Plot

In the year 2065, the Tracy family run International Rescue - a top-secret organization whose ongoing mission is to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations using their advanced Thunderbirds machines.

The year is 2065. The location is a secret island base. The Tracy family run International Rescue - a top secret organization whose ongoing mission is to aid humanity. With the support of five incredible THUNDERBIRDS craft, the London agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, her butler and ex safe-cracker Parker and genius Brains, the Tracy family battle the forces of evil.—Back of Digitally Remastered DVD

In the 21st century, Jeff Tracy, a former astronaut, amasses a colossal fortune and decides that he must use it to benefit others. His answer to this desire is to create International Rescue, a unique private emergency response service equipped with custom designed vehicles and equipment that enable the organization to react to any crisis whether it be in sea, air, land, or space. Jeff's five sons volunteer to operate as the pilots and field agents, as well "Brains" (alias Hiram K. Hackenbacker) as the team engineer. In addition, Jeff's friend, Kyrano and his daughter Tin Tin agree to be the support staff. In addition to the field team, IR also maintains an intelligence network with Lady Penelope and her ex-con chauffeur, Parker as the chief agents in this arm. The series depicts this team as they answer various calls for help around and beyond the world while they prevent enemies like the Hood from learning and exploiting their secrets.—Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>

International Rescue is a secret organization in the 21st century, utilizing revolutionary high-technology machinery tailored to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations. Its founder is Jeff Tracy, a billionaire former astronaut whose investments in aviation and technology have seeded him with the necessary means to create his rescue organization, based on a mountainous island in the South Pacific. Widowed, Jeff leads his five sons - Scott, the eldest and field commander for rescues; John, second eldest who usually mans IR's early warning satellite; Virgil, a musician and artist who is the team's workhorse; Gordon, jocular and an expert aquanaut; Alan, the youngest and most impetuous. The Tracy family is aided by Jeff's manservant Kyrano and his daughter Tin-Tin, and IR has a grid of agents around the world, usually led by wealthy Briton Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her manservant Aloysius Parker, a Cockney ex-con who has gone straight, but whose skills and knowledge of criminal elements allow IR to infiltrate potentially dangerous situations. IR keeps the location of its base a closely guarded secret, as its technology can be used to destroy life if it falls into the wrong hands - and determined to acquire their secrets and sell their technology to the highest bidder is a Malaysian criminal known only as The Hood, a master of disguise who is brother to Kyrano and who possesses mysterious and powerful hypnotic ability.—Michael Daly

Thunderbirds first aired on British television in September 1965 and for many fans remains the pinnacle of the Gerry Anderson legacy. The series is set in 2065 and is about the exploits of International Rescue, a global response organization founded by billionaire ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy on an island in the Pacific Ocean known as Tracy Island. His five sons, Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John pilot the five Thunderbirds machines, a fleet of rescue vehicles designed by engineering genius Brains. Their ongoing mission is to save people trapped in dangerous situations that ordinary rescue teams wouldn't be able to handle. Thunderbird 1 is International Rescue's first response vehicle designed to get to the danger zone as fast as possible. It's piloted by Scott Tracy. Thunderbird 2 is International Rescue's heavy duty transport craft that carries all the equipment to the danger zone and is piloted by Virgil Tracy. Thunderbird 3 is International Rescue's space rocket and is mainly piloted by Alan Tracy. Thunderbird 4 is International Rescue's submarine carried to and from the danger zone aboard Thunderbird 2's Pod 4. It is piloted by Gordon Tracy. Thunderbird 5 is International Rescue's space station that picks up distress calls from any part of the world. It's usually manned by John Tracy. International Rescue are also assisted by their London Agent, Lady Penelope and her butler Parker as well as assistant engineer Tin-Tin, her father Kyrano and Grandma Tracy. Their arch enemy is The Hood, Kyrano's half brother, who plots to steal the secrets of International Rescue's technology.