ORBzine TV Review - "Thunderbirds" January 2001

Season 1

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 1] Trapped in the Sky
Shown Original Air Date—30 September 1965

The Hood plants a bomb aboard the Fireflash. Can International Rescue bring the airliner down without using its landing gear?

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 2] Pit of Peril
Shown Original Air Date—7 October 1965

The Army's new Sidewinder falls down a burning pit. Can International Rescue haul the machine out of the pit before it breaks up?

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 3] The Perils of Penelope
Shown 10th April 2001 - Tuesday
Original Air Date—14 October 1965

The episode starts with a space rocket test as a prelude to an International conference. This is yet another reminder that there is no World Government.

However, the expected story about the space rocket crew needing a TB rescue does not appear. Instead, as a refreshing change, we get a Penny-centric story. Lady Penelope travels to Paris to meet a friend who helped source components for the TB machines. His associate, who developed the rocket fuel, is missing believed kidnapped.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 4] Terror in New York City
Shown Original Air Date—21 October 1965

After Thunderbird 2 is heavily damaged in a mistaken attack, it leaves the team seemingly without a swift means to transport TB4 to New York City when a news crew is trapped underneath the collapsed Empire State Building.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 5] Edge of Impact
Shown Original Air Date—28 October 1965

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 6] Day of Disaster
Shown Original Air Date—4 November 1965

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 7] 30 Minutes Past Midnight
9th January 2001 - Tuesday

A secret mission goes wrong, and a Secret Agent is trapped in a vault with a bomb. The team must get in before it blows!

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 8] Desperate Intruder
2nd January 2001 - Tuesday

The Traceys explore the ruins of a sunken temple. However, a villain is at hand with a submarine of his own.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 9] End of the Road
Shown 25th November 2000

Alan Tracy wants to get off with the EurAsian house-girl Tin-Tin. However, her BF Eddie Houseman [a macho construction boss] pops up. Later, Eddie returns to the road he was constructing and rather stupidly gets himself trapped in a perilous situation. Only International Rescue can save him - but can they do so without being recognised?

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 10] The Uninvited
Shown Original Air Date—2 December 1965

Scott has been dispatched in Thunderbird 1 to rescue a pair of archeologists who've become stranded in the desert. Little does he suspect they've stumbled into the secret pyramid lair of the mysterious and hostile Zombites!

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 11] Sun Probe
Shown Original Air Date—9 December 1965

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 12] Operation Crash-Dive
Shown Original Air Date—16 December 1965

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 13] Vault of Death

As always, the episode stars with the official opening of some new scientific marvel - this time the new vault at the Bank of England. And as always, someone gets accidentally trapped inside. The only key is in the briefcase of the Governor, who is at dinner with Lady Penelope. They try to get back to London before the vault's air runs out, but Parker the chauffeur sabotages this at every turn.

Parker has what looks like a picture of Ursula Andress on his cell wall.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 14] The Mighty Atom
Shown Original Air Date—30 December 1965

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 15] City of Fire
Shown Original Air Date—6 January 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 16] The Imposters
16th January 2001 - Tuesday

A gang of crooks posing as international Rescue have stolen the plans for the AL-4 super-fighter. It will apparently cost $25 billion to build the thing, which begs the obvious questions about the Thunderbirds!

The Government [apparently the USA government] stupidly assumes the REAL International Rescue is responsible, and tries to track them down. Either the US Government has international jurisdiction, or the One-World Government uses super-fighters for internal repression.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 17] The Man From MI6
23th January 2001 - Tuesday

Lady Penelope is on the trail of criminals who have stolen important plans. However, she needs to be International Rescued!

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 18] Cry Wolf
30th January 2001 - Tuesday

The Traceys receive a SOS from Australia. However, it's just a couple of kids playing about on their CB radios. This comes in useful later on in the story.

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 19] Danger at Ocean Deep
Shown Original Air Date—3 February 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 20] Move and You're Dead
Shown Original Air Date—10 February 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 21] The Duchess Assignment
Shown Original Air Date—17 February 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 22] Brink of Disaster
Shown Original Air Date—24 February 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 23] Attack of the Alligators
Shown Original Air Date—10 March 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 24] Martian Invasion
Shown Original Air Date—17 March 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 25] The Cham-Cham
Shown Original Air Date—24 March 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 26] Security Hazard
Shown Original Air Date—31 March 1966

Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds [Season 1, Episode 1 ]
Shown th June 2002 [Wednesday]

This is reviewed in a special supplement

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Season 2

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 1] Atlantic Inferno
Shown Original Air Date—2 October 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 2] Path of Destruction
Shown 18th November 2000

A giant mechanical behemoth called the Crab Logger goes haywire. International Rescue must stop it becore it crashes into a reservoir and explodes, destroying the dam and unleashing a flood ...

Lady Penelope has to find the blueprints, and uses typically underhand means to do so. We learn a couple of things about the future:

They still use a paper-based filing system!

Married couples sleep in seperate beds!

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 3] Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
Shown Original Air Date—16 October 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 4] Lord Parker's 'Oliday
Shown 20th March 2001 - Tuesday

Penelope and Parker go to South America, where a new solar collector has been built to generate electricity from sunlight. Unfortunately instead of sunlight there is a thunderstorm ...

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 5] Ricochet
Shown Original Air Date—30 October 1966

Thunderbirds [Season 2, Episode 6] Give or Take a Million
Shown Original Air Date—25 December 1966
Shown 19th December 2000

This is the third Season's Christmas episode. A pair of robbers break into a vault beside a toy store. The Traceys have very little to actually do in the episode.