Regular Voice Cast

Episode List

1. Trapped In The Sky
2. Pit Of Peril
3. City Of Fire
4. Sun Probe
5. The Uninvited
6. The Mighty Atom
7. Vault Of Death
8. Operation Crash-Dive
9. Move - And You're Dead
10. Martian Invasion
11. Brink Of Disaster
12. The Perils Of Penelope
13. Terror In New York City
14. End Of The Road
15. Day Of Disaster
16. Edge Of Impact
17. Desperate Intruder
18. 30 Minutes After Noon
19. The Impostors
20. The Man From MI.5
21. Cry Wolf
22. Danger At Ocean Deep
23. The Duchess Assignment
24. Attack Of The Alligators!
25. The Cham-Cham
26. Security Hazard

• Series Two

Written by Dennis Spooner
Directed by David Lane
Edited by Harry Ledger

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Penelope, Virgil, Alan, Brains, Parker, Tin-Tin, Gordon, John, Kyrano, Grandma, The Hood

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 4), TB3, TB4, TB5, Desert Jeep, TX 204

Guest Voice Cast:

Reactor Controller Wade	Ray Barrett
Reactor Controller Collins	David Graham
General Speyer	Ray Barrett
Professor Holden	Peter Dyneley
Reactor Control Assistant	Shane Rimmer
Press Officer	Matt Zimmerman
Plant Tour Guide	David Graham
1st Reporter	Peter Dyneley
2nd Reporter	Matt Zimmerman
Fire Chief	Ray Barrett
Guard	Ray Barrett

Attempting to film the secrets of an atomic irrigation plant in Eastern Australia, The Hood accidentally causes a fire which leads to the explosion of the plant's nuclear reactor. The resulting atomic cloud drifts towards Melbourne, but a strong wind blows it away. A year later, The Hood attends a demonstration of a remarkable surveillance device, the Mighty Atom. Disguised as a mouse, the Mighty Atom can photograph control systems by focusing on technicians' faces as they monitor their control panels, so The Hood steals the device and uses it to photograph the control room of a new irrigation plant which has been built in the Sahara Desert. He then sparks a fire similar to the one at the Australian plant, planning to lure International Rescue and use the Mighty Atom to photograph the control cabins of the Thunderbird vehicles...

Notes
Penelope makes her first visit to Tracy Island since International Rescue became operational and also takes part in her first rescue mission. It is stated that International Rescue were not operating when the Australian plant exploded 12 months ago. A teletype printout gives the date on which the atomic cloud is blown away from Melbourne as October 6th and it is then stated that the explosion of the plant took place the previous Monday. If this is 2064, October 6th is a Monday, so the explosion occurred on September 29th.

The rescue plane that evacuates the personnel of the Australian plant is the TX 204 target-carrying aircraft from Trapped In The Sky. This is the only episode to feature the entire regular cast and all five Thunderbird craft.

Oops!
The Mighty Atom is programmed only to photograph the profiles of human faces, yet it is seen taking photographs of the control panels at the Saharan plant when no one is in the room. An edition of the Melbourne Herald newspaper is seen to be dated Friday, December 24, 1964. This date is also seen on newspapers in Edge Of Impact, The Impostors and Cry Wolf but was not intended to be legible to television viewers. (Oddly, December 24th, 1964 was actually a Thursday.)

Original UK Airdate: December 30th, 1965 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: October 25th, 1991 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Written by Dennis Spooner
Directed by David Elliott
Edited by Peter Elliott

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Penelope, Virgil, Alan, Brains, Parker, Tin-Tin, Gordon, John, Kyrano, Grandma

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 5), TB5, FAB 1, Hoverbikes

Guest Voice Cast:

Lord Silton	Peter Dyneley
Lovegrove	Ray Barrett
Lambert	David Graham
Lil	Sylvia Anderson
Light-Fingered Fred	David Graham
Taylor	David Graham
Carter	Shane Rimmer
Moore	David Graham
Longman	Peter Dyneley
Barrett	David Graham
Policeman	David Graham

Lady Penelope and Parker are invited to break into the vault of the Bank of England to illustrate that improved security is required. A new vault is fitted which can only be opened with an electronic key carried by the Bank's President, Lord Silton, in a briefcase which, he boasts, never leaves his side. But while Lord Silton dines with Lady Penelope at Creighton-Ward Mansion, the workaholic accountant Lambert is accidentally trapped inside the vault when it is closed for the next two years. The air is automatically pumped out to keep everything sterile, but with no manual shutdown Lambert will soon suffocate. Then Parker discovers that an old cell-mate, 'Light-Fingered' Fred, has just escaped from Parkmoor Scrubs. He recalls Fred's intention to break into the Bank of England when he got out, so when Penelope and Lord Silton learn of the emergency at the bank, Parker sabotages their attempts to get there in the mistaken belief that Fred is responsible...

Notes
Grandma remembers her grandmother talking about the London subway when she was a little girl, suggesting that the Underground has been out of use since the late 20th century. This episode features the only appearance of a real human face (or, at least, part of one) in the series: when Penelope peeps through a spyhole in the door of the bank during the opening scene. The face is actually that of puppet operator Judith Shutt who was also Lady Penelope's hand double throughout the series. The City of London Heliport is partially constructed from the remains of Stingray's Marineville Tower. Ray Barrett's voice for Lovegrove is a marvellously accurate impression of the distinguished actor Sir John Gielgud.

Vault Of Death was adapted for audio on the Century 21 Mini-Album Lady Penelope and Parker (MA 118, 1966) narrated by Sylvia Anderson as Lady Penelope. This adaptation was later issued on cassette as part of PolyGram's Thunderbirds Volume 2 audiobook collection (514 553-4, 1992).

Oops!
When Lovegrove realises that Lambert is still in the vault, Carter is initially voiced by Shane Rimmer but then by David Graham. Virgil and Alan arrive at Bank station via a tunnel from Piccadilly Circus, although the two stations are on different lines of the Underground: Piccadilly Circus is on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines, while Bank is on the Central, Northern, Waterloo & City and Docklands Light Railway lines.

Original UK Airdate: December 23rd, 1965 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: November 1st, 1991 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Written by Martin Crump
Directed by Desmond Saunders
Edited by Harry Ledger

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Virgil, Alan, Brains, Tin-Tin, Gordon, John, Grandma

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 4), TB4, TB5, Fireflash, EJ2 Jet

Guest Voice Cast:

Commander Norman	Peter Dyneley
Captain Hanson	David Graham
Lieutenant Burroughs	Ray Barrett
International Air Minister	Peter Dyneley
Patterson	David Graham
Fireflash Pilot	David Graham
Fireflash Co-Pilot Bob	Ray Barrett
Fireflash 3 Pilot	David Graham
TV Reporter	Matt Zimmerman
Seahawk Pilot	Matt Zimmerman
Farmer	David Graham
Radar Lieutenant	Shane Rimmer
Saboteur	Ray Barrett
Newsreader	David Holliday

Fireflash 3 crashes into the sea soon after taking off from London Airport and Air-sea Rescue can find no trace of the wreckage. A test Fireflash is launched and this too experiences difficulties and crashes into the sea. However, on this occasion, the flight has been monitored by Alan on Thunderbird 5 and he is able to report that the craft is actually some 180 miles north west of the position given by the crew. As Thunderbirds 1 and 2 are launched, the Fireflash sinks and the crew are trapped in the cabin when the emergency exit becomes jammed. In Thunderbird 4, Gordon locates the downed Fireflash and uses a laser cutter to remove the airliner's heavy engines, enabling the Fireflash to float to the surface where the crew escape in Thunderbird 2's rescue capsule. In an attempt to determine the cause of the crashes, Scott joins Captain Hanson during the next Fireflash test, but again the aircraft loses power and goes into a crash-dive...

Notes
Author Martin Crump's original script of this episode was titled 'The Test Crew'. The events of Trapped In The Sky are mentioned by a TV reporter who was previously seen in Sun Probe. After the second Fireflash crash, the saboteur escapes in an EJ2 jet, later seen as the bogus Thunderbird 2 in The Impostors. Lieutenant Burroughs, Commander Norman's assistant at London Airport, was previously seen as Solarnaut Asher in Sun Probe. An insert shot of a pile of newspapers and magazines shows that The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Life and Mad are still being published in 2065.

Operation Crash-Dive was adapted for audio on the Kidstuff Cassette Thunderbirds - Operation Crash Dive (KC007, 1981) with additional narration by Chris Burton.

Oops!
While Gordon searches for Fireflash on the sea-bed, the parting in his hair keeps changing sides. When he returns to Thunderbird 4 after making contact with the trapped crew, the configuration of the puppet-sized Thunderbird 4 doesn't match the model seen in long-shot.

Original UK Airdate: December 16th, 1965 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: November 8th, 1991 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Written by Alan Pattillo
Directed by Alan Pattillo
Edited by Harry MacDonald

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Virgil, Alan, Brains, Tin-Tin, Gordon, Grandma

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pods 1 and 5), Neutralizer Tractor, Jet Air Transporter, BR2 Racing Car

Guest Voice Cast:

Victor Gomez	David Graham
Johnny Gillespie	Ray Barrett
Kenny Malone	Ray Barrett
Billy Billoxi	Matt Zimmerman
Parola Sands Announcer	Ray Barrett
Timekeeper	David Holliday
Parola Sands Page	Sylvia Anderson

Alan and Grandma are trapped high on the girders of a suspension bridge over the San Miguel River with a sonic wave generator positioned nearby. If either of them makes any move, the sonic wave device will register the movement and detonate a bomb attached to the underside of the bridge. Alan manages to use his personal intercall wrist communicator to call Tracy Island and Scott, Virgil and Brains set off in Thunderbirds 1 and 2. Grandma faints and in order to keep Alan from passing out too, Jeff makes him explain how they got into this fix. Alan tells how he took part in the Parola Sands Race to test a new engine designed by Brains and fitted into a BR2 racing car. On arrival at Parola Sands, Alan met his friend, engineer Kenny Malone, and an old race track rival, Victor Gomez, but Gomez and his partner Johnnie Gillespie proved to be desperate for the prize money and prepared to go to any lengths to win the race...

Notes
Grandma Tracy leaves her home to join the International Rescue team on Tracy Island for the first time, suggesting that the events of this episode take place before those of all the other episodes she appears in (including Sun Probe, The Uninvited, The Mighty Atom, Vault Of Death and Operation Crash-Dive).

Move - And You're Dead was adapted for audio on the Century 21 Mini-Album One Move And You're Dead (MA 128, 1967) narrated by Christine Finn as Tin-Tin. With a new introduction by Gerry Anderson, the audio adaptation was first broadcast on BBC Radio 5 at 8.05pm on December 10th, 1990.

Oops!
When Jeff is first contacted by Alan, he is sat behind his desk, but when the picture cuts back to him after a quick shot of Alan, he is suddenly perched on the front of the desk reading a magazine. As Alan makes his telecall to Grandma, the close-up of his hand dialling her number shows the push-button dial panel with letters on the left and numbers on the right, but on the puppet-sized telecall unit, the numbers are on the left and the letters are on the right. For a blond 21-year-old, Alan's close-up (ie. live action) hand is remarkably hirsute with very dark hair.

Original UK Airdate: February 10th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: February 28th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Written by Alan Fennell
Directed by David Elliott
Edited by Peter Elliott

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Virgil, Alan, Tin-Tin, Gordon, John, Kyrano, The Hood

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 5), TB5, Excavator, Hoverbike, Hood's Jeep

Guest Voice Cast:

Goldheimer	Ray Barrett
Bletcher	David Graham
General Strond	Matt Zimmerman
Maguire	David Graham
Slim	Matt Zimmerman
Martian Pete	Peter Dyneley
Martian Ray	Ray Barrett
Director of Photography	Shane Rimmer
Production Manager	David Graham
Make-Up Girl	Sylvia Anderson
Brian	Ray Barrett

Two policemen, responding to a flying saucer report, find themselves attacked by Martians and trapped in a cave. However, this is just part of a movie script to be filmed by B-movie director Goldheimer under the supervision of The Hood in a devious plan to capture the secrets of International Rescue on film for sale to General Strond. Exerting his psychic control, The Hood forces Kyrano to switch off the automatic camera detector in Thunderbird 1 and then sets his plan in motion. Filming begins in the Nevada Desert using automatic camera equipment. The first scenes involve the two policemen becoming trapped in the cave by the Martians, but The Hood sabotages a pyrotechnic effects sequence and the resulting explosion brings down the whole cliff face. The two actors are trapped inside the cave, which begins to fill up with water from an underground river...

Notes
Although he is only called General 'X' on screen, The Hood's customer is named Strond in the script. Up to this point, The Hood has never been referred to by any name on screen - not even 'The Hood'. Here he calls himself Agent 79 in his radio transmissions to General Strond. His price for the secrets of International Rescue is $200 million. The film's special effects technician Brian, who operates the smoke machine for the cave scenes, is a puppet of Thunderbirds special effects director Brian Johncock (later known as Brian Johnson).

Martian Invasion was adapted as a comic strip by Alan Fennell and Keith Page for Thunderbirds: The Comic (issues 24-26, 1992). The episode was also adapted for audio again on Penguin Audiobooks' Thunderbirds - 2 (ISBN 0141803363, 2001) audiocassette collection with additional narration by William Roberts.

Oops!
In the Thunderbird 2 hangar, Virgil selects Pod 5 but when the cliff face drops down Pod 2 is on the right of Thunderbird 2 instead of Pod 4. When Thunderbird 1 arrives at the danger zone, it descends with wheels on the end of the landing gear, but lands with skids. There are no markings down the length of the vehicle when it lands, but lettering appears after Scott calls for help with his equipment. This lettering is in a completely different font to that seen on the vehicle during the launch sequence.

Original UK Airdate: March 17th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: March 27th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Written by Alan Fennell
Directed by David Lane
Edited by Harry MacDonald

Regular Cast:
Jeff, Scott, Penelope, Virgil, Alan, Brains, Parker, Tin-Tin, John

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2, TB5, FAB 1, Helijet, Pacific Atlantic Monotrain

Guest Voice Cast:

Warren Grafton	David Graham
Harry Malloy	David Graham
Doolan	Matt Zimmerman
Selsden	Ray Barrett
Hugo	Peter Dyneley
2nd Investor	Ray Barrett
Joe (Patrol 304)	Ray Barrett
Stan (Patrol 538)	Matt Zimmerman
Patrol Base	Matt Zimmerman
Crook with Machine Gun	Ray Barrett

Lady Penelope is visited by American businessman Warren Grafton, who explains that he is looking for investors in his Pacific Atlantic Monorail company. Parker suspects a scam when he recognises Grafton's chauffeur as a crook named Harry Malloy, so Penelope puts Grafton in touch with Jeff Tracy, who investigates the operation posing as an interested investor. Grafton takes Jeff, Brains and Tin-Tin for a ride aboard the totally automated Pacific Atlantic monotrain, along the 500 miles of track that have already been completed. Grafton assures them of complete safety, although Jeff spots a number of flaws in the design which could endanger the monotrain passengers. Then a patrolling helijet is struck by lightning in a storm and crashes into a monorail bridge, bringing down part of the bridge and cutting off the automatic signals. The monotrain is out of control and heading for disaster!

Notes
Lady Penelope's driving in this episode - as she evades the crooks in the opening scenes - is very proficient and in complete contrast to the atrocious driving that she exhibited in Vault Of Death. The bogus telegram that Penelope receives from Parker reveals the location of Creighton-Ward Mansion to be Foxleyheath.

Brink Of Disaster was adapted for audio on the Century 21 Mini-Album Brink Of Disaster (MA 124, 1967) narrated by David Graham as Parker. It was adapted for audio again on Penguin Audiobooks' Thunderbirds - 2 (ISBN 0141803363, 2001) audiocassette collection with additional narration by William Roberts. The episode was also adapted as a comic strip by Alan Fennell and Rod Vass in Thunderbirds: The Comic (issues 30-33, 1992).

Oops!
Just as the villains' car goes out of control in the opening sequence, a huge lump of greenery falls out of the sky in the background. When Selsden and Malloy try to open Penelope's safe, the bulb in Malloy's torch gets so hot that the prop torch begins to smoulder. The broken section of monorail track that is attached to the top of the centre coach when Thunderbird 2 lifts it away from the bridge is significantly longer when Virgil sets the coach down on the mountainside. Incidentally, the inland telegram service was withdrawn in the UK in 1982.

Original UK Airdate: February 24th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: March 13th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Episodes 1 to 5
Episodes 12 to 17
Episodes 18 to 23
Episodes 24 to 26
Series Two

Production Index

Fanderson Home Page

Fanderson - The Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society is a non-profit making organisation
endorsed by Anderson Entertainment Ltd., Gerry Anderson Productions plc and ITC Entertainment Group Ltd.

The contents of this site are copyright © 2004 Fanderson
and may not be reproduced by electronic means or otherwise without permission.
Site written and designed by Chris Bentley - email: chris@fanderson.org.uk
Page posted: April 22nd, 1997 / Updated: April 20th, 2004