{{Short description|none}} {{Use British English|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Works based on ''Thunderbirds''}} This article primarily discusses screen and [[Audio play|audio]] works of fiction based on '''''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]''''', a British [[Supermarionation]] television series created by [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]]. It also covers imitations and references in other media.
Produced by [[AP Films]] (APF) for [[ITC Entertainment]], the series has inspired various adaptations, imitations and parodies since it was first broadcast in 1965. It has been recognised for its enduring popularity, especially in the UK,<ref>{{Cite book |title = Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons |author = Dobson, Nicola |year = 2009 |series = Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts |issue = 34 |publisher = [[Scarecrow Press]] |location = Lanham, Maryland |isbn = 978-0-8108-5830-5 |page = 196 }}</ref> and is widely regarded as the Andersons' most successful production.<ref>{{Cite book |editor1-last = Cook |editor1-first = John R. |editor2-last = Wright |editor2-first = Peter |title = British Science Fiction Television: A Hitchhiker's Guide |year = 2006 |publisher = [[I.B. Tauris]] |location = London, UK |isbn = 978-1-84511-048-2 |pages = 11 }}</ref>
Among other works, ''Thunderbirds'' has generated two film sequels, a [[Thunderbirds 2086|TV anime]] and a [[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|live-action film adaptation]]. A remake, ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)|Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', made using a combination of computer animation and live action, premiered in 2015 and ran for three seasons. Also in 2015, three new puppet episodes were created to mark the 50th anniversary of the original series.
For a discussion of ''Thunderbirds'' [[tie-in]]s – including novels and novelisations, comics and games – see '''[[Thunderbirds merchandise|''Thunderbirds'' merchandise]]'''.
==Audio plays== {{Further information|List of Thunderbirds episodes#Audio episodes}}
From 1965 to 1967, [[Century 21 Records]] released 19 ''Thunderbirds'' [[audio play]]s on [[7-inch]], [[33 RPM]], vinyl [[EP]] records (promoted as "mini-albums").<ref>Bentley 2008, pp. 100; 349.</ref> Three of these were original stories; the rest were re-tellings of TV episodes based on those episodes' soundtracks. In 2015, the original stories were adapted for the screen to mark the series' 50th anniversary (see [[#The Anniversary Episodes]]).
In April 2021, [[Big Finish Productions]] announced the launch of a new series of [[audiobook]]s based on the Anderson productions. The first of these, ''Thunderbirds: Terror from the Stars'' (an adaptation of the 1966 tie-in novel ''Thunderbirds'' by John Theydon) was released in May 2021. A second ''Thunderbirds'' story, ''Peril in Peru'' (based on the novel ''Calling Thunderbirds''), was released in November 2021. Produced by [[Anderson Entertainment]], the audiobooks feature [[Jon Culshaw]] as the voices of [[Jeff Tracy]] and [[Aloysius Parker|Parker]] with [[Genevieve Gaunt]] as [[Lady Penelope]].<ref>{{Cite web |title = ''Thunderbirds'' is back |url = https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/thunderbirds-is-back |date = 11 April 2021 |access-date = 12 April 2021 |website = bigfinish.com |publisher = [[Big Finish Productions]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412200858/https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/thunderbirds-is-back |archive-date = 12 April 2021 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/thunderbirds-peril-in-peru-2581 |website = bigfinish.com |title = 2. ''Thunderbirds: Peril in Peru'' |year = 2021 |publisher = [[Big Finish Productions]] |access-date = 28 November 2021 }}</ref>
==Film sequels and adaptations== {{Further information|Thunderbirds Are Go|Thunderbird 6}}
''Thunderbirds''{{'}} popularity led APF to make two feature film sequels with financial backing by [[United Artists]]. The first, ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', premiered on 12 December 1966;<ref name="Bentley, 97">Bentley 2005, p. 97.</ref> the second, ''[[Thunderbird 6]]'', and 29 July 1968.<ref name="Bentley, 99">Bentley 2005, p. 99.</ref> Written and produced by the Andersons and directed by [[David Lane (director)|David Lane]],<ref name="Bentley, 96">Bentley 2005, p. 96.</ref><ref name="Bentley, 98">Bentley 2005, p. 98.</ref> both were critical and commercial failures.<ref name="Bentley, 41">Bentley 2005, p. 41.</ref><ref name="Marriott, 159">Marriott, p. 159.</ref> During the early 1980s, several ''Thunderbirds'' episodes were combined to create three made-for-TV [[compilation film]]s. In 2004, a live-action film adaptation, ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]'', was released.
===Compilation films=== {{Further information|List of Thunderbirds episodes#Compilation films}}
In the early 1980s, episodes from ''Thunderbirds'' and other Anderson productions were re-edited and combined to make a series of [[compilation film]]s. These were produced by ITC's New York office under the supervision of writer David Hirsch and producer [[Robert Mandell (film producer)|Robert Mandell]].<ref name="Bentley, 117">Bentley 2005, p. 117.</ref> Intended for broadcast in two-hour family timeslots, the format was branded "Super Space Theater" and sold to American cable and [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] TV.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/> Three ''Thunderbirds'' compilations – each 90 minutes long and re-edited with new, animated title sequences – were produced: ''Thunderbirds to the Rescue'' (a combination of "[[Trapped in the Sky]]" and "[[Operation Crash-Dive]]"),<ref name="Bentley: EG, 361">Bentley 2008, p. 361.</ref> ''Thunderbirds in Outer Space'' ("[[Sun Probe]]" and "[[Ricochet (Thunderbirds)|Ricochet]]")<ref name="Bentley: EG, 362">Bentley 2008, p. 362.</ref> and ''Countdown to Disaster'' ("[[Terror in New York City]]" and "[[Atlantic Inferno]]").<ref name="Bentley, 117"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 362"/> Although the home video releases of the "Super Space Theater" compilations led to copyright issues that delayed the releases of the original episodes in their uncut forms, the UK versions proved to be a major commercial success for the distributor, Channel 5 Video.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/>
===''Thunderbirds'' (2004)=== {{Main|Thunderbirds (2004 film)}}
A live-action film adaptation – ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]'', directed by [[Jonathan Frakes]] and produced by [[StudioCanal]], [[Universal Pictures]] and [[Working Title Films]] – premiered on 24 July 2004. All the ''Thunderbird'' machines seen in the film are based on the original designs, albeit with modern refinements. As [[BMW]], the owners of Rolls-Royce, would not allow the production to use its brand, [[FAB 1]] was redesigned as a modified [[Ford Thunderbird]]. The plot focuses on [[Alan Tracy]], [[Tin-Tin Kyrano|Tin-Tin]] and a newcomer – [[Brains (Thunderbirds)|Brains]]' son, Fermat – who battle the [[Hood (Thunderbirds)|Hood]] as he plots a gold bullion raid on the [[Bank of England]].
The film was poorly received both critically and commercially,<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 6">Cull 2009, p. 6.</ref> opening in eleventh place at the North American box office, grossing only £1.3 million in the UK on its [[opening weekend]],<ref name="Cull: Media, 206">Cull 2006 (August), p. 206.</ref> and drawing a negative response from fans of the TV series.<ref name="Anderson, 163">Anderson, p. 163.</ref> Sylvia Anderson, who was a production consultant,<ref name="Anderson, 161"/> endorsed the adaptation; in her memoirs, she expressed regret over the "negative vibes that were already being circulated before even a foot of film was being shot. But I suppose there was bound to be a backlash from genuinely passionate fans who jealously guarded the ''Thunderbirds'' legacy."<ref name="Anderson, 163"/> According to Anderson, [[John Read (producer)|John Read]], director of photography on the original series, responded positively at a test screening.<ref name="Anderson, 167">Anderson, p. 167.</ref> By contrast, Gerry Anderson denounced the film as "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life"<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/feb/07/gerry-anderson-thunderbirds-auction |title = Gerry Anderson Auctions ''Thunderbirds'' Treasures |newspaper = The Guardian |last = Fitzsimmons |first = Caitlin |date = 7 February 2009 |access-date = 25 May 2010 |location = London, UK |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121114201624/http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/07/gerry-anderson-thunderbirds-auction |archive-date = 14 November 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> and an "absolute, unmitigated disaster".<ref name="StandByForAction">{{Cite AV media|people=[[Stephen La Rivière|La Rivière, Stephen]] (director-producer); [[Anderson, Gerry]] (interviewee)|year=2007|title=Stand By For Action|medium=Video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLPP0vA8vE|access-date=28 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128030633/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLPP0vA8vE|archive-date=28 November 2013|url-status=live|publisher=Film24}}</ref> Like Sylvia, he had been offered a consultant role, but declined after seeing the concepts for the re-imagined ''Thunderbirds'' machines;<ref name="Cull: British, 119">Cull 2006, p. 119.</ref> he also declined an offer of £750,000 to attend the premiere.<ref name="StandByForAction"/> He received no on-screen credit for his role in co-creating the TV series.<ref name="Cull: British, 119"/>
Plans for a live-action film had first been announced by ITC Los Angeles in 1993.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 115">Bentley 2008, p. 115.</ref> Originally due to be released in time for Christmas 1995, the film would have been directed by [[Renny Harlin]], with [[Tom Cruise]] a possibility for the role of [[Scott Tracy]].<ref name="Bentley, 121">Bentley 2005, p. 121.</ref> Other actors under consideration included [[Bob Hoskins]] as [[Aloysius Parker|Parker]] and either [[Patsy Kensit]] or [[Joanna Lumley]] or [[Emma Thompson]] as [[Lady Penelope]]. Following [[PolyGram]]'s acquisition of ITC in 1995,<ref name="Bentley, 122">Bentley 2005, p. 122.</ref> its subsidiary Working Title resumed development of the abortive project, with filming rescheduled to begin in August 1998.<ref name="Bentley, 123">Bentley 2005, p. 123.</ref> By 1997, [[Karey Kirkpatrick]] had written a script and [[Peter Hewitt (film director)|Peter Hewitt]] had been hired as director.<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> [[Kristin Scott Thomas]] had been cast as Lady Penelope, while [[Pete Postlethwaite]] had yet to accept an offer to play Parker.<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> The [[Baldwin brothers]] – [[Alec Baldwin|Alec]], [[Daniel Baldwin|Daniel]], [[William Baldwin|William]] and [[Stephen Baldwin|Stephen]] – had been suggested as Tracy brothers, with [[Sean Connery]] a possibility for the role of [[Jeff Tracy]].<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> Non-live action filming techniques were briefly considered, including computer and [[stop-motion animation]].<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> Gerry Anderson was initially offered a consultant role but was dropped from the production after Working Title decided that it already had a large enough creative team working on the project.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 275"/>
A mixture of budgeting concerns, disagreements over the writing and characterisation, and the poor box office response to ''[[Lost in Space (film)|Lost in Space]]'' and ''[[The Avengers (1998 film)|The Avengers]]'' (both adaptations of other 1960s TV series), caused the production to stall again.<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by [[Seagram]] and merged with Universal – a development that Sylvia Anderson, who had endorsed Hewitt's version, thought had a negative effect on the production: "It seemed Seagram ... cared nothing for this 'work in progress' and the whole ''Thunderbirds'' saga fell between the cracks."<ref name="Anderson, 160">Anderson, p. 160.</ref> Frakes' version did not enter production until 2003.<ref name="Anderson, 161">Anderson, p. 161.</ref> Anderson believed that the many delays to the live-action film were partly attributable to her and Gerry's divorce: "[Gerry's and my] parting broke up a winning combination … The two creators [of ''Thunderbirds''] were going in different directions – the winning team was no more. How to entrust millions of dollars to only one of the duo? Which one? The name above the title or the character creator?"<ref name="Anderson, 159">Anderson, p. 159.</ref>
==TV adaptations and revivals== In the 1970s, the Andersons sold what remained of their intellectual and [[Residual (entertainment industry)|residual]] rights to many of the Supermarionation productions, including ''Thunderbirds''.<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 6"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 222">Archer and Hearn, p. 222.</ref><ref name="Anderson, 111">Anderson, p. 111.</ref> Consequently, neither was able to assert creative control over the various ''Thunderbirds'' updatings that appeared in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 6"/><ref name="Anderson, 88">Anderson, p. 88.</ref> Sylvia Anderson proposed continuing the adventures of Lady Penelope and Parker as an American-made spin-off series but remembered that ITC "dismissed [the idea] out of hand."<ref name="Anderson, 151">Anderson, p. 151.</ref> In the early 1980s, [[Capital Radio]] DJ [[Mike Smith (television presenter)|Mike Smith]] started a campaign to revive ''Thunderbirds''.<ref name="Archer, 60">Archer, p. 60.</ref>
After [[Lew Grade]] left ITC in 1982, the ownership of the company changed hands three times (first to [[Robert Holmes à Court]], then [[Alan Bond]], then ITC New York)<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 275">Archer and Hearn, p. 275.</ref> before both the company and its catalogue were acquired by PolyGram in 1995.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117">Bentley 2008, p. 117.</ref> They subsequently passed to [[Carlton Communications|Carlton International Media]] in 1999,<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> and then [[Granada plc]] (following a merger with Carlton) between 2003 and 2004.<ref name="Bentley, 5">Bentley 2005: Foreword by Gerry Anderson, p. 5.</ref> The rights to the ''Thunderbirds'' brand currently reside with [[ITV Studios]], the distributor of the 2015 remake.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/30/thunderbirds-are-go-itv |title = ''Thunderbirds Are Go!'' Blends Old and New for Return of Classic Series |newspaper = The Guardian |last1 = Plunkett |first1 = John |location = London, UK |date = 30 September 2013 |access-date = 1 October 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131012212521/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/30/thunderbirds-are-go-itv |archive-date = 12 October 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>
===''Thunderbirds 2086''=== {{Main|Thunderbirds 2086}}
The 1982 Japanese [[anime]] ''Kagaku Kyuujo-Tai TechnoVoyager'' (English: ''Scientific Rescue Team TechnoVoyager'') – exported to English-speaking countries as ''[[Thunderbirds 2086]]'' – was based on ''Thunderbirds'' but with a stronger emphasis on futuristic technology.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/><ref name="Cull: Fifty, 6"/> In this re-imagining, developed from a concept by Anderson titled ''Thunderhawks'' (but without his knowledge or approval),<ref name="Bentley: EG, 363">Bentley 2008, p. 363.</ref><ref name="Marriott, 188">Marriott, p. 188.</ref> the vastly-expanded International Rescue operates a fleet of 17 ''Thunderbird'' machines and is based within a massive [[arcology]].<ref name="Bentley, 118">Bentley 2005, p. 118.</ref> Distributed by ITC under the supervision of Robert Mandell,<ref name="Bentley, 117"/> ''Thunderbirds 2086'' ran to 24 episodes but was cancelled in Japan with six episodes still to air.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 363"/> In the UK, BBC1 broadcast 13 episodes in 1986.<ref name="Bentley, 118"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 364">Bentley 2008, p. 364.</ref>
===US re-edits=== [[File:TurbochargedThunderbirds.jpg|thumb|The "Hack Masters", Tripp and Roxette, of both [[Bohbot Kids Network|Amazin'! Adventures]] and [[UPN]]'s short-lived ''Turbocharged Thunderbirds'' (1994–1995)|alt=Two teenagers, one boy and one girl, on the bridge of an untidy space station]]
Beginning in February 1994,<ref name="Bentley: EG, 115"/> [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] aired ''Thunderbirds'' (styled as ''Thunderbirds USA'' or ''Thunderbirds Are Go!'')<ref name="Bentley: EG, 115"/> on its [[Fox Kids]] programming block.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> ITC cut 13 episodes down to half of their original length and added new opening titles, synthesised music, and dialogue provided by American actors.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> The update was designed to capitalise on the success of ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' and other popular children's programmes of the 1990s, besides acquainting American audiences with the premise of ''Thunderbirds'' before the release of the live-action film (then expected to appear in 1995). The series was not renewed for a second season and, to date, has never been broadcast in the UK.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 115"/>
In December 1994, the series reappeared as ''Turbocharged Thunderbirds'' on both [[Bohbot Kids Network|Amazin'! Adventures]] and [[UPN]].<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 6"/><ref name="Bentley, 122"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 116">Bentley 2008, p. 116.</ref> Devised as a comedy, this re-edit kept most of the earlier alterations, although some of the episodes were renamed.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 116"/> It also added live-action scenes featuring a pair of Californian teenagers from the year 2096 – Tripp ([[Travis Wester]]) and Roxette (Johna Stewart-Bowden), nicknamed the "Hack Masters" – who are pulled into a parallel universe called "Thunder-World".<ref name="Bentley, 122"/> There, they ally themselves with "simulated lifeforms" of International Rescue (the puppet characters) against the evil Atrocimator and his "head-honcho" the Hood (voiced by [[Tim Curry]] and [[Malachi Throne]] respectively), serving Jeff Tracy (voiced by [[Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.]]) from the orbital listening platform ''Hackmaster Command'' (''Thunderbird 5'').<ref name="Bentley, 122"/>
A single season of 13 episodes was broadcast in the US; as with its precursor, ''Turbocharged Thunderbirds'' has never been shown in the UK.<ref name="Bentley, 123"/> Cull describes the series as a "grotesque hybrid show",<ref name="Cull: Media, 203">Cull 2006 (August), p. 203.</ref> while Archer and Hearn call it "risible".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 262">Archer and Hearn, p. 262.</ref> After viewing sample footage, Anderson considered ''Turbocharged Thunderbirds'' to be "the most diabolical thing I had ever seen in my life ... absolutely appalling".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 262"/> He held the acting and dialogue and "gaudily painted set" of ''Hackmaster Command'' in particularly low regard and threatened legal action against the producers to force the removal of his name from the credits.<ref name="Bentley, 123"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 262"/>
===Revival efforts=== Prior to the announcement of a remake in 2013, Gerry Anderson tried to revive ''Thunderbirds'' several times. In 1976, Anderson and [[Fred Freiberger]] devised ''Inter-Galactic Rescue 4'' as a combined updating of ''Thunderbirds'' and ''[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]]'', intending to pitch it to [[NBC]]. The series would have been in live action and shown the adventures of the variable-configuration land, sea, air and space rescue vehicle of the title, ''Rescue 4'', patrolling the "north-west quadrant of space". Century 21 designers [[Reg Hill]], [[Brian Johnson (special effects artist)|Brian Johnson]] and [[Martin Bower]] contributed to the concept art, but NBC rejected the 13-episode proposal in favour of rival story ideas.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 336">Bentley 2008, p. 336.</ref>
In 1984, following the completion of ''[[Terrahawks]]'', Anderson conceived ''T-Force''. This concept moved International Rescue's base of operations to a giant submarine, reinvented FAB 1 as a custom-built [[Porsche]], and eliminated Brains' stutter and [[myopia]].<ref name="Bentley, 120">Bentley 2005, p. 120.</ref><ref name="Bentley: EG, 325">Bentley 2008, p. 325.</ref> Although Anderson was unable to secure the funding needed to develop the series,<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> some of its plot devices later appeared in ''[[Firestorm (TV series)|Firestorm]]'' (2003),<ref name="Bentley: EG, 325"/> a Japanese anime series based on an idea by Anderson and John Needham.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 324">Bentley 2008, p. 324.</ref>
In 1993, ''T-Force'' was revised as ''G-Force'',<ref name="Bentley: EG, 319">Bentley 2008, p. 319.</ref> later named ''GFI'' – an abbreviation of Gee Force Intergalactic, the rescue organisation that would have appeared in International Rescue's place.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> This proposal featured a G-Force space fleet headed by ''Galaxy'', a colossal vessel housing a factory capable of manufacturing vehicles and equipment tailored to the requirements of any rescue mission.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> Only one episode – "Warming Warning", written by [[Tony Barwick]]<ref name="Bentley: EG, 320">Bentley 2008, p. 320.</ref> – was filmed; it used computer animation for the vehicle sequences and [[cel animation]] for scenes involving the characters.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> The latter, which was provided by a Russian studio, was judged to be of poor quality; as remaking this material would have made the series cost-prohibitive, production on ''GFI'' was abandoned.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/> According to Anderson, "the studio in Moscow was, in my opinion, ill equipped. After some six months of desperately trying to make this co-production work, I finally had no option but to call it off."<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 263">Archer and Hearn, p. 263.</ref>
In September 2005, a [[QuickTime]] video clip titled ''Thunderbirds IR'' was published on online [[Peer-to-peer|P2P]] networks. It included a trailer of a proposed ''Thunderbirds'' remake to be made by [[Carlton Television]]. Created using a mixture of computer animation and live-action puppetry, the clip included footage of a redesigned ''[[Thunderbird 1]]'', characters Scott Tracy and the Hood, and the rescue of a falling lighthouse keeper; Scott was shown walking and performing a backflip with the tongue-in-cheek quip "Look, no strings!". Visual effects company [[The Mill (post-production)|The Mill]] provided the computer animation. Although Anderson endorsed the project after meeting the Carlton staff, production on new series was postponed indefinitely when Carlton merged with Granada plc.<ref name="Slingshot-TASNG">{{Cite web |url = http://davidmaxfreedman.typepad.com/slingshot/2005/06/thunderbirds_ar.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060222001043/http://davidmaxfreedman.typepad.com/slingshot/2005/06/thunderbirds_ar.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 22 February 2006 |title = ''Thunderbirds'' Are Still Not Go |last = Freedman |first = David |date = 19 June 2005 |publisher = [[Blogger (service)|Blogger]] |access-date = 27 November 2006 }}</ref>
Writing in 2005 following the completion of ''[[New Captain Scarlet]]'', Anderson stated that he had been unable to secure the ''Thunderbirds'' remake rights from Granada.<ref name="Bentley, 5"/> By July 2008, he was still in negotiations with ITV, but promised a new version of ''Thunderbirds'' that would be "updated for the 21st-century audience" and which would, he hoped, be made in CGI.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 7">Bentley 2008: Foreword by [[Gerry Anderson]], p. 7.</ref> He added, "This is very much a pet ambition of mine, and I am putting everything into what I consider would be ITV's answer to ''[[Doctor Who]]''.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 7"/> Although he continued to express his belief that a series would be made eventually and with his involvement, ITV continued to withhold the rights into late 2008 and early 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |title = Talking Shop: Gerry Anderson |url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7655589.stm |access-date = 7 October 2008 |publisher = BBC News |date = 7 October 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090212051511/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7655589.stm |archive-date = 12 February 2009 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a164624/thunderbirds-creator-blasts-itv.html |title = ''Thunderbirds'' Creator Blasts ITV |last = Kilkenny |first = Daniel |date = 11 July 2009 |publisher = Digital Spy |access-date = 17 August 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090916074938/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a164624/thunderbirds-creator-blasts-itv.html |archive-date = 16 September 2009 |url-status = live }}</ref>
====''Thunderbirds Are Go''==== {{Main|Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)}}
In January 2011, Anderson announced a new series of ''Thunderbirds'' during an interview with [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]. He said that although he was unable to go into details because he had signed a [[non-disclosure agreement]], the production of the series was assured and that it would indeed be made in CGI, with modernised characters and vehicles. In the 15 January edition of ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'', he said that he had yet to write the first episode but had "fleshed it out" in his mind.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.fanderson.org.uk/news/newseriesofthunderbirds.html |title = Anderson Mania – New ''Thunderbirds'' and Stamps |date = 11 January 2011 |publisher = [[Fanderson]] |access-date = 11 January 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120731073518/http://www.fanderson.org.uk/news/newseriesofthunderbirds.html |archive-date = 31 July 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>
Anderson died in December 2012, leaving the future of the series in doubt. However, in February 2013, ITV confirmed that [[ITV Studios]] and [[Pukeko Pictures]] were planning to remake ''Thunderbirds'' as a series of 30-minute episodes, to be filmed using a combination of computer animation and live-action model sets.<ref name="ITV Press">{{Cite press release |date = 4 February 2013 |title = Thunderbirds Are Go! |url = http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/thunderbirds-are-go |url-status = live |type = Press release |publisher = [[ITV plc]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214024/http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/thunderbirds-are-go |archive-date = 4 October 2013 |access-date = 22 November 2013 }}</ref> The new series, ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)|Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', premiered on [[CITV]] in April 2015 and ran for three seasons, ending in 2020.
====''The Anniversary Episodes''==== {{Further information|List of Thunderbirds episodes#The Anniversary Episodes}}
In 2015, to mark the series' 50th anniversary, ITV commissioned Pod 4 Films (now Century 21 Films) to produce a mini-series of new ''Thunderbirds'' episodes based on the soundtracks of three of the 1960s audio plays. The project, titled "Thunderbirds 1965", was supported by [[Sylvia Anderson]] and the estate of Gerry Anderson. Funding was secured through a successful [[Kickstarter]] campaign, started by Pod 4 director [[Stephen La Rivière]], which ultimately raised £218,412 against an initial goal of £75,000.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/brand-new-episodes-of-classic-thunderbirds-on-the-way/ |last1 = Anderson |first1 = Jamie |author1-link = Jamie Anderson (producer) |date = 7 July 2015 |title = Brand-new episodes of classic ''Thunderbirds'' on the way! |work = gerryanderson.co.uk |publisher = [[Anderson Entertainment]] |access-date = 14 July 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150708012724/http://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/brand-new-episodes-of-classic-thunderbirds-on-the-way/ |archive-date = 8 July 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/thunderbirds-are-go-again-thanks-to-thunderbirds-1965/ |last1 = Anderson |first1 = Jamie |date = 9 August 2015 |title = ''Thunderbirds'' are go again thanks to Thunderbirds 1965! |work = gerryanderson.co.uk |publisher = Anderson Entertainment |access-date = 14 April 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160606143027/http://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/thunderbirds-are-go-again-thanks-to-thunderbirds-1965/ |archive-date = 6 June 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>
The production of the mini-series saw the return of some of the original ''Thunderbirds'' crew, including director David Elliott. Following a premiere screening at the [[BFI Southbank]] in August 2016, the new episodes were released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc exclusively to their Kickstarter backers. Later titled "The Anniversary Episodes", they were added to [[BritBox]] in August 2020 alongside all 32 episodes of the original series.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.century21films.co.uk/thunderbirds-50th-anniversary-specials |title = ''Thunderbirds: The Anniversary Episodes'' |year = 2020 |work = century21films.co.uk |access-date = 24 August 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605102204/https://www.century21films.co.uk/thunderbirds-50th-anniversary-specials |archive-date = 5 June 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://britishperioddramas.com/news/new-on-britbox-in-the-uk-whats-added-in-august-2020/ |date = 5 August 2020 |title = New on BritBox in the UK: What's added in August 2020? |work = britishperioddramas.com |access-date = 24 August 2020 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200922013720/http://britishperioddramas.com/news/new-on-britbox-in-the-uk-whats-added-in-august-2020/ |archivedate = 22 September 2020 |url-status = live }}</ref>
==References, parodies and imitations== [[File:Thunderbirds are go^ - geograph.org.uk - 486764.jpg|thumb|Model ''[[Thunderbird 3]]'' on display in [[Trafalgar Square]]. ''[[Thunderbird 2]]'' models have been shown at the [[Millennium Dome]], [[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]] and other London sites.<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 7"/>|alt=A model space rocket stands ready for lift-off in a crowded city square]]
[[File:Brush Class 57 57302 (6016709967).jpg|thumb|[[Virgin Trains]]' [[British Rail Class 57|57302]] ''Virgil Tracy'']]
[[File:57304 Gordon Tracy at Crewe 02.jpg|thumb|[[Gordon Tracy]] name plate on a Virgin Trains 57304]]
Since it first appeared, ''Thunderbirds'' has made a significant impact on popular culture and media worldwide.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> Anderson's later puppet series''[[Terrahawks]]'', about an organisation that defends Earth against hostile androids from Mars, is thematically similar to ''Thunderbirds'' but written more as a comedy.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 249">Archer and Hearn, p. 249.</ref> International Rescue was the inspiration for the [[International Rescue Corps]], a volunteer rescue organisation started by a group of British firefighters who contributed to the humanitarian effort in the aftermath of the [[1980 Irpinia earthquake]].<ref name="Bentley, 117"/> The charity made Gerry Anderson its honorary president<ref name="Marriott, 187">Marriott, p. 187.</ref> and has since assisted at disaster zones in various countries.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/>
[[Peter Jackson]] has spoken of the series' influence on his career as a film director: "... ''Thunderbirds'' was probably the first influence, I guess. I knew it wasn't real. You know, I could even relate to it on a level of it not being real because I had a lot of [[Matchbox (brand)|Matchbox]] toys and I used to recognise my Matchbox toys in ''Thunderbirds''. You know, I used to be very proud of myself when I'd see, you know, this little truck or lorry sort of trundle by in an episode of ''Thunderbirds'' and in my playbox I had exactly the same sort of Matchbox toy. And that sort of was the beginning, really, when I think about it, of, like, the connection of 'This isn't real, these are models, you know, they're making all this stuff up'."<ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1529210.htm |title = At The Movies: Peter Jackson |author = Stratton, David |author-link = David Stratton |date = 13 December 2005 |publisher = ABC News |location = Australia |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140911063435/http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1529210.htm |archive-date = 11 September 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The series also influenced the work of comics writer [[Warren Ellis]], including his 2002 series ''[[Global Frequency]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=7252 |title = Random Head Processing of The Day |author = Ellis, Warren |author-link = Warren Ellis |date = 28 April 2009 |work = warrenellis.com |access-date = 17 August 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130903053944/http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=7252 |archive-date = 3 September 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>
[[Virgin Group]] has used aspects of the series in its branding. [[Virgin Atlantic]] operated a [[Boeing 747-400]] called ''Lady Penelope'', named for its registration: "G-V'''FAB'''".<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/><ref>{{Cite book |title = Boeing 747–400 |series = Airliner Color History |author = Gilchrist, Peter |year = 1998 |publisher = [[MBI Publishing Company]] |location = Osceola, Wisconsin |isbn = 978-0-7603-0616-1 |page = [https://archive.org/details/boeing74740000gilc/page/111 111] |url = https://archive.org/details/boeing74740000gilc/page/111 }}</ref> [[Virgin Trains West Coast]] had a fleet of 16 [[British Rail Class 57|Class 57]] diesel locomotives that it used mainly to rescue broken-down trains; all were named after ''Thunderbirds'' characters and vehicles.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/><ref>{{Cite magazine |title = Thunderbirds Are Go! |magazine = [[Rail Express]] |issue = 75 |date = August 2002 |page = 6 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061016083505/http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=167 |archive-date = 16 October 2006 |url = http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=167 |url-status = dead |title = Stand By For Action |publisher = [[Virgin Trains]] |date = 17 August 2002 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=400 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061016081233/http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?articleid=400 |archive-date = 16 October 2006 |title = Thunderbirds Are Go |publisher = Virgin Trains |date = 12 August 2003 }}</ref> In the UK, locomotives used for train rescue are often referred to as "Thunderbirds".<ref>{{Cite magazine |title = It's Go for the Thunderbird |magazine = [[The Railway Magazine]] |issue = 1114 |date = February 1994 |page = 14 }}</ref>
In 2003, [[Image Comics]] published ''The Agency'', a mini-series set in a parallel world reminiscent of the Supermarionation universe. In this world, the Tomahawks (an organisation similar to International Rescue) operate a VTOL rapid-transit aircraft, an airborne carrier craft, a "sub-atomic warhead" and a space station (corresponding to ''Thunderbirds 1'', ''2'', ''3'' and ''5''). They are associated with Lady Pippa, a former British spy, and her chauffeur Burgess (analogues of [[Lady Penelope]] and [[Aloysius Parker|Parker]]). ''The Agency'' also features pastiches of other Anderson series such as ''[[Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons]]'' and ''[[Joe 90]]''.
In 2011, [[Royal Mail]] launched a commemorative stamp range based on the Anderson series; among the items was a mini-sheet of [[Lenticular printing|lenticular]] stamps bearing holograms of ''Thunderbirds 1'', ''2'', ''3'' and ''4''.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.stampmagazine.co.uk/news/article/fab-the-genius-of-gerry-anderson/7271 |title = FAB: The Genius of Gerry Anderson |date = January 2011 |work = stampmagazine.co.uk |publisher = MyTimeMedia |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130415105407/http://www.stampmagazine.co.uk/news/article/fab-the-genius-of-gerry-anderson/7271 |archive-date = 15 April 2013 |url-status = live |access-date = 26 April 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/berkshire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_9354000/9354777.stm |title = Slough Children Launch ''Thunderbirds'' Anniversary Stamps |publisher = BBC News |date = 10 January 2011 |access-date = 3 February 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111124191944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/berkshire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_9354000/9354777.stm |archive-date = 24 November 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>
===Film and TV=== The comedy of the puppet film ''[[Team America: World Police]]'' (2004), produced by ''[[South Park]]'' creators [[Matt Stone]] and [[Trey Parker]], was inspired by the idiosyncrasies of ''Thunderbirds''-style Supermarionation techniques.<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 7"/> In an interview, Stone and Parker stated that while they were not especially fans of ''Thunderbirds'', they thought highly of the series' visual style: "What's made it last is the time and care that the people who did that show put into the marionettes".<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.movieweb.com/news/06/5406.php |title = Trey Parker and Matt Stone Talk ''Team America: World Police'' |date = 4 October 2004 |work = movieweb.com |access-date = 19 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080706155146/http://www.movieweb.com/news/06/5406.php |archive-date = 6 July 2008 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The 1960s BBC comedy show ''[[Not Only... But Also]]'' with [[Peter Cook]] and [[Dudley Moore]] included a regular sketch titled "Superthunderstingcar" – a parody of ''Thunderbirds'' and other Anderson series including ''[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]]'' and ''[[Stingray (1964 TV series)|Stingray]]''.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/><ref name="Anderson, 97">Anderson, p. 97.</ref> The 1980s Australian comedy ''[[The D-Generation]]'' featured ''Thunderbirds''-themed sketches with live actors imitating wire puppets; storylines included "''Thunderbirds'' Pizza", in which the characters operate a global pizza-delivery business.
The [[Wallace and Gromit]] short film ''[[A Close Shave]]'' (1995) includes an homage to the series:<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/><ref name="Cull: Fifty, 7">Cull 2009, p. 7.</ref> as Wallace prepares to leave his house to go on a window-cleaning job, he moves from his living room to his garage, gets onto his motorcycle, and sets off all with the help of automated machinery, similar to how Virgil Tracy enters and takes off in ''Thunderbird 2''.<ref name="Cull: Media, 198">Cull 2006 (August), p. 198.</ref> Further homages can be found in the film ''[[Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]'' (1999),<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> the TV sitcom ''[[Spaced]]'' (1999–2001),<ref name="Cull: Fifty, 7"/> and the design of the computer-animated characters of TV series ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'' (2008–13).<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/BC_Beat/10161-George_Lucas_Talks_Clone_Wars_.php |title = George Lucas Talks ''Clone Wars'' |last = Weprin |first = Alex |date = 3 April 2008 |work = broadcastingcable.com |publisher = [[NewBay Media]] |access-date = 17 August 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121127104128/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/BC_Beat/10161-George_Lucas_Talks_Clone_Wars_.php |archive-date = 27 November 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> Lady Penelope appears in a 1994 episode of ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'' as part of a dream experienced by [[Edina Monsoon]] as she undergoes surgery: Penelope informs Edina that she is dying, but that Brains is working on a chemical formula to save her life. In the United States, [[MTV]] broadcast a sitcom parody of ''Thunderbirds'', ''[[Super Adventure Team]]'', in 1998.
===Theatre=== From 1974 to 1975, the company Stage Three – co-founded by ''Thunderbirds'' puppeteer [[Christine Glanville]] – hosted a ''Thunderbirds'' rod puppet stage show at [[Bournemouth Pier]] and other venues.<ref name="Bentley, 117"/><ref name="Bentley, 116">Bentley 2005, p. 116.</ref>
In 1984, Mime Theatre Project performers Andrew Dawson and Gavin Robertson created a tribute show titled ''Thunderbirds: F.A.B.'',<ref name="Bentley, 118"/><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/dec/03/features.review57 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140509110014/http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/dec/03/features.review57 |archive-date = 9 May 2014 |first1 = Stephanie |last1 = Merritt |author1-link = Stephanie Merritt |date = 3 December 2000 |title = ''Thunderbirds'' are go – and they're still FAB |newspaper = The Guardian |url-status = live |access-date = 23 December 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/thunderbirds-fab |title = ''Thunderbirds FAB'' Review |first1 = Darren |last1 = Dalglish |website = londontheatre.co.uk |access-date = 19 April 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210419225950/https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/thunderbirds-fab |archive-date = 19 April 2021 |url-status = dead }}</ref> which broke box office records when it played at London's [[Apollo Theatre]] in 1989.<ref name="Bentley, 119">Bentley 2005, p. 119.</ref><ref name="Marriott, 181">Marriott, p. 181.</ref> All of the parts were acted by Dawson and Robertson, who "played" the ''Thunderbirds'' machines by wearing a range of helmets, each one with a model ''Thunderbird'' on top. According to Robertson, the original plan was to wear the models on their shoulders,<ref name="Marriott, 181"/> "but we figured they'd be too small to be seen at the back of the theatre, so we then decided to wear them like huge hats."<ref name="Marriott, 182">Marriott, p. 182.</ref>
Also featuring [[Captain Scarlet (character)|Captain Scarlet]], the show toured internationally and popularised a staccato manner of walking that became known as the "''Thunderbirds'' walk".<ref name="Bentley, 119"/> Gerry Anderson had low expectations for the show, but after seeing Dawson and Robertson's performances called it "original" and "superb".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 257">Archer and Hearn, p. 257.</ref> In 1987, Dawson and Robertson's miming style was used in a TV advertisement for ''[[Exchange & Mart]]'' magazine, which featured Dawson in costume as Scott Tracy.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 360">Bentley 2008, p. 360.</ref> The show returned in 1991 and again in 1995.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> In 2000, it was relaunched as ''Thunderbirds: F.A.B. – The Next Generation'', with Dawson and Robertson replaced by Wayne Forester and Paul Kent and featuring additional characters from ''Stingray'' and ''Captain Scarlet''.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/><ref name="Bentley, 119"/><ref name="Marriott, 182"/><ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2000/dec/01/theatre.artsfeatures |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140509074331/http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2000/dec/01/theatre.artsfeatures |archive-date = 9 May 2014 |first1 = Lyn |last1 = Gardner |author1-link = Lyn Gardner |date = 30 November 2000 |title = ''Thunderbirds FAB'' |newspaper = The Guardian |url-status = live |access-date = 26 April 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 258">Archer and Hearn, p. 258.</ref>
===Music=== Cover versions of "The ''Thunderbirds'' March" have been released by musicians and bands including [[Billy Cotton]], [[Joe Loss]], [[Frank Sidebottom]], [[The Rezillos]] and [[The Shadows]].<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> The [[Royal Marines Band Service]] added the theme to its repertoire, performing it at the public unveiling of ''[[Concorde]]'' in France in 1969.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 127">Archer and Hearn, p. 127.</ref> Both the march and [[Peter Dyneley]]'s introductory "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown have been adopted by [[Level 42]] for use in live concerts, as seen in the video release of their 1987 performance at the old [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] in London; an updated version, combined with the opening fanfare to the band's song "[[Heaven in My Hands]]", is still used to start their gigs. The countdown has also been used by the [[Beastie Boys]] at various events, including the 2007 [[Live Earth]] concerts.
Songs inspired by ''Thunderbirds'' include "International Rescue" (1989) by [[We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It|Fuzzbox]], "Thunderbirds (Your Voice)" (2004) by [[V6 (band)|V6]], and "[[Thunderbirds / 3AM|Thunderbirds Are Go!]]" by [[Busted (band)|Busted]] (the last of which was the end theme of the 2004 film).<ref name="Bentley: EG, 117"/> In 1998, [[TISM]] released the single "[[Thunderbirds Are Coming Out]]", the video for which shows a socially awkward teenager who sees the ''Thunderbird'' machines on TV and is immediately impressed; thereafter, he is inspired to conform to the norms of adolescent life. Other music videos alluding to ''Thunderbirds'' include [[Wax (UK band)|Wax]]'s "[[Right Between the Eyes (Wax song)|Right Between the Eyes]]" (1986).<ref name="Bentley: EG, 365"/>
In 1983, Gerry Anderson directed the music video for "SOS", a song performed by Moya Griffiths (the singing voice of Kate Kestrel in ''Terrahawks'') whose lyrics make reference to ''Thunderbirds'' characters and vehicles.<ref name="Archer, 64">Archer, p. 64.</ref><ref name="BigRat">{{Cite web |url = http://www.bigrat.co.uk/merchandise/80s90s/bioerrors.html |title = Gerry Anderson Biography Errata |last = Frampton |first = Andrew |date = 9 April 2009 |work = bigrat.co.uk |access-date = 26 September 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120524183518/http://www.bigrat.co.uk/merchandise/80s90s/bioerrors.html |archive-date = 24 May 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 1991, in collaboration with Andrew Dawson, Gavin Robertson and ''Thunderbirds'' puppeteer Christine Glanville,<ref name="Bentley: EG, 365"/><ref name="Marriott, 167">Marriott, p. 167.</ref> Anderson directed the video for the [[Dire Straits]] single "[[Calling Elvis]]".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 260">Archer and Hearn, p. 260.</ref> This blended footage of ''Thunderbirds''-style puppets (some with likenesses of the band members) with scenes from the original TV series and clips of the band in live performance.<ref name="Bentley, 121"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 365">Bentley 2008, p. 365.</ref><ref name="Bentley: EG, 366">Bentley 2008, p. 366.</ref><ref name="Marriott, 190">Marriott, p. 190.</ref>
In 1990, TV producer Gary Shoefield released a remix album titled ''Power Themes 90'', containing techno covers of themes to various British TV programmes.<ref name="Anderson, 97"/><ref name="Bentley: EG, 365"/> One of these was ''Thunderbirds'', whose theme was remixed as "''Thunderbirds'' Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)" and billed as "featuring MC Parker".<ref name="Bentley: EG, 365"/> A music video compilation was also released; the segment for "''Thunderbirds'' Are Go! (The Pressure Mix)" contained footage from the TV episodes intercut with specially filmed shots of the original Parker puppet, dressed in "era" clothing and working as a DJ.
===Advertising=== From 1965 to 1967, AP Films created a series of themed television adverts for the brands [[Lyons Maid]] and [[Kellogg's]], featuring the original voice cast and promoting products including [[Fab (brand)|Fab]] ice lollies and [[Sugar Smacks]] breakfast cereal.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 346">Bentley 2008, p. 346.</ref><ref name="Bentley: EG, 347">Bentley 2008, p. 347.</ref>
In 1990, Gerry Anderson filmed a car insurance advert for [[Swinton Insurance]]. Titled "Parker's Day Off",<ref name="Bentley: EG, 360"/> it showed Lady Penelope recklessly driving FAB 1 and having to be rescued by Parker in ''Thunderbird 2''.<ref name="Bentley, 120"/> Parker was played by the puppet, worked by Christine Glanville.<ref name="Bentley, 120"/>
In 1993, an advert for [[Kit Kat]] chocolate bars, "Scott Takes a Break", was filmed.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 360"/> This featured the series' "5–4–3–2–1!" countdown and shots of all of the ''Thunderbirds'' taking off except ''Thunderbird 1'' – whose pilot, Scott, is shown to be "having a break" with a Kit Kat while off-screen, a frustrated Jeff repeatedly orders him to launch.<ref name="Bentley: EG, 360"/>
In 2001, the [[Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency]] used ''Thunderbirds'' in an advert to remind drivers to pay their road tax on time: it showed Lady Penelope snipping Parker's strings for allowing FAB 1 to be [[Wheel clamp|clamped]].<ref name="Andersonic13">{{Cite magazine |date =Spring 2012 |title = Should Have Gone to Specsavers (Jan King Interview) |magazine = Andersonic |volume = 1 |issue = 13 |pages = 34–36 |publisher = Richard Farrell |editor1-first = Farrell |editor1-last = Richard }}</ref> The same year, travel agency [[Travelcare]] made an advert featuring the occupants of a swimming pool; the floor of the pool slides away and ''Thunderbird 1'' blasts off, almost incinerating the swimmers and revealing that the location is [[Tracy Island]]. The advert had the tagline "We'll tell you what the brochures won't".
In 2008, [[Specsavers]] commissioned an advert with Virgil Tracy and the Hood to promote its new "Reaction" [[Progressive lens|varifocal]] lenses.<ref name="Andersonic13"/> This featured a jetpack chase between Virgil and the Hood over mountainous terrain. When Virgil emerges from a tunnel into the dazzling sunshine, his "Reaction" lenses immediately darken to protect his vision; the Hood is not so fortunate and, blinded by the light, crashes into a mountain. The advert was filmed in London over five days using techniques similar to those employed by the original crew.<ref name="Andersonic13"/> Jan King, a member of the crew on ''Captain Scarlet'', returned as puppet operator for the filming of the scene, which used [[Chroma key|green-screen chroma key]] compositing to create the mountain background shots.<ref name="Andersonic13"/> He noted that the advert used ordinary carpet thread for the puppet strings "because [the studio] wanted the strings to be seen, rather than ''not'' seen."<ref name="Andersonic13"/>
Another 2000s advert, released by [[Britvic]] to promote its Drench! water, saw Brains dancing to the 1992 song "[[Rhythm Is a Dancer]]". He sits down for a swig of Drench! before resuming the dance, and the advert ends with the slogan "Brains perform best when they're hydrated". The official "Stay Drenched!" website hosted a making-of video revealing that Brains' movements were created using a mixture of live-action puppetry, [[motion capture]] and computer animation.
In 2017, Penelope and Parker appeared in a [[Halifax (bank)|Halifax]] advert promoting the bank's savers' prize draw. In the advert, Parker visits a Halifax branch while running errands for Penelope, and learns that he has won the bank's £500,000 cash prize. Later, at Creighton-Ward Mansion, Penelope rings for Parker, who is nowhere to be found. The scene cuts to reveal that Parker has spent his winnings on a tropical holiday.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdhPVQhnMuI |title = ''Thunderbirds'' Halifax Advert – Full-Length Version (2017) |via = YouTube |date = 28 March 2017 |publisher = Century 21 Films }}</ref>
===Video games=== ''Thunderbirds'' inspired the style of [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Star Fox]]'' video game series. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the series' creator, has stated that he is a fan of ''Thunderbirds'', and that its distinctive visual style had influenced the puppet-like appearance and actions of the ''Star Fox'' characters since ''[[Star Fox 64]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title = Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS: Fushimi Inari Taisha and Fox |url = http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/starfox/0/2 |website = iwataasks.nintendo.com |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150314020538/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/starfox/0/2 |archive-date = 14 March 2015 |url-status = dead |access-date = 20 August 2024 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
===Works cited=== *{{Cite book |last1 = Anderson |first1 = Sylvia |author-link1 = Sylvia Anderson |title = Sylvia Anderson: My Fab Years! |year = 2007 |publisher = [[Hermes Press]] |location = Neshannock, Pennsylvania |isbn = 978-1-932563-91-7 }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Archer |first1 = Simon |author1-link = Simon Archer (author) |title = Gerry Anderson's FAB Facts: Behind the Scenes of TV's Famous Adventures in the 21st Century |year = 2004 |orig-year = 1993 |publisher = [[HarperCollins]] |location = London, UK |isbn = 978-0-00-638247-8 |url = https://archive.org/details/gerryandersonsfa00arch }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Archer |first1 = Simon |last2 = Hearn |first2 = Marcus |title = What Made ''Thunderbirds'' Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson |year = 2002 |publisher = [[BBC Books]] |location = London, UK |isbn = 978-0-563-53481-5 }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Bentley |first1 = Chris |title = The Complete Book of Thunderbirds |publisher = [[Carlton Books]] |year = 2005 |orig-year = 2000 |edition = 2nd |location = London, UK |isbn = 978-1-84442-454-2 }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Bentley |first1 = Chris |title = The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide |publisher = Reynolds & Hearn |location = London, UK |edition = 4th |year = 2008 |orig-year = 2001 |isbn = 978-1-905287-74-1 }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Cull |first1 = Nicholas J. |author-link1 = Nicholas J. Cull |editor1-last = Cook |editor1-first = John R. |editor2-last = Wright |editor2-first = Peter |title = British Science Fiction Television: A Hitchhiker's Guide |year = 2006 |publisher = [[I.B. Tauris]] |location = London, UK |chapter = The Man Who Made ''Thunderbirds'': An Interview with Gerry Anderson (19 July 2003, XXth [[International Association for Media and History]] Conference) |isbn = 978-1-84511-048-2 |pages = 116–30 }} *{{Cite journal |last1 = Cull |first1 = Nicholas J. |date = August 2006 |title = Was Captain Black Really Red? The TV Science Fiction of Gerry Anderson in its Cold War Context |journal = Media History |volume = 12 |issue = 2 |publisher = [[Routledge]] |issn = 1368-8804 |oclc = 364457089 |doi = 10.1080/13688800600808005 |s2cid = 142878042 }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Cull |first1 = Nicholas J. |others = Bould, Mark; [[Andrew M. Butler|Butler, Andrew M.]]; [[Adam Roberts (British writer)|Roberts, Adam]]; Vint, Sherryl |title = Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction |series = Routledge Key Guides |year = 2009 |publisher = Routledge |location = Oxford, UK; New York City |isbn = 978-0-203-87470-7 |pages = 3–7 |chapter = Gerry Anderson (1929–) }} *{{Cite book |last1 = Marriott |first1 = John |others = Rogers, Dave; Drake, Chris; Bassett, Graeme |title = Supermarionation Classics: Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons |year = 1993 |publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers|Boxtree]] |location = London, UK |isbn = 978-1-85283-900-0 }}
==External links== {{Portal|Science fiction}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111003122358/http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2008/04/thunderbirds-specsavers-ad.html Making of Specsavers TV Advert]
{{Thunderbirds}}
[[Category:Works based on Thunderbirds (TV series)| ]]