Thunderbirds are go - opinions?

[GrahamS]

Not seen it yet, but I bet they didn't blow anything up.

The big question though, is why do I keep watching such drivel?!

Graham

[roymattblack]

I'm quite saddened by it.

I watched the Pilot - ep 1 - and had high hopes.

It's gotten worse, more poorly made, crappier stories - by the week.

I haven't watched today's - it's recorded - I might...

TBH -I don't really care if I watch it or not.

A shame after waiting for the best part of 50 years.

Roy.

[Alan P]

This thread is the thing that is seriously unbelievable. I find all the storylines and events of Thunderbirds are Go to date more realistic than the suggestion that old men like us have managed to waste 14 pages of a forum deconstructing its animation, physics, orbital mechanics, interpersonal relationships and story arcs.

There are two main issues resulting from this discussion:

1) We are not the programme's target audience. That's why it screens on Saturday mornings at 8 am. We should be in bed with an amenable partner trying to sleep off Friday night.

2) The original Thunderbirds was just as unrealistic and dodgy, in fact more so. Yes, sorry, it was. Misty-eyed nostalgia does not change it into something more realistic and mentally challenging. I'm sure if our parents had had online forums, they would have decried the fatuous physics, visible strings and cheap explosions. But luckily they were a bit more grown up than we seem to be.

Edit: to sound slightly less judgmental

Edited June 6, 2015 by Brokenedge

[Kallisti]

Bit judgemental aren't we?

[Alan P]

Bit judgemental aren't we?

Yes, that's my main complaint!

[roymattblack]

Yes - this thread is titled OPINIONS.

Yours are no more 'valid' than any of the others - including my own.

The real gripe that us 'oldies' seem to have is that the original TB was FAMILY entertainment.

It didn't talk down to anyone, and it 'tried' to work within 'reason' with what was vaguely possible (or thought might one day be).

True, it didn't always get it right.

But the new TB's is nothing more than a new 'KIDS' cartoon show for 6-12 years olds where 'reality' doesn't matter, and characters that are in any way believable don't exist.

Now - when I say believable, I'm not referring to the puppets, strings, dodgy walk etc etc etc.

The format is, what it was.

GA did the BEST he could with it, and made it the BEST show he could make.

At the time, it was the most expensive show being made on TV.

Special effects, worldwide, owe a LOT to Thunderbirds and the crew who made it.

The new series could still have been brought up to date, but made with the same ETHOS as the original.

It hasn't been.

It's been widely touted as made with models, CGI, 'true to the heart' etc etc...

They can say what they like.

It has missed the target the original created.

In another 50 years time, the original TB will STILL be watched.

Will the new series...?

I doubt it.

Roy.

Edited June 6, 2015 by roymattblack

[Panzer Vor!!!]

In another 50 years time, the original TB will STILL be watched.

Will the new series...?

I doubt it.

Roy.

Will this thread still be going in 50 yrs time???

[cmatthewbacon]

The real gripe that us 'oldies' seem to have is that the original TB was FAMILY entertainment.

No... you'd like to think that it was. Have you discussed with your parents whether they wanted to watch it, or maybe they just relished the "connection" with their kids in watching it together? I remember enjoying sitting down with my parents and grandparents to watch Star Trek... turns out that my parents at least (My GPs were dead before I could ask them) found it a rather tedious space western but were glad to find something we could share mid-evening. (Don't ask them how MAD Andy Pandy or Hector's House made them...)

I've found relatively few shows over the years that can genuinely be enjoyed as much by children as adults: Mr Benn; Clangers; Noggin the Nog; Danger Mouse; Blue Peter; The Muppet Show; Horrible Histories; Dr Who; The Secret Show; Phineas and Ferb... by that I mean shows that kids enjoy, and that their parents aren't watching whilst wishing that they were somewhere else. Certainly in MY parents' experience, Thunderbirds wasn't one of them...

bestets,

M.

Edited June 6, 2015 by cmatthewbacon

[AndyC]

I was about to post something similar Matt...although I have become an expert on Power Rangers over the (seemingly endless years they were playing CONTINUOUSLY)...

[GordonD]

International Rescue are not a secret organisation in this reboot so attracting attention is not an issue.

Its already been established that TB5 normally sits in geostationary orbit and they mentioned 25,000 miles in the script today.

Don't see anything wrong with Tracey Island being at the equator somewhere either.

TB5 also has an AI called EOS that controls TB5 when John is on the ground - there was an episode about that earlier.

Has it been established that they're not a secret organisation? If that's the case, then why are all the rescue craft hidden away and the elaborate methods of getting to them?

Point taken about TB5's altitude - they did mention that but I had already written my post by that point!

In the original show, the island was somewhere in the Indian Ocean, north-west of Australia. No reason why the new one shouldn't be elsewhere, I suppose.

And if the EOS can handle calls to Thunderbird 5 why have John aboard at all? In the original, Gerry Anderson joked that he had incurable BO which was why the rest of the family didn't want him around!

[roymattblack]

No... you'd like to think that it was. (Family entertainment)

Hmmm..... Lew Grade seemed to think it was too.

He was the one who aired it a 7.00pm on Friday evenings - total prime time.

The point is though, it was at a time where such 'special effects' shows were extremely rare, or didn't even exist.

So of course, it stood out.

There's no getting away from the fact that the new show is aimed squarely at little children.

The original had a far wider appeal.

All that aside - I do like the new TB's - even TB3 isn't as bad as some seem to think.

Just hurry up with some model kits.

Roy.

[HL-10]

Gerry Anderson did not want to make puppet shows and children's programmes, but it was the only work he could get though, so he decided to make the production as slick and professional as possible, with story lines aimed as much for adults as for children, to show the industry how good a film maker he was.

As a result of the high production values, he just got asked to make more puppet shows!

The new series of Thunderbirds has been made from the outset as a children's programme, so the story lines are aimed directly for children.

The effects, though hi-tech when compared to the earlier series, lack some of the realism, the lack of mass to the vehicles and bouncing, floating rocks.

All this aside, I like the new series, but I prefer the original, same with the Captain Scarlet remake, the original is my favourite but the new one was impressive.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I've asked my eight year old nephew for his opinion.....He reckons it's great.

[Kallisti]

Well he is the target audience so I'd be shocked if he didn't lol

[Mike]

A brief moment there where I thought I was going to have sad duty of locking a thread about a kid's TV series. I'll just let that sink in for a moment.

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V

and then I'll remind you all that I will if I have to. Take your blood pressure medicine, switch to decaf, and calm down. Even if you don't like the new show, you still have your Blu-Ray boxed set to watch over & over. No-one's going to take that away from you.

[Neil Lambess]

I think the main reason for some of the charged reactions on this thread is based on the not unreasonable assumption that due to the production team involved behind the special effects on the show , that we would get quality model work. (At least to the standard of Richard Taylor's teams Oscar winning efforts.) Or Derek Meddings team in the 60s

So a lot of us are quite disappointed. Myself included. We are a modelling forum after all. So in that sense some of us have been commenting on that disappointment in the actual model work . We expected a lot better , and if the lord of the rings trilogies had similar quality work I doubt many would have remained silent about it?

What I'm curious about is that earlier Someone posted that we should follow britmodellers guidelines on criticism of members modelling work , but does that seems disingenuous where professional model makers are involved ?. After all they are producing a commercial product (like Airfix) and perhaps should be open to critique ,(like Airfix et all )when people feel that product isn't up to scratch . .? .should we be applying guidelines designed for members to a commercial product?

[Mike]

My comment wasn't about criticism of the show, but the frothing off at each other due to differences of opinions. Polite and respectful refers to talking to each other. Be polite to your fellow members, and respectful of their feelings. The sort of thing that shouldn't really be difficult if you've been brought up with some semblance of manners.

You'll notice that we don't stifle opinion on new models, just the hysterical, childish rants that tend to accompany the subject. There are ways to express an opinion without resorting to hyperbole and name calling, although the way some folks go on, you wouldn't think so.

[roymattblack]

I think Neil has summed it up admirably.

The 'oldies' here had HOPED for something better, maybe along the lines of the Tintin film in terms of quality.

Aimed at children, but paying huge respect to Herge and the 'oldies' who still read and follow Tintin.

OK - The Tintin film probably cost more than every episode of the new TB's put together but there seems to have been an almost deliberate effort to make the new series look BAD.

(I still look forward to some new model kits though)

Roy.

[Nigel Heath]

I am enjoying the new series, I thought the last episode was particularly effective and imaginative. I just watched the program hosted by Reggie Yates which was very interesting on the making of the new series. Most surprised to see some random bloke called Nigel Heath pop up - clearly an imposter....