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Tracy Island
Thunderbirdslocation
A luxury villa on top of a volcanic rock formation, with palm trees in front of it, a rock face behind, flights of steps leading down from it and a swimming pool to one side.
The Tracy Island villa (centre‑left) and swimming pool (bottom‑right) from the originalThunderbirds.Commentators have compared the look of the villa to the architecture ofFrank Lloyd Wright.[1][2]
First appearance"Trapped in the Sky"
(30 September 1965)
In-universe information
TypeSecret base (headquarters of International Rescue)
LocationSouth Pacific Ocean
LocationsTracy Villa, Cliff House, Round House
CharactersTracy and Kyrano families,Brains

Tracy Islandis the secret headquarters of the International Rescue organisation in the 1960s BritishSupermarionationtelevision seriesThunderbirdsand its adaptations. In the original series, the heavily camouflaged island is located in theSouth Pacific Oceanand is home to the Tracy family, scientistsBrainsandTin-Tin,and housekeeperKyrano.The name "Tracy Island" originates inThunderbirdscomic strips and othertie-ins;within the series, the characters simply refer to it as International Rescue's "base".

The island has had several releases as a children's toy, most notably in the early 1990s, 2000 and 2015.[3][4]The first two models were commercially very successful, causing retailers to run out of stock. It was the 1993British Association of Toy Retailers' Toy of the Year.

Depiction

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The centrepiece of the island is the Tracy Villa, the home of the island's residents. Various features of the original series' villa – such as the outside staircase descending to water, the large windows, and the prominent stone chimney – suggest that its design was inspired byFrank Lloyd Wright'sFallingwaterhouse.

Thunderbird 1is launched from a hangar underneath the island's retractable swimming pool, at the foot of the villa. The entrance to theThunderbird 2hangar is concealed by a false rock-face and leads onto the island's runway. On exiting the hangar, thepalm treeslining the runway swing outwards to accommodate the wingspan ofThunderbird 2.After taxiing along the runway,Thunderbird 2takes off from a hydraulic launch platform.Thunderbird 3is launched from underneath the Round House (the island's guest accommodation).

Although the security of the island is stated to be assured by jamming equipment, in theThunderbirdscomic strips published inTV Century 21it proves to be somewhat vulnerable due to the machinations of theHood.Learning everything about the island by brainwashing the technically mindedBrainsand extracting all of his knowledge concerning the island, the Hood launches his strongest attack yet on IR, destroying severalThunderbirdcraft and many of their hangars, with the exception ofThunderbirds 1and4.(Thecanonicityof theThunderbirdscomics adventures is open to interpretation.)[5]

Background

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A tropical beach against a sunny sky
Shooting locations for the live-action version of Tracy Island includedAnse Laziobeach on the island ofPraslininSeychelles(pictured).

Derek Meddings,special effects supervisor on the puppet series, described his excitement at designing Tracy Island as "one of those feelings you get when you're a kid, imagining that you'reRobinson Crusoeliving on a lovely island. "[6]

For the2004 live-action film,the main shooting location for the island exteriors wasNorth Islandin theSeychelles.Co-producerMark Huffamdescribed Tracy Island as "the most idyllic [...] imaginable, with crystal-clear waters, tropical jungle and mountainous peaks", adding that it was "fantastic" that North Island provided "all these essential elements". Various locations onPraslin,includingAnse Laziobeach andVallée de Mainature preserve, were also used.[7]

The buildings on the re-imagined island were deliberately given a "retro-futuristic"appearance, described by production designer John Beard as" based in the '60s and '70s, which is similar to what we were doing forBrazil."[8]Further inspiration was drawn from the work ofOscar Niemeyerand others.[8]The interiors set atPinewood Studioswas built in what Beard described as a "kind of double-'S' shape". He added that "because we're not building the top, it means we can hang the building from the top ceiling in the studio, which we couldn't have done outside."[9]

Toys andBlue Peter

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In the UK, repeats ofThunderbirdsonBBC2in the early 1990s led to renewed public interest in the series and a fresh wave oftie-intoys, including a Tracy Island playset byMatchbox.In the run-up to Christmas in 1992, demand for the set rose sharply and retailers ran out of stock, leading to overnight queuing outside shops.[10][11][12][13][14][15]The story was reported in the national news and has since been cited as the archetypal mistake to be avoided by the toy industry during the Christmas shopping season; according to the BBC, the toy "caused hysteria in shops across the UK."[12][13][16]The playset was a contender for theBritish Association of Toy Retailers' (BATR) 1992 "Toy of the Year" Award, but lost toWWF Hasbro action figuresdue to the stock shortage.[11]It subsequently won the 1993 award.[17][18][19]

In January 1993, the BBC children's TV programmeBlue Peterresponded to the stock shortage by showing viewers how to build a home-made version out of household waste.[20][21]The BBC was then, in turn, overwhelmed by requests for copies of the instruction sheet for making the model.[13][20][21]Eventually the broadcaster stopped sending out the sheets and released a recording of presenterAnthea Turner's demonstration,Blue Peter Makes a Thunderbirds Tracy Island,onVHS.[21][22]In 2015,Radio TimesdescribedBlue Peter's island-building demonstration as "one of the most iconic moments" in the programme's history.[23]

The BBC's re-launch ofThunderbirdsin 2000 prompted a resurgence in the toy's popularity and a secondBlue Peterdemonstration.[10][24][25][26]The new Tracy Island playset byVivid Imaginationswas released to a positive critical response and was listed as one of the top ten children's toys by the BATR.[25][27]As before, supply of the toy did not keep up with demand.[28]In December, the BBC reported that only 60,000 units of the Chinese-made product would be shipped to the UK before Christmas, despite demand being estimated at half a million.[16]Vivid attributed the stock shortage to a lack ofmicrochipscaused by high demand from the mobile phone industry.[16][29]The playset ultimately became one of the best-selling toys of 2000, with demand estimated at up to ten times greater than supply.[25]

In 2005,Thunderbirds'40th anniversary,The Daily TelegraphjournalistJim Whitecommented that "four generations of kids have fallen under the spell ofParker,BrainsandThe Hood,constructing their ownBlue PeterTracy Islands out of detergent bottles andsticky-backed plastic."[30]

In 2015, to coincide with the debut of the remakeThunderbirds Are Go,Vivid released a new version of the toy incorporatingsmart technology.[4][31]

Reception

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Tim Bevan,producer of the live-action film, called Tracy Island "one of the main characters of the originalThunderbirdsseries ".[7]Rob McLaughlin of the entertainment websiteDen of Geeknamed it the seventh-best secret base in film and TV but challenged one particular design aspect: "There's the small matter of the ever-present risk ofa great big rocket shipappearing out the bottom of [the swimming pool] and squashing you. "[32]TheLos Angeles Times'TV critic Robert Lloyd describes the island's architecture as "stylishMid-Century Modern".[33]

Jon Abbott ofTV Zonemagazine criticised the base's layout, questioning why the control centre is located in the lounge when a hidden control room would eliminate the need for "Operation Cover-Up" – the procedure used to rid the lounge of all trace of International Rescue's presence whenever the island receives visitors from the outside world. As part of this operation, wall portraits of the Tracy brothers in their International Rescue uniforms are replaced with alternatives showing them in casual attire. Abbott asks why Jeff Tracy would even need uniformed photographs of his sons, regarding this as one of several aspects that make the Tracy Island lounge a "delightful deranged indulgence". However, he concedes that for child viewers, the existence of these features madeThunderbirds"much more fun to watch thanZ-CarsorDr. Finlay's Casebook".[34]

Commentator Ian Haywood, who interprets the series partly as a struggle between nature and science, considers Tracy Island a technologicalutopiawhere nature has been brought under human control, describing the location as "a perfect 'false self', a brilliantly simulated natural paradise". He also views it as animperialistsymbol in that it effectively serves as "a Pacific base for American influence", which he believes "strikes a chilling chord in today's post-Cold Warera of American global peace-keeping. "[35]

In a publicity exercise,Ford Motor Company,which built the re-imaginedFAB 1for the live-action film, commissioned aThunderbirds-themed live event and interactive experience for the 2004British International Motor Show.The 7,400-square-metre (80,000 sq ft) stand was designed as a replica of Tracy Island, complete with a beach, a lake, an aircraft hangar and an overhead model ofThunderbird 2.Titled "ThunderbirdsPowered By Ford ", it was one of the largest exhibits ever built by construction company Imagination and proved to be a success, attracting 250,000 to 300,000 visitors and winning a certificate of" High Commendation "at the 2004 Marketing Brand Design Awards.[36]

The new version that was modelled for the remake seriesThunderbirds Are Go(2015–20) was positively received byWired UKmagazine, whose reporter Matt Kamen described the island as "stunningly detailed, and any returning viewers will be delighted to see classic features such as the retractable swimming pool revealing a rocket silo have been retained for the update."[37]

References

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  1. ^Cumming, Ed (7 January 2023)."How aBlue Petermodel became a TV phenomenon ".telegraph.co.uk.Retrieved19 October2023.
  2. ^Carvell, Nick (4 April 2015)."Five reasons whyThunderbirdswas the most #menswear show ever ".gq-magazine.co.uk.Retrieved19 October2023.
  3. ^Caesar, Ed (3 December 2005)."Mad About The Toy: What's This Year's Christmas Craze?".independent.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2010.Retrieved26 February2020.
  4. ^abRobertson, Andy (1 May 2015)."Smart Tracy Island Re-imagines IconicThunderbirdsToy ".Forbes.com.Archivedfrom the original on 19 October 2015.Retrieved26 February2020.
  5. ^Thunderbirds Legends: Building the Thunderbird Machines.March 28, 2020 – viaYouTube.
  6. ^Archer, Simon;Hearn, Marcus (2002).What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson.London, UK:BBC Books.p. 107.ISBN978-0-563-53481-5.
  7. ^ab"ThunderbirdsAre Go! ".Seychelles Nation.Seychelles National Information Services Agency. 24 July 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2014.Retrieved2 February2014.
  8. ^ab"Retro-futuristic".Coventry Evening Telegraph.Trinity Mirror Midlands.2004.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2014.Retrieved2 February2014.
  9. ^"ThunderbirdsMovie Production Notes (2004) ".madeinatlantis.com.16 September 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 26 October 2014.Retrieved2 February2020.
  10. ^ab"A Basic History of Popular Toys".toyretailersassociation.co.uk.Toy Retailers Association.Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2012.
  11. ^ab"The '90s".toyretailersassociation.co.uk.Toy Retailers Association. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2012.
  12. ^abCope, Nigel (10 December 1992)."Toys rise above the recession: The unpredictable dictates of fashion can mean a nightmare for manufacturers and panic for parents".independent.co.uk.Independent Print.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2014.Retrieved16 February2020.
  13. ^abcLister, David (4 June 1997)."ThunderbirdsAre Go – Again ".independent.co.uk.Independent Print.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2014.Retrieved16 February2020.
  14. ^Gill, Emma; Masters, Dave (30 December 2019)."What were the must-have Christmas toys over the last 30 years – and how many did you have?".manchestereveningnews.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 1 November 2020.Retrieved24 December2020.
  15. ^Moon, Naomi (23 December 2020)."Lancashire Nostalgia in 1992: New PNE Manager; Christmas Toy Craze; and Confused Cat Burglars".lep.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2020.Retrieved24 December2020.
  16. ^abc"Christmas Rush Too Much forThunderbirds".BBC News Online.3 December 2000.Archivedfrom the original on 6 May 2012.Retrieved1 January2020.
  17. ^"Toy of the Year 1965-2007".toyretailersassociation.co.uk.Toy Retailers Association.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2020.Retrieved2 February2020.
  18. ^"Over 50 Years of Toy of the Year".BBC News Online.11 November 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2018.Retrieved2 February2020.
  19. ^MacDonald, Marianne (21 August 1995)."ThunderbirdsAre Going, Going, Gone ".independent.co.uk.Independent Print.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2016.Retrieved16 February2020.
  20. ^ab"Blue Peterto be shown on CBBC before BBC One ".BBC News Online.16 December 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2019.Retrieved2 February2020.
  21. ^abcBlair, Andrew (2 February 2016)."Remembering '90sThunderbirdsandCaptain ScarletToys ".Den of Geek.Dennis Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on 17 December 2019.Retrieved2 February2020.
  22. ^"'Blue Peter Makes aThunderbirdsTracy Island' on BBC Video ".videocollector.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 8 July 2016.Retrieved2 February2020.
  23. ^Daly, Emma (13 September 2015)."Anthea Turner still has thatBlue PeterTracy Island ".radiotimes.com.Immediate Media Company.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2018.Retrieved2 February2020.
  24. ^"Re-launch ofThunderbirdsTelevision Show Sparks Fresh Demand for Toys ".BBC Online.22 December 2000.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2005.Retrieved16 February2020.
  25. ^abcPurdom, Nick (19 January 2001)."Kids PR – Norton spins Tracy Island into Success".PRWeek.Haymarket Media Group.Archivedfrom the original on 23 February 2014.Retrieved2 February2014.
  26. ^BBC(2018).Here's One I Made Earlier: Classic Blue Peter Makes.London, UK:Kyle Books.p. 44.ISBN978-0-85783-629-8.
  27. ^Smithson, Nick."Toys: Powertech Tracy Island".sci-fi-online.com.Archivedfrom the original on 16 September 2012.Retrieved2 February2020.
  28. ^Robinson, Neil (21 December 2000)."ThunderbirdsHave Gone ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2014.Retrieved16 February2020.
  29. ^Edwardes, Charlotte (22 October 2000)."ThunderbirdsAre Gone in Clamour for Classic Toys ".telegraph.co.uk.Telegraph Media Group.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2014.Retrieved16 February2020.
  30. ^White, Jim(26 September 2005)."Wilson talked of technology – and along cameThunderbirds".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 23 April 2014.Retrieved14 September2023.
  31. ^Fordy, Tom (19 December 2015)."10 Toys Dads Should Buy 'For Their Kids' This Christmas".telegraph.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2015.Retrieved26 February2020.
  32. ^McLaughlin, Rob (30 July 2008)."The Top 10 Secret Hideouts".Den of Geek.Dennis Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2013.Retrieved2 February2014.
  33. ^Lloyd, Robert (16 January 2023)."How a TV trailblazer 'embarrassed' by his work captivated a generation with it".latimes.com.Retrieved19 October2023.
  34. ^Abbott, Jon (November 1999). Vincent-Rudzki, Jan (ed.). "Fantasy Flashback:Thunderbirds:'Trapped in the Sky'".TV Zone.No. 120. London, UK:Visual Imagination.pp. 66–67.ISSN0957-3844.OCLC226121852.
  35. ^Haywood, Ian (1994). "Fathers and Sons: Locating the Absent Mother in 1960s Children's Television Series".Critical Survey.6(2).Berghahn Books:201.eISSN1752-2293.ISSN0011-1570.
  36. ^Bowdin, Glenn A. J.; Allen, Johnny; O'Toole, William; Harris, Robert; McDonnell, Ian (2011) [2008].Events Management.Events Management Series (3rd ed.).Elsevier.pp. 414–415.ISBN978-1-856178-18-1.
  37. ^Kamen, Matt (9 February 2015)."ITV offers first look atThunderbirdsreboot's miniature sets ".wired.co.uk.Condé Nast.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2020.Retrieved30 August2020.
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