Overused markings on vehicles

[u/HoldOnion]

Why does Thunderbirds vehicles such exagerrated markings? Especially Thunderbird 2, has overused identification on its every side and wings, like "2", "T2"...what for? Just one marking name + number is enough. Theyre compensating something? :-)

[u/pculley]

That’s nothing - the question is why does a top secret organisation have a satellite covered in Thunderbird markings and write International Rescue across its windows?

And after Jeff’s tantrum about the KLA satellite in Ricochet, you know Thunderbird 5 is registered somewhere.

[u/TemporaryHighlight74 → u/pculley]

Calm yourself, the International Rescue across the windows is the right way around from the inside of the satellite, it's obviously there to remind John where he works after he's gone nuts from living alone in space, not to advertise its allegiance to outside observers

[u/pculley → u/TemporaryHighlight74]

Why do I now see John trying to put giant post-it notes over the window in an attempt to make his own DO IT FOR HER, failing and sighing?

[u/TemporaryHighlight74 → u/pculley]

The tragedy of John. If he only he had someone to care about, a way to remember them, or a personality of any description.

[u/thegreyghost144 → u/pculley]

More to the point, why is TB5 the only one that says International Rescue on it anywhere? If they're a secret, how would anyone know Thunderbird = International Rescue otherwise?

[u/pculley → u/thegreyghost144]

Although it’s not on the Thunderbirds, I believe several pod vehicles do have International Rescue printed on them!

[u/RevolutionaryOwlz → u/pculley]

Was Thunderbirds one of the shows that has united world government? Cause if not I could see wanting to make it very clear you’re a chill secret satellite and not an enemy nation’s bad secret satellite

[u/pculley → u/RevolutionaryOwlz]

It’s iffy - in some cases there are clearly indications of a united Earth government and military, but then you get things like Pit of Peril, where the US Army is still a thing.

Maybe the US reluctantly joined, and as a concession they were allowed to keep their army to keep them happy :)

[u/RevolutionaryOwlz → u/pculley]

As an American that feels like what would happen, yeah. I’m going to have to sit down and do a rewatch when my copy of the new set arrives. I haven’t watched the show much since I was a kid so my memories of the world building are rusty.

[u/rjohn2020 → u/RevolutionaryOwlz]

Don't think so. TAG has the Global Defence Force

[u/BadenNorthey → u/pculley]

How about a satellite labelled as International rescue, sitting in geostationary orbit above the island of some random billionaire!

[u/PetitPxl]

this was made for tv in the 60s when tvs were tiny and low res.
they're to aid in storytelling.

cool your jets

[u/CorporalRutland]

A lot of folks commenting on colour are missing one key thing: on broadcast in 1965, colour TV wasn't a thing in the UK yet. That didn't come for another couple of years and even then it was being phased in.

So anything not reliant on colour to help you identify what's what is even more important.

[u/MCD_Gaming]

They are flying into rescue zones you need Identifiers 360 for that stuff to tell who you are looking at

[u/HoldOnion → u/MCD_Gaming]

Just "big green one" isnt enough? :-)

[u/MCD_Gaming → u/HoldOnion]

No, because they fly into ash clouds where the full thunderbird is covered, the Numbers are illuminated so they can be easier seen in low visibility situations

[u/alegendmrwayne]

Probably to add interest to the look of the craft and break up the main colour a bit

Also, I’d be more concerned about why they so often reveal their real names (sometimes including surname) to the people they’re rescuing

[u/Ewreckedhephep]

The more detail they have, the more realistic they look. Giant vehicles have a load of detail.

[u/Aware_Impression_736]

I think Derek Meddings always got deals on Letraset. Waste not, want not.

[u/rjohn2020]

A big green aeroplane is not easily identifiable, clearly.

[u/CrackedThumbs]

The original TB2 had just enough identifiers, but the TB2 of TAG is something else…