Terrahawks - stay on this channel, this is a celebration of the cult classic 1980s Supermacromation TV series! Over 40 years since its debut, Terrahawks remains steadfast in its status as the 'marmite' of Gerry Anderson's extensive career across film and television.

It's tricky to have mild feelings about Terrahawks; the series' frenetic approach to its absurd characters and unsubtly action-propelled storytelling make it a difficult series for certain corners of the Anderfandom to enjoy. However, Terrahawks' wears its outlandish characteristics proudly, delivering a distinctly chaotic blend of comedy, action, drama and a surprisingly layered approach to characterisation, all packed with imaginative special effects.

In celebration of this series, let's countdown eight reasons why Terrahawks is underrated!

8. Career rejuvenation

Easily dismissed for its surreal humour and perceived sub-par storytelling, one aspect of Terrahawks that should be appreciated more is how it served to rejuvenate Gerry's career in the early 1980s. When Space: 1999 drew to an end in mid-1975, it also ended a near-consistent stream of TV production for Gerry that had taken place over the last 15 years. Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gerry devised numerous concepts that struggled to get off the ground, including a renewed take on Thunderbirds.

When partnering with businessman Christopher Burr, who encouraged him to return to puppetry, it was Terrahawks that proved to be the TV series that would see the puppet master return to active service. Terrahawks marked the return of several key alumni from previous productions, including puppeteer Christine Glanville and script editor Tony Barwick. The series also saw the beginning of several long-standing collaborators, including special effects maestro Steve Begg.

7. Innovative puppetry?

Terrahawks was initially envisioned as employing the same marionette techniques that Gerry, Sylvia Anderson and their Century 21 team had devised back in the 1960s. However, the astronomical costs (by 1980s standards) of revisiting Supermarionation forced new ways of thinking. In place of string marionettes, Terrahawks employed a glove puppet style technique dubbed Supermacromation. What the Terrahawks puppets lacked in physical subtlety compared to the sculpting of the Supermarionation puppets, they made up for in immediacy of movement. In a post-Star Wars/The Muppet Show landscape, using glove puppets was perhaps a savvier move than string marionettes, which may have appeared archaic to young audiences more accustomed to enjoying Yoda or Kermit the Frog!

6. Amazing special effects

Not even Terrahawks' harshest critics can badmouth the series' creative special effects. Initially produced under the helm of for Thunderbirds alumni Ian Scoones, storyboard artist Steve Begg took over directing the special effects. Working to a noticeably smaller budget and resources than the Supermarionation years, Terrahawks' nonetheless boasts sublime special effects that kept building on its sky-high ambitions.

From superbly extravagant launch sequences of the Terrahawks vehicles to dramatically convincing outer space battles, Terrahawks' special effects are imaginatively conceived and thrillingly executed. Later episodes saw experiments with stop motion and future unmade episodes would have dabbled with harsh arctic landscapes and increased water effects.

5. Vehicle designs

Terrahawks boasts some of the most unusual hero and villain vehicle designs of any Gerry Anderson series. Unified by their crisp silver and burnt orange colour scheme, the Terrahawk vehicles invite comparisons to previous Anderson shows in their functionality; the heavyduty power of the Battlehawk and its detachable Terrahawk suggests what if Thunderbirds 2 and 1 could actually combine? Hawkwing's interceptor functionality and strikingly unusual design sets it apart from the likes of the Angel or SHADO Interceptors. Spacehawk (the very first Terrahawks model to be designed and which secured the investment of Japanese backers) naturally begs comparisons to Thunderbird 5, but with more defensive capabilities.

On the villains' side, the fleet of spaceships commanded by Zelda which also double as the base of operations for herself, her android family and her hoards of monsters kept in cryogenic storage are as frightening as they are curious. Several rectangular craft interlocked into a central spider-style dome. Terrahawks hardware may not be as universally beloved as those depicted in Thunderbirds or Space: 1999, but these vehicles are just as visually striking.

4. Layered characters

Older Gerry Anderson fans excited by his return to television were dismayed by the comical approach the series takes towards its characters. But then again, fans expecting Gerry to pick up where he left off after the mature sensibilities of UFO and Space: 1999 were perhaps expecting too much. Understandably targeting a younger demographic, comedic dynamics are front and centre of the Terrahawks' cast; these range from Dr. Tiger Ninestein's aggressive relationship with the Terrahawks' army of spherical robots, the Zeroids (led by the irrepressible Sergeant Major Zero) and the pun-inducing warmth between Kate Kestral and Hawkeye highlight the series' emphasis on humour.

These dynamics extend into civilian characters, including Colonel Johnson, the NASA representative bridging the gap between Terrahawks' clandestine privilege and the real world, who's also constantly kept in the dark as to the location of Hawknest to amusing effect. The hapless Anderburr Records assistant Stew Dapples undergoes his own growth over the course of the series, neglected by Kate in her guise as an undercover pop star, but eventually his own extra-terrestrial encounters give Kate, and the audience, pause of thought over how this walking punchline becomes a fully rounded individual in their own right.

The androids are another vital source of Terrahawks' humour. Denise Bryer's scene-stealing portrayal of the villainous android queen Zelda remains an iconic slice of 1980s pop culture. Her dastardly wickedness and frightening powers are humorously offset by her dysfunctional relationship with her extended family, easily combining terror with laughs.

3. Morally ambiguous hero

At the centre of Terrahawks' surprisingly layered approach to its characters is the prickly leader of the Terrahawks; Dr. Tiger Ninestein. Personality-wise, Tiger is easily the least likeable protagonist of any Gerry Anderson series. Sullen, mostly humourless, barking orders and seizing every opportunity to stamp down on the efforts of the valiant Zeroids, Tiger's not an easy character to warm to. In the face of alien antagonists like Zelda, isn't that the kind of sternly reassuring hero you need? 

His and Captain Mary Falconer's heavily-implied romantic feelings towards each other punctures Tiger's domineering attitude, injecting some welcome warmth to this portrayal. Throughout the Big Finish audio continuation of Terrahawks, Tiger's righteous attitude falls into question, culminating in a devastating act of heroism that shifts the course of the Terrahawks and the androids' war.

2. Blend of genres

Terrahawks carries all of the easily identifiable hallmarks of science fiction-based action and adventure that are so prevalent to Anderson's works. But much like its characters, scratching the surface reveals the series to be a multi-faceted beast in its constant dabbling of genre-traversing. Not surprising for a series that boasts the global scale of Thunderbirds, the comical villainy of Stingray and the outer space menace of Captain Scarlet.

Terrahawks can do techno-heavy space jeopardy (From Here to Infinity), psychological terror (Mind Monster), devastatingly explicit commentary on humanity's self-destructive downfalls (Space Samurai), pop music parodies (Play it Again, Sram), and slice-of-life peril (Cry UFO). These episodes are just some of the gems awaiting anyone interested in exploring Terrahawks for the first time!

1. Sense of humour

At Terrahawks' heart is its strange sense of humour that prioritises the absurdity of its core components: doppelgangers of its protagonist; spherical robots imbued with over-the-top personalities; the visually grotesque Queen of Guk herself. Terrahawks isn't smothered by its humour - it's elevated. There's precious little else in Gerry Anderson's canon that valiantly blends humour with character-backed drama, hardware-heavy action, cosmic fear and down-to-earth warmth.

Terrahawks is by no means the most sophisticated in its production values or narrative maturity, but is it trying to be? If you're coming to Terrahawks to enjoy some of the most comically-charged and uncomplicated sci-fi fantasy adventure, you'll find much to enjoy. However, you'll also be pleasantly surprised by the unexpected occasions where Terrahawks can often be mature, sensitive and deeply affecting in how its collision of moods produces some of the most compelling adventures within Gerry's storied career. 40 years since its blast-off, Terrahawks' overall enjoyment remains a firm 10-10! 

You can enjoy the complete series of Terrahawks for free on the Official Gerry Anderson YouTube channel! Be sure to explore gerryanderson.com for further releases celebrating this cult classic 1980s Supermacromation series!

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