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Thunderbirds Are Go - 2015 Series

Well they've already commissioned a second series of 26 episodes, don't know how you can call that killed.
 
Flip that point: ITV doesn't run childrens shows any more, except on CITV, so running the opener on ITV(1) was a vote of confidence.
But still a pity that it's not going to be ongoing. Series like this work by having children and parents watch together and that doesn't happen if it's only early morning on the children's channel.
Whereas, 40 years on from first time round, I came down from a Saturday advert break to get a coffee, and found my almost 80-year-old father dozed off while watching the new Thunderbirds.
 
diankra said:
But still a pity that it's not going to be ongoing. Series like this work by having children and parents watch together and that doesn't happen if it's only early morning on the children's channel.
Whereas, 40 years on from first time round, I came down from a Saturday advert break to get a coffee, and found my almost 80-year-old father dozed off while watching the new Thunderbirds.
Click to expand...

Do people nowadays really watch live TV (with the exception of news/sport)? I've been downloading TV since season 4 of SG1, and my son has no concept of the idea that you sit down to watch TV at a specific time. Now showing it before the parents get up means that the kids will watch it, and watch the adverts, and then pester power will come in, which means the advertisers are happy, and ITV get the money, and then can pay for the show.

If it were shown at 5PM it's far more likely that people would watch at 5:37pm and fast forward through the adverts (there weren't any adverts to skip on the ITV Player download on sky on-demand)
 
From what I gather (unless its another one off of course) the show is repeated on Sunday afternoons on CITV at 4.00pm. At least it was today.
 
That's a fair point (particularly the pester-power): outside of the "Everything has to be Kid-OK as they can just see it on-line" point, I have a few friends with kids under 10 who like the later tx for Doctor Who, as they can watch it before deciding whether to let their children watch it solo (IYSWIM).
But CITV early morning only is ruling out full family viewing except online.
 
It's the evening showing at 5pm that's going to get the ratings, not the morning one. Whether people record it or not I believe the power of the ratings lies in the viewers watching the live broadcast. Even though the show has been commissioned for another 26 episodes it seems unlikely that we'll get anymore after that. Anyone remember New Captain Scarlet? They're taking a culturally significant TV show and sticking it on at a time that is less accessible to people.
 
Agh, tell them to put it back! We don't care if Britain's Got Talent is on at that time or something!
 
Is there any explanation in the show about why/how things changed? It has been described as both a reboot and a continuation of the classic, only a number of years later.
Also- did TB3's outrigger arms do anything?- the toy has them swing up and forward like some grappler.
Won't be seeing the show here in the US for a while and curious...
 
Richard Baker said:
Is there any explanation in the show about why/how things changed? It has been described as both a reboot and a continuation of the classic, only a number of years later.
Also- did TB3's outrigger arms do anything?- the toy has them swing up and forward like some grappler.
Won't be seeing the show here in the US for a while and curious...
Click to expand...

It's a reboot, there's already a remake of one of the rescues from the old show in the second part of "Ring of Fire", and as for the "Fireflash" episode:

http://41.media.tumblr.com/5dd6835e0fd814864895cd608fb3d1f6/tumblr_nm88k4ApwU1qexuheo3_1280.png

https://40.media.tumblr.com/47ec94fc4740a378791ead93a7b6936c/tumblr_nm85xe0RBR1u0mvyro8_1280.jpg
 
Richard Baker said:
Is there any explanation in the show about why/how things changed? It has been described as both a reboot and a continuation of the classic, only a number of years later.
Also- did TB3's outrigger arms do anything?- the toy has them swing up and forward like some grappler.
Won't be seeing the show here in the US for a while and curious...
Click to expand...

Yep - in Ring Of Fire they were used to grasp onto a satellite to correct it's rotation.
 
Thanks!
Somebody elsewhere said there is a low res version of the first show on YouTube somewhere, going to try and find it tonight.
 
I've now seen it and am very pleased with the results.

It's quite novel to combine practical model backgrounds with CG characters and vehicles. Gives it a unique look that must have echoed what the whole Gerry Anderson feeling was in the golden days. I wonder if we'll have a "live" hand closeup cameo at some point as a further homage. It was a nice touch to have the little deck chairs blown away every time TB-1 launches, though as stock footage goes you'd figure they would have a better solution than to have someone (granny?) go out and put them back every time there's an emergency..!

Looks like the through-story with the Hood will be stronger than in the original, and that's okay. I guess we'll have a mix of arc stories and standalones to keep the kids in line.

I was also missing Gordon in the second half - he just sorta disappeared. Though in the first half, with TB-1 out of commission, I'd have thought Scott would simply hop abord TB-2 to join in the fun. I do like the notion of using TB-5 as a C&C instead of just one guy answering the phone. TB-3 was big and great as she has always been, as my favorite classic Thunderbirds machine, though decidedly less comfy since they're no longer taking the sofa with them. ;)

And Thunderbird S? I know the whole concept was that there were FIVE machines for the five brothers, but why not just call it TB-6 and be done with it? Maybe I'm just spoiled from Thunderbirds 2086, which had seventeen machines shared among five people plus the gigantic crew of the TB-6 space station.


Mark
 
Captain_Amasov said:
Richard Baker said:
Is there any explanation in the show about why/how things changed? It has been described as both a reboot and a continuation of the classic, only a number of years later.
Also- did TB3's outrigger arms do anything?- the toy has them swing up and forward like some grappler.
Won't be seeing the show here in the US for a while and curious...
Click to expand...

It's a reboot, there's already a remake of one of the rescues from the old show in the second part of "Ring of Fire", and as for the "Fireflash" episode:

http://41.media.tumblr.com/5dd6835e0fd814864895cd608fb3d1f6/tumblr_nm88k4ApwU1qexuheo3_1280.png

https://40.media.tumblr.com/47ec94fc4740a378791ead93a7b6936c/tumblr_nm85xe0RBR1u0mvyro8_1280.jpg
Click to expand...

That design for the Fireflash isn't very good at all. Not a patch on the original.
 
If they'd have called it TB6 there would be complaints about the fact it's not a byplane, and TB7 would have elected questions about what's TB6.

TB1-5 are rescue machines, having a security related ship (or whatever Kayo's ship will be) having the same registration would be a bad PR move.

As for Gordon in the second half (or second episode if you will)

John: Gordon, I'm picking up a distress call from a fishing trawler taking on water

Gordon: Tell them I'm on my way
Click to expand...

However we don't get to see a TB4 launch, nor was it taken to the danger zone by TB2 (which took pod 3 with the rollercoaster seat attachment), and that's the last we see of Gordon until the mass evacuation after the threat of Grandma's cooking - as if 5 minutes was cut from release.
 
Paul Weaver said:
If they'd have called it TB6 there would be complaints about the fact it's not a byplane, and TB7 would have elected questions about what's TB6.

TB1-5 are rescue machines, having a security related ship (or whatever Kayo's ship will be) having the same registration would be a bad PR move.

As for Gordon in the second half (or second episode if you will)

John: Gordon, I'm picking up a distress call from a fishing trawler taking on water

Gordon: Tell them I'm on my way
Click to expand...
However we don't get to see a TB4 launch, nor was it taken to the danger zone by TB2 (which took pod 3 with the rollercoaster seat attachment), and that's the last we see of Gordon until the mass evacuation after the threat of Grandma's cooking - as if 5 minutes was cut from release.
Click to expand...

Guess this time around none of the boys will get into trouble for eating one of Grandma's pies (or accidentally swallowing one of Brain's secret trackers that fall in the pies).

Have to see where it goes that Grandma Tracey knows of the link between Kaoy and The Hood and will be interesting to see if the boys find out that she knows. However they'll probably accept as their dad told her and not make that big of a deal of it.

As for the combining of the physical sets with the CGI not quite sold on it. The scenes with FAB-1 on the road particularly stuck out. Would have worked better to have been 100% CGI rather than the mix.
 
Marc said:
As for the combining of the physical sets with the CGI not quite sold on it. The scenes with FAB-1 on the road particularly stuck out. Would have worked better to have been 100% CGI rather than the mix.
Click to expand...

It's a children's tv budget. It would cost a lot more (in time as well as money) to create a cgi location for each episode. Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith was largely a phyical set with CGI elements. Granted they had a much larger budget...
 
Yes, I liked this a lot. It kept the spirit and excitement of the original - if a little too action packed at times - but was able to successfully update. Most importantly, my 8 year old son really enjoyed it too.

My thoughts:

Loved that they still used models for the ships/vehicles.

Some ongoing plot threads set up regarding Kayo keeping her Hood connection a secret, and also "what happened to Jeff Tracey"?

The brothers were ALWAYS pretty interchangeable, but I hope the new series will do a little better at differentiating them.

I'm fine with Tin Tin now being Kayo, a good change and gives some more "girl power" to the team. But where's her dad?

David Graham back as Parker is nice, but I now know him more from Grandpa Pig and the Wise Old Elf (Peppa Pig/Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom). He couldn't quite recapture the voice, but given how long it's been he's done quite well.

Wasn't too sure about the new Brains, but hope he grows on me. Liked the new Hood.
 
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