Gerry Anderson's Terrahawks (1983) - Opening Titles

[@clivejones5880]

I have an interesting Terrahawks story: I met Ian Scoones (ex-Thunderbirds special effects) in 1982-83. I picked his brains about his work on Thunderbirds and other shows (as you do), I was 18 at the time and had wanted to work in effects but ended up becoming an Electrical Engineer instead. After our Thunderbirds chat, he told me he was in preproduction for a new puppet show. The show had a car that changed colour in-camera but he wasn't sure how to achieve the effect. I suggested he use a colour wheel which is basically a par can with a mororized wheel attached that had windows with different coloured lighting gels. That's what they ended up using in the show to make Hudson change colour. I was chuffed since I got to do a bit of special effects consultancy. It worked so well that he sent a couple of assistants to see me again to discuss a few other issues as the show started filming.

[@injuredsoccerplayer]

Clive! Amazing story! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@iscreemz4494]

Thanks for sharing!

[@IrfanAli-xq8ml]

We salute your wisdom Mr Jones 🫡🫡🫡

[@TallBoy-vf3tt]

Amazing thank you !

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

That's a great story, Clive. Thanks very much for sharing it.

[@dryfesands1367]

The greatest opening credits in kids TV history. This is *everything* 6 year old me wanted in life.

[@brandon_youtube]

This and the noughts and crosses in the end. Wow. Britain was really leading back in the days creating magic.

[@hellacoorinna9995]

"Al'ight yew luvvy boyz, strawl awn."

[@JayKhwaja]

Take me BACK to the 80s immediately 😢 & Leave me there FOREVER 🙏⭐️

[@James.woofer]

100% best times

[@LeeONardo]

You and me both buddy, '89 and it just wraps right back around.

[@medalion1390]

It’s not the decade, it’s the fact we were kids back then. In years to come, the children of today will look back on _this_ current decade with the same amount of wistful nostalgia as we all have for the 80s.

[@JayKhwaja]

@medalion1390 Eh, I very much doubt that kids today look at life in the 80s and wish they were a part of that time period unlike today.

[@medalion1390]

@@JayKhwaja What I mean is that, the nostalgia we have for the 1980s, children _today_ will eventually have for the 2020s when they get to be our age.

[@Liquid_gold0]

As a kid back then I never missed this show, I love it

[@sdwone]

Even TODAY this just looks DOPE!!! Man!!! We really had it Good back then... Didn't we??? 🤔

[@LineaDeus]

NOSTALGA OVERLOAD!!! Oh those were the days. That theme is unforgettable!

[@charlespeter9914]

This and Voltron had those electrifying and magnetic theme that can pull you from hundred miles.

[@Relugus]

And the end credits are creative as well.

[@DavidThomas-fb8bq]

When it first came on tv I said 'where are the strings?' Then , years later, on re-runs, I sat down and watched it and thought this was the best thing he's done.

[@superplushtiman7ti075]

​@S.V. Saul Vazquez Jr. Probably because in the early 80s 2020 seemed so far away

[@superplushtiman7ti075]

@S.V. Saul Vazquez Jr. you are looking at it from today's perspective not that of someone in 1983...

[@itsconnorstime]

I don’t care what anyone says, this is my favourite Anderson show.

[@coreymurray432]

Hard to believe that this aired alongside Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends back in the day.

[@leokimvideo]

Thank God Terrahawks didn't get the tragic CGI & 2D animation Thomas The Tank was subjected to

[@coreymurray432]

@@leokimvideo Please don't give the higher-ups any ideas ;)

[@robertdexter5072]

Friends didn't start until 1994

[@coreymurray432]

@@robertdexter5072 I meant "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" as the one show, not two separate shows.

[@1987AnimeBoy]

Interestingly, I only learned of this series due to seeing a Thomas episode fanmade redub parody the opening.

[@stephensaxby2820]

Ah..now this takes me back. I was a huge fan of Terrahawks when I was about nine years old and I still consider it alongside the likes of Thunderbirds and Stingray to be one of the best shows Gerry Anderson ever created.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Try the audio series 😏

[@r.j.lombardi111]

Was searching this for 18 years...

[@TheCyberbedouin]

you can watch all episodes on KODI with Wookie Wizard installed, its in 480p 540p

[@mikeymcmikeface5599]

lol, I was looking for the Videopac game

[@darkwarrior6465]

loved this when I was a kid, Zelda scared the shit out of me and still does

[@grahampearson5670]

There was an episode of Terrahawks in which Zelda scared the shit out of me by her evil laugh and Tiger was also offended

[@Moondog-wc4vm]

You are lucky you realized that back in the day. I married the bitch and never knew until she got older! Now I'm stuck, she wants space alimony if I divorce her!

[@adamfowle8073]

More scary than her oaf of a son lol!!

[@themanmaschine]

I’ve seen real women that look like her!

[@musasealy7900]

I loved this show growing up.

[@leokimvideo]

A great show with some fairly intense 'adult humour & ideas' laced into a kids show. The voice acting in this series was one of the great strengths. It's weakness was the threat from Mars became very predictable.

[@feline1973]

Aye well - the chances of anything coming from Mars were a million to one, they said.... BUT STILL THEY COME. EVERY BLOODY WEEK

[@OzJay222]

Oh My Goodness Me! I had forgotten all about this fantastic show I used to watch as a kid. Brilliant, brilliant stuff, Gerry! Thank you!

[@leoboyle]

In 1983, children of my generation had never known "Thunderbirds" (Sure, other Gerry Anderson programmes had been repeated on TV from 1981 - 1984 such as "Stingray", "Captain Scarlet", Fireball XL5", etc, but nothing that seemed to be for our generation). When "Terrahawks" hit U.K. TV in 1983, it was an immediate success! I remember that my late, first StepDad enjoyed the programme as much as my Brother and I did! The opening intro is a classic piece of 1980's kids TV - it is sort a synth overload with a "conquer-all" approach to it's strident march, with imagery that was appropriately "high-tech", at the time, and with such high professionalism ("It was a TV series, for goodness sake!"). I think the theme music holds up VERY well and it was getting into the "Golden age" of Kids TV programmes at the time.

[@macman975]

I turned 8 years old in 1983 and i remember this fondly. Was it on TV on a Sunday before bullseye as i can't quite remember?.

[@leoboyle]

@@macman975 I can't remember Danny. I think it was on ITV, because I think I remember advert breaks being included, so you might be right about it being on the same channel as "Bullseye". Also, the fact that it was initially "weekend TV watching" sounds quite likely as I remember watching it during the daytime and not in the evenings, so I guess it would've been a Saturday or Sunday. It all seems a very long time ago now!

[@macman975]

@@leoboyle 'Seems a very long time ago' You can say that again. I don't know where the time has gone. Thank you for the reply anyways mate. I hope you and yours are healthy. All the best.

[@leoboyle]

@@dunebasher1971 Thanks for this interesting information. I can only go by personal experience. I was born in 1975, so I certainly wouldn't have seen it in 1977 or before. You're absolutely right - TV regions really showed programmes at different times. I grew up in North West London (As a child), leaving London in August 1986, but it was certainly not shown in my region between when I was old enough to watch it (And remember it)(1977) to when we left London in 1986. In 1990 (Approx), it was shown again on the BBC, probably on a more mainstream, distrubution, so that ALL regions got to see it. Yes, I'd heard "of" "Thunderbirds", but it wasn't repeated on national U.K. TV (For ALL regions) until 1990 (It may, as you say, be shown in some regions, but not all) - we would've DEFINITELY watched it, otherwise! As you can see from my original comment, I HAD seen repeats of "Stingray", "Captain Scarlet", "Fireball XL5", and a few others on TV from 1981 - 1984. I used to even enjoy the black and white series, even though the special effects and quality of production was basic by 1980's standards. This is why "Terrahawks" made a big impact for me, because it was far more up-to-date and the theme music was an integral part of that. In hindsight, having seen "Thunderbirds" with my little Half Sister in 1990, "Terrahawks" was a bit of a pale imitation of "Thunderbirds" and even the puppetry wasn't as superb as it was in "Thunderbirds", but I still thought "Terrahawks" was good and easily as enjoyable now as it was then. My Brother and I even had picture books from the series, which I still have, as well as the automatically motorized Rolls Royce toy car, that was from in the series. These things aren't really worth anything, I'm sure, but they reminded me how much we enjoyed the series.

[@TheVintageApplianceEmporium]

This and the Knight Rider opening sequences = my childhood. Of all the shows I watched as a kid these two stuck with me into my 40s. And 0:14 to 0:22 - best eight seconds of TV magic EVER!

[@Biggles266]

Oh man, loved this show as a kid! This opening was extremely cool and well done.

[@Biggles266]

I love listening to this over and over again... lol. I also love watching it. The intro is extremely good. It concisely introduces the entire concept of the show, the characters names, appearances, and their vehicles, and in such a dynamic, exciting way that perfectly matches the excellent, catchy theme music. The vehicles' look is unique and pretty awesome too. I haven't watched this in a few decades but I also remember the end sequence where it's Zeriods and Cubes playing Noughts & Crosses, and who wins is based on what happened in that episode! Who came up with all this? It was so well thought out and executed. *immediately heads to Wiki to find out*

[@grahampearson5283]

My favourite episode was when the Zeroids thwarted the evil schemes of Zelda and one of her monsters by blowing up one of the bridges.

[@okosuntom2808]

The 80s and 90s where the golden times growing up as a child.u can't compare it to today even though there was no facebook or internet.

[@davidthomas9190]

This was absolutely bad ass 💯 The noughts and crosses at the end of each episode was epic.

[@davidthomas9190]

@@EnglishNorthern our childhood was great 👍🏼

[@bosondas5374]

Loved this and Star Fleet. Happy memories of years gone by

[@iscreemz4494]

Star Fleet was GOLD!!!!

[@Scifimaster92]

Excellent theme tune! Reminds me somewhat of Sylvester Levay's _Airwolf_ theme or Tangerine Dream's "Le Parc" (AKA the theme from _Street Hawk_ ).

[@Morboeatspeople]

I just watched a short on this, where one of the original artists was explaining the hand-drawn CGI. Pretty awesome how they did it :) Thanks for sharing this, so I could see the end result!

[@joekauffman9690]

This was amazing show, I grew up with this, captain Scarlett, thunderbirds, Joe 90 and stingray, the intro is intense and it’s up my street!!

[@HELLHAMMERHANDHIX]

ahhh...Sunday afternoons ,beans on toast ,a mug of tea, and Bakewell tart !!!...happy adolescent memories !!!

[@toddhunter3137]

This was 80s GOLD as a kid back then!!! Totally loved it .. ❤❤❤❤

[@IvanZivko]

This pulls me back into my childhood. Oh God, those were the days!

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Always happy to help you revisit..

[@clivestuarteardley6049]

Appreciate this series much more than when I first saw it back in the 80s.Love the opening Titles and music by Richard Harvey. 10 10!

[@muppetsretrofan8873]

I've been meaning to watch Terrahawks on TUBI, as I've become obsessed with Gerry Anderson's works, especially Thunderbirds! Scott is my favorite Thunderbirds character and one of my all time favorite Anderson characters.

[@eidgenossenarkebuse]

This is 80s overload, awesome!

[@Spinvaderace]

Loved this as a child and its amazing how watchable it is now as an adult. Zelda scared the crap out of me... Now though, I absolutely love how how she gets into fits of laughter with her siblings.

[@tricia4479]

This program use to really freak me out, when I was little. Anyone else ?

[@garethwood6587]

Classic Saturday afternoon ITV!

[@autumnmatthews3179]

Thank you! I loved this when I was young. Zelda actually joined the cast of Eastenders after this show finished. Played a character called Shirley

[@pauljones9526]

I'm 51 now remebr this just started watching it again on Prime Video

[@Koettnylle]

I've never seen this show before, but this opening really is a thing of beauty

[@YeCrustModifier]

Can’t tell you how much I loved the show was a kid! ^_^

[@madgeordierob7890]

RIP CITV, which brought us Terrahawks and so many other beloved childhood favourites :(

[@mojisoladeji]

This is my childhood right here. Ahhhh what a lovely show this was.

[@CartoonsKick]

I watched this as a kid (ITV, I think they showed it on a Sunday afternoon at some point). I loved it, as I do all Gerry Anderson productions (Space 1999 and Thunderbirds are my favourites - but in that order, and none falter where or when they were made). Awesome :)

[@iloveesr]

Oh my god, I loved this show, and the theme music was brilliant.

[@dmace81]

Whoever worked on star fox this definitely has major props for influence. Even the corneria and asteroid stage themes have bits of this theme song in them. Plus the video game ninestein plays looks like star fox.

[@lunarisingdivination]

Usually when you revisit shows from childhood, it’s disappointing. BUT NOT TERRAHAWKS! It’s still as brilliant as I remember it.

[@only257]

Never heard of this Gerry Anderson show seen all the Gerry Anderson shows expect this one😊

[@Randomcorpse]

Until now, I never thought about what a coincidence it must've been to work in a group where there was a Hawkeye, Falconer, and Kestral. This should have come up in every episode.

[@meputochannel3517]

It should be noted that both Kate Kestrel and Hawkeye are not their real names. Hawkeye real name is Hedley Howard Henderson, while Kate's was Katherine Westley. Only Mary was actually named Mary Falconer.

[@mistofoles]

Aye, one of Gerry's later shows, originally broadcast in the UK on Sunday lunchtimes, featuring Windsor Davies as the voice of the Military robot!

[@BungleBare]

dunebasher1971 It was definitely shown on Sunday lunchtimes in the Border TV area. I loved it and family Sunday lunches at my Grandparents were always delayed until I’d finished watching it - they knew how gutted I’d have been if I’d been torn away from it, and didn’t have a video recorder to solve the issue either. Maybe Terrahawks was shown at different times in different ITV regions? Not uncommon back then - there were even regional versions of TV Times to account for the differing schedules in the various regions (though Border’s audience was so small we got the Granada region printing here, with Border’s variations to that schedule at the bottom of the page).

[@richallenxbox1976]

Fond memories of sitting in my late Nan's front room watching this on many a Saturday afernoon.

[@paulolameiras861]

Man, this unlocked some pretty old good memories. Thanks

[@MrBooBeeDoo]

Saturday mornings. ITV. ❤❤❤❤

[@simonManleeeee]

Loved this as a kid. Every Saturday 5.45pm

[@vinaymulukutla358]

My Dad used to enjoy this back in the 80’s. He’d put in on for me as a brat but he’d end up getting into the plot and storylines.

[@ryanstephenkristoferkearns1319]

Fantastic series I even got the theme song as my ringtone on my mobile phone 10-10

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Now Thunderbirds has been brought back. Maybe it's time for Terrahawks to be rebooted.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Daniel Williamson Try the new audio series! bit.ly/TerrahawksAudio

[@Shazam961]

+Daniel Williamson No! Absolutely not!

[@stephenfox6078]

Daniel Williamson. I f you truly love this show as a classic, you wouldn't want a reboot. It''ll destroy the POINT of it being so.

[@Doodlebugdude]

Thunderbirds was great and I love the reboot, but Terrahawks was dreadful.

[@richallenxbox1976]

I hope not, my Brother's kids like the new Thunderbirds, but they're 9 and 6, too young to have ever seen the original series.

[@Jamie_E_Pritchard]

I still get goosebumps when watching this.

[@AllThingsAlex]

Possibly the greatest TV theme/Opening ever. (That and the original Knightrider).

[@VBaskin2010]

& The Theme To Kidd Video!

[@CrazyTobster]

Terrahawks and a show that was on The Children Channel during the same period, Volton are my all time favourite theme tunes... ITV had a large share in the The Children Channel and provided most of the programming, so I had awesome Voltron on The Children Channel and the amazing Terrahawks on ITV. ITV was SO good back then! ;-)

[@90lancaster]

There is a plenty of contenders for that title if one includes Cartoons too DiC in particular had a whole bunch of catchy and or sing along intros. I'm rather fond of Swat Kats myself : kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6DHqHmBq7SskLM

[@busterzigler7530]

As children back in the 80s, where ever we are, we respond to these theme, time to be by the tv

[@dgpnetwork]

Litshttam CITV on ITV

[@charlespeter9914]

The 80s, where are we?

[@gavincurtis]

Watching the entire DVD set at work at my workstation. A technological platform barely capable of the floating point calculations required to reproduce such excellence. Since I am the boss, this is something I can do. :P

[@vibormeglaj1412]

Still the greatest intro to anything ever.

[@alaggan]

Absolutely iconic signature tune from Richard Harvey 🙂

[@kalirathinam.a8969]

My childhood fovired serial program 👌

[@wifedivine9927]

My favourite ! Never missed it........even though I 'm now in my sixties. I have the videos as well.

[@kenburt609]

I think the last few bars do sound a little like Star Wars, yes.From 00 : 56 onward. Wouldn't like to say if it was intentional or not though, you;d have to ask the composer.

[@macman975]

Ha ha definitely Star Wars. I was 8 years old when this first came on TV in the UK and i have never noticed that before.

[@crimsondynamo615]

Had me a Pavlovian response where i finished the Star Wars sounding bit in my mind and was surprised by how it changed

[@PrimzyKovac]

Fuck Yeah,....80's were a special era and I'm glad to have experienced it ;)

[@stephenlangley6564]

Me too

[@grahampearson5670]

Zelda was an evil tyrantess motivated by sheer megalomania and an unquenchable thirst for conquest of Earth in this series. The Zeroids side with the Terrahawks to thwart her ambitions.

[@michaelyoung5356]

Takes me back to my childhood Saturday lunchtimes at grans house lunch and Terrahawks

[@ummarah2000]

Ah memories. Needs a reboot

[@Biscuit1973]

Is there anybody reading these comments at this account because I remember watching the Terrahawks TV series back in 1987 every Saturday morning during the time when it used to air on Philadelphia’s WKYW channel 3 because I was 14 years old during the time when used to air the show every Saturday morning, I think around 7 o’clock or so because that was a good series back then.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

10-10

[@gavla-82]

I remember quite happily watching Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet as a kid, but this scared the big jeebus out of me!

[@kevinevans8892]

Remember this show airing on Saturdays in The Bahamas on ZNS TV during the mid 1980s.

[@BakaaGoGo]

Underrated gem

[@Stealthbwoy]

Omg this almost brings a tear to my eyes. This was the golden period of children’s TV. The kids now have to watch a load of nonsense.

[@BHALT0S]

RIP Windsor Davies.... thanks for being one of the guys.

[@davidnunn1306]

Mother, granite crunchies!

[@dominicharkin1637]

That's quite an heroic theme tune

[@andycx2]

That brings back some memories I tell ya!

[@ThePsycoDolphin]

This is like the most 80s thing I have ever seen/heard.

[@toddhunter3137]

❤❤❤that theme tune. They don't make it like that no more.

[@paulodonohoe4338]

i so loved this theme and tv show it was fab , zelda was a creepy looking villain , i met gerry anderson in birmingham nec scifi collectors fair what a nice man had a great chat , my dad was a fan of UFO

[@olufemi8058]

Communications override: Terrahawks stay on this channel this is an emergency! badass opening theme👍

[@whopoder]

Essa abertura é incrível! Só quem é dos anos 70 e 80 entende.

[@flappospammo]

Loved this show !

[@iscreemz4494]

I wish more things had been shot in Hudson Color. It's just so much more vibrant. A cinematic blend of movement and texture and... color.

[@TheVHSRipArchive]

That animation is awesome

[@hawkeyepierce7035]

Here’s an idea for a fanfiction crossover. What if the characters from the show Cobra Kai, Daniel Lawrence, Johnny Lawrence, Samantha Larusso, Miguel Diaz, and others teamed up with the Terrahawks and Zeroids to defeat Zelda and her minions?

[@MindWipe]

my fave theme when i was 7-8 years old x

[@Terra-Hawk]

Happy 35th Birthday Terrahawks

[@danielscott8180]

Love the little nod to the Star Wars score at the end.

[@iscreemz4494]

Right? Especially the Procnoviatch.

[@jayadamone]

Used to scare me this lol, always remember it being on ITV on a Sunday alongside Supergran though that was 1985 I think

[@BS15RED]

So tempted to buy the DVD's!

[@vectorbrony3473]

Buy them! do it now! It's such a classic series. And the Sargent Major was brilliant.

[@GerryAndersonTV]

BS15RED or try the new Big Finish audio series! bit.ly/TerrahawksAudio

[@peterjones8546]

I have the boxed set. I was looking at the ships on Ebay and they are expensive. A true collectors item.

[@bodieofci5418]

Oh God. I watched this at lunchtimes after infant school. Oh dang

[@dutch_asocialite]

The more Gerry Anderson productions I discover, the more I see where Anno was coming from with Gunbuster & Evangelion.

[@FlagshipScience]

Opening is so so Powerfull !

[@8589brian]

Shirley on Eastenders early acting days.

[@groovyray]

Hahaha.

[@unlokia]

TRUE!

[@horrorbusiness78]

True bill!

[@Zeitaluq]

Concept of these Zeriods is amazing. If a modern movie is properly made it could bring the ideas of Zeriods and their story against the Cubes; with clever scripts.

[@eddiekimp7632]

love the steroids,bringem back!

[@NoughtApparition]

Brilliant 🔥

[@Stephen-xk7cl]

Ah....to be nine years old once more.

[@chrisjenkins1189]

The best theme tunes I believe came out from the 70s/80s shows

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Yeeesssssss!!

[@minicle426]

Lot more creativity back then.

[@LA-gh3mi]

I'm 45 and still shit scared of this intro 😆

[@skylinefever]

I love the Terrahawks intro because it uses similar graphics to the BBC Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Also, the music is very similar.

[@jean-lucpicard5510]

00:21 Oh its Shirley from Eastenders.

[@stevegardner9910]

Whoever did the music was a huge early Genesis fan. Parts of that intro are right out of Selling England By The Pound.