Thunderbirds in stunning 4K Restoration in UK cinemas from 20 September 2025

Thunderbirds double bill: Trapped in the Sky and Terror in New York City in stunning 4K Restoration in UK cinemas from 20 September 2025. Director: Alan Pattillo, David Elliott, David Lane. Writer: Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, Alan Fennell. Run Time: 2 x 50 mins. Cert: U.

Review by Rob Tysall

Can you believe it’s 60 years since we first heard that dramatic countdown… 5 4 3 2 1 Thunderbirds Are Go!  This iconic children’s action series burst onto our TV screens on Thursday  30^th September 1965 brought to us by ATV Midlands. The first action-packed episode of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s groundbreaking Supermarionation space rescue series was called Trapped in the Sky. Now exactly 60 years on, an iconic double-bill will be back in UK cinemas in stunning 4K Restoration featuring Trapped in the Sky and another of its most popular episodes, Terror in New York City.

To mark the 60^th anniversary, Anderson Entertainment and Kaleidoscope Entertainment are bringing a big-screen experience for fans old and new, with these two iconic episodes of Thunderbirds. I was privileged to review these two 50-minute films ahead of the release date and can honestly say that viewers are not going to be disappointed.

Thunderbirds are Go! Photo courtesy of Anderson Entertainment.

Whether you’re new to Thunderbird's futuristic adventures, or like me, a lifelong fan never tiring of watching the television repeats, this new double bill, big screen experience will have parents and grandparents eagerly taking their children and grandchildren along to see two absolutely classic space adventures.

For anyone not familiar with Thunderbirds, it’s the exploits of ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy and his five adult sons: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan, who operate an International Rescue organisation, flying a fleet of space-aged crafts, each with their own powerfully advanced methods of fighting the evil of this world – these are the Thunderbirds, and they are based on a secret island in the Pacific known as Tracy Island.

Thunderbirds is the brainchild of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson who in the mid-1960s created these action packed 50-minute programmes which really had all the drama and impact of a real films, using a type of electronic marionette puppetry called Supermarionation. Between 1964 and 1966 they made two series of Thunderbirds - 32 episodes in all.

Action packed adventure. Photo courtesy of Anderson Entertainment.

The brand new 5.1 surround sound makes the drama all the more exciting and there’s only a hint of puppet strings visible which I think is how it should be. It’s so good it looks like a film, so I think it’s important that people don’t forget that these wonderful characters are actually stringed puppets or marionettes.

Great to see the Tracy family in glorious 4K Restoration – Scott Tracy, Virgil Tracy and the rest of the family are all there, along with Lady Penelope and her chauffeur, Parker; master criminal Hood is still causing trouble. Personally, I thought that the original Gerry and Sylvia Anderson TV series were brilliant for their time, but this new 4K Restoration double-bill is fantastic.

Lady Penelope. Photo courtesy of Anderson Entertainment.

Trapped In the Sky:  The first episode of classic of Thunderbirds. Master criminal the Hood plants a bomb on board the new atomic-powered airliner Fireflash before it departs on its maiden flight. Unable to land for fear of setting off the bomb, the crew and passengers' only hope of survival lies with International Rescue.

Terror In New York City: Largely regarded as the most exciting Thunderbirds episode made, after Thunderbird 2 is heavily damaged in a mistaken attack, it leaves the team seemingly without a swift means to transport any rescue gear to New York City to save a news crew trapped underneath the collapsed Empire State Building.

Personally, I’m a great admirer of Gerry Anderson’s work, from Supercar and Fireball XL5 to Stingray and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons – I love the stories, the music, the characters and the toys and collectables associated with Thunderbirds. Some years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting, photographing and interviewing Gerry Anderson at a convention – what a lovely man! And I think, a creative genius.

These days Gerry’s son Jamie Anderson is CEO of Anderson Entertainment. This is what he said about the newly restored Thunderbirds which is about to return to UK cinemas. “Even back in 1965, Dad and his amazing teams made each episode of Thunderbirds feel like a mini movie - huge stories, stunning models, and that unmistakable sense of adventure. To see them newly restored in 4K and back on the big screen, marking classic Thunderbirds' return to cinemas for the first time since 1968, and on the show’s 60th anniversary, is something really special. I’m very proud to be able to share them with audiences across the UK.”

Thunderbirds will be at UK cinemas from 20th September 2025, Cert U.