Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds is a UK VHS release by Carlton Home Entertainment on 15th April 1998 and re-released by Carlton on 6th September 2000 and 5th February 2001.

## Description

*Thunderbirds* follows the exploits of the Tracy family, headed by American industrialist and ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy. Jeff is a widower with five adult sons: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan. The Tracys make up International Rescue, a secret organisation founded to save human life. They are aided in this mission by technologically-advanced land, sea, air and space vehicles that are called into service when conventional rescue methods prove ineffective. The most important of these vehicles are the five "*Thunderbird* machines", each assigned to one of the five Tracy brothers:

* *Thunderbird 1*: a blue and silver hypersonic rocket plane used for fast response and danger zone reconnaissance. Piloted by Scott, rescue co-ordinator.
* *Thunderbird 2*: a green supersonic carrier aircraft that transports supporting rescue vehicles and equipment in detachable capsules called "pods". Piloted by Virgil.
* *Thunderbird 3*: a red single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft. Piloted alternately by Alan and John, with Scott as co-pilot.
* *Thunderbird 4*: a utility yellow submersible. Piloted by Gordon and usually launched from *Thunderbird 2*.
* *Thunderbird 5*: a grey and gold space station that relays distress calls from around the world. Manned alternately by "space monitors" John and Alan.

The family live on Tracy Island, International Rescue's base of operations in the South Pacific Ocean, in a luxurious villa that they share with four others: Jeff's mother, Grandma Tracy; the scientist and engineer Brains, who designed the *Thunderbirds* machines; Brains' assistant Tin-Tin, who is also Alan's girlfriend; and Tin-Tin's father Kyrano, the Tracys' retainer. In this remote location, International Rescue is safe from criminals and spies who envy its technology and aim to acquire the secrets of the *Thunderbird* machines.

Some of International Rescue's operations are triggered by sabotage or negligence instead of accidents. For missions requiring espionage, the organisation incorporates a network of undercover agents headed by English aristocrat Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her butler Aloysius Parker. Based at Creighton-Ward Mansion in Kent, Penelope and Parker travel in FAB 1, a specially-modified Rolls-Royce. Members of International Rescue acknowledge orders with the expression "FAB" (a shortening of the 1960s vogue word "fabulous", but spoken like an initialism: "F-A-B").

International Rescue's most persistent opponent is master criminal the Hood. Based in a temple in the Malaysian jungle and possessing powers of hypnosis and dark magic, the Hood exerts a telepathic control over Kyrano, his estranged half-brother, and manipulates the Tracys into rescues that unfold according to his own malevolent designs. This gives him opportunities to spy on the *Thunderbird* machines and, by selling their secrets, make himself rich.

## Episodes

1. Trapped in the Sky
2. Pit of Peril
3. The Perils of Penelope
4. Terror in New York City
5. Edge of Impact
6. Day of Disaster
7. 30 Minutes After Noon
8. Desperate Intruder
9. End of the Road
10. The Uninvited
11. Sun Probe
12. Operation Crash-Dive
13. Vault of Death
14. The Mighty Atom
15. City of Fire
16. The Impostors
17. The Man from MI.5
18. Cry Wolf
19. Danger at Ocean Deep
20. Move and You're Dead
21. The Duchess Assignment
22. Brink of Disaster
23. Attack of the Alligators!
24. Martian Invasion
25. The Cham Cham
26. Security Harzard
27. Atlantic Inferno
28. Path of Destruction
29. Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
30. Lord Parker's 'Oliday
31. Ricochet
32. Give or Take a Million

## Opening (Original 1998 release)

1. European Captioning Institute Warning Screen (1995-2005)
2. Carlton Warning Screen (1994-2004)
3. Carlton Home Entertainment children's trailer from 1997 [announced by Martin Jarvis]
4. Thunderbirds Opening Titles
5. Start of Trapped in the Sky (1965)

## Closing (Original 1998 release)

1. End of Give or Take a Million (1965)
2. Thunderbirds Closing Credits
3. Carlton Home Entertainment logo (1997-1999)

## Opening (September 2000 re-release)

1. European Captioning Institute Warning Screen (1995-2005)
2. Carlton Warning Screen (1994-2004)
3. Children's Videos from Carlton trailer from 1999 [announced by Nick Mercer and Jade Chaston]
4. Thunderbirds Opening Titles
5. Start of Trapped in the Sky (1965)

## Closing (September 2000 re-release)

1. End of Give or Take a Million (1965)
2. Thunderbirds Closing Credits
3. Carlton Ident (1999-2004) (silent)

## Opening (February 2001 re-release)

1. Carlton Warning Screen (1994-2004)
2. Carlton Video "Bring the Magic Home" children's trailer from 2000 [announced by Justin Fletcher]
3. Thunderbirds Opening Titles
4. Start of Trapped in the Sky (1965)

## Closing (February 2001 re-release)

1. End of Give or Take a Million (1965)
2. Thunderbirds Closing Credits
3. Carlton Ident (1999-2004) (silent)

## Trailers and info

### Original 1998 release

* Carlton Home Entertainment children's trailer from 1997 with clips of "Tots TV", "Rosie and Jim", "Starla and the Jewel Riders", "Bananas in Pyjamas", "Beatrix Potter", "Old Bear and Friends" and "The Willows in Winter".

### September 2000 re-release

* Children's Videos from Carlton trailer from 1999 with clips of "Jellikins", "The Fairies", "Dream Street", "Kingdom Of Rhymes: Incy Wincy Spider", "The Big Garage", "Beatrix Potter", "Tots TV", "The Wind in the Willows", "The Willows in Winter", "Bananas in Pyjamas", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie" and "Annabelle's Wish".

### February 2001 re-release

* Carlton Video "Bring the Magic Home" children's trailer from 2000 with clips of "A Monkey's Tale", "Thunderbirds", "Beatrix Potter", "Jellikins", "Tots TV", "Dream Street", "Bananas in Pyjamas", "Annabelle's Wish", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie" and "Casper's Haunted Christmas".

## Notes

* In 1998, Carlton Home Entertainment has followed it's acquisition and released the complete series of Thunderbirds on VHS amongst other complete VHS tapes such as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Joe 90, UFO, Space 1999 and The Protectors as part of The Gerry Anderson Collection for the first time.
* This was the first ever VHS tape and it includes all other 30 episodes on one.
* This was the first ever Thunderbirds VHS tape to be released and it is the complete series on VHS.
* This VHS tape was originally released by Carlton Home Entertainment on 15th April 1998 amongst other VHS tapes such as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Joe 90, UFO, Space 1999 and The Protectors as part of The Gerry Anderson Collection.
* This VHS tape was later re-released by Carlton on 6th September 2000 and 5th February 2001 amongst other complete Gerry Anderson TV programmes on VHS including Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Joe 90, UFO, Space 1999 and The Protectors for the second time and the third time.