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Post by Virgil Tracy on Mar 20, 2015 23:14:31 GMT
I'm sure I'm not the only Thunderbirds fan on here?
I loved the various Supermarionation series when I was a nipper but out of all of them, Thunderbirds was by far the best.
The opening credits are truly iconic so for a bit of self-indulgence, here are the HD restored opening credits from the very first episode, "Trapped In The Sky":
And while about it I thought I'd finish off with the end credits:
F.A.B !
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Post by Sam Tyler on Mar 24, 2015 10:19:54 GMT
Thanks for posting these Virgil, that opening sequence evokes so many memories for me. It takes me back to a time when everything was so easy and the only worries were how lumpy the mashed potato was in the school dinners - how did the canteen manage to make potato taste so unlike potato?
I used to have Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3, & FAB1 toys when I was a kid. They were large plastic versions, Thunderbird 2 being about a foot long with extending legs and removable pod. I've also still got the Dinky Toys FAB1 that I had complete with all missiles and the box. It is a bit playworn but I also let my kids play with it when they were young when Thunderbirds was repeated back in the 90's.
I'll be following this thread with interest as I have all the episodes and the original films on DVDs.
Sam
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Post by Virgil Tracy on Apr 13, 2015 9:01:35 GMT
Next up the launch sequences:
Thunderbird 1, the full launch sequence:
More to follow...
F.A.B. !
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Post by Virgil Tracy on Apr 13, 2015 9:09:22 GMT
Now the full launch sequence for Thunderbird 2:
Needless to say that this was my favourite.
F.A.B. !
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Post by Virgil Tracy on Apr 14, 2015 12:22:49 GMT
Now the full launch sequence for Thunderbird 3. Unusual this one because he carries Tin-Tin and Scott with him, so it must have been from the episode "Sun Probe":
F.A.B. !
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Post by Virgil Tracy on Apr 25, 2015 10:11:37 GMT
Now the usual launch sequence for Thunderbird 4:
I say usual because Thunderbird 4 was also able to be launched from my runway for Thunderbird 2 as it was when Thunderbird 2 got damaged by missiles from the USS Sentinel in the episode "Terror in New York City".
Back to this launch though and thankfully Gordon was always strapped in to a very well cushioned seat as it would have been a bit of a bumpy ride each time the pod was dropped from such a height.
F.A.B. !
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Post by Sam Tyler on Apr 27, 2015 10:28:13 GMT
Thanks for these other vids Virgil
It would be interesting to see the other launch of Thunderbird 4 from the runway again. If I recall correctly I think that there was a ramp at the end of the runway that was lowered down to sea level? I'll have to dig out the DVDs and watch that episode again as I can't remember why Thunderbird 2 was being shot at.
Sam.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Apr 27, 2015 19:22:39 GMT
Yes, thanks for posting these nostalgic clips Virgil. Difficult to believe so many years have passed since they were first shown Gene.
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Post by Superclassic on Apr 27, 2015 20:44:13 GMT
I remember Thunderbirds when it was shown I think on BBC2 at perhaps midday on a Sunday,me and my brother would sit and watch before our sunday dinner,this would be early 80s I suppose.For anybody that's interested,I did get pretty pally with Dee Anderson,Sylvia's daughter.She was married to a musician mate of mine,Mike Khan,they were married in the early noughties,I went to the wedding.Sylvia was there but Gerry Anderson didn't attend.Mike sadly passed away a couple of years back.I haven't seen or spoke to Dee for a few years now,but she is a lovely lady.
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Post by Perfect Pseudonym on May 21, 2015 19:24:55 GMT
Oh I love Thunderbirds.
I have the box set DVDs. although not the 60s films (let's disregard the 2000s live action one with the pink Ford!)
In my 70s nipperdom, I remember them being shown on a Sunday before the Big Match. At the time I used to think they were American-made, because Penny and Parker (and the occasional tally ho Wing Commander type) aside, the accents suggested so. Despite the reality that I don't think there were any actual Americans involved! So I was quite impressed to eventually find out that they were totally home grown, from a 1950s industrial estate in Slough!
As an adult watcher, I still love them as I did back then. But nowadays I like the so obviously 60s visions of how the future was going to be. Lots of 60s architecture that in the real world will now be torn down, but was obviously seen as here to stay back then! The buildings of Tracey Island are so brilliantly of the time also.
In the days long before CGI, the care and attention to the models and effects was so well done. Only ocean scenes ever really let them down as a bath of water cannot obviously be scaled down.
As a nitpick, the scaling did fluctuate a little. There was one where Alan was showing someone Thunderbird 3, shown as a gigantic rocket. But when it takes off through the Roundhouse (such a cool building - I wonder what it was used for), it's obviously a hell of a lot smaller.
Looking back on them now, I do find it amusing how John was given so little to do. Apparently Gerry Anderson hated the puppet, so decided to stow him away in the space station. The one time that the space station was heavily involved in a plot, happened to coincide with Alan on relief duty up there! John was just shown sitting around the Tracey Island house offering the occasional comment!
But what a great series, and I'm completely oblivious to the fact that it has currently been relaunched (or rebooted as modern parlance would have it) as a CGI fest on kids ITV!
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