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 Alan Fennell
Directed by David Elliott
Edited by Harry Ledger

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

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 5), TB5, FAB 1, Dicetylene Cage, Laser Equipment, Helijet

Guest Voice Cast:

Southern (Tiger Four)	Ray Barrett
Sir William Frazer (Two-One)	David Graham
Tom Prescott	Matt Zimmerman
Commissioner Garfield	David Graham
The Leader	David Graham
Dempsey	Peter Dyneley
Kenyon	David Graham
Officer Flanagan	Ray Barrett
Officer Jones	Peter Dyneley
Stranger	Ray Barrett
Sam Saltzman	David Graham
Gladys Saltzman	Sylvia Anderson
Frank Forrester	Matt Zimmerman
BSS Assistant	David Graham
Erdman Gang Member	Peter Dyneley
Policeman (Police Barrier)	Matt Zimmerman

Driving home late at night, Tom Prescott picks up a hitch-hiker who locks a bracelet made of hydrochromatised steel to his wrist. He is told that the key is in his office at the Hudson Building in Spoke City, so Prescott races back to the building and unlocks the bracelet before the explosive device set into it detonates. Unfortunately, he is still descending in the elevator when the device left in his office explodes. The elevator plunges into the basement and Prescott is trapped at the bottom of the lift shaft as fire rages through the building. The local fire department is unable to contain the blaze, so Jeff dispatches Thunderbirds 1 and 2 to the scene. Virgil and Alan descend into the lift shaft in a specially cooled dicetylene cage fitted with grabs, recovering the elevator car and rescuing Prescott. Police Commissioner Garfield suspects that the Erdman gang are behind the incident so he turns the case over to the British Security Service...

Notes
The 'March Of The Oysters' track from Stingray's Secret Of The Giant Oyster episode is heard coming from Gladys Saltzman's television, while the Highland theme from Stingray's Loch Ness Monster accompanies the scenes at Glen Carrick Castle. The castle itself previously appeared as Castle McGregor in Loch Ness Monster. Southern acquires his bracelet at a building that looks exactly like the Thompson Tower seen in City Of Fire. The puppet previously seen as Braman in Sun Probe plays all four of the plutonium store security robots. The Leader's helijet also appears as the World TV helijet at the start of The Impostors.

30 Minutes After Noon was adapted for audio on the Century 21 Mini-Album Thirty Minutes After Noon (MA 129, 1967) narrated by David Graham as Parker. The episode was also adapted as a comic strip by Alan Fennell and Malcolm Stokes for Thunderbirds: The Comic (issues 18-20, 1992) and collected in the graphic album Thunderbirds In Action (Ravette Books 1992).

Oops!
When Jeff Tracy contacts Lady Penelope, it is 10.00am in England, yet it is already daylight on Tracy Island in the South Pacific and Alan, Gordon and Tin-Tin have been out fishing for some time. (It is later established in Thunderbirds Are Go that there is a five hour time difference between Tracy Island and England.) On the night of the Hudson Building fire, the Auto Date Fixer in Commissioner Garfield's office reads 12/7/65. The next day, it reads 13/7/65, illustrating attention to detail on the part of the set decorator. Unfortunately, the American convention is for the month numeral to appear first: either the first date should read 7/12/65 (July 12th) with the next day as 7/13/65, or the second date should read 12/8/65 (December 8th).

Original UK Airdate: November 11th, 1965 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: December 13th, 1991 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

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Written by Dennis Spooner
Directed by Desmond Saunders
Edited by Peter Elliott

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

Major Equipment:
TB3, TB5, FAB 1, Fireflash, EJ2 Jet, Helijet

Guest Voice Cast:

General Lambert	Ray Barrett
Elliott	David Graham
Eddie Kerr	Matt Zimmerman
Jeremiah Tuttle	Peter Dyneley
Ma Tuttle	Sylvia Anderson
Jenkins	Ray Barrett
Carela	David Graham
Hale	Ray Barrett
Captain Hanson	David Graham
Fireflash Co-Pilot	Ray Barrett
Fireflash Stewardess	Sylvia Anderson
Colonel	Ray Barrett
Wakefield	Matt Zimmerman
Air Force Officer	Peter Dyneley
Air Force Lieutenant	Peter Dyneley
Speed Merchant	Matt Zimmerman
Helijet Pilot	David Graham
Search Control	David Graham
Jack	David Graham

A fake International Rescue team apparently rescues a man from an underground well, but when it is discovered that they have stolen top secret plans from the nearby Aeronautical Centre, General Lambert launches a worldwide search to track down International Rescue and bring them to justice. The Tracys have no choice but to shut down operations while the hunt is on but Jeff contacts International Rescue agents around the world to help them to find the impostors. Lady Penelope flies to America to interview a reporter who covered the 'rescue' at the well, while hillbilly agent Jeremiah Tuttle finds aircraft tracks in the woods near his shack which lead to an old mine. Meanwhile at the Space Observatory 3 scanning satellite, a technician is stranded in space when his jet pack goes haywire. Only International Rescue can save him, but launching Thunderbird 3 will reveal the organisation's location to Lambert's search team!

Notes
The photographer who takes the picture of the impostor Jenkins at the start of the episode was previously seen as Colonel Tim Casey in Edge Of Impact. Also among the crowd at the bogus rescue is Blanche Carter from City Of Fire. World Television reporter Eddie Kerr has a statue in his office that previously appeared in Dr. Korda's office in Day Of Disaster, a statue that is usually seen in The Hood's temple.

The Impostors was adapted for audio on the Century 21 Mini-Album International Rescue (MA 120, 1967) narrated by Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy. This adaptation was later issued on cassette as part of PolyGram's Thunderbirds Volume 2 audiobook collection (514 553-4, 1992). With a new introduction by Gerry Anderson, the audio adaptation was first broadcast on BBC Radio 5 at 8.05pm on December 17th, 1990. The episode was adapted for audio again on Penguin Audiobooks' Thunderbirds - 3 (ISBN 0141803371, 2001) audiocassette collection with additional narration by William Roberts.

Oops!
When the Tracy brothers board Thunderbird 3, Alan does another quick change into different clothes before climbing into the elevator (as in The Uninvited). This time, Scott does a quick change too: initially he is wearing a yellow suit and orange shirt, but just before blast-off we see him in his blue roll-neck sweater and checked jacket. After he is rescued, Elliott tells Scott and Alan that it is great that they have been cleared and Scott replies, "You can say that again," without moving his lip.

Original UK Airdate: January 13th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: January 17th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

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

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

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 4), TB4, TB5, FAB 1, FAB 2, Fireflash

Guest Voice Cast:

Bondson	Ray Barrett
Carl	David Graham
Ritter	Ray Barrett
Third Man	Matt Zimmerman
MI.5 Agent Tidman	David Graham
Fireflash Stewardess	Sylvia Anderson

When top secret papers are stolen from Captain Blacker's ship anchored in harbour on the French Riviera, MI.5 agent Bondson contacts International Rescue, warning of the destruction of the world. Penelope agrees to meet Bondson in the Forest of Digne, where he reveals that the stolen papers are plans for a nuclear device. The recovery of the plans is vital so Penelope sets herself up as a target for the thieves, posing as model Gayle Williams, newly arrived on the French Riviera to expose those who blew up Blacker's boat. Penelope decides to give Parker the night off so she is alone on her luxury yacht FAB 2 when Carl, the leader of the crooks, kidnaps her. She is tied up in a lonely boathouse where Carl plants a radio-controlled bomb, explaining that the explosion will create a diversion for the harbour patrol, thereby enabling Carl and his cronies to escape into the open sea in their mini-submarine...

Notes
Reporter Eddie Kerr from The Impostors appears on board Fireflash as Lady Penelope flies to the South of France. Penelope wears the big orange hat that she sports in her picture caption in the opening titles of every episode. Brains's test submarine is a small model of The Hood's 3E Submarine as seen in Desperate Intruder. This episode features the first full Thunderbird 4 launch sequence shown from inside Pod 4 ­ prior to this, Thunderbird 4 has only been seen emerging down the ramp outside the pod door. This is also the only occasion in which Thunderbird 2 gently rests the pod on the surface of the water and then rises clear of the pod with lifting jets (normally, the pod is simply dropped on to the water).

During the production of this episode in late 1965, the world was in the grip of Bondmania in anticipation of the December release of Thunderball (1965), the fourth James Bond 007 feature, and MI.5 agent Bondson was intended to be Thunderbirds' own version of the character. Bondson also made a guest appearance in the 'Lady Penelope' strip in Lady Penelope comic (issue 44, 1966).

The Man From MI.5 was adapted as a comic strip by Alan Fennell and Jon Haward for Thunderbirds: The Comic (issues 24-26, 1992).

Original UK Airdate: January 20th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: January 24th, 1991 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

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Written by Dennis Spooner
Directed by David Elliott
Edited by Harry MacDonald

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

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2, TB3, TB5, Hoverbikes, Hood's Jeep, Mole, Firefly, Transmitter Truck, Excavator, Monobrake

Guest Voice Cast:

Williams	Ray Barrett
Bob Williams	Sylvia Anderson
Tony Williams	Christine Finn
Colonel Jameson	David Graham
Lieutenant Lansfield	Matt Zimmerman
Sergeant	David Graham

Two young boys, Tony and Bob Williams, unwittingly call out International Rescue on their walkie-talkies while playing in the Australian desert near their home at Charity Springs in the Northern Territory. To explain how their games are dangerous to International Rescue, Scott takes the boys back to Tracy Island for a guided tour, but the story makes headlines in the local newspapers which worries their father: under the guise of a weather station, he runs a satellite tracking station and is engaged in top security research for the military. Realising the true nature of the weather station, The Hood encourages Tony and Bob to play in the old Charity Springs tin mine at Dunsley Hill. Once the boys are inside, he fires a grenade into the mine entrance, causing a cave-in and trapping the boys. Tony and Bob call International Rescue on their walkie-talkies but their rescue plea is assumed to be another of the boys' games, and no action is taken...

Notes
Tony and Bob's tour of Tracy Island takes in the hangar for the Thunderbird 2 pod vehicles: they see the Mole (used in Pit Of Peril, City Of Fire and The Duchess Assignment), the Firefly (from City Of Fire and Terror In New York City), the Transmitter Truck (from Sun Probe), the Excavator (Martian Invasion) and the Monobrake (The Perils Of Penelope) as well as a civilian fire truck and a yellow fire vehicle first seen in City Of Fire.

Colonel Jameson was previously General Lambert in The Impostors. Satellite HQ and the tracker satellite were also seen in that episode. One of the technicians at Satellite HQ previously appeared as BSS agent Southern in 30 Minutes After Noon. Other tracking stations marked on Lansfield's console are at Cranston, Kangaroo (East) and Spring Hill.

Oops!
The characters all refer to Williams's station as Dunsley Tracker and it is labelled as such on Lansfield's console on the puppet-sized set, but in a close-up of the console (a large-scale section of the same set), the caption above the alert light reads 'Densley Tracker'.

Original UK Airdate: January 27th, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: January 31st, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

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Written by Donald Robertson
Directed by Desmond Saunders
Edited by Harry MacDonald

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

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 3), TB3, TB5, FAB 1, Ocean Pioneer I, Ocean Pioneer II

Additional Voice Cast:

Lord Worden	Peter Dyneley
Captain, Ocean Pioneer II	John Tate
No. 2, Ocean Pioneer II	David Graham
Lieutenant Jensen	Matt Zimmerman
Captain Johnson	Ray Barrett
Collins	David Graham
Stevens	John Tate
Commander, Ocean Pioneer I	John Tate
Sir Arthur	Ray Barrett
TV Reporter	Ray Barrett
Scottish Onlooker	John Tate
Pioneer Base, Port London	Ray Barrett

Ocean Pioneer I, an automated tanker carrying liquid alsterene, sails into a mysterious sea mist and explodes. Six months later, Lady Penelope launches Ocean Pioneer II, having thoroughly searched the ship beforehand for signs of sabotage. Meanwhile, International Rescue respond to a distress call from Oahu in the Pacific which has been hit by a typhoon, but suddenly all radio transmissions are blacked out leaving the organisation blind and deaf. Brains traces the cause of the interference to a reaction between OD60, a sea fungus used in the production of dog food, and liquid alsterene fuel in close proximity: bringing them even closer together results in a huge explosion. Jeff realises that this reaction must be the cause of the destruction of Ocean Pioneer I. Then Lady Penelope learns that there are large deposits of active OD60 in the Mediterranean and Ocean Pioneer II is heading straight for the area loaded with liquid alsterene!

Notes
This episode features the only occasion in which John is seen taking an active part in a rescue. John admits that he has only been on about a dozen rescue missions, while Scott says that he has taken part in every single one. However, Scott was not involved in saving the kidnapped Lady Penelope in The Perils Of Penelope, so unless he has forgotten all about that mission, the events of this episode must take place before those of The Perils Of Penelope.

Much of the music in this episode was originally composed for Stingray, including the Ocean Pioneer theme in the opening scene. Lord Worden was originally seen as Sir Jeremy Hodge in The Perils Of Penelope while the Mayor to Penelope's right at the Clydeside launching of Ocean Pioneer II is Professor Holden from The Mighty Atom. Tony Williams (from Cry Wolf), MI.5 agent Tidman (from The Man From MI.5) and Lovegrove (from Vault Of Death) are also visible in the crowd, as is the Commander of Ocean Pioneer I, oddly. Lieutenant Jensen is portrayed by Dave Clayton from Day Of Disaster.

Danger At Ocean Deep was adapted for audio on the Kidstuff Cassette Thunderbirds - Danger At Ocean Deep (KC008, 1981) with additional narration by Chris Burton.

Original UK Airdate: February 3rd, 1966 - 7.00pm (ATV Midlands)

First UK Network Broadcast: February 7th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

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Written by Martin Crump
Directed by David Elliott
Edited by Harry Ledger

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

Major Equipment:
TB1, TB2 (Pod 3), TB5, FAB 1, Mole, Domo, Fireflash, Carrier Aircraft

Guest Voice Cast:

Deborah, Duchess of Royston	Ray Barrett
Wilbur Dandridge III	David Graham
Chandler	Peter Dyneley
Brophy	Ray Barrett
Captain Hanson	David Graham
Mrs. Godolphin	Sylvia Anderson
Casino Owner	Peter Dyneley
1st Croupier	Peter Dyneley
2nd Croupier	Matt Zimmerman
Fireflash Co-Pilot	Ray Barrett
Hendricks	Matt Zimmerman
Percy	David Graham
Percy's Friend	Ray Barrett
Customs Officer	David Graham
Air Terrainean Hostess	Sylvia Anderson
Grand Hotel Receptionist	Christine Finn
Elevator	David Graham

Lady Penelope finds her old friend Deborah, the Duchess of Royston, playing roulette in a French casino. When the Duchess tells Penelope that she has lost everything except for her precious Braquasso painting 'Portrait Of A Gazelle', their conversation is overheard by a pair of gangsters, Chandler and Brophy. Penelope realises that the roulette table is fixed but she and Parker are unable to prevent the crooked casino owner from escaping with Deborah's money. Later, Penelope learns that the Duchess has been forced to put her home up for sale so, to help her, she and Jeff arrange a meeting with Wilbur Dandridge III, head of Gazelle Automations Inc. in New York. Deborah agrees to loan the Braquasso painting to Dandridge on a rental basis, taking the picture to New York herself. But on her arrival in America, the Duchess is kidnapped by Chandler and Brophy who steal the painting and leave her tied up in the basement of an old house...

Notes
The Duchess of Royston (both the puppet itself and Ray Barrett's voice for the character) was based on the distinguished British stage actress Dame Edith Evans (1888-1976), best known for her role as Lady Bracknell in The Importance Of Being Earnest (1951). Among the other paintings on display in the Exhibition of 20th Century Art at the gallery are several splatter paintings by designer Keith Wilson and Virgil's abstract portrait of Alan from Move - And You're Dead. The Empire State Building is clearly visible in an establishing shot of New York so the events of this episode must take place before those of Terror In New York City.

The Hood makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in his Martian Invasion disguise behind Jeff at the London Air Display. The Domo is revamped from the Excavator seen in Martian Invasion and Cry Wolf. The vehicle's name was revealed in the TV Century 21 Thunderbirds Extra (1966) - it is an acronymn for Demolition and Object Moving Operator. Wilbur Dandridge previously appeared as Warren Grafton in Brink Of Disaster. Lady Penelope's cook Lil (from Vault Of Death) is seen at the Duchess's table in the casino at the start of the episode and also in the Art Gallery admiring 'Portrait Of A Gazelle'.


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

First UK Network Broadcast: March 6th, 1992 - 6.00pm (BBC2)

Return to Episode List

Episodes 1 to 5
Episodes 6 to 11
Episodes 12 to 17
Episodes 24 to 26
Series Two

Production Index

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