A tantalising ad for Thunderbirds are Go, the new Thunderbirds TV show, set to debut in 2015.
MIPCOM takes place in Cannes next month – one of thw world’s largest TV rights events – and TV executives seeking broadcast content across the globe are already being wooed to take a look at the line up of new shows on their way from a huge number of producers.
World Screen publishes a number of guides to this important show, including its annual TV Kids Distributor Guide.
There are two items of note for regular downthetubes readers: the first, a short interview with Russell T. Davies, the man who brought Doctor Who back to our screens, about the origins of Wizards vs Aliens, just one of several interviews with kids TV creators in the title.
The second is a wonderful tease – a full page advertisement from ITV Studios with a tantalising image of a design for part of the new Thunderbird 1, a ‘Top Secret’ promotion for their new show, Thunderbirds are Go, which will debut in 2015.
This is, I think, one of the very first ‘sneek peeks’ at anything from the new series whose effects are being handled by New Zealand-based WETA, and we of course don’t know if this is a final design or work in progress. But given the number of hits any Gerry Anderson-related news item gets on this site, it would be remiss of us not to draw it to your attention.
As we previously mentioned, ITV Studios will also be actively promoting Thunderbirds as just one of their brands at Brand Licensing Europe in London next month. We’ll continue to push for a new comic!
• TV Kids Distributor Guide 2013/14
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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Leave the original thunderbird designs alone. You are making the same mistake that Johnathon Frakes made by trying to improve on perfection. It will flop.
MIPCOM’s all about trying to secure distribution deals for programmes so I’d say that this ad totally fails to say anything worthwhile about Thunderbirds, reboot or otherwise. They could have made more of the planet map; maybe overlaid with markers indicating disasters and places/people in need of (International) rescue or any other number of devices to hint at what the show’s about. It neither makes enough of the retro angle or tells you anything if you’re not actually sure what Thunderbirds is (quite possible considering the international (no pun intended) of MIPCOM. You could have easily updated the old logo to link the two eras of the show, too.
Sorry, rant over.
Bear in mind the show doesn’t launch until 2015 and the bulk of this excellent preview of the new kids shows at MIPCOM is focused on 2013/14 production. Given the hit rate for this tiny story, plus the debate it’s generating here and elesewhere, I’d say it’s achieved its purpose as a tease. And, once again, we don’t know if this is the final design or a concept. As a PR item for the new show, I’d argue it’s done its job.
Leave the designs alone. They were perfect in the 60s and they still are.