I've been watching the latest season 3 episodes of the re-booted Thunderbirds Are Go. CITV have already shown the first nine season 3 episodes last year which, although I did watch I can't say they really held my attention and pretty much came and went. Of course I do admit that I don't fall into the series' target audience of seven to ten year olds but I have enjoyed the odd one.
Although season 3 has 26 episodes, this current run will stall at episode 18, with the remaining episodes due to be shown at a later date.
It has already been widely reported that 'Captain' Jeff Tracy is due to make an appearance, voiced by Lee Majors at some point so I'm tuning in just to watch the build up. Plus Zero X is up for a come back.
I'll be tuning in next Saturday to check out the latest episode, the second part of
S.O.S. which features a deep space vessel,
The Calypso returning from a long mission, and unfortunately in doing so plummets toward the Earth. Without giving too much away, the spacecraft does feature a crew member who did briefly feature in the original series...
I do quite enjoy this series. The ship redesigns are good and I like the nods to the originals etc. (Like Gordon being a Stingray fan!)
ReplyDeleteI don't mind it Kev, not keen on the Chaos Crew who appear to come across as a couple of juvenile delinquents. The redesigns are fine, but the guest ships are usually a bit of a let down (I didn't like the Fireflash)
DeleteLike you I'm enjoying the 'easter eggs' in the series. Stingray as you say, and using names associated with the original series for some of the guest characters.
To be honest once it finishes it's run I can't see me watching it in the future.
When I first heard there was going to be a new series that would mix puppets with CGI I immediately thought it would have been done exactly as before but with the strings removed then the hands and whatever they held added after! What I met with surprised me, the focus of the vehicles almost being the stars of this show actually thrilled me, I'm hard pressed to work out sometimes what is model work and what is generated! -Mark J Southcoast Base
ReplyDeleteThat's true Mark, the technology behind it is certainly state of the art. Have you seen the minisode of Firestorm, although that uses CGI, it has more emphasis on using proper puppets and models.
DeleteI enjoy it for what it is - a kids cartoon with a few nods to any mums and dads who remember the original.
ReplyDeleteThe CGI ranges from excellent to terrible. For example it's really bad in the episode 'Fireflash' where the vehicles look like toys and there is no scale or perspective. When the characters walk past Fireflash at the end it makes Fireflash look about 20 feet long or they are 20 feet tall :) I enjoyed part of SOS Part 1, but the sub plot of Gordon stealing TB1 to try and rescue a dog and then them making jokes about how he smelled spoiled it for me. I'm looking at it as a grown up though so I'm sure the kid's don't mind so much.
I think at the end of this 3rd season's 26 episode run that will be the end of it. I wonder how Bandai's reissued toys will sell? I would also love them to remake Stingray but it's too violent for today's childrens TV.
It'll be interesting to see what they do with Jeff Tracy, whether he's been in deep freeze for years or whether it's just a flashback.
That's a fair summing up of series, Yorkie.I know there are a lot of adult fans out there but whether they stick with it for fifty years I have my doubts.
DeleteA remake of Stingray would be great, although nowadays the producers would probably emphasize the soap opera aspects of it.
As to the Bandai toys, I've not seen any on sale yet, not sure when they plan to release here.
A few people have speculated whether Jeff will actually return in person.
The designs and FX are fabulous, but the scripting and dialogue seems aimed at the under 6's. The original was aimed at children, but im sure the interactions between characters was a bit more complex! For example Gordon climbing down a drain looking for a dog and then complaining he stinks, surely the writers can come up with something a little more involved! And Brahman whirling round repeating itself in a 1950's robot voice, surely it could have been made a touch more sinister and suspenseful. I'm beginning to dread what happens with the Zero X appearance, I just hope its not that sodding janitor with his bloody plant at the controls again..
ReplyDeleteOh no, don't mention the awful Ned and his unconvincing scouse accent :D
DeleteAs a diehard Supermarionation fan, I will not grace the new TBAG with even a peek. (I know I am in the minority here.) As well, I don't do CGI unless absolutely necessary. Practical effects all the way for me. And as a diehard fan of the original, classic Thunderbird 5 (!), I can't even fathom this new design. (And I KNOW that I am in the minority on this one - even Gerry Anderson himself officially hated Thunderbird 5, for reasons I still cannot fathom. But before I was kicked off pretty much every Supermarionation Facebook group, I repeatedly made my case for the original Thunderbird 5, which of course fell on deaf ears. Oh well, I still consider my Imai TB 5 model as one of the most pleasant experiences of my adolescence, and the reissue I built a few years back was a Super fun trip down memory lane. If I am this homely spacecraft's one and only lifelong fan, I could not be more proud!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the original Thunderbird 5 design, Ziggurat. It's even repeated somewhat for the roundhouse.
DeleteLike you I love practical effects too, and do get a little bored with uninspired CGI effects. I'm not even keen on photorealistic CGI paintings which always look flat and soulless to me.
To a certain generation I suspect you are not in the minority :)