Puppets Go BOOM! Episode 5: Thunderbirds

In this episode of Puppets Go BOOM!, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 1965 sci-fi action adventure series Thunderbirds in honor of its 60th anniversary. In the year 2065, whenever danger is happening around the world, a secret organization called International Rescue are there to save the day. Led by retired astronaut Jeff Tracy, together with his five sons Scott, Virgil, Gordon, John, and Alan, engineer/scientist Brains, and London agent Lady Penelope alongside her butler Aloysius Parker, they work together to save people from supernatural or man made disasters as well as stop the evil plans of the enigmatic villain The Hood.When the series first premiered, it was an instant hit. Toys, action figures, costumes, and model sets sold by the millions and the show was very popular for kids and adults all over the world. It even influenced people such as Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto, and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Thunderbirds gained a new audience of kids around the 1980s and 1990s when the stage show Thunderbirds F.A.B. premiered and reruns aired on the BBC. To this day, Thunderbirds is seen as Gerry Anderson's magnum opus and the peak of Supermarionation. Is that statement true? Is it as good as its reputation says it is?