Fanderson is saddened to learn of the death of Anderson writer and director Alan Pattillo at the age of 90.
Alan, who died on 16th January 2020, was responsible for directing classic Thunderbirds episodes such as Trapped in the Sky and Attack of the Alligators. He wrote several other epsiodes and was script editor throughout the majority of the series. He also worked on numerous episodes of Four Feather Falls, Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray and Terrahawks.
He will be sorely missed.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Shane Rimmer at the age of 89.
Shane made a major and diverse contribution to the Anderson universe, guest starring in Space:1999 and Space Police (the pilot episode of what went on to become Space Precinct), scripting episodes of Captain Scarlet and providing the voice of the stop motion animated Dick Spanner. But, of course, he will always be remembered as the voice behind Scott Tracy, the eldest Tracy brother in Thunderbirds.
His wider career was just as prolific, and he was never far away from iconic TV and film productions. He appeared in no less than three Bond movies, and made a series of smaller appearances in Star Wars, Superman and the Batman movies. He also starred in classic sixties shows such as Doctor Who and The Saint.
With the support of his wife, Sheila (pictured above), Shane has been a great supporter of Fanderson over the years, and has always made time for fans. Shane was due to attend Supercelebration later this year in September, and was our first guest announcement. He will be missed by all.
We wish our deepest sympathies to Sheila and the rest of Shane’s family. A full tribute will appear in the next issue of FAB magazine.
In celebration of International Thunderbirds Day on September 30th, Shout! Factory TV and ITV Studios will livestream a 34-hour Thunderbirds marathon exclusively on social video service Twitch. The global event can be enjoyed by fans around the world, who will be able to watch all 32 episodes from the show’s original run, complete with bonus content including the three recent Thunderbirds 1965 episodes based on original Century 21 audio recordings.
The marathon begins on Sunday, September 30th at 7AM PT / 3PM BST on Shout! Factory TV’s official Twitch channel. International Thunderbirds Day celebrates the anniversary of the first TV broadcast of Thunderbirds in the UK, over 50 years ago on September 30th, 1965.
Fanderson members have been given first access to an amazing new live interactive Thunderbirds theatrical event taking place in London later this year. Thunderbirds: Beyond the Horizon will be hosted at The Buzz at Mercato Metropolitano, from Wednesday 7 November 2018. Tickets go on general sale from Thursday 26 April, but Fanderson members can book from today, Wednesday 25 April, at https://www.beyondthunderbirds.com/presale-access
Thunderbirds: Beyond the Horizon is a collaboration between Limelight Productions, ebp (Emma Brunjes Productions) and ITV Studios.
Richard Lewis from Limelight Productions said today, “Three years ago, I began a journey with ITV which will culminate this autumn in the opportunity to experience the world of International Rescue. My ambition has always been to have our audience experience the visceral feeling of being rescued by a Thunderbird. It’s not an easy task, so much so that we have had to build our own venue in London to do so!”
Emma Brunjes and Ralph Brunjes from ebp said today, “All our immersive productions have been technically and creatively complicated and encourage you to escape, but this one offers us the chance to push the boundaries even further.”
The Buzz at Mercato Metropolitano in Borough, London is the first venue of its kind, and has been specifically built with immersive and event theatre in mind.
The format of the show sees Lady Penelope inviting audience members to the launch of The Horizon Project at a top-secret location. But all is not as it seems, and the audience will need to help International Rescue to save the Horizon Project from the evil clutches of the Hood.
We can’t wait for the show to start! Thunderbirds are go!
I won, M’lady!
Lord Parker can now finally go on his ‘oliday, this evening saw the premiere of a brand new Thunderbirds advert on ITV. The advert is part of a campaign run by Halifax in which Parker finally experiences a change in fortunes by winning the top prize of £500,000 in the Halifax Savers Prize Draw Superdraw.
The advert made its TV premiere on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, and follows a series of Halifax campaigns in which the bank is visited by the Flintstones, Top Cat and Scooby Doo and the gang.
Gallery and art publisher Blutulip Publishing has commissioned the artist Alberto Martinez to create a collection of Thunderbirds-inspired original art pieces. As you can see below, Alberto, whose studio is based at the JAG Gallery in Brighton, has put great care and thought into these unique, dream-like pieces:
Alberto:
“I have always incorporated themes that reflect ‘Britishness’ in my paintings as acclimatising to the culture and surroundings since I moved here has greatly influenced my work. So doing so with the Lady Penelope piece was almost a natural progression. The bus, British Bull Dog inside the car, teapot, Leyland truck and architecture are all nods to British culture. You’ll also notice that Parker has a football which acknowledges that the original Thunderbirds series was produced between 1964 and 1966 (the latter year being when England had a historic victory in the World Cup).”
T2 – International Rescue
Alberto:
“Thunderbird 2 is almost like Noah’s Ark…providing a place of shelter for the animals from the world we live in. There’s a moral undertone here that is saying that mankind are so busy worrying about their own lives and being materialistic, that they have forgotten about the rest of the living things that share the planet.”
You can take a closer look at these inspiring art pieces at www.blutulippublishing.co.uk/
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Thunderbirds and here at Fanderson we have an exclusive for you!
Die-cast model makers Corgi are producing a brand new set of fantastic Thunderbirds toys to mark this special occasion (see below!), and to make things even better we’re offering you the chance to win £50 to spend at Corgi.co.uk. Simply tell us….
Which Thunderbirds character is closest to the age of 50 in the series?
Is it:
A) Lady Penelope?
B) Brains?
C) Parker?
Please email your answer along with your full name to query@fanderson.org.uk, using ‘Corgi Thunderbirds competition’ in the subject line. The closing date is noon on Wednesday 7th October.
New Thunderbirds toys from Corgi
Corgi is proud to present a new range of Thunderbirds models based on the original classic series, for both long-standing enthusiasts and a new generation of fans.
You can check out the toys below and find out more on Corgi’s website
Thunderbird 1 – standing just over 9.5cm, the model also features operational swing wings for added authenticity and play value. Along with Thunderbird 3, TB 1 features all new tooling for 2015.
Thunderbird 2 – measures over 15 cm in length with a wing span of over 10.8cm. Thunderbird 4 fits neatly inside a pod concealed within the spring loaded undercarriage.
Thunderbird 3
FAB 1 – comes complete with Lady Penelope and Parker figures, front-firing missile and rear facing rockets.
Panini Magazines are set to publish a lavish 116-page ‘bookazine’ celebrating the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds. Writers include former Fanderson chairman Chris Bentley, Andersonic editor Richard Farrell and Thunderbirds author Sam Denham.
Highlights include:
…and much more.
Thunderbirds: A Complete Guide to the Classic Series is edited by Marcus Hearn and designed by Mike Jones, the team behind the 50th anniversary book Thunderbirds: The Vault. “In terms of its content and scope the bookazine is very different from The Vault,” says Marcus. “The articles offer fresh perspectives on the series and we’ve uncovered some rare and previously unseen material. Fifty years is an important milestone, and it’s our aim to celebrate it in style.”
Thunderbirds: A Complete Guide to the Classic Series is available from WH Smiths and all good newsagents from 10 September, price £9.99.
Marcus and Mike will be attending Fanderson’s The Future is Fantastic convention on 3 and 4 October, where copies of the 50th anniversary publications will be available.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment has announced the release of a new classic Thunderbirds DVD set to celebrate the series’s 50th Anniversary.
The limited edition DVD set is available from 28th September and has an RRP of £39.99. Also available from the date will be the Stingray Complete Collection and Captain Scarlet Complete Collection. Details of these to follow soon! In the meantime, feast your eyes on the beautiful cover artwork for this release!
As well as all 32 episodes of the series, there’s a host of special features available, including a set of collector’s edition postcards and No Strings Attached Documentary, a documentary about the making of Thunderbirds Are Go that was presented by Reggie Yates broadcast earlier this year.
Gerry Anderson’s official biographer Marcus Hearn has released a sumptuous new Thunderbirds book to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series.
Thunderbirds: The Vault is a beautifully packaged hardback bursting with design sketches, production memos and specially commissioned photographs of original costumes, studio artefacts and vintage merchandise.
Compiled with the help of Fanderson’s own FAB Co-Editor Mike Jones, the book required unprecedented access to the ITV archive. It also draws upon numerous exclusive interviews with the people who made the show, including John Blundall, David Lane, Alan Perry, Shane Rimmer and Keith Shackleton!
Published by Ebury Publishing and released on 10th September, this book looks like it’s going to be a collector’s dream and is available to pre-order on Amazon now.
About the author
Marcus Hearn is the official biographer of Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson and author of the New York Times bestseller Doctor Who: The Vault. His other books include the award-winning The Art of Hammer, Saucy Postcards, The Avengers: A Celebration and Eight Days a Week, the story of The Beatles’ final world tour.
Marcus has written for The Times, The Guardian and The Independent, and has contributed booklet notes, audio commentaries and documentaries to nearly a hundred DVDs and Blu-rays.
He is an associate research fellow at Leicester De Montfort’s Cinema and Television History Research Centre and is the official historian of Hammer Film Productions.
A long-time supporter of Fanderson’s conventions, Marcus will be attending The Future in Fantastic! in October to sign copies of the book. Will you be there too?
