New and classic Thunderbirds launches side by side 

Thats not something everyone knows

Bigatures! It's amazing how practically everything you see is simply real. It's mostly the characters and smaller moving parts that are CGI. All the sets and craft are real.

I watched TB2 launch through the first and probably second seasons (on Prime) before I saw Adam Savage's behind he scenes at WETA. I was stunned to learn that the vehicles in most shots are CGI. TB2 looks fantastic in its launch sequence; imperfections in structure and paint, it looks like is has weight as it shifts down the track. Just spectactular.

Vehicles

Totally agree the original version makes still so much better than the new.

Just now discovering there is a new Thunderbirds. It’s great, and I have a lot of catching up to do, but I miss seeing marionette actors. Sniff, sniff.

@@palmvictory where are you getting full episodes? Here in Oz we have ABC ME, and I've watched all the episodes, but tis gone now and RU-vid doesn't have high quality full episodes.

Too bad that they couldn't work in a bit more hard science on the effects of acoustics. The Tracy's must pay a fortune for windows,(and No, I don't mean the half-baked "Operating system.")

Roci Stone If windows sucks, then what OS is better?

In one episode you actually see Grandma shaking her head and putting them back in place. You can imagine she has her work cut out if she has to do that every time, lol.

@MMG U - iOS iPadOS

@@gregfolland8452 Hahahaha. Never in a millions years will iOS match Windows, and neither of them will match Linux.

I also prefer the originals. I love the fact that the whole process of lunching it, takes a little longer. It looks more real. It also gives me the chance to listen to that amazing soundtrack longer. F.A.B.

@@Miblive Well, they needed the filler, since the episodes weren't originally planned to be the 45 minutes they needed to fill.

I still feel the originals moving more slowly had a better sense of mass but I do like the actual take off scene of TB1. The originals were clearly 'big heavy machines' and I always liked that they used springs inside the palm trees for TB2 so they flexed as they fell back to clear the runway (attached to broom handles, operated by a chap standing at the end of the model). Not enamoured of the Wallace and Grommit dressing machinery. I never noticed the problem with the pods in the original (too close together to fit TB2 when it lowered) but as I remember it no one else seemed to either.

originals were best but modern tb1 turn on other engines was also cool

There was one thing which, even when I watched it on TV way back in the 90's, I considered a bit of a plot hole in the series, and that was how they just _happened_ to have specialised rescue vehicles for absolutely every occasion. And I love how the new series fixes that. The modular design and the in-pod assembly factory were a stroke of genius.

@@Nyerguds The plot hole now is why they need multiple pods, when they can just store all the components in one.

@@minicle426 I dunno. They could still have specialised ones I guess. Like, more underwater focused, more fire fighting focused, more debris clearing focused... just a matter of what components are stocked in it?

sonictitanic23 couldn't have said it better myself If I may add my own note though: the old soundtrack will always be the best. Nobody can beat Barry Gray

sonictitanic23 The new version didn't involve Gerry Anderson (All New Captain Scarlet did, and it wasn't bad IMO) and didn't have Barry Gray's stirring music. I don't think a lot about the new series. And from what I've heard, self-performed bowel surgery without anaesthetic is more fun than the 2004 film.

@@Dragonblaster1 the music feels typically Hollywoodian, but the show is interesting enough. I say give it a try with an open mind. You might like it

Well said

The new series has very little CG, actually. It's _mostly_ just the characters. And Weta Workshop's scale model constructions are absolutely fab. As for the original's slow pace, that's probably because it was designed to have much shorter episodes, but they were asked to extend it.

Me too. as a kid that was the best (Original) TB entry method IMHO, I always imagined sliding down that slide myself. The sofa for TB3 was good too but as for TB1 that was a bit dull. Happy days before having to worry about life!

@@trevortestertrev5531 There was a episode in TAG where Alan has to fly TB1 & he's squatting down on the platform holding on for dear life as the platform moves to TB1.

I’d personally love to be on either thunderbird 1 or 3

Funny as I hold a bit of an inverse opinion even back as a kid when watching the originals. I always felt anxous about how long the Thunderbirds took to get underway, as they were going off the rescue people and time was precious. I feel the new one strikes a decent balance between giving them time to show off weight and scale, but also speed in getting them underway as quickly and efficiently as they could. Something about tastes and colours I guess ^^

Not sure I think it's better, but I do love the new series and think there's far too much dismissal of it just because its not puppets, ignoring that the way Gerry made shows moved with the times. He remade Scarlet in CGI and it was even darker, and if he'd held the rights, likely would have redone Thunderbirds in a similar way to TAG.

Not to diminish your opinion, but I struggle to see how clearly aged CGI holds up better than the marionation of Anderson. The "new" looks tired, whereas the classic looks timeless.

Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.. honestly the original does look better

@@robholloway6829 Newsflash. The new version _is made with miniatures._ It's all real, but your misplaced sense of nostalgia just decided to classify it as "aged CGI" anyway. Only the characters and some other small details are added with CG.

@@estelasayeed5608 Agreed. I find it ironic this guy basically says the original relies on rose tinted glasses, when the new one coasts by on nostalgia itself a lot of the time. And I can't say I see it being as fondly remembered in 50 years. Too much of a standard kiddies toy commercial with forced humour. But fanbrats will be fanbrats.

There's actually much less CGI than you think in the new version. They used mainly practical effects and hand built sets. The water in any scenes involving TB4 or Tracey Island isn't CGI. That's real water in a tank.

@@flapjackboy Original still looks better though

dinimate01 The man was a musical genius.

Yeah I Gotta get the CD / LP .

It's still a nice homage, though :)

​@InfiniteMushroom Might want to do some research about what is and isn't CG in the new series. It may surprise you.

Funny thing is, TAG still uses a lot of physical miniatures - including the entire Tracey Island

I loved the originals and grew up with them but I cant argue with the better female character development especially with grandma. Shes probably one of my new favorite characters now

All the Thunderbird machines including Tracy Island are real models, Adam Savage former Mythbusters was geeking out on the set of the new series when he visited WETA Studios in Wellington New Zealand, there are also real sculpted characters of the cast too which were only built as an aid to model the CGI characters. Most of the props are real, only the few that were costly to make were rendered in CGI like city towers and certain terrain but the characters in the actual episodes are indeed CGI. Copyright forebode any use of the designs to the original Thunderbirds machines as well as Barry Gray's music score hence the new designs of the machines and the rearranged music score. The show is privately funded and the only reason the British ITV Studios logo is in the ending credits is because they still own the rights to the franchise. ITV held Gerry Anderson at ransom by disregarding his offer to buy back the rights to his creation so he couldn't do anything further because of ITV's ironfist tactics and they're the soul reason the new series content changed so much. Anyway, I like the show, it's a lighter approach than the original and a pretty good tribute though not as serious.

😰

Noooooooo!!!!!!!!😫

hey, that's what coffee is for.

@@Nyerguds If it was me, Tea would do it for me.

Stims. Special stimulants. Coffee or tea wouldn't be enough to keep you alert during the types of emergencies International Rescue had to deal with. Elite security and miltary operatives have access to these now. In 59 years time, it will be as easy to get & use safe, non-addictive over-the-counter stimulants, like we get pain meds now

Gordon Gibson v🍞🍊🍅🍍🍤🍍🍠🍍🍍🍠🍍🍍🍍🍠🍤🍖🍠🍑🍖🍠🍑🍑🍠🌽🍑🍠🍖🍍🍍🍍🍓🍐🍍🍐🍍🍇🍠🍠🍇🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

Gordon Gibson v

曽根香織

Gordon Gibson and

@fpfantome I have it on Amazon Prime and iTunes. The reason for having both is that the Amazon version doesn't have what IMO is the best version of the launch music, where Thunderbird 1's engines ignite right on the beat of the music, as if it's part of it, ie they use only the version that was playing during the Thunderbird 1 launch section of this video.

There's one in the set of the launch bay in the new one too.

Somebody had the blue ray extras

Haha, you can see the remake is made by fans of the show, all right.

A lot of the changes do seem to have been driven by technological progress, for example the modular pod vehicles, swivel chairs, and having communication equipment more advanced than a radio with a bendy microphone.

@@HiringHamblin I agree. And it makes sense. Honestly there aren't alot of changes to the overall designs of each thunderbird other than 5 looking very different and 2 looking more square which is fair. Why fix what isn't broken. What they do instead is just add to it. Like Thunderbird 3 having arms is a really interesting one. Hell i actually love the changes to the unicorms with each one haveing differing equipment rather than just a different colour on the sash. The series is no meant to measure up to the old one. It is its own thing that takes inspiration and it does it fine. Plus it always make T2 the best one so all good XD

I freaking love the modular vehicles idea.

​@@Nyerguds Me too. I tried to catch what their overall "sortiment" of those addon parts are more than once

well if you're heading to an emergency you want to get there asap

> some of the animation is stiff I dunno; if you rewatch some of the old puppet interaction scenes... they were _extremely_ stiff.

​@@Nyerguds Literally wooden, one could say.

Mike Gaddass Huh, now you mention it, I can't picture ever seeing wheels on Thunderbird 2. I guess I just mashed the image of the wheels on my die cast toy T2 into the series with mental gumnastics.

The wheels were only mentioned once when T2 was accidently fired at by the Navy, when the ship makes an emergency landing, Jeff said "The wheels, they've collapsed!" and Tintin gasps in shock.

Mike Gaddass Aye, thats the only time I remembered them being mentioned.

You can see in other videos when TB2 has just launched or is landing, there are two rows of wheels under the pod. Guess they retract up when in flight with no actual wheels on TB2 herself.

In TAG, Thunderbird 2’s VTOL thrusters are most likely active during these launches, since you can see it hovering a bit above the ground. Most of the time it launches from a rescue, it goes full VTOL, but launching from Tracy Island, it’s main thrusters activate, and then I’d assume the VTOL thrusters shut off as soon as it’s clear of the runway.

Wait until you see what real hypersonic vehicles look like.

They _never_ looked large enough, even in the original. The launch sequence never made any sense. Without aid of its VTOL thrusters, TB2 should take a nose dive off the front of that ramp.

It's probably a budgetary thing. Puppets can have the flaws of wobbling and practical limitations but has the physical element of natural physics. CGI on the other hand lacks the practical limitations and can be more easily edited but lacks the physical properties which would have to be simulated and computer-generated tweening (motion between keyframes which are set points in, say, raising an arm) tends to be too smooth.

@@fastertrackcreative They new series is made with miniatures... That all said, the launch of TB2 never made sense to me. Without using its VTOL thrusters it should just nose dive off that ramp.

I see two reasons for it: the episodes are shorter, and the faster speed helps convey better that seconds count in some of the rescues

Actually, the original had episodes that were twice as long, and they weren't originally planned to be, so they needed to fill that up with _something._

Thunderbirds in the original actually felt huge

Um. The new series' crafts and sets aren't CG. They're actually built models.

​@@Nyerguds They are a mix of both, as I understand - often even switching between the two during cuts.

@@HalNordmann No, the _series_ is a mix of both, but the crafts and environments are all real models; the CGI are the human characters, to get away from the limitations of the marionettes.

@@Nyerguds At least parts of the craft have to be CGI, for a similar reason - doing it practically would be too hard. I'm talking about stuff like TB1's cockpit entrance mechanism, TB2's cables, most of their interiors and smoke/flame VFX, as well as other smaller bits.

Jack W totally agree

Why not both? (The new show actually does this)

Ok you can only say that it your making a multi million dollar action film not some kids show. Practical effects only beat CGI when it's done on a super expensive scale, not backyard effects.

The new show _is_ made with practical effects. They're just so pro you can easily mistake them for CG.

Nyerguds your so right there, the look is amazing

It's still nice to bring Thunderbirds to a new generation while maintaining the spirit of the original show.

Original over Cg every day of the week

Say what you will.. the Original actually looks better

Don't forget the modular rescue vehicles. and the Pod 3 assembly factory. I absolutely love that idea.

LEO????

nice seeing ya

"the new CGI version"? You realize they're actual miniatures, right? Only the characters and some small details are CG. The rest is all real.

The sets and vehicles in the new series aren't CG... they're all miniatures.

It’s called taste and style. The new ones look tacky and cheap despite that they probably cost millions to make compared to the old.

You realise only the characters are CG in the new one, right? All the rest is painstakingly constructed miniatures, just like in the original.

I agree with you, regardless of tedious people like Nyerguds posting the same thing over and over...

@@minicle426 The truth bears repeating, as long as people keep dismissing the new one as "CG remake". Do some research.

I actually like the younger looking characters, especially Virgil and Gordo

@@DenitaArnold Ye there cute :) the animation is really nice, both of them have good animation ^^

Of course it is sped up, they only get 25 min for an episode instead of 50. Having half the time means less slowness liek the original. The original wa slike a roller coaster, excitement, slowness, excitement slowness, peaks of valleys to give you a bit of a breather before the next event, the new series has little time to spare on the valleys. That makes it rather fast pace but still enjoyable over the horrendous Thunderbirds Fast Forward rehash.

Hard to do some of those effect now that some of the chemicals they used back then are now illegal to use now 😂 makes me love the old show more knowing how bad ass the effects crews were but some of the stories in the new show hoh catch the feels. Especially with better fleshed out female's like grandma

The new one still uses plenty of practical models

well not everything is CGI, the characters and vehicles are, and some weather effects, but essentially all the backgorunds and landscapes are actual model sets like the were made and used in the original series, so they essentially did scenery shots first then put CGI over the top, its realy good how they made it, but as you said yes, but with stop motion the budget would be mental and puppets would be out of the question, you could make them modern yet but that would take time to learn and cooperate with, repairs and setup, plus the time it takes to rehearse and film.

And some of the accident on the machines were practical as well.

They use a combination of CGI, miniatures, and physical effects. Watch the video where Adam Savage visits the studio. It's a cool clip explaining how they do the show and showing us the models. Plus Adam is in full fanboy mode.

The cgi of the characters could have been closer to the original marionette's there was no reason to remodel them the craft don't look as real they are not weathered like the originals were and where is Geoff Tracy? Too many irrelevant changes that make no sense the new series could have been great if a little bit more time and consideration had been applied.

The original wasn't stop motion either tho

I preferred them on every launch

try Kisscartoon, perfectly legal place to watch.

The new Thunderbirds Series is available on DVD in AustraIia. I think there are 4 DVD's Try JB Hi Fi !

Which CG images are you referring to, exactly? The vehicles and sets of the new show are miniatures.

... And the old one looks like puppets what's your point neither looks realistic.

"and now you know why" you say, without any explanation. Okay.

Agreed. And do shut up, Nyerguds.

Ahh, I recently got my hands on the full version of the Tintin intro. So awesome.