TV: Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds

The most popular and best-loved of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's SuperMarionation series.

Thunderbirds marked the career apex for husband-and-wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, who had honed their SuperMarionation (to the layman, 'puppetry') techniques on Fireball XL5 and Stingray. The story revolves around International Rescue, a futuristic emergency service manned by the Tracy family, often assisted by the iconic Lady Penelope (voiced by Sylvia) and her butler, Parker.

One of the most beloved children's programmes ever made, it's also one of the most culturally sticky: from the 1966 film title that inspired the catchphrase of "Thunderbirds Are GO!", to the toys that still sell decades later and the (albeit poorly received) 2004 movie. And that's not forgetting the as-seen-on-Oasis eyebrows and the fact that most people, after a glass or two, can do a fair impersonation of the 'Thunderbirds walk'. Gerry and Sylvia never quite scaled these heights again, despite valiant subsequent efforts such as 'Space 1999'.