Thunderbirds International Rescue 2011 Animated Series Production Bible Review

Thunderbirds-International Rescue

2011 Animated Series

'Production Bible' Review

I picked this book up off eBay in 2020 having never seen the content before, the only animated Thunderbirds series I had previously heard of had been 'Thunderbirds 2086'. So far I have been unable to find any reference to another proposed Thunderbirds animated series online or through other fan contacts, so I am sharing my review here for your information and the possibility of new insights coming to light maybe even from those involved in its production.

Information on the final page indicates it was produced by ITV studios and dated 2011, four years before the first episode of ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ was aired in 2015. This ‘Bible’ sets out a series proposal, premise and designs for a fully animated series and has a few recognisable concepts that later appeared in the 2015 series. Those more informed in the 'TAG' series may see others I have missed.

This is an interesting addition to the list of proposed Thunderbirds reboots, some we have seen via artists’ impressions and concept models including 'Thunderbirds IR' from 2003 that made it to impressive trailer footage of the characters and vehicles.

The actual book itself is a well produced, quality item which would certainly make an impact in promoting this new series, the front cover logo would seem to indicate the title of the series. The fifty-four spiral bound pages include die cut opening character introductions, an opaque vehicle image sheet, fold out tabs on the individual Thunderbird craft, images of the characters and a detailed summary of the new storyline.

As per the TAG 2015 series, they are not straying too far from a successful popular formula and most of the things we know and love from the original 1960’s version are present, albeit with tweaks to make this more reflective of newer technology and some ideas to broaden the concept.

Now of course any changes made to a classic series much loved by nostalgic fans is going to create some criticism, if this reaches the mainstream media the TV companies call this ‘free publicity’, so you do wonder sometimes if the more radical concepts are for this purpose.

The team behind this book appear to have been given the freedom to come up with new ideas and used it, some you may like…some you definitely will not…fair warning!

The Pilots:

We still have the five Tracy brothers although Virgil is now an adopted son, more explanation later, their ages range from Scott 18, Virgil 17, John 16, Gordon 15 and Alan 14 and their character descriptions do not stray far from those in their 1960’s/2015 versions.

Scott: bold, rebellious, natural born leader.

Virgil: courageous, compassionate, wise.

Alan: wild, daring, selfless.

Gordon: cocky, fun loving, street-smart.

John: nerdy, tactical, scientific.

International Rescue is not only an organisation but also a family, the series was to show them as your usual group of close knit brothers, with the occasional disagreements.

The images of the team show them resplendent in their International Rescue uniforms with another take on the classic look of the colour coded shoulder sashes. They are numbered corresponding to the craft they pilot, hopefully this does not cause confusion if they swap between the Thunderbird craft! The new look is finished off with an International Rescue badge on the shoulder and a utility belt which looks like it may have a sidearm attached.

Jeff Tracy is ever present and guiding the boys, although this book hints at a future story where he goes missing and the team go in search of him, a plotline carried over into the TAG 2015 series.

The animation style of all the characters in the book seems to be taking some inspiration from the Star Wars ‘Clone Wars’ series of 2003 by Genndy Tartakovsky, with hints of Anime.

The Home:

Tracy Island remains true to the original series and the descriptions of each of the Thunderbirds launch sequences or place in the organisation are kept the same, even down to the mention of the communication to the team via the pilots ‘digital’ paintings on the wall. ITV in this book have used one of Graham Bleathman’s classic cut-aways to illustrate the inner workings of the island but it is unclear whether this layout was going to be used in the final series.

The Craft:

As per previous reinterpretations the Thunderbirds craft are given a make-over, apart from the colour schemes. We have seen many new designs over the years for these iconic craft, obviously the artists involved welcome the opportunity to bring their personal ideas and artistic style to the project. The descriptions all mention prominent weapons systems, we will see the need for these later on in the book as the new story concept involves them with more combat scenarios than in the original series.

Thunderbird 1: High Speed Ultrajet. 

Still retaining its original concept of a rapid response craft, it is now less like a rocket and more like a jet aircraft. Fast and lightweight, it is the most combat effective, no mention though of whether Scott can arrive at 'London International Airport' without needing a runway! Armed with energy rocket launchers and plasma cannons and powered, like all the Thunderbird craft, by clean, safe ‘green’ power cells. Thunderbird 1 reassuringly still launches via the swimming pool.

Thunderbird 2: Heavy Duty VTOL transport aircraft.

 Any new version of this classic craft is going to be controversial, so here we go…

Looking to me at first sight similar to a Star Wars Naboo Starfighter, it still delivers one of ten pods containing additional equipment and vehicles into the danger zone. Mention here is made of ‘Hoverbikes’ and ‘Elevator cars’, further pleasing nods to the original series. It is the International Rescue mobile control base, including living facilities for the team when they are away on longer missions.

Thunderbird 2 is armed with heavy missile launchers and energy projector cannons and again the classic launch sequence for this craft is described just as per the original series.

There are details in this proposal of two familiar rescue craft that Thunderbird 2 delivers into action via its pods:

The Mole: Very similar to the original design of this fan favourite, adding cutting lasers and dyrenix acid projectors to melt substances it can’t drill through.

Firefly: a one-person flameproof VTOL craft, its magnetic pulse lifts allow it to dart around like a real firefly. It is equipped with rescue claws, grapple lines, foam jet sprayers and super-cooled helium freeze bombs. Not pictured in the book.

Thunderbird 3: SSTO (single stage to orbit) rocket.

This space-bound version also operates sub-orbit and due to this loses some of it's rocket look. TB3 still launches from the roundhouse and docks with Thunderbird 5, it is equipped with multi laser cannons.

The major update for Thunderbird 3 is that it has the ability to ‘Multi Phase’ in which the craft splits into four pieces, with Alan piloting the nose section controlling the other three parts! This would certainly allow this Thunderbird to be more involved in the action and a wider range of rescues.

Thunderbird 4: Hi-tech rescue utility sub. 

Described as ‘The fastest and most resilient sub ever created’, although W.A.S.P. may have issues with that statement, TB4 is carried into the action by Thunderbird 2 in Pod 4. This version has all the gadgets including towing lines, drills, ultrasonic projectors which can control fish and shatter rock, Kraken torpedo, rapid freeze mines, cutting lasers and cloaking tech. It can also launch a separate four person sub, Thunderbird 4.5, for those tight situations and when you need an eject-able bomb!

Finally Thunderbird 4’s newest innovation is something cool, the ability to convert into a hovercraft reaching speeds of up to 300 mph, this may save it having to hitch a lift on a World Navy Vessel.

Thunderbird 5: Disaster monitoring space station. 

The heart of the organisation but the one that usually got the least action, its design is a close update to the classic one we know. A low-orbit space station with the latest surveillance technology to pick up those distress calls in the most remote locations, it is still operated by John.

Thunderbird 5 has additions that went on to be used in the 2015 series. ‘Five’ a hyper-intelligent computer system appearing as a holographic emoticon that John connects with and creates a virtual map of the world which lights up with cries of help, this is very similar to ‘EOS’ in TAG. Thunderbird 5 can also be accessed by an ‘Orbital Lifter pod’ as was the case in the 2015 series.

The Past:

The production bible for this series introduces a new back story of the creation of International Rescue and sets up elements for the ongoing series story line.

Retired astronaut and philanthropist Jeff Tracy sets up International Rescue with the help of tech specialist 'Brains', his close friend Nickolas Holden and three other of the best pilots in the world.

One of these pilots Dak Merrick, sells his allegiance to a criminal empire 'Wraith' and convinces the other two to join his betrayal; mid-rescue mission they turn their Thunderbirds on Jeff and Nickolas but Jeff foils their plan and they escape leaving the craft behind.

Unfortunately in the fight Nickolas is killed whilst saving Jeff, wracked with guilt Jeff, hides away the Thunderbirds beneath Tracy Island…. never to launch again.

Jeff adopts Nickolas’s son Virgil and he and his wife Maria go on to add three further boys to their family.

The day Alan celebrates his first birthday the criminal empire discovers the family home in Colorado and attacks, Maria dies in an explosion. Jeff takes the boys, along with Kyrano and Brains and raises his children on Tracy Island, safe from 'Wraith'.

Brought up with a classic education via Grandma Tracy, Jeff tries to steer them away from piloting, but they discover his old flight sim programs and using these, they are hooked.

Quoted from the book:

‘And then came the day they discovered the 5 Thunderbirds vehicles. The brothers rocketed off, instantly bonding with their newfound craft. In that secret test, the boys rescued the Fireflash experimental airliner, saving hundreds of lives. Even their father was impressed-after he had calmed down.’

At first forbidding them from becoming the new Thunderbird pilots he is eventually convinced to revive International Rescue, as long as he is in the control room guiding their missions.

‘Tracy doesn’t have much choice…because the Wraith are rising.

NOW is the time the world needs to be rescued. NOW is the time the boys are prepped and ready. NOW is the time for the vehicles to take flight…Thunderbirds Are Go!’

The Present:

As well as the usual exciting and dangerous time-restrained rescues we have come to expect from a Thunderbirds series, this 2011 version introduces WRAITH (Worldwide Retaliatory Agency for Intelligence Tactics and Hyper-technology). Bent on sabotage and extortion they are a criminal empire that has taken hold of a world which has dismantled its armies to create a utopian dream, they operate out of several hidden bases with their main HQ heavily protected in the Himalayas.

Who could possibly head this type of group? Well 'The Hood' of course, pictured here looking exactly as menacing as we would expect. Having worked his way up through the ranks of WRAITH through conniving and intimidation, he now leads, spreading fear through the organisation.

The Hood’s character bio describes him as egotistical and vain amongst many other attributes which leave you with no doubt that this is the main bad guy, still desperate to get hold of the Thunderbird craft and their technology. Fans of the original 60’s version would be pleased to hear that he is still described as having bushy eyebrows, hypnotic abilities, secretly the brother of Kyrano and subsequently uncle to Tin Tin.

The Hood has at his disposal ‘Geddon’, a 200ft tall robot (Armageddon Mecha Mark 1) which can bring entire cities down with plasma cannons, missiles and flame throwers and then deliver an entire army of Hood agents! The design of this would not look out of place in any Japanese Mecha series.

If the Hood and his ‘Geddon’ were not enough, our heroes face even more danger from ‘Nighthawks’…the 'Anti-Thunderbirds'....

Five top  'WRAITH' agents, codenamed Abraxas, Orion, Eon, Siren and Logos, piloting specialised advanced combat-ready vehicles built to counter and destroy its opposing Thunderbird craft of air, sea and space. Operating out of a huge space station built for war and conquest, none of these craft are pictured here, now we see why the new Thunderbirds are equipped with laser cannons etc…

Spoilers….The Nighthawks’ leader Abraxas is none other than…Dak Merrick, yes the very man who betrayed Jeff!

Some familiar faces:

At this point you might despair of any hope that our heroes may have against this amount of villainy, but do not worry they still have support from some characters we know well....sort of.

Brains: Jeff Tracy’s chief engineer and inventor since he was 18. In this version he is all that we would expect with one new addition, he is something of a cyborg. Brains has ‘Cy-port’ implants in the back of his head that allow him to plug in and upload information directly into his brain… ‘Making him a literal brain’.

Tin Tin: Kick–Butt bodyguard, named in this proposal as ‘Tanusha Tin Tin Kyrano’, this is an interesting link to the 2015 series in which she was named as ‘Tanusha Kayo Kyrano. In this version she is 14 and one of the most skilled martial artists alive and Jeff’s bodyguard. (Not pictured in the book)

Kyrano: 52 years old and Jeff’s oldest closest friend. He spent years as Jeff’s bodyguard and martial arts instructor. He is head of security on Tracy Island and teaches martial arts and philosophy to the boys and Tin-Tin. (Not pictured in the book)

Lady Penelope: Described as the precocious headstrong 18 year old daughter of Sir Hugh Creighton–Ward. Her back story involves her missing father, who will turn up in a later storyline, finding his secret spy HQ and becoming a James Bond-like secret agent working for MI-90.

She has access to a world of high-tech gadgets and a transforming 6-wheeled Rolls-Royce laden with endless weapons and more gadgetry.

She is almost always accompanied by her chauffeur ‘Nosey Parker’….

Aloysius ‘Nosey’ Parker: Brace yourselves as Parker has been updated although you may not notice from the outside, still Lady Penelope’s chauffeur, butler, confidant and protector and drives FAB1.

In this version ‘Our beloved Cockney, dry-humoured chauffeur is nearly identical to his original incarnation; except Parker is no longer human. He is an android!

Human looking but inside 100% carbon-lined plastic, ‘Syntha-organs’ and nanotech circuitry, loaded with hi-tech weapons, he can turn his hands into magnetic energy projectors or fire rockets from ports under his lapels.

Alas he is not pictured in the book....

FAB1:  And finally of course FAB1, described as per the original series as a six wheeled Rolls-Royce loaded with high tech spy gear additions. Its capabilities include…the ability to alter itself to sub mode, plane mode and climbing mode…capable of scaling buildings.

Other features include grill lasers, bumper ram, kitchen sink, rear plate bombs, oil slick, grappling hooks, bullet proof housing and side door smart missiles.

FAB1 can become nearly invisible, only when parked, and the paint job is programmable…Lady P keeps it her favourite colour pink. (Not pictured in the book)

The direction of the series:

The last few pages of the ‘Production bible’ talk of the premise of the series and the intended tone.

Alan at 14 is the lead and ‘In’ to an ensemble show, this was the same with the 2004 movie which focused on his character and in the 2015 series he had a notable presence in the storylines.

This series intended to also spotlight the other brothers in various episodes and although targeting a young audience, hoped to draw in an age range from 5 to 55, with the usual gadgets and vehicles that we had come to expect and of course benefit from the parental approval from the older generation of viewers.

The original series was set 100 years ahead in 2065 and this series was to repeat this chronology, they reasoned that if it was set in 2112, it could be assumed that everyone would have access to flying cars and tele-porters and the technology of International Rescue in this series would not be so impressive.

They talk about the world of 2065 being more grounded, with mankind harnessing and carefully using the world’s resources, but still coming up against situations that would inevitably require the services of International Rescue in their primary goal of saving lives.

The first season arc of 13 episodes was to be all about getting to know the Tracy family and see them learn to operate as a team, along with the occasional introductions of their colleagues.

The Hood’s presence would be slowly introduced resulting with a series end in episode 26 with him capturing Thunderbird 1 and discovering and destroying Tracy Island. Jeff would go missing, setting up season two as an international search for him by the team.

The story samples:

Finally, three story samples are supplied showing the type of episodes that would be produced, with elements that are classic ‘Thunderbirds’.

‘Prometheus Fallen’: a space station colliding with Thunderbird 5 then plummeting to earth with enough cosmic ray energy on board to turn it into a massive bomb…meanwhile one of the crew John has rescued is an agent of the Hood!

‘Stormbringer’: all over the planet, Superstorms are suddenly appearing, International Rescue discover they are being created by ‘Stormbringer’, a giant floating fortress operated by the Hood and teeming with his agents. As the team attempt to bring it down TB3 is caught inside a huge tornado…

‘Darwin Unleashed’: International Rescue manage to break up a massive meteor hurtling towards earth, but the remaining fragments making it to the surface release an alien ooze which genetically alters several birds into huge monstrous avian creatures, which find the skyscraper tops the perfect nesting grounds….how do the team save the city without harming the giant birds?….

The book concludes with a brief overview of ITV studios and its productions and picture references to the original Supermarionation series.

 Thoughts:

This is an interesting, imaginative proposal for a ‘Thunderbirds’ series, showing that ITV were still looking to make use of its rights to the property, dated 2011. It must have been shortly after this Production Bible was produced and sent out to prospective interested parties, that someone at Pukeko saw the opportunity to create a version that would eventually became ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’.

The backstory of the initial creation of International Rescue is well thought out and provides the set up for Dak Merrick to return regularly as an additional antagonist with a personal link to Jeff Tracy.

The break-away from the standard five related brothers has been mentioned before when discussing a new series and the introduction here of Virgil as an adopted son goes some way to introduce this and bring a new dynamic to the team.

Introducing the Wraith 'Anti-Thunderbirds' would have provided plenty of action stories. I imagine they would be causing trouble for our team similar to the 'Chaos Crew' in TAG although I believe, due to the armament equipped craft described, they would have a more heightened sense of threat.

The original Thunderbirds series gave us 32 episodes of classic Supermarionation action. The closest thing we have had to this since then have been the audio recordings brought to life as three fantastic extra episodes by the talented team at ‘Century21 Productions’.

You always want more of what you have enjoyed, especially as you get older, but times and the audience changes. Watching the new episodes of ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ the action flew along at a rate of knots, something younger viewers were accustomed to. Modernised and in CGI, this new series brought us some brilliant action scenes that could only be created this way. One of my favourite shots in TAG was from the wing of Thunderbird 2 as it launched off of its ramp, looking back down to the ground below with the camera shaking, it was reminiscent of those shots from the Apollo rockets as they left the earth's atmosphere.

Each new interpretation of this much loved series brings us something new and although they may not be exactly like the classic series, it breathes new life into the franchise. They bring new audiences and just maybe some of them may be inspired enough to look into where this whole thing blossomed, on a trading estate in Slough and discover a whole lot more.

UPDATES: 

Since writing this article I have found additional artwork within the books pages, details can be found below.

Thunderbirds International Rescue 2011 Animated Series 'Artwork'

You can also view the contents overview video below.

https://youtu.be/6KEWX4JLnXQ