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More than 3 @,@ 000 Thunderbirds @-@ themed products have been marketed since the series ' debut . To accommodate the high demand for tie @-@ ins , APF established three dedicated subsidiaries : AP Films Merchandising , AP Films Music and AP Films Toys . Some British commentators dubbed the 1966 end @-@ of @-@ year shopping season " Thunderbirds Christmas " due to the series ' popularity . In the early 1990s , Matchbox launched a new toy range to coincide with the BBC 2 repeats . Sales figures for Christmas 1992 exceeded those achieved by the Star Wars merchandising campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s . Demand for Matchbox 's Tracy Island Playset overwhelmed supply , resulting in shop fights and a substantial black market for the toy . |
A comic strip featuring the characters of Lady Penelope and Parker debuted in the early issues of APF Publishing 's children 's title TV Century 21 in 1965 . A full @-@ length Thunderbirds strip appeared a year later , at which point the Lady Penelope adventures were given their own comic . Thunderbirds , Lady Penelope and Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds annuals were published in the late 1960s ; during the same period , eight original novels were written . In 2008 , FTL Publications of Minnesota launched a new series of tie @-@ in novels . |
Between 1965 and 1967 , APF Records released 19 audio episodes in the form of vinyl EPs . Three are original stories ; the rest are adapted from TV episode soundtracks , with additional narration provided by a member of the voice cast . The series ' first video game tie @-@ in , developed for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum computers , was released by Firebird Software in 1985 . Other titles have since been released for the Game Boy Color , Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2 . During the late 1980s , the series was issued on home video for the first time by PolyGram and its subsidiary Channel 5 . Following its acquisition by Carlton International Media in 1999 , Thunderbirds was digitally remastered for the release of the first DVD versions in 2000 . Blu @-@ ray Disc editions followed in 2008 . |
= = Later productions = = |
Thunderbirds has been followed by two film sequels , a live @-@ action film adaptation , two animated TV remakes and several re @-@ edited presentations for TV broadcast and home video . The second of the remakes , Thunderbirds Are Go , premiered on ITV in 2015 , the 50th anniversary year of the original . |
= = = Film = = = |
The feature @-@ length film sequels Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 were released in 1966 and 1968 . The first was greenlit by Lew Grade before the TV series had started its broadcast run . Written and produced by the Andersons and directed by David Lane , both films were distributed by United Artists . Neither was a critical or commercial success , and Century 21 Cinema 's plans for further sequels were abandoned . |
In the early 1980s , episodes of Thunderbirds and other Supermarionation series were re @-@ edited by ITC 's New York offices to create a series of compilation films . Branded " Super Space Theater " , this format was mostly intended for family viewing on American cable and syndicated TV . Three Thunderbirds features were produced : Thunderbirds to the Rescue , Thunderbirds In Outer Space and Countdown to Disaster . |
Plans for a live @-@ action film adaptation were first announced in 1993 . These eventually culminated in the 2004 film Thunderbirds , directed by Jonathan Frakes and produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films . It was a critical and commercial failure and was poorly received by fans of the TV series . |
= = = TV = = = |
The Andersons sold their intellectual and profit participation rights to Thunderbirds and their other productions in the 1970s . As a result , they had no developmental control over subsequent adaptations of their works . Thunderbirds was first remade for TV in the early 1980s as Thunderbirds 2086 . In this anime re @-@ imagining , set 20 years after the original , the vastly expanded IR is based within an arcology and operates 17 Thunderbird machines . It was inspired by Thunderhawks , an updated story concept by Gerry Anderson and Reg Hill that later served as the basis for Anderson 's Supermacromation series Terrahawks . |
Two re @-@ edited series , based on condensed versions of 13 of the original episodes , aired in the US in 1994 . The first , Thunderbirds USA , was broadcast as part of the Fox Kids programming block ; the second , Turbocharged Thunderbirds , was syndicated by UPN . Developed as a comedy , Turbocharged Thunderbirds moved the action to the planet " Thunder @-@ World " and combined the original puppet footage with new live @-@ action scenes featuring a pair of human teenagers . |
As well as Thunderhawks , Anderson developed other ideas for a remake . A 1976 concept , Inter @-@ Galactic Rescue 4 , was to have featured a variable @-@ configuration craft capable of performing rescues on land and sea , in air and in space ; Anderson pitched the idea to NBC , who rejected it . This was followed in 1984 by another proposed updating , T @-@ Force , which at first could not be pursued owing to a lack of funding . Development resumed in 1993 , when it was decided to produce the series , now titled GFI , using cel animation . But Anderson was disappointed with the results and the production was abandoned . |
In 2005 , Anderson re @-@ affirmed his wish to remake Thunderbirds but stated that he had been unable to secure the necessary rights from Granada Ventures . His negotiations with the company and its successor , ITV plc , continued for the next few years . In 2008 , he expressed his commitment to creating an " updated " version , ideally using CGI ; three years later , he announced that work on the series had commenced . Following Anderson 's death in December 2012 , it was confirmed that a deal had been struck between ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures to remake Thunderbirds using a combination of CGI and live @-@ action model sets . The new version , Thunderbirds Are Go , has been commissioned for two series of 26 episodes each . The first 13 episodes of Series One were broadcast on ITV HD and CITV between April and June 2015 . |
In July 2015 , to celebrate the series ' 50th anniversary , Filmed in Supermarionation documentary director Stephen La Rivière launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds necessary to produce three new puppet episodes based on the Thunderbirds mini @-@ albums of the 1960s . The project , titled " Thunderbirds 1965 " , is supported by ITV , Sylvia Anderson and the estate of Gerry Anderson . |
= = Influence = = |
Thunderbirds has influenced TV programmes , films and various other media . The puppet comedy of the film Team America : World Police was directly inspired by the idiosyncrasies of Thunderbirds @-@ era Supermarionation techniques . Allusion and homage are also evident in Wallace and Gromit : A Close Shave , Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me and Spaced , as well as the character design of Star Wars : The Clone Wars . The BBC sketch comedy Not Only ... But Also included a segment titled " Superthunderstingcar " – a parody of Thunderbirds , Supercar and Stingray . |
IR 's life @-@ saving mission inspired the founding of the volunteer International Rescue Corps , originally made up of a group of British firemen who contributed to the humanitarian effort following the 1980 Irpinia earthquake . Virgin Group has used the series in branding its services : Virgin Atlantic operates a Boeing 747 @-@ 400 airliner named Lady Penelope , while Virgin Trains owns a fleet of locomotives that are all named after main characters and vehicles and used specifically to " rescue " broken @-@ down trains . |
A mimed stage show , Thunderbirds : F.A.B. , has toured internationally and popularised a staccato style of movement known colloquially as the " Thunderbirds walk " . The production has periodically been revived as Thunderbirds : F.A.B. – The Next Generation . |
Cover versions of " The Thunderbirds March " have been released by musicians and bands such as Billy Cotton , Joe Loss , Frank Sidebottom , The Rezillos and The Shadows . Groups who have written songs inspired by the series include Fuzzbox ( with " International Rescue " ) , TISM ( with " Thunderbirds Are Coming Out " ) , Busted ( with " Thunderbirds / 3AM " ) and V6 ( with " Thunderbirds – Your Voice " ) . In 1991 , Anderson filmed the music video for the Dire Straits single " Calling Elvis " with a collection of Thunderbirds @-@ style puppets . |
During the 1960s , APF produced themed TV advertisements for Lyons Maid and Kellogg 's . Aspects of Thunderbirds have since been used in advertising for Swinton Insurance , Nestlé Kit Kat , Specsavers and the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency . |
= T. Arthur Cottam = |
T. Arthur Cottam is a screenwriter , actor , producer and film director . A graduate of the Film and Television Production program at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University , Cottam resides in Los Angeles , California . He acted in theatre , and received an Artistic Director Achievement Award from the Valley Theatre League for his role in the theatre production Othello as a cast member of Zombie Joe 's Underground Theatre Group . Cottam directed short films along a topical series called " Dirty Little Shorts " . |
His existential work Pornographic Apathetic deals with four people recounting pornographic film dialog in a state of apathy . Pornographic Apathetic was featured in numerous movie festivals , and received eight film awards as well as critical acclaim . Cottam 's film Carbuncle was featured in 2006 at the Milano Film Festival in Italy , and was recognized with a nomination in the category of " Best Feature Film " . His 2006 film Filthy Food received the award for " Best Experimental Short Film " at the festival CineKink NYC . Cottam 's film 52 Takes of the Same Thing , Then Boobs was an entrant in the 2010 International Short Film Festival in Piombino , Italy , and was featured in AFI FEST in the same year . |
= = Education = = |
Cottam graduated from the Film and Television Production program at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University . Cottam 's thesis work at NYU was titled Beer Goggles , the film received the Best Editing award at the First Run Film Festival and was featured at the Chicago and New York Underground Film Festivals . He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from NYU in 1998 . |
= = Career = = |
T. Arthur Cottam is an actor , and film @-@ maker , based in Los Angeles , California . Cottam was a member of Zombie Joe 's Underground Theatre Group , and performed along with actors Denise Devin and Bernadette Larsen in 2000 in a series of productions titled " Sketches 7 : Bury the Hatchet " , directed by Zombie Joe and Josh T. Ryan . He continued performing in theatre in Los Angeles in 2001 . In 2002 , Cottam received an Artistic Director Achievement Award from the Valley Theatre League for his role in the theatre production Othello put on by the Zombie Joe group . Cottam 's short films were produced along a topical series titled , " Dirty Little Shorts " . His film Pornographic Apathetic debuted in 2002 . The existential plot features four individuals ( two women and two men ) who recreate dialog from pornographic film while in a state of apathy . Pornographic Apathetic garnered eight film awards , and was featured at more than 50 film festivals . |
Pornographic Apathetic received positive reception from journalist Gary Dowell of The Dallas Morning News , who described it as " Especially notable ... an experimental work that strips the mystique from porn " . Pornographic Apathetic was selected for inclusion in the Puchon International Fantastic Festival ( PiFan ) in South Korea ; the festival " aims to identify the important elements of fantastic films , such as creativity and popularity " . The movie was shown at the Paris Porn Film Fest at the Le Brady cinema , in Paris , France . The film was featured in an exhibit in Vienna , examining the nature of pornography . Writing for San Antonio Express @-@ News , Mike Greenberg observed , " T. Arthur Cottam 's Pornographic Apathetic is just about the funniest thing I 've ever seen . ( The excellent actors are mostly clothed , never touch each other and are nearly motionless , but the dialogue is not suitable for children or bluenoses . ) " The film was given a favorable review by reporter Robert W. Butler of The Kansas City Star who covered the piece during its presentation at the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee . Butler wrote , " Your ears will burn while watching T. Arthur Cottam 's superlative satiric essay on the desensitizing effects of pornography , but you 'll also be laughing . ... It 's lurid . It 's raunchy . It 's vile . But all this nasty lubricity is delivered deadpan , a device that deconstructs the whole intention of porn . " Marc Mohan reviewed the film during its feature at the Portland International Short Short Film Festival , and wrote that it " makes the most of its one @-@ joke premise " . In 2007 , The Orlando Sentinel characterized Cottam as a favorite film @-@ maker at the Florida Film Festival . Los Angeles Times journalist Borzou Daragahi cited the film as an example of problems with the adult film industry in an article about a sexual art exhibit ; he commented , " The piece makes you laugh while illustrating one of the paradoxes of smut : At its core , it 's rather idiotic and boring . " |
In 2006 , Cottam 's film Carbuncle competed at the Milano Film Festival , alongside another U.S. film titled The Blood of my Brother by Andrei Berends . Carbuncle received a nomination in the category of " Best Feature Film " at the Milan Film Festival . Cottam 's 2006 film Filthy Food was featured in the San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival , and received the award for " Best Experimental Short Film " at the festival CineKink NYC . In 2010 , Cottam 's film 52 Takes of the Same Thing , Then Boobs was an entrant in the International Short Film Festival in Piombino , Italy . It was featured in a section of the International Short Film Festival which included selections of films that were considered " visionary " and contributed a " visual impact " to cinema . 52 Takes of the Same Thing , Then Boobs was featured in AFI FEST 2010 , where Lane Kneedler associate director of programming called it " the most outrageously ' out there ' film that we have scheduled " . In an interview with Girami , Cottam stated he had intended to direct a feature @-@ length film for some time , and wanted to combine his talents with actors who could improvise in front of the camera . Cottam said he had a great experience working with the actors on the film Carbuncle , and stated he let improvisation be the tool by which the actors could show emotions and create their characters . In September 2010 , 52 Takes of the Same Thing , Then Boobs was shown at the Black Rock City Film Festival located at the Burning Man site in the Nevada desert . |
= = Filmography = = |
= = = Film = = = |
= = = Theatre = = = |
= = Awards and nominations = = |
= Partington = |
Partington is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester , England , about ten miles ( 16 km ) to the south @-@ west of Manchester city centre . Historically part of Cheshire , it lies on the southern bank of the Manchester Ship Canal , opposite Cadishead on the northern bank . It has a population of 7 @,@ 327 . |
A paper mill built in Partington more than 250 years ago was the first factory in Trafford . The completion of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 transformed Partington into a major coal @-@ exporting port and attracted a range of other industries . Until 2007 Shell Chemicals UK operated a major petrochemicals manufacturing complex in Carrington , Partington 's closest neighbour , to the east . The gas storage facility in the north @-@ eastern corner of the town was once a gasworks and another significant employer . |
Shortly after the Second World War , local authorities made an effort to rehouse people away from Victorian slums in inner @-@ city Manchester . An area of Partington extended as an overspill estate is now one of the most deprived parts of the Greater Manchester conurbation . The Cheshire Lines Committee opened a railway line through the town in 1873 , but it closed in 1964 . |
Partington and Carrington Youth Partnership was established to provide the town 's youth with activities and the town has seen investment in a new youth centre . Broadoak School , the only secondary school in the town , is used by Trafford College to provide further education . |
= = History = = |
Partington , first recorded in 1260 , was in the medieval and post @-@ medieval parish of Bowdon . The name derives from Old English : the first element may be a personal name such as Pearta or Pærta , or part " land divided up into partitions " followed by inga , meaning " people of " ; the suffix tun means " farmstead " . The village consisted of dispersed farmsteads , with no nucleated centre . It was surrounded by wetlands on all sides , reducing the amount of land available for agriculture . According to the hearth tax returns of 1664 , Partington had a population of 99 . |
In 1755 a paper mill on the River Mersey was opened in Partington , the first factory to be established in present @-@ day Trafford . Erlam Farmhouse dates from the late 18th century and is a Grade II listed building . Also protected as a Grade II listed building are the stocks on the village green . Its stone pillars are from the 18th century , although the wooden restraints were replaced in the 20th century . |
The completion of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 transformed Partington into a major coal @-@ exporting port . The canal was widened to 250 feet ( 76 m ) for three @-@ quarters of a mile ( 1 @.@ 2 km ) to allow for the construction of a coaling basin , equipped with four hydraulic coal hoists . Partington was the nearest port to the Lancashire Coalfields , and brought the south Yorkshire collieries 30 miles ( 48 km ) closer to the sea . Between 1898 – 1911 , exports of coal accounted for 53 @.@ 4 per cent of the total export tonnage carried by the ship canal . The coal trade in turn resulted in Partington becoming a major railway depot , and attracted a range of other industries , including the Partington Steel & Iron Company , which was encouraged by the availability of coal to construct a steelworks . The works became a part of the Lancashire Steel Corporation in 1930 , and dominated the economy of nearby Irlam until their closure in 1976 . After the Second World War , Partington was extended as an overspill estate . |
= = Governance = = |
The civil parish of Partington was created in 1894 , under the Local Government Act 1894 and has its own town council . Partington became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in 1974 upon the borough 's creation , but was previously in Bucklow Rural District . The town is part of the Bucklow St Martin electoral ward ; Partington Parish Council is made up of local residents and ward councillors . |
Partington also belongs to the Stretford and Urmston constituency and is part of the North West England constituency of the European Parliament . Since its creation in 1997 the constituency 's Member of Parliament has been a member of the Labour Party , Kate Green being the present incumbent . |
= = Geography = = |
At 53 ° 25 ′ 12 ″ N 2 ° 25 ′ 48 ″ W ( 53 @.@ 42 , − 2 @.@ 43 ) , Partington lies west of Sale , north @-@ east of the civil parish of Warburton , and is on Trafford 's northern border with the City of Salford . It is nine miles ( 14 km ) south @-@ west of Manchester city centre . Sinderland Brook runs east – west through the area , and the town is about 20 m ( 66 ft ) above sea level on generally flat ground . |
Partington 's local drift geology is a mixture of alluvial deposits , fluvio @-@ glacial gravel , and peat deposited about 10 @,@ 000 years ago , during the last ice age . The bedrock is Keuper sandstone in the south and Bunter sandstone in the north . The town 's climate is generally temperate , like the rest of Greater Manchester . The mean highest and lowest temperatures ( 13 @.@ 2 ° C ( 55 @.@ 8 ° F ) and 6 @.@ 4 ° C ( 43 @.@ 5 ° F ) ) are slightly above the national average , while the annual rainfall ( 806 @.@ 6 millimetres ( 31 @.@ 76 in ) ) and average hours of sunshine ( 1394 @.@ 5 hours ) are respectively above and below the national averages . |
= = Demography = = |
According to the Office for National Statistics , at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Partington had a population of 7 @,@ 723 . The 2001 population density was 5 @,@ 348 inhabitants per square mile ( 2 @,@ 065 / km2 ) , with a 100 to 93 @.@ 1 female @-@ to @-@ male ratio . Of those over 16 years old , 34 @.@ 7 % were single ( never married ) , 34 @.@ 9 % married , and 10 @.@ 5 % divorced . Partington 's 3 @,@ 354 households included 33 @.@ 5 % one @-@ person , 28 @.@ 7 % married couples living together , 8 @.@ 8 % were co @-@ habiting couples , and 16 @.@ 3 % single parents with their children . Of those aged 16 – 74 , 38 @.@ 9 % had no academic qualifications , significantly higher than the averages of Trafford ( 24 @.@ 7 % ) and England ( 28 @.@ 9 % ) . It has been described as one of the most deprived places in the Greater Manchester conurbation . |
As of the 2001 UK census , 76 @.@ 8 % of Partington 's residents reported themselves as being Christian , 0 @.@ 8 % Muslim , 0 @.@ 2 % Hindu , 0 @.@ 2 % Jewish , and 0 @.@ 1 % Sikh . The census recorded 14 @.@ 7 % as having no religion , 0 @.@ 1 % had an alternative religion and 7 @.@ 1 % did not state their religion . |
= = Economy = = |
The main shopping area of Partington is on Central Road , in the centre of town . Partington also has a traditional market on Smithy Lane . |
Spanish company , SAICA , bought a lease on a disused wharfside site by the Manchester Ship Canal in 2009 to recycle paper into packaging . The plant is the most " advanced , fully integrated facility in the UK " . It uses water recycled from the ship canal and its heat and power plant supplies surplus power to the national grid . The plant cost £ 300 million and production started in January 2012 . |
According to the 2001 UK census , the industry of employment of residents aged 16 – 74 was 19 @.@ 3 % retail and wholesale , 15 @.@ 0 % manufacturing , 14 @.@ 7 % property and business services , 10 @.@ 8 % health and social work , 9 @.@ 1 % transport and communications , 7 @.@ 2 % construction , 5 @.@ 2 % education , 4 @.@ 8 % hotels and restaurants , 3 @.@ 8 % finance , 3 @.@ 1 % public administration , 1 @.@ 3 % agriculture , 0 @.@ 7 % energy and water supply , 0 @.@ 1 % mining , and 4 @.@ 9 % other . Compared with national figures , Partington had a relatively high percentage of residents working in transport and communications , and a relatively low percentage working in public administration . The census recorded the economic activity of residents aged 16 – 74 , 1 @.@ 8 % students were with jobs , 3 @.@ 4 % students without jobs , 7 @.@ 7 % looking after home or family , 10 @.@ 6 % permanently sick or disabled , and 3 @.@ 8 % economically inactive for other reasons . The proportion of those who were permanently sick or disabled in Partington was above the Trafford and England average ( 5 @.@ 4 % and 6 @.@ 5 % respectively ) . |
= = Education = = |
Trafford maintains a selective education system assessed by the Eleven Plus exam . There are three primary schools and one secondary school in Partington . The oldest school still standing in the town was opened in 1958 and used to be called Partington County Primary School . There is one other state primary schools at Forest Gate with Academy status . There is also a Roman Catholic school – Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School on Lock Lane . Broadoak School is a secondary school with academy status for pupils aged 11 to 16 . |
= = Transport = = |
Partington 's main road is the A6144 between Lymm and the Brooklands area of Sale . The Manchester Ship Canal also carries some industrial traffic . The nearest road crossing over the canal is at Warburton Bridge , one of the few remaining pre @-@ motorway toll bridges in the UK , and the only one in Greater Manchester . The Department for Transport describes Partington as " geographically isolated with road access restricted by the proximity of the Manchester Ship Canal and the nearby petrochemical works [ in Carrington ] " and notes that there are low levels of car ownership . The 255 operates every 30 minutes during the day , and hourly after 1955 into Manchester Piccadilly 7 days a week |
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