The Original Thunderbirds TV Series

• Thunderbirds is a British science fiction TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) and distributed by ITC Entertainment.

• The show follows the exploits of International Rescue, a life-saving organisation equipped with technologically advanced land, sea, air and space rescue craft; these are headed by a fleet of five vehicles named the Thunderbirds and launched from the organisation's secret base of operations in the Pacific Ocean.

• The main characters are ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy, leader of International Rescue, and his five adult sons, who pilot the Thunderbird machines.

• Thunderbirds debuted in September 1965 on the ITV network.

• The series was exported to around 30 countries during the 1960s. Periodically repeated, it was adapted for radio in the 1990s and has influenced many TV programmes and other media.

• Besides tie-in merchandise, the series has been followed by two feature film sequels – Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 – as well as an anime adaptation, a mime theatre show and a live-action film.

• A remake series premiered in 2015; the same year, three new episodes, based on tie-in audio plays and made using the same techniques as the original series, were created to mark its 50th anniversary.

• Widely regarded as the Andersons' most popular and commercially successful series, Thunderbirds has been praised for its special effects (directed by Derek Meddings) and musical score (composed by Barry Gray).

• Thunderbirds was inspired by the Wunder von Lengede, a West German mining disaster in which 29 miners were killed and 21 were trapped.

• The series was pitched to Lew Grade of ITC, who commissioned the series on the back of the positive audience response to Stingray.

• Gerry Anderson drew inspiration for the series' underlying concept from the West German mining disaster.

• The writing process for Thunderbirds depended on a "division of labour", with Gerry creating the action sequences and Sylvia managing characterisation.

• The decision to make a father and his sons the main characters was influenced by the premise of Bonanza and Sylvia's belief that the use of more than one heroic character would broaden the series' appeal.

• Thunderbirds was renamed Thunderbirds and the star vehicles were designated Rescues 1 to 5.

• Thunderbirds was inspired by the US Air Force launch sequences of the 1960s.

• Thunderbirds was a popular series in the 1960s that was made in the United Kingdom.

• The series was made to be a 25-minute show, but was later extended to 50 minutes.

• The production faced great challenges transitioning to the new format.

• The new format was made to be an hour-long show, but was later shortened to 26 episodes.

• The series was made with a budget of £1 million.

• Thunderbirds was a British science fiction television series that ran for two seasons from 1966 to 1966.

• The series was created by Gerry Anderson and was produced by APF.

• The puppet cast and vehicles were rebuilt for the series, and the art department expanded some of the standing sets.

• To accommodate the simultaneous filming of the TV series and Thunderbirds Are Go, APF purchased two more buildings on the Slough Trading Estate.

• The TV series progressed at half the previous speed, with B crew shooting one episode a month.

• Filming on Thunderbirds Are Go was completed by June, allowing A crew to resume work on the series to shoot what would prove to be its penultimate episode.

• Production of Thunderbirds ended in August 1966.

• Thunderbirds became widely popular in the UK and was being distributed extensively overseas.

• Grade, however, believed that without the financial boost of an American network sale, a full second series would fail to recover its production costs. He therefore asked Anderson to devise a new concept that he hoped would stand a greater chance of winning over the profitable US market.

• This became Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Thunderbirds was a British science fiction television series that ran for two seasons from 1966 to 1966. The series was created by Gerry Anderson and was produced by APF. The puppet cast and vehicles were rebuilt for the series, and the art department expanded some of the standing sets. To accommodate the simultaneous filming of the TV series and Thunderbirds Are Go, APF purchased two more buildings on the Slough Trading Estate. The TV series progressed at half the previous speed, with B crew shooting one episode a month. Filming on Thunderbirds Are Go was completed by June, allowing A crew to resume work on the series to shoot what would prove to be its penultimate episode. Production of Thunderbirds ended in August 1966. Thunderbirds became widely popular in the UK and was being distributed extensively overseas. Grade, however, believed that without the financial boost of an American network sale, a full second series would fail to recover its production costs. He therefore asked Anderson to devise a new concept that he hoped would stand a greater chance of winning over the profitable US market. This became Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.