Thunderbirds Tracy Island Playset - Matchbox 1992 | The Toy That Ruined Christmas!

[@Chasing80sToys]

Excellent video Tony.

[@GenXToysGeek]

second that

[@deathstrike]

As a toy collector and restorer I have to say what an incredible playset!! The plastics are shiny, the set is complete and very well presented!! While the Thunderbirds were not huge in the States, just to see that toy in it's full glory would put a smile on any kid's face!! Shame they don't make them like this anymore. At least there are still people who keep the dream alive!!! Thank you for such a great presentation!!

[@GenXToysGeek]

@@deathstrike Yeah the island is a great playset, combining (probably) vacuum formed shell, with a multitude of plastic omponets and action gimmicks, be it from a lifting ramp that also folds down palm trees, to an opening pool! and comes with a sound board even, Amazing.

[@KyleTheDalek]

Good but “In England” the tou was wanted all over the U.K. Australia, And more…

[@rayjennings3637]

I was one of those hundreds of thousands of Dads who couldn't get hold of the real thing and had to resort to the Blue Peter version but using decent chicken wire, uprated papier-mâché and balsa wood made it surprisingly robust. I gave it a bit of sparkle though with some battery powered lighting. Our son had all the models though so he could play with it quite happily.

[@georgeh-w5041]

That sounds like it would have been brilliant!

[@Tmuk2]

I remember failing to scribble the Blue Peter address down in time while watching the Sunday omnibus and bursting into tears . In retrospect I think I would have been a bit disappointed with Tracy Island anyway. Mum and Dad got me a bar football game for Xmas 92, so all was well after all 😁

[@rayjennings3637]

@@georgeh-w5041 He seemed to get a lot of pleasure from it, especially knowing that he had a switch for the lights and complete control over them. Unfortunately, it took some time to build so he didn't get it until well after Christmas but he was also into Starwars at the time and we managed to get hold of one of the huge Milennium Falcon toys that opened up and you could put figurines in it.

[@rayjennings3637]

@@Tmuk2 You would probably have got away with 'Blue Peter, BBC, London'. The Post Office was a decent organisation then and anything with that address would get through, especially if written with a child's hand! I presume you had a 'Family Championship Knockout' with the footie game!

[@donthompson4555]

My dad done the same thing, still the best present I've ever had haha

[@Veotax]

I was lucky enough to get this for Christmas that year, I was obsessed with Thunderbirds. My dad never lets me forget that he had to go into London to get it and on his way home on the tube someone offered him £100 to buy it off him!

[@freeagent8225]

Your a man with exceptional tastes. Tintin the only woman that doesn't age.

[@matthewpateman9393]

I had it too, years and years later. Sometime in the 2000s. Isn if it was exactly the same, the trees on mine moved. Had no idea it was a thing in 1992

[@allenatkins2263]

my dad would have sold me and the toy.

[@matthewpateman9393]

@@wanderer1955 crime is lower, not higher than in the past. You are just nostalgic.

[@zonzillamagnus5902]

@@matthewpateman9393 No it’s not. Leftism has increased crime in the past few years

[@superstef2874]

Guarantee it was the only time my Dad ever watched Blue Peter was when he recorded that episode so he could make Tracy Island for me. Is it just me or are the thing's our parents scratch-built for us always better than the shop-bought versions?

[@theemmjay5130]

Well, not only are those made with love as opposed to being mass-produced, but they can be customized to the child or children receiving them.

[@caspaabriel4794]

In 1967 I was 10 yrs old, with my 2 other brothers watching our favorite on TV . The Thunder Birds are go! Must have given mum a few headaches. After the program, the 3 of us would be wizzing around the house. Flying over the furniture, swooping down and under the kitchen table, that mum was attempting to set for dinner. Short of bouncing of the walls, our flight paths would then lead us outside. We'd be out there on the lawn until hearing, "Come in, base to Thunderbird's, time for dinner". Such wonderful, wonderful times. Mum and Dad have passed now some 20 years ago. Great granddad of 2, 3 grown son's and 7 grand children. Thunder Birds helped create many wonderful memories. A solute to, the Defenders of the Community. . . Thunder Birds Are Go ! ! ! !

[@spamviking]

Out here in Australia Thunderbirds is almost always shown early in the morning. Years ago a job I used to work needed all teams in at 5am instead of 8am to start on a huge project. I'll never forget coming in at 4:30am and seeing several dozen of my coworkers on office chairs all crowded around the one TV meant for training videos dead silent and intently watching Thunderbirds.

[@steveevans7188]

Last month I was watching my Best friend's son, 9 yrs old, typically he's either playing video games, or on his phone. However on that day pluto was running a Super marination 24 hour special. At first he was a little bord & showed little interest. But within 30 minutes of watching he was hooked. Do you know that boy sat & watched every minute of every program untill it was bedtime. That really speaks to the honesty of old programs, they offer a entertainment value that most of today's programs just can't compare with.

[@tahunuva4254]

There's something so viscerally authentic about them, especially compared to the frenetic attention-grabbing pacing of later incarnations.

[@melody3741]

Wrong you just have to find people who love what they do. Good cartoonists are still out there, and the bad money grabbing ones were there back then too(everything by hanna barbara was cheap as fuck and squeezed every dollar out of the kids) You just only remember the good things, creating a false memory of things being better in the past when most things are just the same. People are still people. Good cartoons made by people who love their jobs: Arthur Adventure time Clarence Sesame street House of mouse Old spongebob episodes Craig of the creek Hilda (GOOD one) All studio ghibli movies Watch these and it will change your view. Theres still good artists out there who see kids as living beings who deserve good art just like the rest of us.

[@Reddotzebra]

It's basically for the same reason as Star Trek ToS remains a hit, if you can't use the latest CGI tech then you have to focus more on presentation of every scene and make the story more engaging to compensate. Back then that was still common knowledge, and people who really enjoyed their work got properly appreciated.

[@npc6817]

because modern kids entertainment is just meant to drill into their heads, not to be fun

[@tonepotproductions5825]

Had this as a kid, was lost to the ages... hands down one of my favorite toys as a kid, and still a favorite show as an adult.

[@Murraygtandthebroddas]

I was never a Thunderbirds fan and I still wanted Tracy Island. Good playsets really make a difference to a toy collection. That Blue Peter episode was great as well.

[@lyreamoonchild2024]

I was even in the 80s as a girl

[@VictoriaMeerman]

It is the BP episode I remember most clearly. I made the island for my friend!

[@shroomer8294]

I had this one as a kid and ngl it was pretty meh imo.

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

Great review. Even though I grew up in America, I watched hours of British TV. I remember seeing the Thunderbirds, but I don't remember what channel or when. It was a great show. It added to my desire to build most of my toys out of cardboard.

[@toddskaggs5703]

I watched it on either Tech TV or G4. It's the same channel, just a format change and rebranding for some reason.

[@packlesswolf1]

Did you make anything cool? I already used my Legos for builds.

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

I made most of my Star Wars starfighters, X-wings and TIE Fighters. I even made a Bespin Cloud City, but mine had a Basketball court.

[@packlesswolf1]

@@a_world_made_of_cardboard that's hella dope honestly.

[@largol33t1]

Same here. I also watched the show a few times when I was a kid. I don't remember if it was on a US cable station but I enjoyed it as much as Star Wars films and all the other sci fi shows out there.

[@SammyGarnett-m3j]

I watch this and I have a flashback to when I had surgery as a child, when I was coming from the anesthesie my parents had got me the entire matchbox thunderbirds collection!

[@AbsolutePixelMaster]

This show clearly had long lasting influence. I grew up in the 90s in Canada and it aired all the time. I loved it. I also had this playset. Total nostalgia!

[@beerious8392]

Yep 90s Canada, I caught a few episodes myself!

[@macdjord]

Same. I still have the die-cast Thunderbird 2 & 4 somewhere!

[@Seltro1]

Damn this has hit me right in the nostalgia. I had the second sound-tech version and spent hours of my childhood with it.

[@cams3011]

Likewise, I remember being so happy as a kid the year I got mine. I left it at my parents house when I moved out of home but found it again in my dads garage (after he moved across the country) about 6 years later. So many memories.

[@fatboygaming451]

Same here, I loved it. Played with it a lot until my sister broke it.

[@bobahicks]

I spent so much time looking at the pictures of this playset in the catalogues when I was a kid. Great review Tony 👍

[@mephistoxarses8585]

Thunderbird two emerging from it's hanger, in my opinion is one of the greatest reveals in tv history.! Always love T2....you ol' big greenie!

[@peterw2953]

I got one, my Dad stayed out at 5am outside Toys R Us to get me one for Christmas, apparently people were offering him hundreds of pounds. I still have it with the box in my parents attic

[@lukedickinson1001]

I remember that Christmas. Me and my brother got one loved it for years. Makes me appreciate what my mum and dad did for us. Something so simple but it meant the world that day.

[@leokimvideo]

It's an incredible toy, honest to the series. I just hope KZbin don't smack you down with a 'KIDS' video rating as I have had happen too many times. Honestly I steer clear of toys now it's just not worth the micro income once it gets a 'KIDS' video rating.

[@SretroOfTheNortheast]

Eyyyy wassup leokim I watch ur content

[@totallytidmouth]

Leokimvideo being right as usual, I swear there isn't a person who knows more about YT than him

[@mousermind]

Such bullshit. Creators should be able to say their content is not suitable for kids.

[@denartha]

Considering I remember a scene in Thunderbirds where one of them is smoking, and there is a bottle of Johnnie Walker red label in the shot, I don't think it would get a kids rating. Plus in the 1960s, it wasn't considered a kids show.

[@TheMajorStranger]

I was born in 1992 and i absolutely remember watching this show when i was a kid and playing with both this set and the big Thunderbird Two.

[@dominicbrown4976]

Grew up watching Thunderbirds every Saturday when I was a kid. Great show, unforgettable theme music.

[@muzzaball]

Hey thanks for a great video. Don't forget us Aussies - we were big on the Thunderbirds too. Should I dare to say that it is my favourite TV show of all time, well I am over 50 years old now, and have still been known to watch an episode or 3. I remember hearing about the short supply of Tracey Island, but wasn't part of that tearful situation. Cheers.

[@corm7538]

I'm from St. Louis, Missouri, US, I was born in 1975, so the reruns of Thunderbirds in the late 70s and 80s were some of my favorite things to watch as a kid. My dad who was 13 when the show was new, got me into watching them when he saw that the show was being aired on one of the channels we had at the time.

[@johnennis7716]

Thanks for posting. My friends and I have been trying to remember the name of this show. As a treat we got to watch it on Fridays in Kindergarten here in Florida in the early 80s. 😊

[@ArkadiBolschek]

I remember when the Thunderbirds were on Spanish TV, back in the late 70s. I must have been like, five years old (?) and every time they came on screen I ran to a different room in fear. There's something inherently unsettling about puppets moving on their own.

[@kainedakillerv2704]

That's understandable. I have a phobia of dolls thanks to my father letting me watch child's play 1 & 2 (Chucky the killer toy doll ) when I was about 7 :)

[@AS-ri1mb]

I loved the toys but was terrified of the show 😂

[@oliverortiz8507]

I'm an American. I love THUNDERBIRDS, FIREBALL XL5 and all of the ANDERSON shows. That playset was absolutely amazing. I want one.

[@JOEmega64]

Funnily enough, I'm an American Thunderbirds fan ever since the early 90s (thanks to some tapes my Dad got me!) and I've never before realized how blessed I was to get Tracy Island for Christmas (and the Rescue Pack). I still have them all today, nearly 30 years later!

[@stefan-ox8qs]

The same here , my dad had i think every show on tape to. Still have them and a lot of other old toys. Like my mighty morphing power rangers zord and so. The last one i still rember buying it with my dad if it was yesterday. (Even it was more than 20 years back)

[@49erfan160880]

I was born in ‘72 in America and I remember this series. We had a movie theater that played this series during the summertime. Great series and brings back great memories.

[@downfromtheattic]

Remember getting this set for Christmas and absolutely loved it. My brother and I got the vehicles between us and would replicate episodes with them on the living room floor. But you're absolutely right, it was insane how in demand this set was. My mum told me that she'd put one on lay-away at the local toyshop for Christmas, and going to collect it there were parents following her down the street offering her hundreds for it. Absolute madness

[@joshuaclaassen9325]

So it really was Britain's version of the "Tickle Me Elmo" debacle of 1992-1994, then. Watching this, that's how the depiction of the situation struck me... very similar in "toy shop madness" levels.

[@asherthomas3752]

Born 1989 and I was a Thunderbird fanatic. Still to this day. My mum made sure I had the Tracy Island and all of the attachments. I also had captain scarlet toys but didn't have Joe 90 and Stingray merchandise. But never the less I was satisfied with all I had through my childhood. She even recorded the episodes on VHS taping when the shows came on back then. Thanks to Gerry Anderson and his wife Sylvia Anderson I had a happy childhood. 💯👍🏾😇

[@TheVargr]

I remember seeing Blue Peter making this. My dad ended up making it for me and the palm trees were made from my grandas pipe cleaners. I loved it and had a friedn who had the plastic one, but I didn't care as mine was just as cool.

[@Metallex]

Anthea Turner building that is one of the defining moments of my childhood!

[@storytellerrex2537]

I didnt even know how rare this toy was.. I loved my set and i even think my dad still has it.

[@nikkoy.1340]

I remember the summer of 1991 vividly - oddly, for me as a kid living in Belgium, my first encounter with the Thunderbirds wasn't on the BBC, but on Dutch television which had begun re-runs of the show about a month or two before the BBC did. I still remember the Blue Peter episode, sending in an envelope for the building plans for Tracy Island... and never receiving them, to my eternal disappointment. I still remember starting to build the island anyway - but never finishing it as I got a Tracy Island myself. It's 30 years later - I still have the Tracy Island in its original box; I still have the Matchbox Thunderbirds Rescue Pack (in immaculate condition, I have to add); I still have the individual packaged vehicles (still in their blister packaging); and I still have all of the figurines as well.

[@nitiratp]

Nice, that's gotta be worth a bit!

[@Kosmo999]

Wooow I CANNOT BELIEVE ive stumbled across this video. There was one kid to this day i remember having this and it was forged in my head forever. The coolest toy i ever saw I’m so impressed you covered this sir. Thank you

[@malcr2325]

I remember seeing that \blue Peter episode. Loved the series Thunderbird as a kid and we had the original diecast vehicles. All played with to death.

[@TrexGrimStud]

Im American and was born in 1970 .And i loved this show when i was a kid.and from time to time ill still watch it. Sep 18 2021 ...im 51 now and still enjoy thiis show.

[@pavement_sabbatical]

I’m from Australia. We had the show, and I actually remember at least 2 friends having the complete set of either the 1992 or the 2000 release. I had no idea they were so rare!

[@jeanlefranc3817]

Fantastic video. I was born in the mid-sixties and this was my favorite program when I was a 10 year old kid. Was so excited when I found Thunderbirds DVDs at FNAC 15 years ago, and obviously now on YT. Fond memories from a time when we looked at the future with optimism.

[@MatSpeedle]

Always wanted one of these as a kid, alas we couldn't afford such things back then. I remember seeing that Blue Peter episode too and wishing I had the skills to make it :D

[@ErmIDK19]

I remember very well how blue Peter showed you how to make your very own Tracy Island, Christmas was saved hozar!

[@PixelPipes]

Funny enough they briefly aired Thunderbirds on G4TV in the US in the early 2000s. It was a cable network so not many people saw it, but that was my introduction to the show.

[@yellowpete79]

We had Thunderbirds running in Australia in the 90s. I begged my parents for Tracey Island but was told it was too large for our house. They still run Thunderbirds on free to air tv today here.

[@railtrolley]

And even earlier. I watched in the early 70's on channel 9 at 6am Saturdays on black and white TV then. The Saint (Roger Moore) was on from 5-6am.

[@EdsRetroGeekOut]

oh yes! I remember playing with that set :-D

[@Mitch-Raptor-Toys]

Im happy, that i have the Island and the Action Figures

[@richardbuckley1232]

I watched Thunderbirds as a British kid in the 70s but moved to Canada in 1991 and entirely missed the relaunch. I learned about Tracy Island right now on this show. Thanks for the review Tony; what a great toy 😊

[@rich_edwards79]

92 was a weird year. It felt as though everything old was new again. I seem to recall an ABBA revival around that time too. (Erasure made an album of covers which brought the songs back into the public consciousness and made it okay to admit to liking a group who had been written off as a bit kitsch and naff through most of the 80s.)

[@Cypher791]

I remember an ABBA revival about a month ago too 😂 🎤

[@Sovjetski-]

@@Cypher791 it happanes every 10th years :)

[@justplays1212]

I watched the show late 80s or early 90s on German TV, I loved the show but I did not know that there was Thunderbird toys. Thanks tony now I want one 😅. Thank you and many greetings from Germany.

[@TK42715]

I got this set in the 2000’s and still have it at my mum and dads. The sounds it makes now when you press the buttons are something out of a nightmare but I remember hours of cracking playtime. It was a really good part of my childhood.

[@cams3011]

I found my old Soundtech set at my dads house a year or so ago and the sound my Thunderbird 3 makes is absolutely demonic

[@impossiblepie]

I totally remember watching this show when i was a kid growing up in Canada.

[@EnigmaticPenguin]

I grew up watching the Thunderbirds reruns on YTV in Canada in the early 90's. When I got this for Christmas 1993, it was a seminal moment for me.

[@razorburn645]

Bless that channel. They had all the Mainframe Entertainment shows as well.

[@ArtistAnnex]

Loved this series as a kid in the late 70's. My parents turned me on to it. Never knew it made a resurgence in the 1990's. This playset is awesome. I can remember many children in the US upset during the holidays because the toy stores being sold out of Cabbage Patch Kids.

[@meikahidenori]

It made a more recent resurgence than that, 3 new seasons while not puppets, the backdrops were all created by weta workshop. If you look up adam savage on his channel tested, there's a video of him doing the tour of the workshop with all the minature sets. They look absolutely gorgeous

[@ArtistAnnex]

@@meikahidenori I will have to look for that video.. I do watch Adam and the tested channel.

[@KIZZZZPlays]

i can just about remember it was either 2001 or 2002 i got one for christmas and my grandad drove half way up the country to get me one cus they were all sold out. Still remember the toy play with it so much i broke the speakers for the island.

[@ReynoldsReviews]

Superb video as always Tony, and plenty I didn’t know in there, although I was well aware of thunderbirds growing up, I never really got on to them, but the playset really is worthy of the name, and I can see why it was in such demand. Thank you for sharing, awesome gifts of two great guys in Jody and Chris nice one lads 👍

[@junkb06]

Ive still got my diecast thunderbirds toys stored in a bag for safe keeping. Loved it as a kid and gave it a full watch through including the movies a few months back.

[@Bart0408]

Love the review. Had the Island and rescue pack as a kid and loved it. Because there was no TB5, I also used the round house as an alternative TB5 in my Thunderbirds story’s 😁

[@BlakeGildaphish76]

i'm American, but my father introduced me to Thunderbirds when i was a small child. i always thought it was an attractive series and i wanted Thunderbird dolls of my own.

[@gadget19k76]

Same, my dad introduced the show to me when it was on Sci-fi late one night when it was just him and I in the house. Became an instant fan.

[@boeingnz]

Japanese loved the show. They made lot of great Thunderbirds toys and model kits. They love The Mole so much all the 80 liveaction shows has drill vehicles in them.

[@richardgregory3684]

Yes indeed, all the Gerry Anderson shows were a big hit in Japan. You can see why - the puppet shows had distinctly anime-style characters, (big heads and eyes, although the Captain Scarlet ones were much more realistic as the internal works were imrpoved by then), and masses and masses of gadgetry to beloved in Japan. Even th elive actions shows such as UFO and Space:1999 were hugely popular. An indicator of this was the issue of all these series on the new medium of Laserdisc in beautiful boxsets

[@Optimalillusion]

It's the reason for some of the more modern tropes seen in shows like Evangelion and the city having buildings that slide underground.

[@QuestText]

My dad was a big fan of this show when it first came out, I was about 5 in 1992 when it reran so naturally, my dad would tape all the episodes so he could show me this amazing show. i've a lot of great memories of watching this with my dad, and when my parents managed to get ahold of a Tracy Island for me for my birthday I cant tell you how insanely excited I was. great video! very nostaligc

[@captaindookey]

I first learned this show was british when i looked up merchandise for it as a kid and saw everything was in POUNDS.

[@dangtoons1760]

Thanks! Great video -- nostalgic vibes all around -- from the 60s TV shows to the mad toy rushes that happened in the 90s. I'm old enough to have watched all those shows as they got to the US in the 60s. I'm lucky enough to have the die-cast Thunderbirds vehicles, Fireball XL-5 and Super Car but never caught up with a die-cast Stingray!

[@RGC1978]

What a cool, classic playset. Simple, effective, and does everything you need to recreate the launching sequence from the show. I don't know why modern companies have such a hard time with stuff like this. Sure, every once in a while they come pretty close, but they really don't make them like this anymore.

[@astroguster5522]

I finally sat down and watched Thunderbirds during quarantine and I fell in love with the attention and obsession to detail in the show. So much charisma and character in the clothing, sets and vehicle designs. I would've loved this playset as a kid, thanks for the close up look!

[@michaelhleck5314]

RIP to all the kids who's parents bought the playset, but didn't know you needed to buy the ships separately. You know it had to have happened!

[@MisterDutch93]

A childhood friend of mine had the playset with all the thunderbird ships as well. This must've been around 2003/04, and I remember playing with it all the time when I visited his house. Thunderbirds was extremely popular in the Netherlands during the late '90s and early 2000's. My dad grew up when the series first aired in the 60s and 70s, so he was happy to buy me Thunderbirds toys when it reemerged during my childhood.

[@VirtualSG]

I only had a passing interest in Anderson's TV shows, but that is one glorious playset (assuming you've got the vehicles to go with it)!

[@whitneyfasick9736]

I'm a yank I first started watching this show in 1967. Loved it then and still do. Old kids never die, we just watch away!

[@peterlodemore]

For context to this comment I was born in 2003. My mates aunt (Realize this sounds really dodgy😂) worked at Blue Peter at the time of the model they made (I can't remember what her job but I think it was prop making or something) Anyways he had one of the actual models they used on the show to explain how to make it (I believe they had made multiple models). Growing up I had the Soundtech Tracy Island but we'd have as much fun playing with his Blue Peter version at his house which was still relatively good even for a 10+ year old toy at the time. I don't think either of us appreciated at the time quite the significance of the model and weren't that careful with it! I have no clue what happened to his island but I'll be sure to ask him about it at some point I suspect his parents still have it. This video brought back a lot of memories I really aprecciate it Thank You!

[@warthog473]

I'm reminded of the Cabbage Patch dolls craze. People were ordering them, buying them for hundreds of dollars from scalpers, waiting in lines for hours to be at the store when it opened in the hopes that they would be able to get one, women punching the crap out of each other in the stores fighting over the dolls. It was absolute madness. It was the first true toy craze that I was aware of in the 80's. I did watch the Thunderbirds in syndication and loved it, but had no idea that there was a playset that went along with it. I was a little old for those toys at that time.

[@largolore]

F.A.B. Tony! 🤣👍 I remember those Thunderbirds reruns from my time in Scotland. Great show and a great toy review!

[@Baileyske]

I had in 1992 and still have this and Saint Nicolas got me the Matchbox Superbox as well ! ! ! **The nostalgia **

[@theflyingninja1]

I remember the Blue Peter special where they showed how to make your own Tracy Island. You'd have to have a PHD in engineering to actually make the thing though.

[@BooshmanLee]

I remember taping that bit of the show in case my little brother wanted to make one, he never did.

[@rock.star.realtor]

I have no idea why this came up on my feed, but I'm canadian and loved this show. My parents managed to get me the set for Christmas, and I still have it.

[@GhostRider-on6bz]

My dad queued up over night outside Toys R' Us over here in the UK to get me one as I was Thunderbirds mad at that age. Fantastic toy. Still got it today, few palm trees have been snapped though. Cool video mate.

[@meikahidenori]

Australian fan here. Watched as a kid and yes, we had it air the full hour long episodes. Now when i had my first daughter, they had reruns on, 2 episodes at 1am in the morning. My eldest daughter who was turning one that year eventually started getting up at 1am just to watch it. That same year the remakes came out so..... we had to get my gran to bring back the plushy ones from the uk and when she came back my daughters eye's lit up when she saw them. I have a few tb minatures and a TB5 model i built and painted which lights up and rotates around...and thanks to a friend in Singapore, I got an original matchbox Thunderbird 1 happily sitting on my shelf next to two of the Big Chief studio creations of John and Gordon Tracy. (Yeah, I'm a big Thunderbirds nerd....🤣) the matchbox toys are incredible quality and still look fantastic

[@xavierso721]

I'm from Australia, born in 2000s, but i still remember watching the show here and there on tv. I remember being excited seeing this playset at a dentist office once

[@Daimo83]

That was a blast from the past. I begged a teacher at school to give me her plant pot because it was THE ONLY ONE I could find that was the right shape for the building.

[@richhernandez542]

I've got both the Tracy Island & Vehicles in which I purchased traveling through the state of Arizona. My son & I occasionally play with them & put back in the boxes after we're done with our adventure.

[@mandolinic]

I remember watching Thunderbirds the very first time it aired in 1965. And every re-run since! What I didn't get first time round was the excellent production values on the model work, all overseen by the genius of Derek Meddings.

[@jamesjustice4515]

Wow!! Beautiful. Wish I had that thunderbird island to put under glass for my 37 years of collecting. From the sledgemaster 3 times making professional powerlifting history in 2022

[@gundampharmacist7348]

Man even us in America knew about Thunderbirds! Honestly one of the best shows I've seen from a mechanical perspective; the work that went into everything is just amazing.

[@ToyKennections]

Never saw these here in Canada. Great video though as it allows me to learn something I wasnt familiar with. Kudos to Jody for the kindness! Was only after your livestream with him i rushed over to his channel to see the AT-AT vs Trypticon race, LOL!

[@ToyKennections]

@KAPT Kipper interesting!

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

I'm American, but I recall watching the Thunderbirds in the 70's on either channel 9 or 11 in New York (Space 1999 aired on channel 9). Then, years later, it was broadcast on a cable tv network around 2005 or so on Saturday mornings. Now, you can watch it all you want, whenever you want. Good!!!

[@rijkemans5114]

Glad I grew up in the early 90s. In the Netherlands the Thunderbirds was also very popular. I got some of the models, and most of my friends had some as well, including a few who got the island. And there was a cardboard model which you could get by buying dairy products. Awww.... sweet memories. Time to watch some episodes again. :)

[@mecdj]

So glad i kept my Tracey Island even though i was too old for toys in 91 ( i was20) i had to have one , i also have two rescue packs including the Radio Times mail away one with exclusive packaging. my love for Thunderbirds came from hours of playing with my Dinky Thunderbird 2 , what a toy that was ! ive kept everything from my childhood Star Wars, Action Man , Tonka, and Dinky ... the Best Time to be a kid !! great video as ever

[@mikesmith2718]

Man I'd kill to see that thing in a 3 and 3/4 scale . Never knew this existed . Thanks Tony!

[@davedixon2167]

I can't believe this toy came out all the way in 92! I love Thunderbirds even though it was before my time and I ended up watching it in classics-channel type reruns as well - I think it'd be cool to have this now, though I am surprised it's so small (the photos made me think it'd be a massive playset).

[@adamchurvis1]

I was a child watching this on American television because we got ITC programs on the channels at that time. I loved this program so effing much, I was riveted. SCREW computer-generated graphics! Long live the memory of Gerry Anderson!

[@Tazzman225]

Cool video. When I was a kid I had a Supercar and Fireball XL5 kit. What I loved about Supercar is the professor and doctor getting into arguements.

[@Markus_Andrew]

As an Aussie kid in the 60s, I would race home from school to catch Thunderbirds on TV. School let out at 3:30pm and Thunderbirds was on 4 - just enough time to run home, change, grab a Milo and settle in for International Rescue's latest exploit 😁

[@daveroche6522]

I still have my Tracy Island here on a shelf in the front room - great! Thunderbird 2 remains epic. Excellent presentation, thank you. F.A.B.

[@Drax69420]

I gotta admit, as someone who probably would of only known about Thunderbirds though Team America World Police if not for that early 2000s movie, this playset and the history of such is pretty damn cool. Great video.

[@lpenn]

I remember getting my tracy island for xmas, still got mine now so many hours spent playing with it when I was younger

[@marklaurenzi1609]

Hey Tony. We had Thunderbirds. Some older guys I know have the logo on their cars and phones. It also had a brief surge of popularity in the early to mid-90s. The film style of "Team America, World Police," was inspired by Anderson's work from guys who grew up with it. All in all, us older guys had it. It was just not as big as in the UK, but it left it's mark. Not in the toy aisles though. I can't remember seeing any Thunderbird toys. But, I grew up in the late 80s and 90s.

[@Gertensis]

Excellent review! I loved this playset as a kid. My parents bought it for me when I was 9 years old and now, 27 years later, I still have it and it still works :-)

[@philbateman1989]

My brother still has his Tracy Island set from 1992 when he was about 5. We still also have a Tamiya model of Thunderbird 2 my uncle built and painted for him.

[@trackeralias1124]

I remember this, my brother managed to get one and it made his christmas.. we still have a video of him opening it up~ once he had it he didn't want to open any other present. THUNDERBURR ARE GOO! we were so spoilt as kids. Still are.

[@kaiblumenstein5209]

Thank you so much for this amazing Video! I used to live in Slough in the 90s where the Gerry Anderson Series were made 😅 I Fell in Love with the Thunderbirds and bought VHS Tapes with some Episodes on Conventions. After moving back to Germany a Friend gave me his Tracy Island as a Wedding Present 🥰 Still in my Collection and i Love it.

[@bobastu]

Tony, FAB! I am an American and I love the Thunderbirds. The nature of the team predated Battle of the Planets/Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. The idea of a family of heroes is fantastic! The live action Bill Paxton was even a lot of fun. I spent his with my LEGO bricks in the early 80s (maybe late 70s) making Thunderbird vehicles (that looked nothing like anything on the TV ssshhh). They were either too blocky or too small to fit Minifigures. Now it's time to search Thunderbird toys. Great job Tony, thank you!!

[@spiritofthewolf15x]

I was lucky enough to get this for xmas, still have it years later. My fondest memories are sitting in front of the tv, watching Thunderbirds with my dad, playing along with my playset.

[@luismiguelgoncalves3410]

Great video! Didn't know all the story behind that playset. The show aired in the Portuguese television and i found the characters kinda scary at the time but had a blast watching the episodes. Again, great video.

[@Kingpin1880]

I remember owning this... second hand; the T2 platform and half the tree were gone, but I had it, and many hours of fun with it.

[@louisthom2595]

Here in South Africa the series was translated into Afrikaans - called "Redding Internasionaal", or "Rescue International" in English. It was a bit before my time but I do vaguely remember some of it. We had a locally produced show with puppets which is somewhat similar: "Interster" - which came after this and which I remember fondly from my early years growing up in the 1980s in SA. I can't recall ever seeing these Matchbox toys in toy shops here in SA. Thanks for the great video!