TechTV has acquired the rights to air the Thunderbirds!
It starts August 5!
They run the half hour version with factoids on
the bottom of the screen.It airs in the afternoon
with rebroadcast at night.
'Factoids'? What would these be?
From the May 31-June 6 issue of "TV GUIDE":
"STRING FEVER
Thunderbirds, a classic sci-fi puppet series, keeps flying on TV, DVD and in theaters
Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Thunderbirds is still going! The 1960's sci-fi adventure about a heroic family saving the world has become a cult favorite all over again thanks to TechTV.
The show, performed by a cast of sophisticated marionettes, has brought new viewers to the technology-oriented cable network. 'Few things stop you as you're moving around the dial like "supermarionation,"' says Greg Brannan, TechTV's executive vice president of programming. The show combines nostalgia and contemporary camp, he says, and appeals to both young men and their dads.
If two half-hour episodes each Saturday aren't enough, fans can own all 32 episodes, remastered and uncut, on the 12-disc "Complete Thunderbirds DVD Megaset" (A&E Home Video, $179.95). And Universal's live-action "Thunderbirds", currently filming in London with stars Bill Paxton and Anthony Edwards, will hit theaters in July 2004.
--Frank DeCaro"
The article has a picture that I believe is from "Operation Crash Dive"--Virgil flying Thunderbird 2, with Brains behind him on his right, reading something, and just a slice of Gordon's blue-and-orange uniform on his left.
Rather nice of them, although I can't help but wonder if this Frank DeCaro has read any of the rumors flying about the movie....
I popped over to the TechTV website this morning to see what they had to say about the Thunderbirds. Just where, exactly, are they getting some of their information, or are they trying to spice things up to "appeal" to adult viewers? Jeff used to be in the Senate? John and Gordon are the results of his extra-marital affairs? Puh-LEEZE!
Perhaps they used the illegitimacy bit to explain why John and Gordon were underused on the show, but I still find it offensive.
Interesting that right after that TV GUIDE article came out, Tech TV apparently pulled "Thunderbirds" from their schedule....