Lord Parker's 'Oliday
"Lord Parker's 'Oliday" | |
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Thunderbirds episode | |
Episode no. | Series 2 Episode 4 |
Directed by | Brian Burgess |
Written by | Tony Barwick |
Cinematography by | Julien Lugrin |
Editing by | Harry MacDonald |
Production code | 30 |
Original air date | 23 October 1966 |
Guest character voices | |
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"Lord Parker's 'Oliday" is the 30th episode of
Set in the 2060s, Thunderbirds follows the missions of International Rescue, a secret organisation which uses technologically‑advanced rescue vehicles to save human life. The lead characters are ex‑astronaut
The title's
Plot
That night, the hotel guests attend a
As dawn approaches, Penelope drives to the solar station to check on Lungren and Mitchell. The station's radio has been damaged in the storm, preventing them from calling for outside help. Back at the hotel, Parker has a plan to keep the guests on hand to fight any fires that might break out: posing as an English lord, he uses his pretend authority to gather everyone together for a very special game: "Lord Parker's Bingo".
Using aerial reconnaissance from Scott in Thunderbird 1, Brains suggests attaching a line to the dish from Thunderbird 2 and using the aircraft's thrusters to angle the dish away from the town. Donning a heat suit, Brains is winched down to guide the line into place, but the thrusters fail to move the dish. Brains discovers that the rotation gears are jammed and burns through them with a laser cutter. Seeing the hotel roof beginning to smoulder, Scott activates a device on Thunderbird 1 which fills the air with smoke, blocking out the sun and stopping the flow of reflected solar energy. A second attempt to move the dish is successful, ending with the structure toppling over. Virgil and Alan are dismayed to see a figure that appears to be Brains buried in the wreckage, but it is only Brains' discarded heat suit.
In the closing scene, Penelope and Parker – the latter now finished playing a lord – resume their holiday.
Regular voice cast
- Lady Penelope
- Peter Dyneley as Jeff Tracy
- David Graham as Brains and Parker
- Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy
- Jeremy Wilkin as Virgil Tracy
- Matt Zimmerman as Alan Tracy
Production
The solar station
Reception
Rating the episode three out of five, Tom Fox of Starburst magazine writes that while most of the story "ticks along nicely", Parker's reason for holding a bingo game makes "next to no sense".[6] Marcus Hearn also questions the logic behind the game, wondering why the hotel is not simply evacuated instead.[3] Although Hearn considers the script to be structurally flawed – arguing, for example, that Penelope is underused in the episode's second half – he believes that any deficiencies in the writing are compensated by the comedy scenes, such as the hotel costume party (for which Penelope dresses as Marie Antoinette, with Parker in Renaissance attire).[3][7] He also calls the bingo game scenes a "hilarious spectacle".[8]
Mark Braxton also praises the episode's comedy, writing that the cheerful Faccini and despairing Bruno make an entertaining double act.[7] He singles out a scene in which Penelope, still dressed as Marie Antoinette, "drives" FAB 1 on water, to the astonishment of a man on a cruise yacht.[7] Fox calls this scene the best part of the episode.[6]
On the theme of
Notes and references
- ^ Tingwell is uncredited.
- ISBN 978-1-84442-454-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-753-55635-1.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Mike (2015). Thunderbirds: Close-Up. Fanderson. p. 65.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.
- ^ ISSN 0958-7128.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84653-212-2.
- ISBN 978-0-563-53481-5.
External links
- "Lord Parker's 'Oliday" at IMDb