Reinventing The Wheel

Tonight is the last episode of The Walking Dead
So I will be glued to the gogglebox from 9pm!
I'll have to wait half a year or more until season 6 returns to bore the lot of you...so after tonight you will glad  not to have another zombie tv show review to ignore
Hey ho

I have noticed with some trepidation that the iconic children's tv series Thunderbirds has been remade and will be relaunched this Easter with a huge fanfare and ballyhoo.
Apparently the 1960's characters have been " updated and streamlined", the violence and weaponry removed from the storylines and Brains' characteristic stammer is no more, probably due to the fact it could been seen as " taking the piss out of the disabled"
I feel sotry for the kids of today, for most would absolutely love the original series.
Ok several minor characters were shot ( and killed) by the baddie " The Hood"
Ok there was never any crowd scenes of disaster ( given the fact that the strings would get tangled all of the time)
And Ok it was all a bit top heavy with male characters
But the series was innovative, inventive and amazingly for it's time NOT PATRONISING .
It treated it target audience with respect.

Progress eh?
Sometimes you can keep it!


44 comments:

  1. Thunderbirds are go.......

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  2. Agree - I watched the whole series with my son who adored it. We had all the toys produced. I think he still has a few of them. Why do they have to keep altering these things because they are not 'politically correct'?

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  3. I'm surprised that the PC brigade haven't protested about Postman Pat travelling around Greendale on his own making special deliveries to vulnerable women. And why isn't there a mosque in Greendale and a West Indian family and couldn't they have put Mrs Goggins in a wheelchair? And calling Jess a black and white cat is clearly offensive to people of mixed race or should that be "dual heritage"?

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  4. The one on the right in the top picture looks as though he's on some form of life support.

    Stingray was the one for us boys. I wanted to be Troy Tempest and blow things up with torpedoes. My brother fell in love with Marina. Mind you, she was modelled on Brigitte Bardot...

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  5. never watched this show over here. the new version looks like a butch gay boy band. HEY HO!

    how are you feeling, dear; any better?

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  6. I wish to goodness they'd stop this pc nonsense. Yorkshire Pudding is spot on and I love Jess being of dual heritage......if she's of dual heritage then what the heck does that say about my tortoiseshell cat's mother's morals as Magic seems to be of a range of heritages....!

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    1. But Magic could have only one father, hence your comment seems to suggest that inter-heritage coupling indicates poor morals. Is that what you intended?

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  7. Scott Tracy was my first crush.....

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  8. "updated and streamlined" doesn't sound like good news, does it?

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  9. The new seasons of "Call the Midwife" and "Selfridge" started here last night, we are always a few weeks behind. I am not sure if last week was the last "Top Gear" speaking not being PC.

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  10. I met Gerry Anderson in his office at Pinewood Studios a hundred years ago...

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  11. Don't the originals just look 'right' and the new ones totally WRONG!!

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  12. The originals were so good....which one did you like best John? and do you remember zooney the lazoon in fireball xl5?

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  13. Lucky you waiting for season 6. On terrestrial tv I think we have had only season 3 last year.

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  14. I loved the Thunderbirds. The "new, improved" version don't have any females? And, they're all white men. Yes, tell me again, how this is SO much better.

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  15. I've had nightmares with the Thunderbirds as star players. We watched that as children (along with Johnny Quest) and it supplied the foundation for many a yard game.

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    1. Oh My Goodness
      Johnny Quest, boy they could PC the life out of that one.

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  16. Having watched the finale of The Walking Dead, I have to tell you....

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  17. I LOVED the original Thunderbirds! It's a shame they can't leave things alone.

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  18. Having seen neither old nor new programs, I don't know what the stuttering character was treated like, but I do know that teaching tolerance for anyone "different" is a good thing. (Aren't we all different when it comes down to it?)

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  19. The new lot look like they were based on One Direction!

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  20. Leave the Thunderbirds alone.
    The new PC look is beyond scarey. And what is with the orange hair one on the right ? OMG !

    cheers, parsnip

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  21. I enjoy your The Walking Dead reviews! Your reviews actually enticed me to start watching the show. I will miss them and the show. …until next season!

    Don't have a clue about the Thunderbirds, but I do know whenever the powers to be want to change something it's not usually for the better!

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  22. Still figuring out how to work this stupid email. Thought I sent a comment earlier. Guess not. Anyway, I'll say again it seems as though the entertainment industry can't come up with too many good original ideas. They take all the classics from the past and re-invent them, and not very well I might add. Well, that's progress. I'm starting to wonder if we would be better off with a little less progress.
    Chris looks great in his Palm Sunday attire. Pretty snazzy!!! Hope you feel better John. I've been fighting something wicked for the last 3 weeks. PURE HELL. Take Care all.
    Theresa

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    1. At least ye didnt have his " shirley bassey" gold number on

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  23. Never heard of this tv program......how did I miss that!?

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  24. I used to love Scott Tracy - imagine fancying a puppet!

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  25. ps Hope you're feeling better today. x

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    1. Ive been to A & E all afternoon.......tell you all about THAT tomorrow xxx

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  26. Lady P. was all the woman we needed. She was FAB.
    The programme didn't make fun of Brains' stutter, so what's the problem? Are programmes not allowed to include people of all walks of life? Is there going to be a mixed race brother? (from Jeff's wilder days). Hate the look of the new version. It'll be done in Manga next *shudder*.

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  27. My brother had the toys, including Lady Penelope's pink convertible, that shot matchsticks out the back. I loved it, but I loved Jo 90 the best, a kid who could do anything!!

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  28. Thunderbirds was my very favourite children's programme. Unfortunately I always had to go to bed in the middle of it (7.30pm) so never saw the end of the episodes. Virgil was my favourite. Whoever provided his voice could still cause my little heart to flutter. I never understand why they need to remake originals. They've destroyed Thomas the Tank Engine (thankfully my eldest will only let his sons watch the Ringo Starr version) and now they're toying with Thunderbirds. I guess I entered the realm of Grumpy old woman many moons ago.

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  29. Anonymous9:34 pm

    I don't think it is something that can be remade and it was bound to disappoint. Isn't having someone on tv who stutters a positive thing?

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    1. Of course it is
      Especially as hes a brainbox...........
      But............every producer is afraid

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  30. I don't know Thunderbirds at all. I'm digging the blonde bob on the woman, though. (Is that Lady Penelope, as I'm concluding from the above comments?)

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  31. The old one may have been top heavy on men, but that new pic doesn't even have Lady P in it!

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  32. You aren't like me then... really looking forward to the new Thunderbirds. I signed up for their update emails a month or two back. My wife was looking over my shoulder as I read one with a teaser video link in it. But it started "Hi. Are you getting over excited about Thunderbirds"... or something like that. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed "They think you're an 8 year old boy! You need to unsubscribe now this could be so bad" But in reality I am like an 8 year old boy when it comes to this stuff! LOL

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I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes