Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley
On Saturday the 20th of September 2025, I saw a double bill of ‘Thunderbirds’ episodes shown at the ODEON Cinema in Cardiff Bay, including ‘Trapped In The Sky’ and ‘Terror In New York City’. This was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ‘Thunderbirds’ TV series.
I’m pleased I saw these two episodes on the big screen in Cardiff. A shame they weren’t shown at more cinemas, as it seemed to be only confined to the ODEON Cinema in Cardiff Bay. Not at Cineworld in Cardiff City Centre and not at Showcase Cinema in Nantgraw.
The episodes were shown one after the other and there was no intermission, which is a shame. I would have appreciated an intermission to take in the first episode before moving onto the next one. Otherwise, it was great to see ‘Thunderbirds’ on the big screen.
My previous cinema experience with ‘Thunderbirds’ was seeing the live-action ‘Thunderbirds’ movie back in 2004. This was a complete contrast to that, as I was seeing two episodes of one of my favourite TV shows as a kid at the cinema for the very first time.
It was amazing to see ‘Trapped In The Sky’ and ‘Terror In New York City’ on the big screen compared to seeing it on TV screen. It was easy to spot the wires for the puppet characters in the episodes, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment in watching the episodes.
I would have liked to have seen ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ and ‘Thunderbird 6’ on the big screen, since they’re proper movies compared to two ‘Thunderbirds’ episodes in a row. But hey, I saw them on DVD recently, so I can’t complain about not seeing them at the cinema.
It also would have been interesting to see the ‘Thunderbird’ VHS compilations on the big screen, including ‘Thunderbirds to the Rescue’, ‘Thunderbirds In Outer Space’ and ‘Countdown to Disaster’, which I hope to share my thoughts on in another review soon. 🙂
As for the two episodes themselves, it makes sense to have ‘Trapped In The Sky’ be shown at the cinema, since it was the first episode to be shown in the TV series. It was amazing to see the Fireflash on the big screen and Thunderbirds 1 and 2 coming along to the rescue.
‘Terror In New York City’ is an interesting choice of an episode to be shown after ‘Trapped In The Sky’ compared to the other ‘Thunderbirds’ episodes. Don’t get me wrong, it was great to see ‘Terror In New York City’ on the big screen, since it’s regarded a very good episode indeed.
But I’m curious as to why that episode was chosen instead of say ‘Sun Probe’ or ‘The Perils of Penelope’ or ‘End of the Road’. Then again, it’s a very tension-driven episode, especially when Ned Cook and his cameraman Joe get buried alive in that story.
It’s also eerie to see a ‘Thunderbirds’ episode on the big screen where a tall building in New York City collapses. Bear in mind, this was in 1965 when the episode was released on TV. It must have been ahead of its time, since an incident like that occurred years later.
It’s easy to compare this episode to the 9/11 attacks that happened in New York City in 2001 with the World Trade Center being destroyed. And it wasn’t just the Empire State Building being destroyed in the episode, as there was the Fulmer Finance Building being destroyed.
Seeing the two ‘Thunderbirds’ episodes ‘Trapped in the Sky’ and ‘Terror in New York City’ has been an amazing experience for me. I’m glad I saw it on the big screen recently to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the TV series. ‘Thunderbirds’ is still very impressive.
The dedication to all the puppetry, model work and voice work in the two episodes is very evident, and the storytelling and character development is very engaging. I’d like to think ‘Thunderbirds’ will get another cinema release, whether with original episodes or a movie.
We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we? 😀 Incidentally, it’s a shame Thunderbird 3 wasn’t in the two episodes shown on the big screen recently. Still, at least it was good to see the Hood in the first ‘Thunderbirds’ episode ‘Trapped In The Sky’, as he’s like the main baddie. 😀
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim 🙂
Bradley's Basement 
I have a sneaking suspicion why Terror in New York City might’ve been chosen. It’s one of the few televised stories that highlights the danger that International Rescue runs in being an independent organisation. No country has any dictates or decrees over who they can rescue or why.
That clash of priorities comes up a lot in the TV21 comics. International Rescue are often caught in international intrigue. Gordon becomes involved in an Bereznik assassination plot linked to a trapped spy and Scott is almost used as an unwilling agent for the Universal Secret Service.
But, here, the danger is the United States Navy, which shoots down Thunderbird 2 when it refuses to identify itself. Outside The Uninvited or Move and You’re Dead, it’s probably the most harrowing personal experience that the boys have on television. It also paints an interesting image, since I mentioned the comics…
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t even the first time that the United States military attack Thunderbird 2. If you’re following TV21, at the time, this is the second. And while, with the Navy, this is an accident, the one in the comic is done on purpose. It’s the United States Air Force trying to hide their new experimental craft.
It has an interesting legacy as an episode. It’s part of the Thunderbirds ouvre that regardless of what some do to them, they are still impartial. They still come to help. It doesn’t matter who you are. English, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, American, Australian, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hawaiian, Thai, Indian… Whoever. International Rescue will still come to help.
That’s a nice sentiment to have in this day and age.
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Hi Wolfie,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ‘Thunderbirds’ and the ‘Terror in New York City’ episode. I’m very pleased I saw it and ‘Trapped in the Sky’ on the big screen recently. I hope to check out more ‘Thunderbirds’ content sometime soon, as I still have the rest of ‘Thunderbirds’ book series to check out as well as the ‘Thunderbird’ audios from Anderson Entertainment/Big Finish. I’ve yet to check out the TV Century 21 comics.
I’ve enjoyed some of the ‘Thunderbirds’ 60th anniversary documentary on ITVX, including interviews with the likes of Nicola Bryant and Sophie Aldred as well as Richard Taylor from Weta Workshop who worked on ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films. Nicola and Sophie also seem to have done audio commentaries for episodes of the ‘Thunderbirds’ 60th anniversary Blu-ray box set, which sounds very exciting.
Best wishes,
Tim 🙂
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Sophie Aldred’s face is one that keeps popping up on the behind-the-scenes of these productions. It’s nice to see her back in front of the camera (or microphone, as the case may be) again.
Nicola Bryant, I remember from her interview for Anderson Entertainment. She wanted to play Lady Penelope, but it was already cast. I think she said she’d do Destiny Angel from Captain Scarlet if given the chance. She’s also been doing interviews for the Blake’s 7 Blu-rays alongside Colin.
I’m really hoping that something comes of their involvement. It’d be great to see/hear them in a future Anderson production. Nicola Bryant’s collected such a well of voices over the years, I bet she could do what Shane Rimmer once did, bless him.
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Hi Wolfie,
Apologies it’s taken me a while to reply. I was away in Farnborough last weekend. I don’t know if I’ll be getting the ‘Thunderbirds’ Blu-ray box set featuring new audio commentaries with Sophie Aldred and Nicola Bryant. It’d be interesting to see their reactions/hear their thoughts on the episodes they’ve watched. Hopefully, I’ll do a review on the ‘Thunderbirds’ 60th anniversary documentary that’s been on ITVX recently sometime soon as well as share the latest video of Sophie and Nicola talking about ‘Thunderbirds’.
I had no idea Nicola and Colin did interviews about ‘Blake’s 7’ on the recent Blu-ray box sets. I’ve purchased Series 1 on Blu-ray but have yet to revisit the season based on that. Hopefully I will soon. It would be nice for more ‘Doctor Who’ stars like Nicola Bryant to be in ‘Thunderbirds’ audio productions or anything Anderson Entertainment-related.
Best wishes,
Tim 🙂
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