ITV, Pukeko to revive Thunderbirds

ITV Studios (ITVS) in the UK and Pukeko Pictures of New Zealand are reviving and reinventing Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic 1960s puppet series Thunderbirds for a 2015 debut.

Thunderbirds

ITVS and Pukeko will team with Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings) to coproduce Thunderbirds are Go! (working title).

The 26×30’ children’s series will be a mix of CGI animation and live-action models and will debut on ITV and UK’s CITV channel in 2015 – some 50 years after the original was broadcast.

Thunderbirds are Go! will once again feature the globetrotting International Rescue family of heroes as well as their collection of incredible vehicles.

The new series has been commissioned by CITV head of programming Jamila Metran and is already in preproduction.

It will be executive produced by Estelle Hughes for ITVS, Richard Taylor and Andrew Smith for Pukeko Pictures, and Giles Ridge for ITVS Global Entertainment, which retains international distribution rights.

The series head writer is Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, Teen Titans, Ben 10, Slugterra).