For those who don't know it, I grew up in the sticks (so to speak) in a little town in the middle of nowhere. This was back in the days when you were lucky to have maybe ten or twelve channels (on a good day with good weather). These local stations would import programming from all over the world -- meaning that you didn't see as many syndicated shows as the big cities got while instead you suffered through Japanese cartoons or European fare that didn't get picked up elsewhere -- and, as a kid, you made do watching this instead of US shows targeted at children.
When I went to college and -- as college folks do -- you'd talk to one another about what you watched growing up, I couldn't find anyone who'd seen much less heard of Gerry Anderson's epic Thunderbirds. Seriously. People thought I was always making it up. A TV show? An action-based TV show? With super-charged vehicles? Starring puppets? No, not puppets. You mean: muppets? No, not muppets. You mean ... marionettes?
As far fetched as the idea seemed, Thunderbirds was a real thing, and it became a legitimate phenomenon for those wayward souls who managed to find the program on their TV dial. Most who did fell in love with it right away. Those who didn't? Well, maybe they were aware of the adventures and tried to block out their memories of it.
In any event, ITV has resurrected the adventures of the Tracy family, bringing Scott, Virgil, Alan, John, and Gordon back to the small screen where they belong and with absolutely no recollection of that awful big screen attempt from a few years back. Thank goodness for small favors. So far, it isn't available in any U.S. markets, but I've read some conflicting reports about Cartoon Network acquiring the broadcast rights, and I for one will be there when Thunderbirds catch their second wind.
Today's citation updates:
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Ring of Fire" (April 4)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Space Race" (April 11)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Crosscut (April 18)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Fireflash" (April 25)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Unplugged" (May 2)
When I went to college and -- as college folks do -- you'd talk to one another about what you watched growing up, I couldn't find anyone who'd seen much less heard of Gerry Anderson's epic Thunderbirds. Seriously. People thought I was always making it up. A TV show? An action-based TV show? With super-charged vehicles? Starring puppets? No, not puppets. You mean: muppets? No, not muppets. You mean ... marionettes?
As far fetched as the idea seemed, Thunderbirds was a real thing, and it became a legitimate phenomenon for those wayward souls who managed to find the program on their TV dial. Most who did fell in love with it right away. Those who didn't? Well, maybe they were aware of the adventures and tried to block out their memories of it.
In any event, ITV has resurrected the adventures of the Tracy family, bringing Scott, Virgil, Alan, John, and Gordon back to the small screen where they belong and with absolutely no recollection of that awful big screen attempt from a few years back. Thank goodness for small favors. So far, it isn't available in any U.S. markets, but I've read some conflicting reports about Cartoon Network acquiring the broadcast rights, and I for one will be there when Thunderbirds catch their second wind.
Today's citation updates:
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Ring of Fire" (April 4)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Space Race" (April 11)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Crosscut (April 18)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Fireflash" (April 25)
Added Thunderbirds Are Go's "Unplugged" (May 2)
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