Thunderbird 6

Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan Tracy and Tin-Tin embark on the maiden voyage of Skyship One, an airship designed by Brains. Their journey conceals a plot against International Rescue: impostors have taken control of the crew and are assembling a false message to lure the Thunderbirds into a trap.

Released in 1968, Thunderbird 6 is the second feature film based on the original Thunderbirds series. It exchanges the space mission of Thunderbirds Are Go for a lighter world tour that gradually becomes a dangerous rescue.

While the journey unfolds, Jeff Tracy asks Brains to design another major rescue vehicle. Several proposed machines fail to satisfy him, turning the inventor’s frustration into a running strand of the film.

The eventual answer depends on what the emergency actually needs, giving the story an affectionate twist on the expectation that every new Thunderbird must be larger and more sophisticated. The film’s use of a Tiger Moth also joins the miniature production to a recognisable aircraft from the real world.

Skyship One is both a showcase for Brains’ engineering and a self-contained setting for much of the drama. Its rooms and the stops along the voyage give Lady Penelope, Parker, Alan and Tin-Tin a different kind of ensemble adventure from a conventional Tracy Island mission.

The rejected Thunderbird prototypes offer another view of the production’s design imagination. The prototype guide examines their screen appearances and possible functions. Some of those functions are the writer’s interpretation, rather than capabilities established by the film.

The mastermind behind the plot is the Black Phantom. Fans have long debated whether he should be understood as the Hood under another identity. The film leaves room for that discussion, and the question is better treated as an interpretation than settled fact.

Explore the evidence around the Black Phantom after watching: the article discusses the revelations of both original Thunderbirds features.

David Lane again directed, with Sylvia Anderson producing and Gerry Anderson as executive producer. Derek Meddings led the visual effects and Barry Gray composed the music. The familiar performers were joined by voices including Geoffrey Keen, John Carson, Keith Alexander and Gary Files.

This was the final feature film made with the original Supermarionation Thunderbirds team. The wider world continued through comics, books, later screen versions and new adventures; the Thunderbirds hub provides routes into those different forms.

Century 21 Cinema / United Artists. Produced in 1967; released in 1968. Approximately 85 minutes. Written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson; directed by David Lane.

Executive Producer: Gerry Anderson
Producer: Sylvia Anderson
Associate Producer: John Read
Director: David Lane
Director of Photography: Harry Oakes
Art Director: Bob Bell
Visual Effects Director: Derek Meddings
Music Composed, Arranged and Directed by Barry Gray

Voice Cast:
Peter Dyneley, Matt Zimmerman, John Carson,
Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Geoffrey Keen,
Sylvia Anderson, Keith Alexander, Gary Files,
Jeremy Wilkin, Christine Finn