Thunderbirds Are Go! - 10 Things You Need To Know

It's time to get excited! The modern, completely updated relaunch of the best of all of Gerry Anderson's 1960s "supermarionation" programmes, Thunderbirds, is almost here! In a few short weeks, audiences will finally be able to see new episodes of the indomitable Tracy brothers performing unbelievable rescues around the world. The cries for help are even now starting to go out as volcanoes explode, deep sea bases teeter on the edges of bottomless abysses, and earthquakes put thousands of people in jeopardy. "International Rescue, where are you?" scream the horror-struck victims. And the answer is now, "We're on the way!" In really cool rescue vehicles that launch from a secret tropical island base, naturally. Fans' appetites have been stoked with a spectacular full trailer and shorter individual spots highlighting each Tracy brother. From these trailers, it's clear that the rebooted Thunderbirds Are Go is going to be spectacular, in exactly the way that the 2004 feature film version with Ben Kingsley and Bill Paxton wasn't. The first season of Thunderbirds Are Go! is due to air in April 2015, but the as-yet unaired episodes have so impressed the TV network that a second season has already been confirmed. This second season means that the rebooted Thunderbirds is guaranteed to last longer than the original 1960s series. All the elements that made the original Thunderbirds so beloved are firmly in place for the reboot. They've got the countdown, the island, and all of the Tracy brothers. Scott Tracy is still flying the rocket-like Thunderbird 1; Virgil is in charge of transporting the heavy rescue gear in the iconic transporter, Thunderbird 2; Alan is still an astronaut in the spaceship, Thunderbird 3; Gordon is piloting the underwater rescue vehicle, Thunderbird 4; and John is up in orbit, monitoring everything from on high in the space station, Thunderbird 5. Whilst the hats are gone, the Tracy brothers retain the blue International Rescue uniforms, although, rather sensibly, they are now more like flight-suits. But those aren't the only changes, as will be explained in this list! Here are the 10 most important aspects of the new production that all Thunderbird fans need to know. And for those fans who haven't yet seen the full trailer, it's included at the end of this article. Now let's, well, go!