If you find yourself struggling for breath after watching the first episode of Thunderbirds Are Go, ITV’s new take on Gerry Anderson’s seminal TV masterpiece, then it’s understandable.
If anything, it’s the sort of TV show that should come with health warnings at the beginning. Not because it’s bad. Far from it even! Thunderbirds Are Go is top class animated entertainment, no doubt about it. But when the action is this tense, exhilarating and air-punchingly awesome, it’s more than likely that some viewers may struggle for air as they attempt to keep up with the action unfolding onscreen.
The team at Weta Digital (The Lord of the Rings) and lead writer Rob Hoegee have bought the team of International Rescue back to the small screen with all the love and care that television legends deserve.
As a debut outing and a reintroduction to the world of the Tracy brothers, ‘Ring of Fire’ is nigh on perfect – Hoegee fills every minute of his tightly packed script with enough incident, action and danger to keep all who watch hooked and on the edge of their respective seats. Clearly, the man is relishing the opportunity to play with these beloved characters and take them in an exciting new direction.
The pleasant surprise here is really how many familiar elements of the original have been retained. Redesigned and retooled to a degree, yes, but retained nonetheless, right down to the design of the Thunderbirds and the pilots themselves.
12 months ago, did anyone really think Grandma Tracy would be playing a role in a new Thunderbirds TV Show?! Nope, neither did we. And yet Hoegee achieves the near impossible – crafting a new Thunderbirds story that manages to give its large cast of characters an equal part to play in the action, whilst also keeping things interesting, tight and exciting!
Even underutilized characters from the original like John and Tin-Tin (now rechristened Kayo) feel more like major players rather than bit-parts. Case-in-point: Kayo herself already feels like a favourite character waiting to happen!
Killing off Jeff Tracy and using his off-screen demise as both motivation for the central characters and as an ongoing story-arc certainly feels like a step in the right direction – if anything, it’s nice to see Thunderbirds revelling in modern television tropes like character arcs. The original series never even bothered to register the fact that the Hood was related to one of International Rescue’s lead operatives most of the time, so to see said-relationship being exploited dramatically here is teasingly good stuff indeed.
The nostalgic elements never threaten to swamp the end result. There’s subtle and knowing nods to the larger Anderson canon (a character called Meddings, a sea ship that looks remarkably like one of Space: 1999’s Eagle ships), as well as some less subtle but equally inspired tips of the hat (Stingray anyone?).
The recognisable theme tune is present but lovingly remixed by Torchwood’s Ben Foster, whilst the late Peter Dyneley’s glorious Jeff Tracy vocals set the tone early on with THAT classic countdown! It’s certainly how the show can and undoubtedly will play well with a family tea-time audience, mixing the best elements of modern action/disaster movies with that cosy, nostalgic, retro-future funk only possible when a certain Mr Anderson’s name is attached to proceedings!
As a pilot episode, ‘Ring of Fire’ does remarkably well at reintroducing both the new and the familiar elements of the Thunderbirds canon, paving the way for a bold and exciting take on the classic show. It’s flawed in some ways, however, despite the breathless pace, the superb character-defining moments and its inspired action-packed rescue sequences. A bit too much forced exposition and unsubtle info-dumping creeps its way into the dialogue, which is understandable, but also avoidable. The good news though is that, despite said flaws, nothing detracts from how entertaining and fun the whole affair is from beginning to end.
Based solely on this first episode, Thunderbirds Are Go has all the makings of a classic, which is quite something when you consider the amazing legacy from which it has sprung. Everything for the most-part, from the talented voice cast and the sumptuous model effects to the updated designs, superb CG sequences and fast-paced script, works in its favour, resulting in a fun and immensely entertaining show that would make the great Gerry Anderson himself proud.
Now, breathe, damn it! Breathe!
Aired at 5pm on Saturday 4 April 2015 on ITV.
> Buy the complete Thunderbirds collection on Blu-ray on Amazon.
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