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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Entertainment
Paul F Verhoeven

Thunderbirds was far more than puppets on strings – it was a strikingly optimistic view of humanity

Thunderbirds Jamie Anderson Gerry Lionel
Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds encapsulated the look and feel of the 60s, which was ‘bright’ and ‘positive’, says Jamie Anderson, CEO of Anderson Entertainment and son of the show’s creators, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

The year is 2065, and a philanthropic, fabulously wealthy ex-astronaut – Jeff Tracy – dedicates his life to saving humanity. Their headquarters? A mid-century vintage James Bond-style villa, situated on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. From here, Jeff and his five handsome, talented sons blast off in hi-tech vehicles to stage daring rescues. These almost totemic, futuristic feats of engineering? Thunderbirds.

First airing in 1965, the TV series had a daring, strikingly optimistic view not just of the future, but of humanity as a whole. It all started when its creators, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, who were already making ambitious and successful TV shows, learned of a disaster unfolding in Germany. A mine had collapsed, sealing 50 men deep underground, and a group of brave volunteers set out to rescue them.

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