Thunderbirds Are Go! by Anthony Brum

There exists a rocky outcrop somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, whose location is known only to a select few. If, by chance, a passing vessel may happens upon it, a curious spectator may notice nothing more than a small island with a luxurious villa tucked away amongst the trees. They may even catch a glimpse of a generously proportioned outdoor pool, before continuing on their way. But the island isn’t simply the secluded getaway of a reclusive billionaire, it happens to be the covert headquarters of a unique agency, who are patiently awaiting your cry of help. Diligent, resolute and tireless, they monitor communications from around the globe and can dispatch specialists to any location at a moment’s notice. Extreme cold, underground, over ground, sea, even Space, nowhere is beyond their reach. If you are in danger, if the odds of survival are diminishing with each passing second, fear not; no jeopardy is too great and no distance too far. It is the mid 2060’s, and this is International Rescue.

Thunderbirds is a British sci-fi series produced in the 1960s, which used marionette puppets as the stars on scale model sets. The series followed adventures around the Tracy family, who carried out daring rescues when emergency services couldn’t offer help. Often, these took place in areas so isolated as to put them beyond the reach of conventional aid, or a pressing time factor such as the flooding of a cave or exposure to radiation meant that only International Rescue with its rapid deployment of specialist equipment could free the victims in time. The series was not cheap to make and with an eye on commercial interests, the principal characters were given American accents to make it more appealing to the US market.

Home to the Tracy family, the island is the secret base from which operations are co-ordinated. Quite how it was built without a soul discovering its whereabouts is a mystery that is tacit within the narrative. A vast underground construction housing a rocket, supersonic plane, carrier aircraft and numerous other vehicles is concealed below a sliding swimming pool, with palm trees that part to reveal a covert launch pad. It is a residence any Bond villain would be proud of. The mastermind behind International Rescue’s technology is Brains, a brilliant engineer who designed and maintains all of the aircraft and other rescue equipment. This is quite some job and the stress was obviously getting to him when he devised the method of entry for Thunderbird 2. The pilot is taken on a convoluted journey within the innards of the house, through rotating wall panels, along slides and down a retractable chute that plops him directly into his seat.

The organisation is particularly sensitive about safeguarding the secrets of its vehicles. Fearing the technology may be replicated and used for nefarious ends, the Thunderbirds are fitted with a device that alerts the crew if they are being filmed. One particular character, The Hood crops up from time to time and goes to great lengths to uncover International Rescues’ engineering marvels, believing he can achieve great wealth from selling this knowledge. The gloves however, are off, when it comes to this sort of carry-on; International Rescue won’t stand for it. In episode one, The Hood succeeds in capturing some photos, and Lady Penelope, IR’s London agent is sent to rectify the matter. Lady Penelope on this occasion is in no mood for any nonsense and blasts The Hood off the road with a machine gun concealed in her specially customised Rolls Royce, sending him over the side of a cliff in ball of flames. It ruins The Hood’s film and will hopefully makes him think twice before meddling with IR again.

Although efforts were made to disguise the threads from which the marionettes were suspended, they are clearly visible and add to the charm of the series, as much as the oversized caricatured heads, and the perpetually wobbly motion of the puppets. Indeed, if it was just the mouth and eyes that moved, the performance would probably come across as a little wooden. Thunderbirds was terrific! With its high production values, a rousing signature tune, well-paced drama and special effects on a par with cinema of the day, it is still fondly remembered. So if, come 2065, you have the misfortune to plunge into a fissure deep in the scorching desert, or are trapped on board a spacecraft hurtling towards the sun, there are those out there who will stop at nothing, to ensure your safe being. And the fee for such an absurdly well-resourced service? Nothing more than a grateful shake of the hand and a hearty farewell. Lives are saved- that’s thanks enough for International Rescue. Altruism does exist, with no strings attached.

Please check out my space adventure for middle-grade/ 9-12 year olds- “Imbrium City: Rise of the New Defenders,” available on Kindle and paperback large print.

Cadet Kiera Austin, young and extraordinarily gifted, is a student of the Stellaris Academy, in the lunar city of Imbrium. Resentful at the choice of her new partner, android Leo Silver, the pair are called to an emergency on a remote outpost of the Moon: a fire, that Kiera suspects was deliberate and is somehow linked with Leo’s past. Driven by a desire to find the truth, Kiera’s investigations arouse the attention of some powerful and very dangerous forces, who will stop at nothing in their pursuit to hunt the cadets down…

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