"Thunderbirds": HD Restored Title Sequence

[@bigdmac33]

I don't think that people realised at the time that watching each Thunderbirds episode was like watching a small self-contained movie. They had it all - superb special effects, great story lines full of danger, excitement and even humour and of course accompanied by that wonderful scoring from Barry Gray. What other programme in the 1960s could fire the imaginations of kids all over the world like this programme could?

[@matthewblack7206]

Exactly.

[@spooks196]

Of kids?? This is for kids? LOL

[@CALJ154]

Captain Scarlet

[@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars]

Did the same on repeat in the 80's too!

[@bigdmac33]

@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars True. I bet that took everyone by surprise!

[@trainlover1474]

60 years later and it still looks fantastic

[@hoedemakerbart]

Even the vision is still futuristic

[@wallycarrott]

I use to watch this as a child and I still love it. That theme tune always sends sweet tingles of nostalga up my spine.

[@brianartillery]

I have watched Thunderbirds since the 1960's, and the show's opening titles, especially the piece of music that accompanies the 'this episode' section, still, I repeat, still brings me out in goosebumps - I'll be 60 next year. Even a simple touch like Peter Dynely's countdown, is utterly thrilling. If, after that sequence, you didn't want to watch the show, then I'd think that you were rather dull. 😆😆😆

[@MaxTheFun1995]

As some1 who absolutely adores thunderbirds, It always annoyed me how trapped in the sky, and by virtue of that, the premiere, it is the only episode that has this unique opening sequence music!!!! Woulda loved to hear it on every other episode but then again, I guess that's why this piece is unique! 😅

[@thenutty3803]

Ok so I'm only 23 years old but when I saw this show in preschool, I fell in love with it. I bought everything I could that related to thunderbirds. Rip Gerry Anderson, a Picasso in our times

[@jackiestevenson1755]

TheNutty380 lets get rid of that dreary god save the queen as national anthem and replace it with the theme from thunderbirds, can you imagine the England football team marching onto the pitch with that at full blast, the opposition would be shitting themselves 😃

[@TheShootist]

I'm over 60 years old and saw this in first grade.

[@PostTraumaticChessDisorder]

The first 38 seconds is pure bliss for me. The countdown, briefly showing the five machines, the suspenseful music following it up and shots of the episode giving away what's awaiting but also teasing enough to keep watching. Oh boy do I love this show...

[@nicholasrupertswainson1168]

Born in 1956 and raised in East Africa until I was 12 - every Saturday morning was a mad rush round to next door to watch T/Bs and the old Robin Hood with Richard Green........................ Happy days.

[@wayneclarke3152]

Used to be glued to the tv watching Thunderbirds as a kid...now my grandson loves watching thunderbird 2 lauch scene....The tradition continues!!!!

[@plazasta]

thunderbirds is to me the best tv show of all time and its title sequence just got better!

[@alexs365]

Love the scenes where everything explodes!!!. They are still tremendously exciting even today. And without green screen! Great job, Mr. G. A.

[@matelot95]

Read somewhere that that sequence used up old props from Stingray and Supercar

[@samcooke343]

Fucking love Thunderbirds.

[@leonthompson2425]

Fantastic...please reboot this with the class and dignity it deserves in line with the opening....Thunderbirds was absolutely brilliant.....cleverly written, fantastic to watch, exciting and beautifully put together...each episode was International Rescue, saving someone, helping someone and a story of hope in these covid times...would love to see someone bring it back...

[@deltahalo241]

... It did get rebooted?

[@CarlB_1962]

You can’t improve on perfection, and that’s what the original series was.

[@quizmaster85]

If Gerry Anderson were alive today, he'd DEFINITELY call this restored version "F.A.B. in REAL H.D.".

[@mobilekukeren2698]

Brendan Richards Scott's What's Emblems White Star

[@mobilekukeren2698]

Brendan Richards Scott's What's Weapons Missiles,Heavy Machine Guns,Nuclear Turbine

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

Hard to believe that Gerry Anderson only died on Boxing Day 2012. For some reason it seems like he was gone long before then.

[@trouty2115]

There was nothing like it back in the day, I watched it religiously growing up in the 70s. Glued to the TV. It was fabulous🙌🏻

[@hopebgood]

I remember watching it every Sunday, about midday just before I had to think about going back to fucking awful grammar school the next day.

[@TotoDG]

No theme is even comparable to the spectacularity that this one conveys. And yes, “spectacularity” is a word.

[@WarhawkBeyond2040]

When you heard that countdown, you knew something epic was about to begin

[@lukegreen5341]

Happy 50th Birthday Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds The Original Series. 1965 - 2015. 50 Years Of Family Fun Action Adventure And Excitement. Thanks Mate. F.A.B. X

[@tomburke5241]

Great foresight by Gerry Anderson with Thunderbird 1! Space X's Falcon 9 rocket landed upright successfully today. What a fantastic technical achievement and could make regular space flight an economic viability with their reuseable craft. Thunderbird technology brought to real life. How super cool is that!!!

[@tracytron7162]

Huh?

[@gohumberto]

Elon Musk finally cracked the vertical landing system when he realised he simply needed to use string to lower them slowly back down. Never wondered why you don't see Elon Musk and Brains from Thunderbirds in the same room?

[@joshuagrover795]

Also, Thunderbird 1's remote TV camera, effectively modern counterpart of a drone!

[@adrianshingler9783]

@@joshuagrover795 Yes! Plus if I remember correctly the first video phone (with option for sound only) and first automatic barrier entry multi storey car park 😎👍

[@octaviusfooks7194]

Grew up with this, but I was born in 2004. Never gets old

[@NetworkDistributing]

The best Gerry Anderson series?

[@octaviusfooks7194]

@@NetworkDistributing I think so. Brought the show back in 2015, but... it's just not the same

[@hopebgood]

@@NetworkDistributing Yes. For me personally Space: 1999 comes a very close second but Thunderbirds is the daddy. Gerry Anderson at his very best. 😀

[@smudgesmudger3989]

These were fantastic productions, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett etc great storylines and characters. I couldn't get enough of it back then....

[@cartimandua_]

Supermarianation!!! We were lucky to have Thunderbirds. Fireball XL5, Stingray and more. Loved them all ❣️

[@markmeade2937]

Wow, I want to be a kid again and watch this peace of brilliant tv on Sunday at midday

[@hopebgood]

That's when I used to watch it too

[@Ferruccio_Guicciardi]

Great nostalgia! I was watching these every Saturday morning on SCN (Southern Command Network) TV - Channel 8 - Panama during the 80s ! Thanks for sharing !

[@AndrewChapman]

(GASP) Original 4:3 apect ratio! Oh man, why can't we have the blu-ray like this in the UK instead of the crappy cropped 16:9 aspect ratio. I know 16:9 looks awesome on modern TV sets, but this is the TRUE presentation of Thunderbirds as we remember it.

[@Garry_Combine]

This is why the Cowboy Bebop blurays are great, hd with the 4:3, if only Thunderbirds got the treatment.

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

There was no "widescreen" TV in the UK until 1997 or so, before that everything was 4:3 and has big black bars on the side. Pretty sure the BBC didn't broadcast any widescreen programming until 1998.

[@AndrewChapman]

@@halfbakedproductions7887 Yes, I'd rather watch Thunderbirds with big black bars on the sides than cropped to widescreen so the top and bottom of the picture are out of frame.

[@keithedwards9866]

Just ran across this and it was like running in to an old friend. I was a child when this out. Now I just celebrated my 57th birthday. Between this and Captain Scarlet my childhood memories remain in tact.

[@chasam1234]

Just brilliant... no words !!!

[@dunebasher1971]

I love the fact that the HD transfer means you can see the air bubbles/creases in the Letraset on the close-up 5 and 2. And it looks almost like there are fingerprints on the 1.

[@bennickss]

I was introduced to Thunderbirds in 2016 through the new series they brought out, I then went and watched the masterpiece that was the original series via a DVD box set. Made up a huge part of my childhood.

[@luckygrunt]

There will never be a show like Thunderbirds again. At least not one that captures the uniqueness the original had. Thunderbirds was also quite ahead for it's time, preaching equality, environmentalism and equal rights, in a way that wasn't in your face like modern shown. Half the time, you didn't even realise you were being preached to, like the original Star Trek series. Of all the characters from the show, my favourite is definitely Lady Penelope. No matter what was going on, she kept a cool head, and you never felt like she was a damsel in distress. Favourite Thunderbird? Thunderbird 2 of course. That modular design and sleek look always gets me. Very close second is Thunderbird 3. That rocket design just screams the 60's idea of futuristic. Plus, it's a nifty piece of kit.

[@stephenmillership5281]

Makes me go weak at the knees seeing it like this, I remember the excitement of going to my local cinema to see Thunderbirds in colour, nostalgia with knobs on.

[@K-o-R]

_goes and checks a non-remastered clip_ Oh my god, the Thunderbirds logo zooms really are that wobbly! Cannot unsee!

[@CALJ154]

True that.

[@stestewart1119]

Im 30 and i still watch them..... TOTAL nostalgia 👌...... Ive not seen them look so good ♥

[@kofiskingley5336]

All the music in this gem of a show was way better than any right it had to be for a kids show

[@patwaters-actormoviereviewer]

I always preferred this version of the Theme tune, reason: Grand and Bombastic. Fanfare, Action music to the full March.

[@Tha_Greatest3882]

I like this theme more too because this was my favourite episode

[@pierrepinson2906]

I remember the first time i saw "THUNDERBIRDS" in 1976, every sunday in France and 1980 every wednesday. I was happy to see the planes, the cars, the stories...It is like to see a MOVIE on BIG SCREEN....I remember " A DAY OF DISASTER", the "MONORAIL", " The end of the road" and " OPERATION CASH DIVE". Lady PENELOPE was so chic with her PINK ROLLS ROYCE.....The musics was awsome!!!

[@trainlover1474]

No doubt one of the best shows ever

[@ledtube2027]

Best opening theme. What an amazing show.

[@CarlB_1962]

I love the fact that the Thunderbirds special effects man, Derek Meddings, went on to work on some of the Bond movies. That tells you all you need to know about the talent involved in the series.

[@justinharvey1355]

Thunderbird 3 was love at first sight. 🤩🚀

[@colinstoutt9909]

I remember watching thunderbirds as a kid late 70s awesome series

[@hopebgood]

Mid 70's for me mate. On the wonderful London Weekend Television ,12 o'clockish, just before Sunday roast.

[@EJofLA]

Loved this show as a kid! And still have a crush on Scott Tracy...

[@DesignworkshopUk]

This is a masterpiece of ingenuity! Good people - whoever made this deserves a cup of tea at Pinewood.

[@tasercs]

The Network edition of Space 1999 is the best quality Blu Ray I own - both for picture and content. Many hours of hard work must have gone into restoring the original, the sound is brilliant and the extras feel like someone who loves the series has wanted to share them rather than just put a few token documentaries on there. To see Thunderbirds so clear and with beautiful vivid (but not over saturated colours) like this is building my anticipation to one day see all the episodes given such loving treatment. It's like it was made yesterday..... and 4:3 ratio too. We have all put up with some pretty poor conversions from VHS days till now. At last a company that really understands is here... long may they go on :)

[@snakepitguy]

It was so great to watch this back in the day...

[@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars]

Title sequence from "Trapped in the Sky". The first ever episode! Each title sequence was unique to that episode. For those commenting on the special effects, thats the work of the incomparable Derek Meddings. Went on to work on a little known spy series of films too. Something about licence to kill? More like licence to thrill!

[@thecinematicmind]

50 years of Thunderbirds! Holy!

[@peteachu9000]

The new Thunderbirds actually look pretty exciting if I am to be honest.

[@nelsondawson9706]

peteachu9000 they are I've seen it really good

[@aceyspud551]

+peteachu9000 Poor Gerry wanted to remake Thunderbirds in CGI for over a decade. It's too bad he died before he could see it.

[@mobilekukeren2698]

aliens guy 42 Scott's Destroy To US Navy

[@AmericanDream1776]

Such an amazing British TV show from the 60's

[@ramblerandy2397]

MCMLXIV = 1964: I was 5 years old and had watched Stingray and earlier Gerry Anderson animated action series like Fireball XL5 and Supercar as a toddler. But this was the one. Oh boy, did this one fire the imagination.

[@emmanueladeyosoye4070]

Wow those days totally addicted to it remember every episode to the dot

[@only257]

Love this show huge Gerry Anderson fan ❤

[@DAlycidon]

I grew up watching Thunderbirds, but it makes me laugh that this show was one of the inspirations for Neon Genesis Evangelion🤣

[@pgj1997]

The inspiration for Starfox.

[@TheMJKnight]

Shouldn't this be FAB-HD? Just sayin, lol. On a more serious note - this show was way ahead of it's time. Who knew some 26 years after it debuted in 1965 it would captivate a new Generation when it was re-run in 1991? Gerry Anderson was a pioneering genius. And it's so sad he's no longer with us. Thank you for giving us Thunderbirds, sir. You left behind a fantastic legacy.

[@danielgill797]

I wish it was available for purchase on Google TV along with many other Gerry Anderson shows

[@only257]

It’s on KZbin now 🎉

[@デコポン-p9o]

Thunderbird gives courage and hope👍

[@jamestorrens645]

"Gerry, this is not a television series." "This is a feature film!" -Lew Grade

[@jeffbertucen1839]

The recent drone attack on the Saudi oil plant reminded me of this final section

[@Duncangafney1]

the best kids TV programme of its time.

[@bigdmac33]

HD = superb!!

[@jordanbarker2681]

The explosion was always the best part

[@FrankySmiter]

Looks stunning.

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

Thunderbirds has become such an enduring classic despite its entire run actually being very short. The original TV series were only a thing for 15 months or so.

[@JSYBen]

Wow, this is so much better than the 'Remastered' DVDs and ITV Bluray. One question, did Network do any post work on the zoom out from Thunderbird 1 in the titles? In the re-mastered DVDs, there's quite a substantial jump cut between the zoom out and the take off of Thunderbird 1, but here it's really clean.

[@oxfan9384]

If you play it back frame by frame I think they added a very slight zoom out to the Thunderbird 1 lift off shot so the jump cut appears seamless.

[@Onigirli]

It looks so good

[@videowilliams]

A show that aimed its concepts and production values UP to inspire young boys like myself, rather than down. Too bad not one celebrity billionaire's set up an International Recue yet.

[@nickgangadis8679]

I bow to Anderson’s genius !

[@thetwogardens6048]

Great intro !

[@thebladezmanII]

Beautiful! Especially since the DVD restorations were so lousy looking.

[@Axaul]

Ah yes. The original attempt to restore (or the popular term at the time Digitally Remaster) was really a half-assed job. All it did was up the colour saturation and contrast and sharpen the image a bit, without bothering to clean up the film itself. I'm sorry but damage to film stock does nothing to "enhance" the creator's original vision, rather its just the film equivalent of rose-tinted lenses. Rescan the film at 2K or 4K (whatever is best), give it the love that they gave to Space: 1999 and it will be spectacular to look at. And if there is to be a 5.1 sound mix, be respectful by utilize the original sound library, not the contemporary effects that ITV used.

[@AndrewChapman]

Axaul I honestly don't understand why they had to include additional sound effects for the sake of the 5.1 sound mix in the first place. In some scenes where the new sounds can be heard, you can still hear the original sound effects at the same time and they actually sound quite clear. Why can't ITV realize this and just go back to the original episode soundtracks without the new sound effects?

[@thebladezmanII]

Why is simple, to make it more genuinely stereo sounding. The fact is that they clearly had no access to proper separate sound elements (no separate vocal tracks, no music tracks, no sound effects track). If you put their stereo "remaster" through Audacity's vocal removal filter, you'll notice something - that the stereo effect cuts out whenever a character talks (unless the dialogue is coming through a radio anyhow or there's a slight stereo echo added to the dialogue). Their stereo effect for the soundtrack isn't all that genuine - you can accomplish the same effect using Audacity's Psuedo Stereo plugin. I would've been less annoyed by it had they actually included the original mono soundtrack as well on the original DVDs (they did for "Captain Scarlet", at least on the US DVDs). Thank God Shout Factory's release uses the same mono track as the Japanese Blu-Ray. Although those tracks sound more muffled and less crystal clear as the ones used for the stereo mix with a few noticeable glitches, I'd rather have those since they're the original tracks. And thank God it's not the same sound master used on Digital releases and the UK "Filmed in Supermarionation" boxset (used on this video), because it's just the mono center track extracted from the surround sound version, so it still contains most of the added sounds (some are omitted completely though since they had a weak or no center track).

[@SteamRailPatreonR761VR]

some of the best voice acting from a mutitude of voice actors from aussies ray barret and bud tingwell to christine finn

[@kudosking5442]

never surpassed as children's entertainment

[@Trakker1985]

Oh my god, it's so damm SHARP, looks amazing =D

[@deltahalo241]

I can't believe Paw Patrol got away with ripping off this masterpiece

[@Seasider70]

very good work.

[@Thundernerd2aBird]

It's so clear!!! FAB :)

[@Rodimus184]

YES! Original aspect-ratio!! :D

[@richard-riku]

totally wonderful and in the original aspect ratio. if only the series on blu-ray in the UK was like this (16:9 what were they thinking)

[@AndrewChapman]

Not only that, but during the second half of the series, they edited some of the shots (all reused stock footage from previous episodes) and messed it about on the UK Blu-ray. Since we can't get the new Blu-ray release in the UK (unless we get a region free Blu-ray player), I don't know if this balls up they made is on there too.

[@karatefella]

Brilliant !

[@mpepp9]

So glad my dad introduced me to Thunderbirds when I was young. The vapid CGI crappy kids shows from today doesn’t even come close to the level of detail and inspiration. It’s the same with the older Thomas the Tanks Engine shows- meticulously crafted sets give way to soulless CGI and awful scripts

[@MarkFoster321789]

FINALLY!!! However the only way to see TBS in this way is on Britbox. I have this on Japanese, U.S. and German BR releases so for the rest of us who do not have multiregional capability in their BR players: COME ON NETWORK! And Stingray as well while you are at it!

[@clarky2356]

Thunderbird 2 was my favourite

[@adamfull3181]

Had big modern of it when was kid

[@Bigredhouse1]

Wooow! The DVD I bought didn't even bother to do such a thing. That really sucks, but it's all I have!

[@Dougurasufilm]

This is absolutely great, but you know what would be slightly better? Having it in 24 frames per second instead of 25 :o I'm pretty sure Thunderbirds was shot in 24 and therefore the music sounds sped-up.

[@riz3688]

This hits so hard

[@helene4397]

I love this, my friend bought me a complete series. I still wonder where from and how she found it.

[@captainbean4219]

So much nostalgia

[@marceloribeirobarros]

Amazing !!!!!

[@mikecane]

Gorgeous.

[@richardbrown1189]

Thanks a million for this. The picture quality is remarkable. Is it transferred from the film original? It looks far too crisp to be from a standard definition VT recording.

[@Synnystershy]

1:18 "I wonder what this button does?" 1:21 "oops"

[@h.g.ramsey]

Is this sort of quality available on DVD?? Please the internet has no clear information regarding this, thanks

[@nothingtoseehere6346]

Starting at 0:38 you can really hear the similarity to "Jupiter - The Bringer of Jollity" by Holst

[@maryclynch9356]

All world problems can be solved by Thunderbirds !

[@Jagshemasher]

I'd like to see the whole series restored and remastered in HD

[@Fpe.Kanna.underscore]

Yh

[@thefemalethunderbirdsnerd4068]

Wow! Awesome!

[@lukegreen5341]

Thunderbirds The Original Series VS Thunderbirds Are GO. X

[@minecraftWithDanielD]

I don't believe that to be a fair versus. At their core, yes, they are quite similar, but they are more or less artefacts of their time and are quite different. A clear dividing example is the overarching story in TBAG, which draws in the audience to keep watching and see what happens whilst the original only had The Hood who occasionally appeared. Even the visuals used paint a difference. TBAG has in this day and age, arguably better visuals and effects, but at the same time, the originals are more visually impressive because of their limitations. The question you have posed is essentially which era of TV is better

[@juanitarichards1074]

In most of them half the music is missing. There was a dramatic interlude right in the middle and it's not on any of the youtube videos I have seen.

[@stevenmcilroy3935]

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE RELEASE THIS OFFICIALLY!!!

[@theblackesteyesthedevilseyes]

They released it on Blu-ray.

[@stevenmcilroy3935]

Network didn't release Thunderbirds on BluRay. ITV did and messed it up with the wrong picture ratio and it was all zoomed in. The Japanese release is VERY expensive and my PS4 won't play the American BluRay which actually has the original picture ratio of the original series. The UK BluRay is unwatchable due to stupid monumental error!!!

[@knightgaming.42]

I’ve only watched the new thunderbirds (the 2015 one) but I bought everything I could afford as I love the show but I might watch this one it looks interesting

[@thedoctor007dfw]

The folks at the plant have bad luck. It blows up before every episode.