Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)
A CGI and live-action reboot of the classic Thunderbirds series.
Thunderbirds Are Go is a CGI and live-action model animated sci-fi series produced by ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures. It reboots the original *Thunderbirds* by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, centering on the Tracy family’s secret Pacific island base and their high-tech rescue vehicles—the Thunderbirds—piloted by the five Tracy brothers. The show aired from 4 April 2015 to 22 February 2020, totaling 78 episodes across three seasons.
The revival was greenlit after Gerry Anderson met Weta Workshop founder Richard Taylor at Pinewood Studios. ITV Global Entertainment and Pukeko Pictures announced the project on 4 February 2013, with production starting in June 2013 at Weta Workshop. The main voice cast was revealed on 30 September 2014. Each series has 26 episodes, split into multiple broadcast blocks. Series 1 ran from 4 April to 20 June 2015 and again from 31 October 2015 to 23 January 2016. Series 2, confirmed on 18 December 2014, aired from 22 October 2016 to 7 January 2017 and from 30 September to 16 December 2017. Series 3, announced on 5 May 2016, broadcast from 31 March to 26 May 2018, 18 May to 13 July 2019, and 4 January to 22 February 2020.
Set in the 2060s, the show follows the Tracy brothers—Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon, and John—who lead International Rescue (IR) from a hidden base in the Southern Pacific. They use advanced land, sea, air, and space craft, with the five Thunderbirds each assigned to a brother. Supporting IR members include security chief Tanusha “Kayo” Kyrano, who operates the stealth Thunderbird Shadow; engineer Brains, who provides tech support; Grandma Tracy, who manages the household; and London operatives Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and Aloysius “Nosey” Parker, who handle espionage. The main antagonist is “The Hood,” a British criminal who despises IR and tries to steal its technology. Before the first episode, the Hood caused the loss of the brothers’ father, Jeff Tracy, IR’s founder and a friend of Global Defence Force (GDF) head Colonel Casey. In series 2, a new villain, “The Mechanic,” causes chaos and helps the Hood escape GDF custody, later turning on him and surrendering on condition that Brains secures his freedom. Series 3 introduces the “Chaos Crew”—siblings Havoc and Fuse—who ally with the Hood to create global chaos.
Most episodes focus on rescues, often reworking elements from the original series, such as a modern
- Premiered
- 4 April 2015
- Concluded
- 22 February 2020
- Number of episodes
- 78
- Number of series
- 3
- Production companies
- ITV Studios, Pukeko Pictures
- Animation technique
- Computer-generated animation and live-action models
- Setting
- 2060s
Lore & Background
The programme is set in the 2060s and follows the Tracy brothers—Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon, and John—who form International Rescue (IR). They operate from a hidden base in the Southern Pacific Ocean, using technologically advanced craft called Thunderbirds for land, sea, air, and space rescues. Additional IR members include Chief of Security Tanusha 'Kayo' Kyrano, engineer Brains, Grandma Tracy, and London operatives Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and Aloysius 'Nosey' Parker. The main adversary is 'The Hood', a British criminal mastermind. Jeff Tracy, the brothers' father and IR's founder, was lost in space due to an accident involving the Zero-X spacecraft, not The Hood's actions. Later series introduce villains 'The Mechanic' and the 'Chaos Crew'.
Reader's Guide
Thunderbirds Are Go was well-received by critics and fans of the original series. It spawned several branches of merchandising. The revival was approved by co-creator Gerry Anderson after Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop visited him at Pinewood Studios. Production began in June 2013 at Weta Workshop, with all scale model miniature effects and CGI produced there. The music score was composed by brothers Ben and Nick Foster, remaining faithful to Barry Gray's original score. The programme was broadcast internationally, including in Australia, Japan, France, the United States, Canada, and Taiwan.
Did You Know?
- The series uses a combination of computer-generated animation and live-action models.
- Archive audio of Peter Dyneley, voice actor of Jeff Tracy in the original series, is featured in the remake's titles and launch sequences.
- David Graham, who voiced Parker in the original series, also voiced Parker in this reboot.
- The third and final series included a story arc in which Jeff Tracy is discovered to be alive and trapped in deep space.
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