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Get outta here, ya dirty buggahs! (H'm, maybe 'docking' would've been a better word?) Received my new Corgi Thunderbird 5 today (yes, on a Sunday - DHL) and so I dug out my TB3 to connect it with International Rescue's Space Station. Doesn't it look great - or perhaps I should say don't they look great?! Incidentally, I just grabbed the first Corgi TB3 from several years back for the photos as the new super-detailed one is in its box in a cupboard and I couldn't be bothered moving things to get to it. I'll maybe take new photos later.
And for all those who came here expecting something else, you should be ashamed of yourselves. What would your mothers have thunk?!
Did any of you watch Thunderbirds as a kid? If so, what did you think of it? Was it the best series Gerry Anderson ever did - or did you prefer another one of his various TV puppet shows? And do any other Crivs collect these great Corgi collectables? Tell all in our comments section.
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Below - 'penetration' - all done in the best possible taste.
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Though I haven't seen you do loads of TREK posts, I said to myself, "Ah, it's gonna be the shuttle entering the Enterprise bay..."
ReplyDeleteThat's an idea for next time, GP. thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteITV Retro are currently livestreaming episodes of Thunderbirds 24/7
ReplyDeleteTa for letting me know, BS, but I've got the DVD box set. Can't really be bothered watching any of them, though it's nice to know they're there, should I ever feel like it.
DeleteUntil you posted this I had totally forgotten that there was a TB5. I remember watching Thunder it's as a kid in the 1960s but wasn't a massive fan. As you know Captain Scarlet was my favourite Gerry Anderson show.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Scarlet was quite a dark show for Gerry Anderson, I thought, McS. And the Earthmen were really the aggressors as they fired on the Mysteron city first. That's an interesting angle that was never really explored. My favourite is Fireball XL5.
DeleteYeah good point, it was dark but I don't think I thought that at the time. I also liked Stingray
ReplyDeleteYeah, Stingray was my next favourite show after Fireball. Great design of the super-sub.
DeleteReflecting on past times is interesting. I'm old enough to remember Twizzle and Torchy. They were watched because they were what was on not because they were that interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen Four Feather Falls appeared it was just great. A terrific steam locomotive, fun stories and sets.
Then Supercar, fun stories and who wouldn't have wanted a flying car
Fireball XL5 was even better, Science Fiction was replacing westerns in general for films and TV.
Then would you believe it Stingray. Not as much fun especially given the goofy enemies. Didn't have colour TV so that element was lost on me.
Thunderbirds. Possibly the best musical score yet.
Captain Scarlet. a downward spiral begins.
Joe 90. spiraled even further down
The Secret Service. down even further
UFO. Instead of puppets acting as people, people acting as puppets.
The Protectors. boring
Space: 1999. The ultimate in puppet people.
Terrahawks. Barely watchable and the last time I bothered watching any new Anderson series.
So ultimately, the colour, the music, the stories make Thunderbirds the pinnacle of the puppetry art and model making combination made by the Andersons. Obviously half hour stories padded out to an hour and having seen a bootleg copy with different music or rather missing any music the stories suck. So it was the series with a winning combination of elements that they failed to find in later series.
With what most people would regard as the 'good' shows, T47, it was a combination of craft designs, title music, launch sequences, etc., that made them what they are, I think. Whenever I've rewatched any of the shows decades later, I find it hard to maintain my interest in them. In fact, a DVD with the opening and closing titles, the launch scenes, and a few show-specific action shots of Supercar to Captain Scarlet would fulfil my nostalgia requirements of Gerry Anderson productions. Of course, at the time of original broadcasts, I was 10 years younger than you, so probably enjoyed them more than you did. It's interesting that the 'downward spiral' seemingly began when they gave the puppets more realistic proportions.
DeleteI first saw Thunderbirds in the '90s thanks to the repeats on BBC2 but I thought the episodes were way too long for a kids' puppet show - 25 minutes per episode would have been much better.
ReplyDeleteWhen the puppets became more realistic, the stories became less children's entertainment. By Space 1999 the actors were so wooden they were less animated than the preceding puppets. The model work was as good as ever but the combination of elements was never better than in Thunderbirds. As you said, a few specific clips of the shows fulfills any nostalgia requirements.
ReplyDeleteI agree, CJ. Apparently, the first few episodes were originally only around 25 minutes long, but Lew Grade wanted 50 minute episodes (with time for ads) so new material was shot and added to make the first few longer.
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I could never warm to Space 1999, T47 - it just didn't do anything for me. In fact, aside from the theme tune and the car, neither did Joe 90. And I've still never seen an episode of Secret Service.
Like Thunderbirds, I celebrated a 60th birthday this year. I've great memories of watching it as a kid with my Dad, who enjoyed it just as much as me. I've been buying the Corgi reissues, pre-ordered the Blu-ray box set and went to the cinema to see the double-bill of episodes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I did like Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and the first season of Space 1999, none had the special magic of Thunderbirds.
You must have watched the '70s repeats, PG, as you'd have been too young to see the first broadcasts. I suppose Thunderbirds must've been Gerry Anderson's most successful show, probably due to the fantastic designs of TB1 and TB2, FAB 1, and the music. As for me, my heart is still a Fireball.
DeleteI don't recall any '70s repeats of Thunderbirds, Kid, and for me the '90s repeats on BBC2 was my first encounter with the series. I suppose you remember the big revival of interest in Thunderbirds at that time - Blue Peter even made a model of Tracy Island, out of old cornflakes packets and loo rolls I assume. My first Gerry Anderson series was Joe 90 which always makes me think of my grandmother's colour TV so I suppose I must have watched some episodes of Joe 90 on her TV back in 1971 or thereabouts. I still love the first season of Space: 1999 so I definitely disagree with Terranova 47 about the cast being wooden!
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember it well because Alan Fennell, the first editor of TV Century 21, was the also the editor of the new comics launched off the back of the '90s TV repeats and I spoke to him on the 'phone a few times, as well as communicating through the post. Incidentally, the BBC repeats were the first time the show had been broadcast on network television, the original run being regional and sometimes aired on different days at different times. What you have to remember, CJ, is that T47 is quite a bit older than you and will see things through different eyes; I'm sure he'll makes allowances for you being much younger when you watched Space 1999. (I thought it was pish.)
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