue organisation’s sprawling array of advanced rescue equipment all presented their own challenges in their design and filming. Whether it was filming models on the ground, in the sky, underwater, or in the depths of space, each Thunderbird machine demanded a unique set of filmmaking skills to bring them to life convincingly. The Thunderbird machines themselves, from the core five craft to the auxiliary pod vehicles, have become some of science fiction’s most iconic vehicle designs.
1. Life-saving premise
At the centre of Thunderbirds‘ disaster-driven storytelling and brilliant special effects is the series’ core premise of helping those in desperate peril. Whether it’s one life or a hundred, International Rescue is devoted to preserving human life in almost any situation. This moralistic central idea injects Thunderbirds with a character-driven sense of human drama amidst its spectacle-driven blitzkriegs. Jeff Tracy’s firm yet gentle reminder to Scott and John about the continuing cause of International Rescue and the value of saving a life at the end of Danger at Ocean Deep is a firm declaration of Thunderbirds‘ positive morals.
Nearly 60 years on, Thunderbirds‘ affirming attitude towards helping others perhaps remains its most timeless aspect. This hugely empathetic core of the series comes packaged as an electrifying world of daring adventure, memorable characters and spectacular special effects, all blending together to fashion a TV series that’s regarded by many to be Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s finest hour.
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