Thunderbirds and the Futuristic Cold War

Thunderbirds. Our ever beloved puppets. Saving the world in our not so distance future, where the 60’s fashion and design are paralleled with futuristic machines and gadgets. Gerry Anderson is commonly credited for creating a world for children that was beyond that of the time. However, are the ideals and political ideology strictly left behind? Or are the Tracey family still fighting in a Cold War context?

Take the villain for example. The Hood. If you had to name a cold war figure that he looks like, who would it be? Bald, distinguished features, doesn’t agree with western power (i.e international rescue)? The look no further than Russian revolutionist; Lenin. He looks the spitting image. Then add in his background. The hood lurks in his mysterious temple in Malaysia. Very close to Vietnam and to all the countries that Kennedy has looked at in his domino theory. This again is a comparison to the US distrust of Asia at this time, being under the influence of Russia and China. These two comparisons to the cold war, put a spin on Anderson’s futuristic world. Arguably showing that he could not see a future without a cold war context.

There are also many references to the state of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D) in Thunderbirds. One of the common problems that the Thunderbirds face is related to a nuclear threat. In The Man from M.i.5 (Jan 1966), the main plotline includes a British spy, comparable to the character of James Bond. Arguably the pinnacle of Cold war fiction. In this episode, International Rescue are called to help find the missing blueprints for a nuclear weapon. International rescue, help the British agent, ironically named “Bondson”. The World is restored once again. In The Mighty Atom (Dec 1965) International Rescue face another nuclear threat. This time from the Hood, when he manages to destroy a nuclear power station in Australia. This poses a real threat of a nuclear fallout. Again displaying to audiences the idea of a nuclear threat, even in this futuristic world. If the Hood (epitome of cold war villain) could cause havoc with a nuclear power station, then surely that could happen with cold war enemies.

Although Anderson’s programme is aimed at Children. The themes throughout do point towards a cold war message. The idea that international rescue can solve any issue, simply by intercepting transmissions on any frequency, points towards American national identity. The parallels between IR and the US state are uncanny. The power to be the world’s saviour is so Pro American. IR epitomise this. Gerry Anderson’s beloved puppets, simply seem to pose another idealistic American Cold War fantasy.

Tom Wisden