Give or Take a Million
| "Give or Take a Million" | |
|---|---|
| Thunderbirds episode | |
| Episode no. | Series 2 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Desmond Saunders |
| Written by | Alan Pattillo |
| Cinematography by | Julien Lugrin |
| Editing by | Harry Macdonald |
| Production code | 32 |
| Original air date | 25 December 1966 |
| Guest character voices | |
| |
"Give or Take a Million" is the 32nd and final 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 Jeff Tracy, founder of International Rescue, and his five adult sons, who pilot the organisation's primary vehicles: the Thunderbird machines. In the Christmas-themed "Give or Take a Million", a pair of bank robbers become embroiled in preparations for a hospital fundraiser in which International Rescue is to play a special role.
Plot
On
Jeff's flashback begins at Coralville Children's Hospital, which is looking for ways to raise money to build a new solar therapy wing. In collaboration with rocket manufacturer Saunders Automations and Harman's department store of New York, the hospital board devises a Christmas publicity stunt to benefit all involved: a Saunders rocket, loaded with Harman's toys and launched from the store's roof, which will overfly Coralville and parachute-drop its cargo into the hospital car park – thus providing a Christmas present for every Coralville child. Instead of a toy, one of the children will win a very special prize: Christmas Day on Tracy Island.
On
In the episode's subplot, festive preparations on Tracy Island are under way when
Regular voice cast
- Lady Penelope
- Peter Dyneley as Jeff Tracy
- David Graham as Brains
- Jeremy Wilkin as Virgil Tracy
Production
Although a wall calendar on Tracy Island indicates that it is December 2026, the series producers intended "Give or Take a Million" to be set in December 2067, consistent with earlier episodes taking place in 2065.[1] The year 2067 fits with the fact that a day-of-the-week desktop calendar, also depicted in the episode, showed four consecutive dates, the last of which was Saturday the 24th, which is technically correct for the year 2067 as well as for 1966, the year the episode was filmed. The calendar shots, as well as moments in other episodes that point to different settings, were dismissed by Gerry Anderson and art director Bob Bell as production design errors.[3]
In the opening scene, Jeff and Nicky, the latter playing with miniature toys of the
The scale model towers used in the exterior shots of Harman's Department Store were originally made for a scene in Thunderbirds Are Go that was later deleted from the film.[4] The guest character Saunders was named after the episode's director, Desmond Saunders.[5]
Reception
Tom Fox of Starburst magazine rates "Give or Take a Million" two out of five, calling the story "flabby" and overly sentimental.[6] Sean Bassett of Screen Rant praises the episode for its "especially charming" plot and "endearingly sweet moments".[7]
Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn both point out that the series finale is the only episode in which International Rescue do not perform any rescues. Barnes compares "Give or Take a Million" to the Stingray episode "A Christmas to Remember", which sees the main characters of that series hosting an orphan boy for Christmas.[8] Hearn writes that "Give or Take a Million" shows how Thunderbirds "was successfully experimenting with its format right until the end", describing the episode as a "whimsical entry". He considers the bank robbery scenes suspensefully directed and calls the snowfall ending a "suitably sentimental farewell".[5]
Commenting on the closing scene, Ian Haywood writes that the artificial snowfall created by Brains reflects the status of Tracy Island as "a perfect 'false self', a brilliantly simulated natural paradise" from which true
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84442-454-2.
- ^ Hearn 2015, p. 46.
- ISBN 978-0-995519-12-1.
- ^ a b Hearn 2015, p. 186.
- ISSN 0958-7128.
- ^ Bassett, Sean (8 November 2022). "10 Best TV Sci-Fi Specials like The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special". Screen Rant. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ISBN 978-1-84653-212-2.
- ISSN 0011-1570.
Works cited
- Hearn, Marcus (2015). Thunderbirds: The Vault. London, UK: ISBN 978-0-753-55635-1.
External links
- "Give or Take a Million" at IMDb
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