TV review: Why Thunderbirds Are Go is a fab remake

Thunderbirds Are Go (supplied)

The animated Wellywood remake of the 60s sci-fi puppet show delivers an action-packed start to a series which should thrill the nostalgic and new fans alike, writes Russell Baillie

Those of us who loved Thunderbirds in those good old days always saw past the big heads, the wobbly walks and the major disaster scenes done with miniature models.

You get the sense from watching tonight's first episode, that for Sir Richard Taylor - whose Weta Workshop and kids tv outfit Pukeko Pictures are behind this animated reboot for Britain's ITV - that Gerry Anderson's old puppet show was to him what King Kong was to Sir Peter Jackson.

And while there's plenty of affectionate reverence for the past in the new Thunderbirds Are Go, that hasn't got in the way of it becoming an exciting action show for all ages. Grumpy dads tempted to tell their offspring "it wasn't like like this in my day" won't find much to grump about here.

The late 60s series might have been a puppet show but certainly didn't talk down to children, unlike the deadly dull 2004 live-action movie. Neither does this and this 2060-set Thunderbirds has been updated around the edges too.

Brains is now Indian as every IT guy on television seems to be. New female character Kayo is on active duty with International Rescue.

Episode one came with its own emotional weight due to the largely unexplained absence of Jeff Tracy, father of the fraternal Thunderbird team. His loss was on the minds of the five bros, right from the opening rescue scene.

That had Virgil Tracy scooping a father and son from a stricken hot air balloon at 10,000 feet. Just as the kid made it safely inside a hovering Thunderbird 2, his father then slipped and fell.

"No one is losing their Dad today" declared Virgil with grim determination before diving TB2 down to catch him just before he hit terra firma.

At that point I almost stood up and cheered. It was less than five minutes in. A pretty good start.

The first episode sure packed a lot in. Multiple 5-4-3-2-1 countdowns, undersea rescues, saving Taipei from solar incineration and dealing with old nemesis Dr Evil, sorry, The Hood, who was inducing earthquakes around the Pacific plate.

That meant we briefly got a view from TB5 - the spacestation one - of New Zealand. It was nice to be on the map. It was also a relief to see proof that despite the show's NZ connections, the Tracy Island mansion with its clifftop statement architecture wasn't now among the flash helipad homes on the north end of Waiheke.

It managed some humour about chez Tracy's existence as both rocket launchpad and resort.

Every time TB1 roars through the swimming pool hatch, the outdoor furniture goes flying. Can someone please remind grandma about sunbathing out there?

The Thunderbirds themselves look and sound terrific with a few design tweaks and paintwork showing they've got a few miles on the clock.

The folks piloting them take some getting used to, though, with their part-puppet genetic make-up, strange hair and big staring eyes.

But with their colour-coded uniforms and expressive voices, the Tracy boys are nicely differentiated.

International Rescue's London lobbyist, Lady Penelope, might look more Barbie than her predecessor but her unflustered British cool remains. She and Kayo - who now has her own super-vehicle, the defiantly named "Thunderbird S" - should give dads and daughters something to bond over too.

All in all, a great blast-off.