Welcome to our Thunderbirds Deep Dives! As we surge towards International Rescue's 60th anniversary, we asked you to pick your favourite episodes of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's classic 1965 sci-fi adventure series that should receive in-depth, analytical retrospectives. Based on your picks, we've collated a top 10 selection of Thunderbirds greatest episodes to receive a review - as voted for by you!

We're continuing our Thunderbirds Deep Dives with International Rescue's chief engineer anxiously stumbling into the danger zone as he leads the Thunderbirds' efforts in saving two astronauts trapped inside a rocket that's collapsed into the ocean.

Disastrous bridge crossings

When Thunderbirds fans envision the genius inventor behind International Rescue's technologically advanced machinery, it's fair to assume they don't imagine the slick, coolly detached, Bond-styled mannerisms we witness in Alias Mr. Hackenbacker. The introverted, verbally stumbling, socially awkward characterisation of Brains is the more classically interpretation of the character, and that's in full display in Day of Disaster.

Day of Disaster's imaginative scope packs in character-enlivened humour with Brains' leadership of the rescue operation and welcome dollops of insightful worldbuilding as to Thunderbirds' depiction of its own Space Race. Combined with a versatile and impressive command of practical effects, Day of Disaster is a winning instalment from Thunderbirds' middle period.

Upturned rockets, edible transmitters & Brains' leadership

Having embraced the comical character potentials of Penelope and Parker in Vault of Death and Alan and Tin-Tin in End of the Road, screenwriter Dennis Spooner now turns his attentions to Brains. Spooner was a stalwart contributor of many ITC television series, writing on Fireball XL5, Stingray, UFO, The Protectors, and The Adventurer. His partnership with producer Monty Bern resulted in their co-creations of The Champions, Department S, Jason King and Randal and Hopkirk (Deceased). Spooner's 6 episodes that he wrote for Thunderbirds mark the least number of episodes he contributed for a Supermarionation series, compared to his 13 episodes of Fireball XL5 and 9 episode of Stingray.

Spooner's scripts deftly balance playful character interactions with effects-driven disaster scenarios, and Day of Disaster is no exception - almost to a fault. While it's rightfully lauded as featuring one of Thunderbirds' most spectacular disaster scenarios, the episode is oddly lumbered with an infamously inconsequential scene. 

During the episode's early scenes depicting the colossal M.S.P. rocket being transported across England to its launch site, our first visit to Tracy Island of the episode showcases an oddly slice-of-life instance of what it must be like living in-between rescues. The edible transmitter scene holds no consequence over the rest of the story's events, making its inclusion head-scratchingly out of place. Was Spooner stretching the episode out to meet the required 50 minutes? Or was he just having fun depicting family life? These scenes at least allow for amusing dialogue from the Tracy boys, whose brotherly jousting is always fun to watch.

The rest of the episode thankfully measures up. The rare pairing of Lady Penelope and Brains is a subtle masterstroke. Brains' invitation to witnessing the Martian Space Probe rocket launch gives way to amusing culture clash between the pair in how Americans drink their tea - a neat reminder of Thunderbirds' transatlantic appeal. The practicalities of bringing the M.S.P rocket from Cape Kennedy to its England-based launch site just to meet the orbital path of Mars don't hold up under scrutiny, but advances in space exploration once again are at the focus for Thunderbirds. The M.S.P. itself opens up intriguing numerations. Was Zero X not the first spacecraft to make an attempt to visit Mars in the world of Thunderbirds? The M.S.P. itself and its transporter craft are mightily impressive model designs, its slow transportation enhanced by the savvy recycling of Stingray's March of the Oysters, a Barry Gray piece that's become far more synonymous with the moving of colossal machinery than aquatic life.

Having survived the blistering storms that open the episode in dramatically mood setting style, the Allington Suspension Bridge fails to support the weight of the travelling M.S.P. convoy. The bridge's destruction and rocket's subsequent collapse into the ocean is one of Thunderbirds' most electrifying catastrophes. All of that painstaking model work brilliantly destroyed in an instant, and done so with all the cinematic scale that Thunderbirds excels in. 

Day of Disaster's focus on Brains is where the episode comes to life. Rather than approach the situation with his engineering mindset, Brains insists that Penelope and Parker take him to the danger zone purely out of his rescuer's mentality. Brains doesn't arrive at the danger zone with all the pomp and ceremony of one of the Tracy brothers touching down in a Thunderbird craft. Armed with little more than his barely-contained wits, he valiantly tries to assert his presence. David Graham perfectly captures Brains' unease, his attempts to slow down his stuttering and project and air of shaky confidence yields a level-headed delivery in guiding Scott, Virgil and Gordon in rescuing the astronauts - without attracting the attention of those around him.

Allington Suspension Bridge's two control operatives make for effective foil against Brains' attempts to command the situation. The bridge controller is naturally antagonistic of Brains' presence, while the detectably weary Clayton provides a neutral middle ground between the pair. They certainly make for a more engaging pair to watch than the two trapped astronauts, Bill and Frank, whose blank, unconvincing personalities and interactions are tough to empathise with.

It's oddly satisfying that the second Thunderbirds' adventure involving a rocket ship actually doesn't take place in outer space, suggesting the series wasn't immediately recycling story ideas that would become well-worn. The rescue of the rocket boasts a pleasingly varied mixture of underwater sequences and water-tank set pieces. The partially demolished bridge and ruined automatic cranes emphasise the scale of heavy-duty destruction and act as an eye-catchingly detailed backdrop for Thunderbird 2's own efforts.

Thunderbirds' underwater sequences mostly abandoned the fluorescently colourful appeal of Stingray's exotic waterscapes. By doing so, they rather feel like a lesser version of the efforts seen in that earlier series. In the context of the M.S.P. disaster however, that lack of aquatic detail works in the scenes' favour. The rocket and its smothering in debris, set against a stark, murky underwater scene, captures a hostile atmosphere. Thunderbird 4's efforts to free the nosecone component before the rocket's automatic countdown can result in the craft blasting into certain doom saves the astronauts just in time. Bill and Frank have been saved, but the ambitions to reach Mars have to be reserved for Zero X when the M.S.P. erupts from its debris out of the water on a chaotic trajectory, ending the rescue mission on an explosive climactic note.

"Watches? Now, powder compacts?!"

This upturned rocket disaster gives us one of Thunderbirds' most memorable danger zones, but the episode doesn't skip on characterisations. Brains overcoming his anxieties and resulting euphoria at successfully leading the rescue operation are delightful example of Thunderbirds' careful focus on coherent character growth. Thunderbirds wasn't always concerned with depicting explosive disasters. Day of Disaster is a great example of how else Thunderbirds crafted compelling adventure scenarios with likeable characters.

Hilariously, Brains is awarded for his unseen efforts by the Allington Suspension Bridge men being the ones who, presumably, shunt Brains off to be seen by a psychiatrist for spending much of his intrusive time talking into his watch. Believing Brains to be mentally unbalanced proves to be a surefire way of maintaining International Rescue's security! Despite these oddities, doesn't it feel like Brains would be the member of I.R. most likely to allow this to happen to themselves? It's impossible to imagine Parker or Jeff being allowed to be shuffled off - but the shy, retiring, people-pleasing Brains? Sure!

Day of Disaster's fusion of humour and heroics provides a typically enthralling disaster for International Rescue to battle against, but its dashes of comedy are what fully colours the episode into becoming one of Thunderbirds' strongest efforts. 

Sign up to the Anderson Entertainment newsletter to receive all the latest Gerry Anderson news, exclusive releases and more transmitted direct to your inbox!