BACK TO SAVE THE WORLD. 'THUNDERBIRDS' ARE GO...AGAIN!

Coming back for a new generation: the amazing rescue craft of THUNDERBIRDS. Images: ITV.

As a child I was always more of a fan of the gritty and explosive adventures of CAPTAIN SCARLET than the daring, often hair-raising adventures of those magnificent men in their flying machines-the Tracy Brothers- and their top secret International Rescue team known as the legendary THUNDERBIRDS, though I always admired its strong storytelling format (if only there was a real-life worldwide organisation like them!) and its brilliant and truly innovative production values. No series in that type of puppetry medium has ever topped it in my book, and its no surprise to me that four, now five, generations of children have continued to love and grow up with it, as well as enjoying its huge spinoff empire in toys (remember the mega success that was the Tracy Island play set back in the early nineties!) and merchandise (books, annuals, DVDs and Blu-rays galore!). The recent news that supreme New Zealand film director Peter Jackson, the gatekeeper to the LORD OF THE RINGS franchise and a long time fan of classic British cult TV and fantasy, has snapped up the rights to the series from ITV for his talented special effects boys at WETA WORKSHOP (with PUKEKO PICTURES) to conjure up a brand new series is encouraging- future CGI made episodes keeping the look of the puppet series- that I truly hope will live up to the enduring excitement and imagination that was Gerry Anderson's legacy to family entertainment.

Thunderbirds Introduction - YouTube
'Thunderbirds' Rebooting on British TV - The Hollywood Reporter

The Tracy family, Lady Penelope and friends get all spruced up with the news of their imminent return!

Of all the fascinating and fantastic vehicles that populated that original series, operated with models and strings, filmed by the late, great Derek Meddings and his youngster effects supremos with gusto and imagination, my favourite craft had to be the immense, squat green Thunderbird 2, with the changing pods containing different types of technology and rescue vehicles needed for their hazardous assignments, as well as transporting the sea based, truly yellow submarine, Thunderbird 4, into dangerous aquatic challenges. My older brother had all the THUNDERBIRDS toys in the sixties and lovingly played with them. As a two year old at the time of the early seventies he encouraged me to play with them also. Unfortunately, I ended up wrecking or destroying most of them in my ambitious yet undisciplined adventuresome mindset-Thunderbird 2 getting the most damage and now practically in pieces in the toy cupboard, beyond any hope of glueing up repair. Now, of course, those toys are worth a small fortune in good condition. Sorry, Bro!

Get the complete series on DVD here: Thunderbirds: the Complete Collection [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: Thunderbirds: Film & TV