Doctor Who Magazine contributor Andalucia Armstrong-Squires discusses the far-reaching connections between the worlds of Doctor Who and the retrofutures of many of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's greatest creations! 

The Beginning

5… 4… 3… 2… 1 - Thunderbirds are go! An iconic phrase that has been uttered probably billions of times over the last sixty years. Children and adults alike continue to delight in the adventures of the Tracy Family and their super-secret organisation – International Rescue! Featuring iconic launch sequences, and brilliant crafts, Thunderbirds became a national treasure when it premiered on British TV in September 1965. As you read this, you can probably hear Barry Gray’s iconic score and picture the equally iconic opening titles. However, it wasn’t the only show created in the early 1960s to become a massive cultural icon. Can you think of the other one? Stingray? Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons?

Or how about a little show that was made of hopes, dreams, sticky back plastic and featured a blue police box? It’s Doctor Who of course! Premiering on Saturday 23^rd November 1963, viewers were introduced to a grouchy old man who lived in a police box, his granddaughter Susan and her two schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. With yet another iconic theme, this time composed by Ron Grainer and brought to life by Delia Derbyshire, Doctor Who excited children up and down the country. Dalekmania quickly spread once those famous pepper pots first appeared, cries of ‘EXTERMINATE!’ filling playgrounds, toys, costumes, comic books, the Daleks were everywhere. Never mind the idea that the TARDIS could turn up at the end of your street. Imaginations had certainly been captured.

Two years later, children would gaze upwards from their street corners to the skies above them, imagining the iconic Thunderbirds rushing overhead, having launched from Tracy Island ready to save lives. The streets would be filled with children playing Thunderbirds with squabbles over who would play each Tracy Brother, much like children playing Doctor Who, squabbling over who would play Doctor Who, who would be the companions and more importantly, who would play the Daleks.

There are a number of connections between Doctor Who and Thunderbirds. Both premiered in the 1960s. Both are science fiction. Both are pioneering. In fact, one such connection is actor David Graham. Most known as the voice of Lady Penelope’s loyal butler Parker, David would voice the Daleks back in 1963, alongside Peter Hawkins, for their very first outing in The Daleks (1963), later reprising the role, not once but twice. First in the 1960s Peter Cushing Dr. Who movies, and then in 2023 for The Daleks in Colour, a new omnibus version of the original story, cut down to 90 minutes and colourised for the first time, to help celebrate Doctor Who’s 60^th anniversary. 

This wouldn’t be David’s only role within Who, with appearances in The Gunfighters (1966) as Charlie and City of Death (1979) as Kerensky (which also featured Space: 1999 alumni, Catherine Schell as Countess and Justin Glover as Count). The Gunfighters featured another prominent Thunderbirds actor, Shane Rimmer portrayed Seth Harper within the serial. No wonder Scott Tracy sounds familiar! Doctor Who does seem to be littered with Anderson heroes, with Ray Barrett appearing in The Rescue (1965) and Jeremy Wilkin appearing in Revenge of the Cybermen (1975). Of course, there is a prominent Doctor Who actor, who unfortunately, never got to realise their dream of appearing in Thunderbirds. Third Doctor himself Jon Pertwee wanted to portray Parker in a Thunderbirds movie. Alas, it was never to be.

Ace Pilot

Among the millions of children watching Thunderbirds was a little girl called Nicola Bryant. She would grow up to board the best time and space machine the universe has ever seen: the TARDIS! In 1984 Nicola would board the TARDIS as botany student Peri Brown alongside both the Fifth and Sixth Doctors. An Anderson fan since age 4, Nicola is a well of Anderson knowledge. Stingray. Thunderbirds. Captain Scarlet. She adored Scott and Virgil. Tried to recreate the green light of the Mysterons. Fell in love with various Anderson men. As a child, S.I.G., F.A.B were frequently used.

Nicola wasn’t the only future companion to pilot a Thunderbird. Over two decades before she played baseball bat-wielding, explosive-making companion Ace, Sophie Aldred was busy piloting Thunderbird 1. In fact, she wrote her university dissertation on Gerry Anderson and the use of puppets in TV. As Ace, Sophie wore her iconic bomber jacket, which featured a Thunderbirds badge and a Fanderson badge, among many others. Scattered throughout Sophie’s debut novel (Doctor Who: At Childhood’s End, co-written with Steve Cole and Mike Tucker) are a few Anderson references such as a rocket called Virgil and mentions of the Mysterons.

No Strings

Both TV series have inspired a number of creative minds, many of whom would go onto work in the television industry. Twenty years after Thunderbirds aired, a young visual effects artist named Mike Tucker would bring a touch of Anderson magic to the BBC Visual Effects Department, working alongside fx designers Tony Harding and Peter Wragg formerly of Century 21. Mike’s work within the world of Doctor Who which would go on to span decades. From a miniature town to blowing up Daleks, Mike’s work with models has transformed stories. Destroying Big Ben? Easy. Creating a Dalek Emperor? Piece of cake. Bringing worlds, creatures and stories to life using models, Mike’s work has transported viewers across the universe. To planets. To space stations. To Gallifrey itself. The techniques used, not only harked back to Thunderbirds, but also propelled the show forwards. Some of the most iconic scenes over the last twenty years of Doctor Who, were brought to life in miniature form. Remember the falling submarine seen in Cold War (2013)? That was a miniature model. How about the town of Christmas on Trenzalore being besieged and blown up? Again, models were used.

Note Worthy

Much like Doctor Who, Thunderbirds is a huge part of British pop culture, with many people recognising Barry Grey’s iconic score immediately. Reimagined twice in the 21^st century, The Thunderbirds March has thrilled various generations of children. First by Hans Zimmer, for the 2004 movie Thunderbirds, and then by Ben and Nick Foster, for the rebooted 2015 series Thunderbirds Are Go!. If you are a fan of Torchwood Ben Foster’s name will be familiar! No matter the reimaging, ‘The Thunderbirds March’ is still recognised today, with military bands and orchestras performing it right across the world. In fact, both The Thunderbirds March and the Doctor Who theme, have been played in the Royal Albert Hall and on the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom floor! The connections between the two don’t stop there, with Barry Gray having worked on the 1960s Dr. Who movies starring Peter Cushing.

Music isn’t the only audio medium that connects Doctor Who and Thunderbirds. Since 1999, Big Finish Productions have been creating Doctor Who audio dramas featuring well known and well-loved names from the show as well as a wealth of acting talent. Since 2021, they’ve produced a series of Thunderbirds audio dramas, starring Jon Culshaw, Wayne Forrester, and Genevieve GauntTop of Form among others. Executively produced by Jamie Anderson, and Nicholas Briggs, these stories deliver that 60s magic Thunderbirds has in spades. Listening, you can hear the power of those majestic ships. Imagine the launches and deadly danger. Feel the adrenaline. Thunderbirds isn’t Jamie’s only venture into Big Finish, however – over the last 10 years, he’s combined his loved of Doctor Who (yes, Jamie is a massive Whovian!) with his skills as a producer, actor, writer and director to help take us to distant lands and far-flung futures in a magic blue box. Of course, Thunderbirds isn’t the only Anderson production to be granted a new lease of life through Big Finish. Terrahawks, UFO and Space: 1999 have all received the Big Finish treatment, with new stories and some brilliant actors reintroducing fans to these worlds.

Modern World

The 2015 reboot of Thunderbirds, entitled Thunderbirds Are Go!, would feature several Doctor Who stars within the cast, including four Doctors – yes David Tennant counts as two – one companion and a host of guest stars. In fact, future Tracy Brother Thomas Brodie Sangster would appear in the much loved Who episodes, Human Nature/The Family of Blood (2007) as Tim Latimer, a schoolboy who in 1913 meets the Doctor and Martha Jones at an all-boys school. Not to forget, David Graham reprising his role as Parker. This wasn’t the only 21^st century reboot of Thunderbirds to feature Who actors, however.

2005 saw not only the return of the TARDIS but also of Captain Scarlet! Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet premiered on ITV, introducing a new generation to the invincible hero, his friends and the deadly Mysterons. This animated adventure may have done away with Supermarionation, but, while the final show produced by Gerry Anderson may not have lasted for more than one series, it certainly had an impact! In fact, future Whoniverse writer Phil Ford (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Tales of the TARDIS) would pen some of these new tales of woe. Twenty-one of them in fact. Phil isn’t the only connection New Captain Scarlet has to the Whoniverse. Wayne Forrester, who voiced Captain Scarlet in the series, has appeared in multiple Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish Productions. Flicking through his CV is rather impressive, having worked alongside a variety of Doctors, Companions as well as contributing his vocal talents to various Anderson audio productions including, yes, you’ve guessed it, Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds.

Casual Crossover

In more recent years, Thunderbirds references have popped up in episodes of Doctor Who. For instance, the 60^th Anniversary episode Wild Blue Yonder (2023) features a blink-and-you-miss-it reference within the dialogue. Finding themselves trapped on a spaceship at the edge of the universe, the Doctor and Donna, sans TARDIS, must find out what’s going on. Discovering a hover kart, the Doctor says to Donna ‘Your car, my lady.’  gesturing at the hover kart, to which Donna, in a Lady Penelope-esque voice, replies, ‘Thank you Parker.’ In fact, the Twelfth Doctor, in the episode Death in Heaven (2014) claims to have met Sylvia Anderson, and not only that but they’d foxtrotted together! Maybe one day, we’ll see the Doctor and Sylvia Anderson’s foxtrot. Maybe we won’t. Of course, this anecdote only comes about after the Doctor has compared UNIT’s Helicarrier, The Valiant, to Cloudbase (his exact words to Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, whilst boarding Boat One are ‘Where are we going? Cloudbase?’) from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons – UNIT scientist Osgood mistakenly says this is from Thunderbirds, luckily, she is corrected by Colonel Ahmed, ‘My confidence is growing every minute.’ The Doctor dryly offers, clearly offended by the mistake – which, when you look at the two, particularly Skybase from Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet, the resemblance is quite surprising. Clearly the Doctor is an Anderson Fan. It’s a wonder that his Tenth Self (David Tennant) didn’t acknowledge the resemblance when he encountered the Master (John Simm) there, some years earlier.

Nearly twenty years later, UNIT’s skyscraper has an Anderson influence built into it. The helipad that juts out is clearly modelled after Thunderbirds. Do you think the Anderson fans inside UNIT have noticed this? The exact description of the helipad, as written by Showrunner Russell T Davies, in the script for The Giggle (2023), describes the movement of the helipad as ‘Pure Thunderbirds: the ENTIRE OPEN-AIR PLATFORM DESCENDS. Hydraulics sliding it DOWN THE TOWER.’ You can almost imagine the scene in an episode of Thunderbirds, the epic score of Barry Grey filling your ears and adrenaline pumping through your veins. It’s yet another thing both shows have in common – iconic scores and adrenaline. Who doesn’t feel their heartrate rise as All the Strange, Strange Creatures plays? Or when the iconic opening beats of the original Dalek music starts? How about when one of the Tracy brothers is in peril? Your heart races, the music ramps up. Is this the end? Seconds away from disaster, everything works out, the music calms slightly. Your heart rate decreases. The adventure ends. For now…

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