"Thunderbirds" - "Attack of the Alligators" Quiz

Answer: In a swampy river delta

The name of the main river is the Ambro which we briefly see on a map. Ironically, on the DVD case, the episode description calls it the Andro which is short for Androstenedione. Andro is the steroid that Mark McGuire supposedly used to bulk up on when he broke the home run record. Considering how bulked up the alligators get, I thought that was kind of funny until I saw the map in the episode.

Answer: Theramine

It has a name alright. Theramine is going to be marketed worldwide as a way to end hunger by making animals much larger than normal. Bigger animals = more meat. This show was originally marketed for children in the mid 1960's so they didn't expect us to think about things like "do you need to feed the animals more?" and other science related topics.

Answer: Mr. Blackmer

He is quite interested in this new development. He will spend the night and then send his assistant Mr. Mueller to the lab in a few days.

Answer: By boat

Hiking would be too dangerous. It should be possible to get there by chopper as we are able to determine later when Thunderbird 1 arrives. But most of the helicopters in "Thunderbirds" are referred to as "jetcopters" as they use jet engines to go up in the air and hover rather than a rotary wing. I doubt a seaplane could get there, it looks like the river has too many twists but I might be wrong.

Answer: The River Station

There isn't any mention of any other city, country or continent. The River Station isn't actually shown. I envisioned it as sort of a general store with a dock in back with free lance boat pilots waiting for some action.

Answer: Culp

Whoever wrote this script apparently came from a background where people who provide a service are never referred to as Mr. or Mrs. So-and-so but only their last name where as those receiving the service were always referred to by title and last name.

In this case, Mr. Blackmer vs Culp. This may be a British Military custom. In keeping with this tradition, Culp is put up on the couch for the night whereas Mr. Blackmer is given "Guest accommodations".

Answer: Spills it down the drain

The drain empties into the swampy river where the Theramine is ingested by the alligators. They naturally get much larger and inexplicably attack the house. They also attack Culp's boat with Mr. Blackmer in it. Culp is presumed dead but Mr. Blackmer is rescued by one of the quick thinking scientists.

The scientists, Mr. Blackmer and the housekeeper (Mrs. Fikes) hide out in the basement lab to determine what to do. They talk about calling the River Station but decide they would just call International Rescue. So they decide to call I.R. themselves.

Answer: Alan

The boys' first names are for famous astronauts of the early '60s. Alan (Shepard), Scott (Carpenter) Virgil (Grissom) and Gordon (Cooper). There is a fifth brother, John (Glenn). Grissom was killed (along with two others) in the 1967 test of what was later named Apollo 1.

Answer: The four people he expected

Initially Scott finds Mr. Blackmer, Mrs Fikes and the Scientists. A little bit later Culp, who has survived the first attack, enters the lab via a secret entrance that he knows about and holds them all at gunpoint until he can be assured safe passage back to River Station with his phial of Theramine. Scott tells Virgil, who has now arrived in Thunderbird 2 to let Culp go. Culp jumps in the other boat and two of the three alligators who have been smashing up the house take off after him. Gordon and Alan, also in Thunderbird 2 shoot them with tranquilizer darts.

The third Alligator gets Culp and his boat. The corked phial of Theramine falls into the water. It is up to International Rescue to find it! NOTE - I ended up changing this question a bit. On two occasions, quiz takers fel

Answer: Thunderbird 4

There was an inconsistency in this episode. Before they head out, they are told to use Pod 6 (Thunderbird 2 had a series of pods that fit into the middle of the ship to carry rescue machinery to the rescue site). But Thunderbird 4 was housed/transported in Pod 4 (only one pod could be used at a time).

This swamp was very deep for a swamp. After Thunderbird 4 is launched, we see all kinds of water plants and fish swimming about. Apparently they filmed all of the Thunderbird 4 shots at one time and they were filmed using a fish tank.