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DVD Review: Thunderbirds

Is Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds the best ever kid's Sci-Fi  show? A&E Video's new double box set release provides ample evidence to support the claim. Anderson had already perfected his Supermarionation process - an advanced form of puppetry - but it wasn't until he combined it with the rich (for puppets) characterizations and inventive story lines of Thunderbirds that he gained worldwide acclaim. Inspired by a mine accident in Germany, Anderson came up with the idea of an international rescue unit that could speed vital equipment and know how anywhere in the world there was a major emergency.He set Thunderbirds in the future and filled it with some of the neatest vehicles and gizmos in TV history and it's those cool toys that that jazzed mid-sixties audiences and made Thunderbirds the cult hit it is today.

Thunderbirds, for the uninitiated, follows the daring, death defying exploits of International Rescue, the brainchild of millionaire ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy. Made up of Tracy's own sons and a eccentric mix of operatives including the aristocratic Lady Penelope and genius inventor "Brains". Together they use Tracy's vast wealth and the teams unparalleled bravery to affect rescues in even the most impossible situations set in the mid-21st century. Every episode introduces a new challenge and showcases the incredible models that became a series trademark.

What makes thunderbirds work where so much of the subsequent animated Sci-Fi series have failed is the fact that the puppets and models exist in a realistic world. The fire you see on screen is real, the water is real, the series relied on ingenious model work and engaging characters because they couldn't just simply animate a bunch of explosions or intergalactic dogfights. Sure they're only puppets but they exist in three dimensions, even if their strings are often visible, they are still closer to real people than any cartoon can manage. Plus you could buy the merchandise and feel like you had the real thing in your hand - never underestimate the power of toys!

Modern kids may find the going a bit rough at first, especially if there not instantly captivated by the cool rocket ships and gadgets.Episodes seem to drag a bit, compared to today's fast paced and over edited offerings, but with a little patience even the most jade kid (or adult for that matter) usually succumbs to Thunderbird's utter FABness.

A&E have releases a pair of two volume sets of Thunderbirds on DVD. Each disc contains three episodes and each set includes a behind the scenes featurette.The shows look great and viewers have a choice of two channel stereo or remastered 5.1 Dolby for

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