"Thunderbirds" creator dies...

Highlander · December 27, 2012, 01:31:36 PM

A part of my childhood has faded away this week... might not be much to some of you guys but Gerry Anderson died on 26th December...

He was best known for creating a number of puppet based sci-fi programmes, including a series called Thunderbirds, which had its naming roots based on a US airbase known as Thunderbird Field, where his late brother trained during WWII...

In sequence, some of his best known programmes were: Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and Space 1999 - the last two being live-action based programmes...

RIP, Mr Anderson...

uwe · December 27, 2012, 02:45:23 PM

Ray Dietich died long ago. Largely unnoticed by this forum if I may add.

Highlander · December 27, 2012, 04:09:41 PM

You mean Ray Dietrich...?

Can't agree more...

godofthunder · December 28, 2012, 09:59:57 AM

I loved the show as a kid, even then I was a Thunderbird 2 fan

My Corgi die cast from when I was a young boy.

Highlander · December 28, 2012, 05:19:40 PM

TB3 was my favourite... I had most of the JR21 toys from that era but they were "played with" to the point of extinction...

I'm astounded that your Corgi is in such good condition, even down to the TB4... I had that one two... "had" being the operative word...

godofthunder · December 28, 2012, 05:51:41 PM

I always tried to take care of my "things". There are only two landing legs left and so fragile I don't dare try and extend them. I lost 4 early on the 4 pictured is a replacement I found on ebay. Gotta love ebay

Highlander · December 28, 2012, 05:56:27 PM

last I saw of mine (may still be in the loft) the jets had gone, the legs long gone, TB4 was history and it looked more scuff than paint - lots and lots of Mojo - think your NR you picked up a couple of years back...

I've been watching out for a JR21 TB3 for a while - not really fussed about the general condition, just for something on the shelf...

Denis · December 28, 2012, 07:02:33 PM

Cool you still have such things, Scott. I've kept many of my things as well. Kids don't have cool toys nowadays.

Highlander · December 29, 2012, 03:30:22 AM

There are plenty of cool things kids have today - we just look back in a differing way... they will be the same about Lara Croft...

I still have loads of my old toy cars, some that go well beyond my birth that were passed on to me, but none that anyone would call valuable... my Corgi James Bond DB5 (since played with by my daughter when she was younger - my damage, not hers) has long lost Odd-Job, the ejector seat is broken so the lid no longer flips up, but the rest (sort of) still works, and I have a Chitty Chitty flying car somewhere - I still have my first two Hornby trains, but no track or anything else, loads and loads nad loads of old Lego stuff from the 60's - the only things on show are a bunch of (modern) Daleks, a Tardis, the two trains, and a Dinky T1 VW bus, badly repainted silver when I was a kid - the biggest Dalek (about 18") is permanantly wrapped in LED lights...

godofthunder · December 29, 2012, 08:35:19 AM

Omg I forgot about Fireball XL5!

ack1961 · December 29, 2012, 09:18:57 AM

Brings back amazing and innocent memories. We loved the Thunderbirds.

Here's how innocent things were those days: our neighbors, the O'leary's, used to let their 6 year old son, Gene, walk to my house, where my mom would make me a PB&J and Gene would get his cream cheese & jelly sandwich.

We'd sit downstairs in front of a tiny B&W TV watching Thunderbirds, Gigantor and a mish-mosh of 5 minute Beetle Bailey, Snuffy Smith, etc. cartoons, then we'd brush our teeth and we'd WALK to kindergarten from 1-3PM. I bet our parents could never fathom anything happening to us between home and the 5 block walk to school. "Cross at the Crossing Guards" was always our only warning.

Anyway...

ack1961 · December 29, 2012, 09:24:33 AM

The D-Generation did this skit back in the late 80's. Aussie Mark might recall this one.
I recorded it and laughed for hours watching Virgil enter the room.

Highlander · December 29, 2012, 05:34:10 PM

Quote from: godofthunder on December 29, 2012, 08:35:19 AM
Omg I forgot about Fireball XL5!

I still have my Don Spencer single...

One of the first Gerry anderson parodies...

The very first colour TV I watched was an episode of Thunderbirds - all the kids from the neighouhood were invited round to watch this amazingly huge 20" screen with pure wonder in our minds...

westen44 · December 30, 2012, 10:12:00 AM

I loved those shows as a kid, too. They were unique.

gearHed289 · January 08, 2013, 08:33:54 AM

Great stuff! Barely remember Stingray, but Thunderbirds was a pretty big deal. LOVED UFO, and Space 1999 was a favorite as well.

The future in space - where the clothes are tight and the skirts are short!