[TV] ITV Planning To Reboot Thunderbirds Are Go! Posted by Joseph Lee on 02.04.2013
Were you a fan?
Deadline reports that ITV Studios in the UK, along with New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop, will produce Thunderbirds Are Go!, a reboot of the children's series that debuted in 1965. 26 episodes have been ordered to air on ITV and CITV in the UK in 2015.
The original series was created by Gerry Anderson, who died in December. Even though it only aired for two seasons in the 1960s, it was very popular worldwide. It became a staple of Saturday morning and weekday afternoon programming in the US, had spin-off feature films and inspired Matt Stone and Trey Parker's Team America: World Police.
The new series will use a mix of CGi animation and live-action model sets. The new series will see the five Tracy brothers return with their vehicles to rescue people around the world. Estelle Hughes will executive produce for ITV Studios, Giles Ridge for ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Richard Taylor and Andrew Smith for Pukeko Pictures. Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, Slugterra) is head writer.
ITV's Denise O Donoghue said: "Thunderbirds is a highly respected brand that continues to hold recognition around the world. This cult series is often credited as changing the history of animation and action-adventure, and we look forward to taking the show to another level while retaining the much-loved heritage that has endured over the past fifty years."
