Sixties City - Bringing on back the good times

1974 - Thunderbirds - The Stage Show
Stage Three

15th April 1974 to April 1975

A stage puppet show which was conceived and performed by series puppeteers Christine Glanville and Rowena White with the official permission of Century 21. They formed a company called Stage Three and toured U.K. theatres with the show.

1983 - Thunderbirds 2086
( Science Rescue Team Technovoyager )
( Kagaku Kyuujo-Ta Technovoyager )

Japanese origination
U.S. version produced by Robert Mandell

24 x 30 minute episodes

This was a Japanese animated series, subjected to voice-over and released by ITC in English-speaking countries as Thunderbirds 2086. It used the Thunderbirds format with neither the knowledge nor involvement of either Gerry Anderson or Century 21. The International Rescue team consisted of some 17 craft and even used some of the music composed by Barry Gray for the original series. It was shown on the PRISM cable network in the U.S. and was released in the U.K. in 1986.

Thunderbirds 2086 at SFXB

1984 - Thunderbirds F.A.B.
Mime Theatre Project

A stage show devised by Andrew Dawson and Gavin Robertson, it contained characters from both Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, all characters, and even vehicles, being played by the two actors. It toured the U.K. in 1985 and subsequently went to Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S.A. and Australia before returning to the U.K. in 1989 where it began its run at The Apollo theatre.

1987 - Children In Need
BBC Radio 2

Produced by Dirk Maggs

Voice artists Shane Rimmer, Matt Zimmerman and David Graham were involved in this humorous, episodic story broadcast on 24th to 27th November 1987 in support of the BBC Television Children In Need appeal. The storyline found Scott and Alan Tracy rescuing Parker from the BBC record library where he had become trapped while trying to make a secret anonymous donation to the appeal on behalf of Lady Penelope.

1991 - Thunderbirds F.A.B. - The Next Generation

Produced by and starring Paul Kent and Wayne Forester

This was a more elaborate version of the original stage show and also included characters from Stingray. It was revived in 1995 by Paul Kent, this time with Tristan Sharps, eventually going on tour with Richard James accompanying Paul Kent.

1995 - Turbocharged Thunderbirds
Polygram / Bohbot

Created by Robert A.Tercek and Sally DeSipio

13 episodes

Following its acquisition of ITC, Polygram decided to follow up on the ITC cut-down episodes and went into co-production with Bohbot to produce this series. The show was live action mixed with re-voiced original footage and featured Roxette and Tripp, two teenagers who find themselves in a parallel universe peopled by puppet-like figures. They help the Tracy family to fight their enemy, The Hood, and his evil controller The Atrocimator.
Understandably, Gerry Anderson had his name removed from the credits. The series was shown on U.S. syndicated television but has, mercifully, never found its way to these shores.

1990 - Return To The Forbidden Planet
by Bob Carlton

'Monster Attack' - from the original West End production

Video Special Effects - Gerry Anderson

A long-running musical stage show with video special effects created, and subsequently updated, by Gerry Anderson. Interesting concepts here.... a spoof take-off of the 1956 sci-fi classic film 'Forbidden Planet', a musical score that is essentially rock'n'roll, a leading character who has the same name as the Captain of 'Stingray', and effects by the great man. Somehow it all works on stage - a huge success.

Scientific Survey Flight Nine headed by Captain Tempest are joined by a new female Science Officer who abandons ship when the spacecraft is caught in a violent asteroid storm. The ship crash-lands on an uncharted planet called D'illyria. A face appears on their scanner screen, which Captain Tempest recognises as Prospero, a great scientist who fifteen years ago defected to the other side. Prospero rejects this saying he was the victim of a dreadful plot. Believing his tale, Tempest welcomes him to feast with him on the ship. Prospero arrives accompanied by a robot called Ariel and his beautiful teenage daughter, Miranda. She has never seen a human apart from her father and is immediately struck by Tempest's looks, falling in love with him at first sight.

Ariel reports that the Science Officer is on her way to the ship. He also tells Tempest about Prospero's great invention, Telegenisis, a process that can create matter simply by thought. Prospero is not happy with Ariel revealing his secrets, and even less so at Miranda's feelings for Tempest, telling her she must choose between them. Puzzled at her father's reaction, Miranda says that if she has to make a choice it will be Tempest. Seething with anger Prospero leaves. Tempest, though deeply attracted to Miranda, tells her that she is too young. Prospero, meanwhile, cannot control his anger, images take shape in his mind, he takes a test tube marked X Factor, the basis of Telegenesis, drinks it and collapses. A beep appears upon the screen. It is the Science Officer, pursued by a dreadful monster, created from Prospero's drugged brain. The air-lock opens to admit Gloria pursued by the monster.

The fight continues with Gloria being rescued by Ariel who blows fire at the monster which explodes. The Science Officer is brought before Prospero, who, it turns out, is the husband she betrayed. Prospero condemns her crime and the destruction of a force which could have eradicated conflict, famine and disease on Earth. Prospero comes up with a way to repair their damaged spacecraft. Meanwhile, Gloria plots to get the 'X Factor' by promising the ship's cook that she will show him how to win Miranda's love. The ship's company undergo a reverse polarity procedure to assist the repair process.

Gloria alone, is tortured by the confusion in her feelings for Prospero, whom she loves but has sworn to destroy. Ariel re-enters having repaired the damage to the ship. As he reports to Tempest a sexy vamp appears. To Tempest's horror it is Miranda, who thinks that as she could not attract the captain with her youthful charms she should try a more obvious approach. Tempest rejects her again and Ariel consoles her, telling her that what she really needs is a Robot man. The ship's cook enters with the stolen X Factor and, livid to see Miranda kissing Ariel, attacks him. Ariel wins, and eats the stolen formula. The monster has apparently been re-created and is heard returning. Gloria enters and tells Prospero that he is a sinful man whose force for good has become a force for evil as it is his brain that has created this uncontrollable monster from the id, man's subconscious mind.

Forced to recognise the truth of her words and the real reason for her behaviour, Prospero goes off to commit suicide, in a final gesture of love and sacrifice. As the ship prepares for take-off Tempest comforts Miranda, declaring his love for her. During lift-off there is a massive rumble as the planet begins to disintegrate. Ariel explains that just as Prospero could create monsters, so could he also create great beauty - in this case, D'illyria. With his death, the planet created from his mind must also die.

The Official Production website

2003 - Firestorm
Anderson Entertainment

26 episodes of 30 minutes - April 6, 2003-September 27, 2003

Based on an original idea by Gerry Anderson and John Needham

Directed by Kenji Terada

It is the year 2104 AD. The terrible war is over and world peace seems imminent. Only one thing threatens to disrupt the peace; the criminal organization who's power and actions are spread worldwide... The Black Orchid. A team of specialists from around the world called Storm Force is created. The best of the best is Storm Force 9, a six member team led by Sam Scott. Equipped with advanced vehicles and weapons, their code name is Firestorm.

A Mixture of cel and CGI computer animation, Firestorm debuted on Japanese TV in April of 2003.
Anderson created the series but did not produce it - he removed his name from the episodes.

2004 - Thunderbirds - The Movie
Universal Pictures and StudioCanal Present A Working Title Production

Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Mark Huffam Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Returning to Tracy island after successfully rescuing trapped workers from a collapsing oil super-rig in the Gulf of Alaska, the Tracys are joined by Jeff's youngest son Alan and Fermat, son of International Rescue's brilliant inventor Professor Hiram 'Brains' Hackenbacker, who are home from boarding school for the holidays. When Thunderbird 5 is badly damaged by an apparent meteor strike and John, on duty on board as space monitor, is injured, Jeff races to assist in Thunderbird 3 together with Scott, Virgil and Gordon.

The 'accident' has, however, actually been engineered by master criminal 'The Hood' who has tracked Thunderbird 1 from the super-rig to Tracy Island in his stealth submarine. Invading the island base with his assistants, Transom and Mullion, The Hood takes control of International Rescue in order to use their equipment to rob the ten biggest banks in the world. He remotely shuts down power on Thunderbird 5, trapping the Tracys on board and setting the satellite on a spiralling course to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

However, he has not counted on the ingenuity of Alan, Fermat and their friend Tin-Tin who are still at large on the island and will do anything to thwart The Hood's plans and save the Tracy family.

A live action movie based on the original series. Gerry Anderson was not invited to contribute to the production which is why Universal &co. managed to get away with wasting an opportunity to produce something really special, resulting in a bit of a dodo of a film as far as the box office was concerned. Having said that, it isn't all bad, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes doing a half decent job directing and making a cameo appearance. The hardware was magnificent. A lot of it was produced life size by Ford Motors who displayed it at the 2003 Motor Show at the NEC and it really was very impressive.