The Machines

The Machines (Australian)

UK version

The Machines was one in a series of four compilation tapes released in the UK and Australia by PolyGram in 1995 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Thunderbirds. As the title suggests, it focused on the wide variety of machines used by the International Rescue family of heroes, along with some of the most memorable rescues.

Continuing the format as seen on other tapes, the feature contained new on-screen technical data, and linking narration by Gerry Anderson.

Episodes

• Trapped in the Sky
• Atlantic Inferno
• Sun Probe
• Security Hazard
• Brink of Disaster
• The Perils of Penelope
• Lord Parker's 'Oliday
• The Impostors
• Path Of Destruction
• Pit of Peril
• The Cham-Cham
• Day of Disaster

Notes

• The Machines breaks the format established with all three previous tapes. As opposed to showing full segments of episodes in a single order, it continuously plays minor scenes from one story, jumps to another episode, and then back to the previous one.
• As with the previous tapes, each character bio uses the '2026' timeline. This date originated from an on-screen error in Give or Take a Million that was later popularised during the 1990's Thunderbirds The Comic series.
  • Further confusing matters, Anderson himself contradicts both 2065 and 2026 dates by "officially" confirming that the series is set in 2063.
• T​o conclude the tape, the last few minutes from Day of Disaster are inserted, starting with Brains' interrogation by R. G. Korda.