Behind 'Thunderbirds': Who's Pulling the Strings Quiz

Answer: Gerry Anderson

Television producer Gerry Anderson has a long list of television and film productions spanning some forty years to his credit. 'Thunderbirds' were produced from 1964-1966 and preceded 'Captain Scarlet'. Later came 'UFO' and 'Space: 1999'.
Lew Grade was the managing director of Associated TeleVision at the time.
Reg Hill was the designer of the featured craft of earlier Gerry Anderson productions and was assistant producer on 'Thunderbirds'.
Hiram K. Hackenbacker is known to all IR fans as Brains, who is credited in the series with building the rescue craft.

Answer: A German mining disaster

129 men were working in the Lengede iron ore mine near Brunswick in Lower Saxony, West Germany in October 1963 when a dam holding water that was used in the processing of iron ore collapsed and the mine was flooded. Over the next two weeks several rescue crews struggled to find and save the trapped men and the events made world headlines.

In the end, 29 miners lost their lives due to the fact that what little specialized rescue equipment was available, was not quickly accessible.

Answer: International Rescue

Gerry changed the name of the series when he called the craft the Thunderbirds and realized it sounded punchier as a title than 'International Rescue'.

Answer: Derek Meddings

Reg Hill was the designer on previous Gerry Anderson productions. But the new series was much more ambitious and Hill needed to concentrate solely on production. The job of designing the equipment and the famous IR Thunderbirds then fell to special effects director Derek Meddings.

Answer: The Round House

The Round House guards the Thunderbird 3 launch bay and while it was being detailed in the workshop, Meddings realized it was perfect for TB5. He took the design, added aerials and transmitters and TB5 was created.

Answer: Barry Gray

Barry Gray provided all the music for the Anderson series up to and including 'Space: 1999' series one. He composed a song with lyrics that was originally intended for use in the closing titles, but was scrapped in favour of the 'Thunderbirds March'. This song, 'Flying High' was modified and later used in the episode 'Ricochet'.
Peter Dyneley provided the voice for Jeff Tracy.

Answer: Shane Rimmer

Shane was doing variety as a solo singer at the City Varieties in Leeds when he was asked to audition for a television puppet series. He has been seen in many films such as 'Dr Strangelove', 'Batman Begins', 'Out of Africa' and 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. He also voiced the role of Dick Spanner for Anderson from 1986.

Answer: Jeremy Wilkin

David Holliday left for work on Broadway at the completion of the first 26 episodes. He never left America again.

Answer: John Tracy and The Hood

Ray also voiced many of the guest characters and quite often had two or three of his characters talking together. One way of having a conversation with yourself! He also did the voice of the Duchess in The Duchess Assignment.

Answer: False

Of the main characters, Sylvia only voiced Lady Penelope. Actress Christine Finn voiced both Grandma Tracy and Tin Tin.