Synopsis of Saturday Morning Show

Thunderbirds Are Go!!!

In the year 2063, Jeff Tracy and his sons made up the International Rescue team. Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John (namesakes of the first five Americans in space) each piloted a stealthy, gadget-equipped craft designed by shy genius Brains and his female assistant Tin Tin.

On a mission to thwart evil wherever they found it, the team usually came up against evil mastermind The Hood, who used his hypnotic powers to try to conquer the world and seize control of the Thunderbirds craft. Grandma and the Tracy family butler Kryano, who was Tin Tin’s father and The Hood’s half-brother, cared for Jeff and sons.

Rounding out the cast were the very popular Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (International Rescue’s agent in London), and her butler Parker. Parker also chauffeured Lady Penelope’s gadget equipped, six-wheeled Rolls Royce (license plate Fab 1) and her yacht (Fab 2).

But the real stars of the show were the crafts that each Tracy son piloted. Scott helmed Thunderbird 1, a rocket that could reach speeds of 7,000 MPH. Virgil sat behind the wheel of Thunderbird 2, which served as a transport for the Mole or the Thunderizer. Thunderbird 3, piloted by Alan, was a spaceship used for near-space travel. Thunderbird 4 was a submarine used for underwater rescues by Gordon. John monitored the entire operation up in Thunderbird 5, a space satellite.

Thunderbirds was the most popular of all of Gerry Anderson's shows, spawning a myriad of toys, records, and related merchandise. The show was lengthened to fifty minutes, and big-screen versions of the show, Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6, were released in 1966 and 1968, respectively.

When Gerry Anderson's shows are discussed, most people remember Thunderbirds above his other efforts. This may be due to the fact that, in America, Thunderbirds was seen more than Supercar, Stingray, and Fireball Xl-5. This is only fitting since Thunderbirds was, by far, the most advanced of Anderson's productions. The design of the puppets, the special effects, and the scripts were of such high quality that it's no wonder so many people around the world still have fond memories of this show.

Release History

1966 syndicated

TV Sub Categories

live-action
action/adventure

TV Studio

AP Films

Television Cast

Jeff Tracy Peter Dyneley
John Tracy Ray Barrett
Gordon Tracy David Grahan
Lady Penelope Sylvia Anderson
Tin-Tin Christine Finn
Virgil Tracy Jeremy Wilkin
Scott Tracy Shane Rimmer
Alan Tracy Matt Zimmerman
Various David Grahan

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