A stage puppet show which was
conceived and performed by series puppeteers Christine Glanville
and Rowena White with the official permission of Century 21.
They formed a company called Stage Three and toured U.K. theatres
with the show.
Japanese origination
U.S. version produced by Robert Mandell
24 x 30 minute episodes
This was a Japanese animated
series, subjected to voice-over and released by ITC in English-speaking
countries as Thunderbirds 2086. It used the Thunderbirds format
with neither the knowledge nor involvement of either Gerry Anderson
or Century 21. The International Rescue team consisted of some
17 craft and even used some of the music composed by Barry Gray
for the original series. It was shown on the PRISM cable network
in the U.S. and was released in the U.K. in 1986.
A stage show devised by Andrew
Dawson and Gavin Robertson, it contained characters from both
Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, all characters, and even
vehicles, being played by the two actors. It toured the U.K.
in 1985 and subsequently went to Hong Kong, Singapore, the
U.S.A. and Australia before returning to the U.K. in 1989
where it began its run at The Apollo theatre.
1987
- Children In Need BBC
Radio 2
Produced
by Dirk Maggs
Voice
artists Shane Rimmer, Matt Zimmerman and David Graham were involved
in this humorous, episodic story broadcast on 24th to 27th November
1987 in support of the BBC Television Children In Need appeal.
The storyline found Scott and Alan Tracy rescuing Parker from
the BBC record library where he had become trapped while trying
to make a secret anonymous donation to the appeal on behalf
of Lady Penelope.
1991
- Thunderbirds F.A.B. - The Next Generation
Produced
by and starring Paul Kent and Wayne Forester
This
was a more elaborate version of the original stage show and
also included characters from Stingray. It was revived in 1995
by Paul Kent, this time with Tristan Sharps, eventually going
on tour with Richard James accompanying Paul Kent.
Following
its acquisition of ITC, Polygram decided to follow up on the
ITC cut-down episodes and went into co-production with Bohbot
to produce this series. The show was live action mixed with
re-voiced original footage and featured Roxette and Tripp, two
teenagers who find themselves in a parallel universe peopled
by puppet-like figures. They help the Tracy family to fight
their enemy, The Hood, and his evil controller The Atrocimator.
Understandably, Gerry Anderson had his name removed from the
credits. The series was shown on U.S. syndicated television
but has, mercifully, never found its way to these shores.
1990 - Return To The Forbidden Planet by Bob
Carlton
'Monster
Attack' - from the original West End production
Video Special
Effects - Gerry Anderson
A long-running musical stage show with video special effects
created, and subsequently updated, by Gerry Anderson. Interesting
concepts here.... a spoof take-off of the 1956 sci-fi classic
film 'Forbidden Planet', a musical score that is essentially
rock'n'roll, a leading character who has the same name as the
Captain of 'Stingray', and effects by the great man. Somehow
it all works on stage - a huge success.
Scientific
Survey Flight Nine headed by Captain Tempest are joined by a
new female Science Officer who abandons ship when the spacecraft
is caught in a violent asteroid storm. The ship crash-lands
on an uncharted planet called D'illyria. A face appears on their
scanner screen, which Captain Tempest recognises as Prospero,
a great scientist who fifteen years ago defected to the other
side. Prospero rejects this saying he was the victim of a dreadful
plot. Believing his tale, Tempest welcomes him to feast with
him on the ship. Prospero arrives accompanied by a robot called
Ariel and his beautiful teenage daughter, Miranda. She has never
seen a human apart from her father and is immediately struck
by Tempest's looks, falling in love with him at first sight.
Ariel reports that the Science Officer is on her way to the
ship. He also tells Tempest about Prospero's great invention,
Telegenisis, a process that can create matter simply by thought.
Prospero is not happy with Ariel revealing his secrets, and
even less so at Miranda's feelings for Tempest, telling her
she must choose between them. Puzzled at her father's reaction,
Miranda says that if she has to make a choice it will be Tempest.
Seething with anger Prospero leaves. Tempest, though deeply
attracted to Miranda, tells her that she is too young. Prospero,
meanwhile, cannot control his anger, images take shape in his
mind, he takes a test tube marked X Factor, the basis of Telegenesis,
drinks it and collapses. A beep appears upon the screen. It
is the Science Officer, pursued by a dreadful monster, created
from Prospero's drugged brain. The air-lock opens to admit Gloria
pursued by the monster.
The fight continues with Gloria being rescued by Ariel who blows
fire at the monster which explodes. The Science Officer is brought
before Prospero, who, it turns out, is the husband she betrayed.
Prospero condemns her crime and the destruction of a force which
could have eradicated conflict, famine and disease on Earth.
Prospero comes up with a way to repair their damaged spacecraft.
Meanwhile, Gloria plots to get the 'X Factor' by promising the
ship's cook that she will show him how to win Miranda's love.
The ship's company undergo a reverse polarity procedure to assist
the repair process.
Gloria alone, is tortured by the confusion in her feelings for
Prospero, whom she loves but has sworn to destroy. Ariel re-enters
having repaired the damage to the ship. As he reports to Tempest
a sexy vamp appears. To Tempest's horror it is Miranda, who
thinks that as
she could not attract the captain with her youthful charms she
should try a more obvious approach.
Tempest rejects her again and Ariel consoles her, telling her
that what she really needs is a Robot man. The ship's cook enters
with the stolen X Factor and, livid to see Miranda kissing Ariel,
attacks him. Ariel wins, and eats the stolen formula. The monster
has apparently been re-created and is heard returning. Gloria
enters and tells Prospero that he is a sinful man whose force
for good has become a force for evil as it is his brain that
has created this uncontrollable monster from the id, man's subconscious
mind.
Forced to recognise the truth of her words and the real reason
for her behaviour, Prospero goes off to commit suicide, in a
final gesture of love and sacrifice. As the ship prepares for
take-off Tempest comforts Miranda, declaring his love for her.
During lift-off there is a massive rumble as the planet begins
to disintegrate. Ariel explains that just as Prospero could
create monsters, so could he also create great beauty - in this
case, D'illyria. With his death, the planet created from his
mind must also die.
26 episodes of 30 minutes - April 6, 2003-September
27, 2003
Based on an original idea by Gerry Anderson and John Needham
Directed by Kenji Terada
It is the year 2104 AD. The terrible
war is over and world peace seems imminent. Only one thing threatens
to disrupt the peace; the criminal organization who's power
and actions are spread worldwide... The Black Orchid. A team
of specialists from around the world called Storm Force is created.
The best of the best is Storm Force 9, a six member team led
by Sam Scott. Equipped with advanced vehicles and weapons, their
code name is Firestorm.
A Mixture of cel and CGI computer animation, Firestorm debuted
on Japanese TV in April of 2003.
Anderson created the series but did not produce it - he removed
his name from the episodes.
2004
- Thunderbirds - The Movie Universal
Pictures and StudioCanal Present A Working Title Production
Produced
by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Mark Huffam
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Returning
to Tracy island after successfully rescuing trapped workers
from a collapsing oil super-rig in the Gulf of Alaska, the Tracys
are joined by Jeff's youngest son Alan and Fermat, son of International
Rescue's brilliant inventor Professor Hiram 'Brains' Hackenbacker,
who are home from boarding school for the holidays. When Thunderbird
5 is badly damaged by an apparent meteor strike and John, on
duty on board as space monitor, is injured, Jeff races to assist
in Thunderbird 3 together with Scott, Virgil and Gordon.
The 'accident' has, however, actually been engineered by master
criminal 'The Hood' who has tracked Thunderbird 1 from the super-rig
to Tracy Island in his stealth submarine. Invading the island
base with his assistants, Transom and Mullion, The Hood takes
control of International Rescue in order to use their equipment
to rob the ten biggest banks in the world. He remotely shuts
down power on Thunderbird 5, trapping the Tracys on board and
setting the satellite on a spiralling course to burn up in the
Earth's atmosphere.
However, he has not counted on the ingenuity of Alan, Fermat
and their friend Tin-Tin who are still at large on the island
and will do anything to thwart The Hood's plans and save the
Tracy family.
A live action movie based on the original
series.
Gerry Anderson was not invited to contribute to the production
which is why Universal &co. managed to get away with wasting
an opportunity to produce something really special, resulting
in a bit of a dodo of a film as far as the box office was concerned.
Having said that, it isn't all bad, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes
doing a half decent job directing and making a cameo appearance.
The hardware was magnificent. A lot of it was produced life
size by Ford Motors who displayed it at the 2003 Motor Show
at the NEC and it really was very impressive.
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