Product Details

• Actors: Peter Dyneley, Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Ray Barrett, Christine Finn
• Writers: Sylvia Anderson, Gerry Anderson
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 12
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: July 30, 2002
• Run Time: 1728 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000068M9Q
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,195 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Thunderbirds Megaset (Complete 12 Volume Set)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Filmed in VIDECOLOR explosions drum roll music builds to a climax and SUPERMARIONATION The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a master class in Gerry Andersons marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that a the show is in color and b its got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale predating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armageddon by 30 years and more the acting is better too and fetishizing gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly the visual effects are by Derek Meddings whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here.As for the characters the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences affections to their cool machines--the real stars of the show--while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls license plate FAB1 driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker whose Yes milady catchphrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company. The puppet stunt work is breathtakingly audacious and every weeks death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered Thunderbirds is childrens TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood.The Thunderbirds Mega Set contains 32 complete uncut and digitally remastered episodes on 12 DVDs. Bonus features include production stills photo galleries two original 1965 The Making of Thunderbirds featurettes the History of Thunderbirds character biographies and a Gerry Anderson biography filmography. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well earned reputation, June 20, 2003

By 

Jmark2001 (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thunderbirds Megaset (Complete 12 Volume Set) (DVD)

Imagine James Bond and Mission Impossible performed by marionettes. Throw in some eye opening and lavish (miniature 1/3 scale puppets) sets, special effects, and a "gee whiz!" attention to detail, and you begin to get an idea of why "Thunderbirds" has such a cult following. The scripts are involving and could just as easily have been performed by live actors with good results. There are enough cool gadgets in this series to please the ten year old boy in every grown up man (I suspect this series is more of a guy thing because relationships take second place to action). There is something else fascinating about this series and that is how seriously the producers, directors, designers took what was essentially a children's puppet show and kept to such high (and unnecessary) standards. This may be partly due to producer Gerry Anderson's frustrated desire to work as a mainstream film director/producer with live actors (he eventually got his wish years later). Seeing marionettes perform in realistic sets, with sophisticated action scripts, and good voice acting is a novel experience that appeals to everyone who has ever had a train set and tried to build a miniature town or city.
I bought this series for my mindless summer vacation viewing and it has been great fun. The DVD transfers are very clean.
This is great family entertainment, summer viewing, father and son get together material. Way to go, Thunderbirds!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...5, 4, 3, 2, 1...the Thunderbirds are go!!!, December 16, 2003

By 

Julio Castro Karg (Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thunderbirds Megaset (Complete 12 Volume Set) (DVD)

Wow!...I've just bought this set and I am really thrilled about it!
I've just seen the first DVD and I relived my whole childhood! I remembered lots of details about these first episodes and to be able to watch them again, some 30 (or so) years later is quite an experience!!!
As a kid I was really impressed by all the gadgets in this series: I loved the airplanes, the spaceships, the cars, the architecture. No wonder why I ended up being a car designer! I remember that all of the first ideas for futuristic automobiles that I drew as a kid had double front axles, just like Lady Penelope's Rolls-Royce!
It's amazing that many of the sci-fi ideas displayed in this series still seem fresh after all these years. A lot of effort and creativity went into producing these episodes!
If you were a fan of the Thunderbirds back in the 60's you'll enjoy this set! Buy it, don't hesitate, it's worth every single dollar!
My only dissappointment is that this set comes in only one language: english. Back in the sixties I watched the series translated into spanish since I live and grew up in Mexico, and I miss hearing the voices that I remembered!...

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All The Best of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds, February 11, 2007

By 

Bennet Pomerantz "Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD" (College Park, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Thunderbirds Megaset (Complete 12 Volume Set) (DVD)

When you watch the Thunderbirds, you must realize this show is forty years old and still holds up. These marriottes are real looking, special effects still hold up after 40 years...and the story lines are intriging

So forget that satire Team America and the live action version of the Thunderbirds, get this..maybe those kids who crave SF adventure can enjoy this complex story lines, rather than those show with 30 second sound bytes of action

The Thunbderbirds (which was orginally called The international Rescue organization) is filled with great sets, characters and vehicles (as I said this was 40 years ago).These episodes still hold up. When you sound like a naysayer about these shows, THINK Classic Star Trek! It , in my opinion, still holds up just like classic Trek.

All the episodes are here. uncut and intriging, when you want a show the whole family can enjoy, this is it--action and good story lines for the adults, special effects for the kids

If you like this, get some of Gerry Anderson's other TV shows on DVD... Supercar, Captain Scarlet,Stingray, Joe 90, Space 1999 (yes the Martin Landau/Barbara Bain space opera), The protectors (with Robert Vaughn) and a weaker effort Secret Service. for US audiences, remember buy region one.

For puppets , these shows had complex stories and over the top characters..worth you time to get and enjoy

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD