Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
| "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker" | |
|---|---|
| Thunderbirds episode | |
| Episode no. | Series 2 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Desmond Saunders |
| Written by | Alan Pattillo |
| Cinematography by | Julien Lugrin |
| Editing by | Harry MacDonald |
| Production code | 29 |
| Original air date | 16 October 1966 |
| Guest character voices | |
| |
"Alias Mr. Hackenbacker" is the 29th episode of
Set in the 2060s, Thunderbirds follows the missions of International Rescue, a secret organisation that uses technologically-advanced rescue vehicles to save human life. The lead characters are ex-astronaut
In 1967, Century 21 released an audio adaptation on vinyl
Plot
The episode begins at London Airport with the unveiling of Skythrust, a luxury airliner claimed to be the safest aircraft ever built.
Skythrust takes off from Paris and Lemaire begins his show, with Penelope and two house models, Deirdre and Madeline, sporting various Penelon outfits to an enthusiastic response from a group of buyers. All is well until the final approach to London, when Madeline and a steward called Mason hijack the plane, holding the crew and passengers at gunpoint. Madeline and Mason are the criminals who have been spying on Lemaire and are intent on stealing the Penelon collection. Madeline orders Captain Ashton and his co-pilot to divert to a remote location in the Sahara, where she and Mason will rendezvous with their associates Ross and Collins and offload the Penelon.
Penelope uses a transmitter in her ring to alert International Rescue on
At the recommendation of Brains, who is still at London Airport, Virgil and Alan fire an inert missile into the belly of Skythrust, damaging the plane's undercarriage. With a desert landing now out of the question, Mason grudgingly orders the pilots to fly back to London, where Skythrust can make an
Regular voice cast
- Lady Penelope
- Peter Dyneley as Jeff Tracy
- David Graham as Brains
- Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy
- Jeremy Wilkin as Virgil Tracy
- Matt Zimmerman as Alan Tracy
Production
"Alias Mr. Hackenbacker" has more guest characters in speaking roles than any other Thunderbirds episode.
Some of the puppet sets representing Paris had previously appeared in "
The Skythrust filming model was designed by special effects assistant Mike Trim.[7] The idea of an aircraft being hijacked during its maiden flight would later inspire the plot of the second Thunderbirds feature film, Thunderbird 6, in which Brains designs an airship called Skyship One which is taken over by an impostor crew.[8]
Reception
Rating "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker" three out of five, Tom Fox of Starburst magazine considers its "fashion espionage" premise entertaining and calls the episode one of Thunderbirds' "most light-hearted" instalments.[9] In her 1991 autobiography, Sylvia Anderson wrote that the episode "blends adventure with feminine charm and style"; she also thought its story about aircraft hijacking to be quite topical, as at the time Thunderbirds was made this was still a "newly acquired threat".[10] Alistair McGown views Penelon as a futuristic successor to synthetic fibres like nylon.[11]
Praising the episode, Stephen La Rivière believes that it highlights what he considers to be the improved characterisation and costume design of Thunderbirds' later episodes.[12] McGown argues that the plot should appeal to boys and girls alike, calling its combination of fashion and aviation themes a "perfect example of the show's cross-gender strategy".[11] Marcus Hearn expresses a similar view, describing the "successful integration of such diverse storylines" as a "testament to the second series' increased sophistication". He likens the script to comics writing, suggesting that the episode could have been devised for readers of Century 21's children's weeklies TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope. Although Hearn praises the "Art Deco" production design, he argues that the episode would have been better served had there been more women in the voice cast; to illustrate, he points out that Penelope and Madeline are both voiced by Sylvia Anderson, with the result that whenever the two characters converse, Anderson is essentially talking to herself.[13]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.
- ^ Bentley 2005, p. 92.
- ISBN 978-1-842224-05-2.
- ISBN 978-0-995519-12-1.
- ^ Jones, Mike (2015). Thunderbirds: Close-Up. Fanderson. p. 63.
- ^ Hearn 2015, p. 117.
- ^ Bentley 2005, p. 24.
- ^ Bentley 2005, p. 39.
- ISSN 0958-7128.
- ISBN 978-1-85685-011-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84653-212-2.
- ISBN 978-0-992-9766-0-6.
- ^ Hearn 2015, p. 180.
Works cited
- Bentley, Chris (2005) [2000]. The Complete Book of Thunderbirds (2nd ed.). London, UK: ISBN 978-1-84442-454-2.
- Hearn, Marcus (2015). Thunderbirds: The Vault. London, UK: ISBN 978-0-753-55635-1.
External links
- "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker" at IMDb
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