Let me use this moment to turn your attention to the superior successor of Thunderbirds...Terrahawks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaOQA-wcm2w
The opening sequence 3D wireframe graphics were rendered on a cluster of prototype ZX Spectrums and were the inspiration for ILM's groundbreaking work on Tron.
This was my show as a kid, the one my parents had to get us back home in time to watch or else much stroppiness would occur. I haven't heard it for many years, but the opening notes of the theme tune made me grin ear to ear.
How was CGI output with enough scaling to look good on film, when the Spectrum only had composite output?
Similarly, with early CGI like Tron, what was the render/target resolution for film?
Wow ... big part of my childhood ... those robot ball things! Weird how this seems largely forgotten
According to Wikipedia, problems with broadcasting rights meant it wasn't really repeated after the original 1980's broadcasts.
As an aside, it's hardly surprising our American cousins haven't heard of Terrahawks. I doubt the tongue in cheek humour (typified by 'robot ball' Sergeant Major Zero) would translate well!
Not actually true. The title sequence was hand drawn, and the series didn’t even start filming until after Tron had come out.
Indeed, at it seems particularly unlikely when you consider that the absolute state of the art in the ZX Spectrum demoscene nearly fifty years on still isn't as high-resolution as Terrahawks' title sequence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJd6GtM5P9E
By the way, there is an excellent orchestral rendition of the theme music by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, seemingly from a recording for the 'On Screen' album in 1986:
Never knew this series but little me (from the Netherlands, from 1982) would have loved this show, I certainly loved Thunderbirds (even though 50% of the show was the same TB launch sequence ;) ). I feel sad that I seem to have lost the capacity to experience the epicness of such series/films.
Anyway, very cool that that Mars base is from 2020... It seemed so far way back then. The SciFi future with Mars bases and flying cars that never happened. We did get Smartphones though... What will humanity look like in 40 years? Unrecognizable probably.
I actually loved the new series
https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbirds-Are-Go-Season-1/dp/B086H...
As well as being a huge fan of the originals
The documentary "Supermarionation" (no relation to Super Mario) on Netflix is about the making of Thunderbirds and the other puppeteer shows from the same studio. Mind you, it's a typical Netflix documentary with 90% interviews from a handful of people.
Is it worth watching though?
I wouldn't mind if a documentary was an interview with just 1 person if it's good. The problem with those Netflix ones is they have a handful of people repeat the same thing over and over and over. Then they pad it out even further in between those repetitions with pan and zoom of a couple of barely relevant photos or newspaper clippings or illustrations, perhaps a clip of a news anchor reporting from the relevant time etc. What would be 30 seconds in a good documentary ends up being 5 minutes and 1 episode becomes 6.
I now usually give up and read the Wikipedia page once I spot these techniques.
I watched this when it first appeared. From memory it was a good behind the scenes documentary and worth the watch if you had a passing interest in it as a kid.
you'll be wanting https://www.youtube.com/@century21films28
Thunderbirds was made in the 60's?? How come it was such a hit when I was a kid in the 90's? I had their fortress as a toy.
From wikipedia: ” In the early 1990s, Matchbox launched a new range of toys to coincide with the BBC2 repeats. Sales figures for Christmas 1992 surpassed those achieved by Star Wars merchandise in the 1970s and 1980s.”
There were a lot of repeats when I was a kid (80-90s). Shows like Thunderbirds and the like were mainstays of my TV watching.
They were really good for their time, and hadn't really aged too badly by the 80s and 90s, so it made good financial sense to repeat them. Combine that with the money to be made from toys and it was a much better deal than forking out for new programmes.
Yep, here's Peter Cook and Dudley Moore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oMi_Hv3Sws
full version https://www.facebook.com/WeirdHollywood/videos/2021-march-pe...
I still have that island fortress thing somewhere in a closet, or maybe my parents. With the pool that could swivel out the way, the trees that fold down and some sound effects IIRC. Was all the rage in my class when I was a kid (in the 90s).
Yup, same. I don't still have it though. :(
Because it was really well produced, and brilliantly written and directed! Even now it looks great.
There was also an episode of the popular kids TV show Blue Peter, where they showed you how to make Tracy Island. I believe that helped boost it's popularity.
I think that was downstream to deal with the fact the real toy was expensive and hard to get due to demand.
IIRC it was Blue Peter's most requested instructions ever.
Quite a signficant public service by whoever designed that when you think about it.
For all those who didn't have the privilege of growing up as a kid in the 90's, this went viral before going viral was a thing :-)
This was huge. Everyone in my class was trying to build it! It occasionally gets talked about to this day
With Anthea Turner, no less... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM_iV7R8rTM
Back in the good old days, when kids had attention spans!
I also had the toys in the 90s and possibly attempted the blue Peter make of the fortress. I even had a duvet cover and lunchbox. These things were of course bought by my parents who watched the show in their childhoods. In turn my kid loves sonic and I have bought him hats and jumpers etc.
I think these revivals intentionally capitalise on nostalgia.
Yes. Probably because Terrahawks (80s) was such a flop, and so there was scope to repeat Thunderbirds.
Not that the others: Joe 90, Supercar, etc got much in the way of repeats. That said I did enjoy Captain Scarlet and Stingray as a kid.
There was an even a (quite crappy) Amiga game! Coincided with re-runs on Turkish (newly formed) cable TV - such good (or not) memories.
There was a really good Thunderbirds game for its time on the inferior Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. I was amazed all those years ago by its puzzle gameplay design. You can play it here.
https://archive.org/details/zx_Thunderbirds_1985_Firebird_So...
Edit : to set up controls since it's not noted on that page, you'll need to press R ( Redefine keys! ) and that'll get you started!
How to play : you swap between thunderbird 1 and 2 each ship by pressing spacebar ( default ) or whatever you configured it to. You'll notice the ship selected in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Maybe there was a revival around that time? Otherwise I'd guess nostalgia from parents?
Never heard of this show but puppets style seems to have later became the basis for the Team America puppets[0].
[0] https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/...
That was pretty much a direct homage to (or spoof of) Supermarionation, the puppetry style used for Thunderbirds and a number of other shows.
Looks like the majority of it is the same as what aired, just with some alternative edits. Which makes sense as the guy was an editor for the show.
These aren’t “unseen” episodes etc.
Nah, but the title is accurate; the reels had been unseen. And there's some unused / unaired scenes (or, at least one). Still a valuable historic artifact.
PSA: despite the trope, please do not store film in your garden shed. Film is very delicate and hates moisture and temperature fluctuation.
Speaking of dodgy things in sheds, as a heads-up Hexamine fuel tablets are now illegal to possess in the UK - so campers and model steam engine enthusiasts beware.
But in Britain all things end up in the garden shed eventually…
> please do not store film in your garden shed.
Under no circumstances should you store nitrate film (or film you even think might be nitrate) in your home. It is more flammable than petrol.
There is a damn good reason people store old film in garden sheds and not in the house. It isn't a 'trope'.
An important thing to be aware of. However, storing nitrate film in your shed would still be illegal and inadvisable. There is a decade buffer ensuring Thunderbirds was not filmed on nitrate. tbh I don't think the is any nitrate film stored in a shed which would still be recoverable.
Dont worry- as long as there is PSA personal around, you know there is a guy, whos job is it to fix the films discolouration and damages in post. So its okayish and greyish.
Captain Scarlet was where it was at, such a scary vibe in that show.
What about UFO? Not puppets (though by the Anderson team) but live-action with sexy ladies in purple wigs and somewhat creepy vibe.
Nice childhood memories: "Thunderbirds are go!"
I always wondered how the palm trees were able to be flattened:).
Wait, they have all those digital scans, but the article does not include a single frame from any one of them? I know they said it needs restoration work, but still...
