Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series): Difference between revisions

Thunderbirds Are Go
Genre	Science fiction Action Adventure
Based on	Thunderbirds by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson
Written by	Rob Hoegee
Directed by	David Scott Theo Baynton
Voices of	Rosamund Pike Thomas Sangster Rasmus Hardiker David Menkin Kayvan Novak David Graham Angel Coulby Teresa Gallagher
Composers	Ben Foster Nick Foster
Country of origin	United Kingdom New Zealand
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	16 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Estelle Hughes Giles Ridge Richard Taylor Andrew Smith
Cinematography	Simon Godsiff
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	ITV Studios Pukeko Pictures
Original release
Network	ITV CITV
Release	4 April 2015 (2015-04-04) – present
Related
Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds Are Go is a British and New Zealand computer-animated science-fiction television series made by ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures using a combination of CGI and miniatures made by Weta Workshop. It is an adaptation of the original 1965 Thunderbirds created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.^[1] The series premiered in the UK on 4 April 2015.^[2] Character, vehicle and set design has been updated to reflect modern times, though many memorable features of the original series have been retained.^[3] The premiere revealed that, along with the five original craft, a new Thunderbird craft was also made; Thunderbird 'Shadow' (aka Thunderbird 'S') to be piloted by Kayo, the head of the organisation's security.^[4]

The first series consists of twenty-six twenty minute episodes.^[5] On 18 December 2014, it was announced that a second series would air "over 2016 and 2017".^[6]

The majority of the main characters from the 1960s series have returned, including the five Tracy brothers (Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon, and Alan), Brains, Lady Penelope and Parker, Grandma Tracy, and The Hood, as well as remade versions of characters to the franchise, including Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano (the new name for original series character, Tin Tin) and a female character named Colonel Casey (a remade version of original character and Jeff's friend, Colonel Tim Casey, who appeared in the original series episode "Edge of Impact"). However, Tintin/Tanusha's father Kyrano Sr is absent from this cast, with no further explanation.^[7] Jeff, the father of the Tracy brothers, is mentioned only by name and references by the others, and revealed to be missing following a plane crash suspected to be engineered by the Hood; his status is yet to be revealed though he is presumed to be dead. The late Peter Dyneley, Jeff's voice actor in the original series, is heard in the show's introduction, which reuses his opening countdown from the original series. The main cast includes Rosamund Pike, Thomas Sangster, Rasmus Hardiker, David Menkin, Andres Williams, Kayvan Novak, Angel Coulby and David Graham,^[8] with Graham returning to reprise his original role as Aloysius Parker, Penelope's chauffeur.^[9]

• Sandra Dickinson as Grandma Tracy
• Andres Williams as The Hood
• Adjoa Andoh as Colonel Casey
• Teresa Gallagher as EOS, Professor Moffat, and Various Guest Characters
• Kayvan Novak as Ned Tedford and Various Guest Characters
• Peter Dyneley as Countdown Voice (archived audio, uncredited)

• Reggie Yates as Ellis the Security Guard in "Space Race".
• Matt Zimmerman as Professor Harold in "Tunnels of Time".
• Rhys Darby as Langstrom Fischler in "Skyhook"
• Rich Hall as Captain Lee Taylor in "Relic"
• Ramon Tikaram as Father in Balloon in "Ring of Fire Part 1" and Doctor Peck in "Breakdown"
• Sylvia Anderson as Great Aunt Sylvia^[10] in Designated Driver. [Not yet broadcast]

The production crew for the show consists of the following members that assist with it:

• Series Director - David Scott
• Episode Director - Theo Baynton^[11]
• Writer - Rob Hoegee
• Executive Producers - Estelle Hughes, Giles Ridge, Richard Taylor, and Andrew Smith^[12]
• Music Composers - Ben and Nick Foster^[13]
• Editor - Anthony Cox^[14][15]

Production of each episode for the revamp differs completely from that of the original series. Since the show uses CGI instead of puppets for the character creating each episode required a different approach, although hand-made live action model sets are still used. Production begins with the sets, in which the film crew have to devise the camera setups for the scenes to match with the movement and positions of the CGI characters and craft that would be later imposed upon the filmed footage. This includes any manipulation of the scene to match movements made by CGI characters or craft, such as a character opening a door, or objects being displaced by a thruster, and any special effects used on the set, such as smoke and wind. The sets were designed with a similar method to the original series, including using household objects. For example, the Thunderbird 1 bay of the original series included an orange hand juicer as part of it, and the revamp did the same thing with its version of the bay.

Because the characters and crafts are created in CGI, greater flexibility is given in regards to movement and detail, and more so with characters as fluid motion can be provided for greater movement, expressions and reactions; this means that CGI characters in the revamp can do much more than their former puppet counterparts, including running, jumping and climbing, amongst other flexible actions. All of the CGI sequences that are imposed on the footage created by filming the model set, is first done on paper to detail the sequence, and then with computers formatting the models and the layout of the sequence. Details are then included, such as characters costumes, craft setup, and are made to follow very closely to the camera layout and movement of set props (such as when Thunderbird 2 is raised into launch position, for example).

The music for the show was given a modern take, with more flair for the dramatic and for greater suspense and excitement to coincide with the revamp, but with many nods to the original composition that was used, including a revamped composition of the original theme tune.

Much of the format follows a traditional style to the original, in that International Rescue often is involved in rescues or have to face unexpected problems. However, episodes now only cover a twenty-minute timeslot, rather than an hour as the original series did.

The title sequence remains faithful to the original, although a prologue is given of the episode before it, while the teaser segment occurs near the end of the titles, not the beginning.

Series 1 is set to broadcast in two halves in 2015. The first two episodes - Ring of Fire - aired as a double bill on 4 April on ITV, with the remaining 11 airing weekly up to 20 June on CITV. The remaining 13 episodes of the series will start airing on 31 October on CITV. Series 2 will broadcast between the Autumn of 2016 and the Spring of 2017.

A second series is expected to broadcast in the 2016–17 television season. The second series will also consist of 26 episodes.^[16]

Owing to the revamp, there are quite a number of notable differences between it and the original series, which include the following:

• The absence of both Kyrano and Jeff Tracy, makes Grandma Tracy the head of the house and housekeeper. She is also portrayed as wearing a tracksuit, being bad at cooking, but being proud of the boys.
• Tin-Tin Kyrano had a name change to Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano, due to copyright problems with the popular character Tintin with Hergé's graphic novel series, The Adventures of Tintin.^{[citation needed]} Apart from operating as International Rescue's head of security and continuing to be romantically linked with Alan Tracy, she is both the first female and first person outside the immediate Tracy family to be a Thunderbird Pilot. Thunderbird S was specially created by Japanese mecha designer and anime director Shoji Kawamori, who cites the various Gerry Anderson shows he saw as influences on his career.
• Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward now has a pet dog called Sherbet, and appears both younger and less mature with a normal speaking voice, rather than slowly spoken clipped English. Alongside a change of romance from Jeff to Gordon, her car, FAB 1, now can fly, similar to the version in the 2004 movie adaptation.
• Both John and Gordon, have had their hair colours swapped; the same is done to between Scott and Virgil. In addition, only Scott and Parker keep their original facial features; the rest have new looks.
• Brains' stutter is less pronounced, he has a darker complexion, speaks with an Indian accent, and has a robot assistant called Max.
• The Hood no longer has psychic powers, now wears a suit, uses holographic disguises, and his base is now a large Flying Fortress (called the "Hubship").
• The Tracy brothers' uniform sashes and belts have different colours from the original series to match the Thunderbird craft they pilot, whilst also now specially-tailored for each brother; for example, Gordon Tracy's suit has a built-in respirator because of his role as an aquanaut.
• Due to a higher level of restrictions in children's programming, and the show's basis of saving lives, the brothers no longer carry guns, and death and violence do not happen, although Thunderbird 4 is still armed with missiles. Smoking and Alcohol drinking are also not shown. In addition, whereas it was used to power everything from vehicles to cooking appliances, nuclear power is now shown to be considered dangerous and abandoned as a major energy source, although still exists in one form or another (such as abandoned uranium mines). Artificial intelligence is more advanced now.
• The time frame of the show is now set around 2060, and significant events occurred before this date - an example is that a global conflict in 2040 occurred, with remnants of it still remaining in 2060 and having ramifications that impacted the world as a result.
• All Thunderbird crafts retain some original features of their launch procedures (i.e. Alan being lowered on a couch), but have new features to them:
  • Thunderbird 1 is raised, rather than lowered to launch position
  • Virgil descends head first by rail and then swings into his craft
  • Alan and his co-pilot (Kayo mostly) are split into separate seats during the transfer to Thunderbird 3
  • The brothers are changed into uniforms before entering their craft, via robotic equipment
• The Thunderbird crafts can be remote piloted by their respective Tracy brother, and have had revamped designs:
  • Thunderbird 5 generates gravity through rotation, the strength controlled by the speed of the spin. It now includes a space elevator pod that connects it to Tracy Island, and can be moved by rockets when needed. It also functions as the control station when rescues are in motion.
  • The protruding buttresses on Thunderbird 3 operate as mobile grappling arms, which fire grappling lines to connect to debris. The white choker is removed and replaced with the cockpit windows. The midsection of Thunderbird 3 has also been revealed to be a hangar bay for specially designed Pod vehicles for space operations which require smaller craft. Thunderbird 3 also appears to be able to operate in a normal atmosphere if required, for instance when transferring passangers between itself and Thunderbird 2 in mid-flight.
  • Thunderbird 2 has a large hatch on the roof of the craft, which can be opened during flight when needed. It also has magnetic grabs for rescue operations and for retrieving Pod 4.
  • Thunderbird 4 has "life-boat"-like pods for sending rescued people up to the surface of the water.
  • Thunderbird 1 now has an underside cockpit, bay doors, and a magnetic grab, but no longer carries a mobile control station with Thunderbird 5's improved role in the show.
  • Pod vehicles are assembled, using a centralised "Pod" which is given attachments that are fitted by robotic arms for the purpose required (i.e. becoming a mobile, aerial craft). The iconic vehicle, the Mole, is now assembled in this manner - a pod fitted with caterpillar tracks and a drill on the front. The container that Thunderbird 2 carries is now called a 'Module' rather than a 'Pod'.

The first two episodes of the show were broadcast together on ITV and ITV HD at 5 pm on 4 April 2015. They were re-aired at 3 pm the following day on CITV, and again the following week, in two parts. From 11 April 2015, an episode airs each Saturday at 8 am on ITV, ITV HD and CITV. Episodes are re-aired on CITV three times over the week, at 3 pm on Sunday, 5 pm on Wednesday, and at 1 pm on Thursday.

The series premiered in New Zealand on 10 April 2015 on TV2, with the episodes "Ring of Fire: Part 1" and "Ring of Fire: Part 2". It airs each Sunday at 6 pm. The series also airs on the Nine Network's GO! channel in Australia on the same day and time as New Zealand.

Tunnels of Time was broadcast on 24 May 2015 on ITV and ITV HD but not on CITV. There was no new episode on 30 May 2015 so CITV could catch up.

On 23rd October, a new advert for the second half of the series was released, saying that the new episodes will start on Halloween at 8:30am.

Fans and critics reacted very positively to the new series, despite some negative reactions from fans of the original version ^{[17][18][19][20][21]} claiming the show was clearly made to attract a new generation of fans instead of appealing to nostalgia. However ITV's decision to air episodes at 8 am BST (other than the pilot, which aired at 5 pm) sparked a negative fan reaction and was criticized by journalists too, claiming that moving it from the original episode's 5 pm slot would alienate the adult viewership it gained from the first episode, with many also feeling the series could match the success of the BBC revival of Doctor Who in 2005 if kept at its 5 pm slot.^[22] Thunderbirds Are Go currently has an 8.6 rating on tv.com^[23] and 6.8 on IMDb.^[24]

There will be an official Thunderbirds app launching in October 2015 to accompany the second half of season 1.^[26]

An official app was released on 20 May 2015 as an add-on to the features on the website. The app is available on both Google Play and Apple's App Store for free.

Volume 1, containing the first 13 episodes of Series 1 was released on Region 2 on Monday, 22 June 2015.^[27]

The first 13 episodes are split into 2 volumes for the Region 4 version of the DVD. Volume 1 consisting of the first 7 episodes and volume 2 featuring the remaining 6. The 2 volumes were released on 24 June 2015.

All episodes are available to purchase digitally in full 1080p HD on Amazon Video and iTunes.

An official magazine was published by D. C. Thomson & Co. on October 15, 2015. It features comics, facts, puzzles and more. Each issue includes a free gift.^[28] The British Kid's TV blog said 'The Thunderbirds Are Go magazine is good in places, but need more comics and stories with less puzzles.'^[29]

• Thunderbirds Are Go at IMDb
• Official YouTube channel