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Gordon Tracy | |
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Thunderbirds character | |
First appearance | "Trapped in the Sky" (30 September 1965) |
Created by | Gerry and Sylvia Anderson |
Designed by | Mary Turner (puppet sculptor) [1] |
Portrayed by | Ben Torgersen (2004 live-action film) |
Voiced by | David Graham (original series) David Menkin (remake series) |
In-universe information | |
Occupation | Pilot of Thunderbird 4 Former WASP operative Former Olympic competitor |
Affiliation | International Rescue |
Family |
|
Relatives | Grant Tracy (grandfather) Grandma Tracy (grandmother) |
Home | Tracy Island |
Nationality | American |
Gordon Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds , the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 as well as the remake TV series Thunderbirds Are Go . The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds . [2]
Born on 14 February 2004 or 2043, Gordon Tracy revels in all aquatic sports, from skin-diving to water-skiing. Named after astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper, he is a highly trained aquanaut, with stints in the Submarine Service and the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, the same organisation that is used in the Stingray (1964 TV series) under his belt. During his time with the WASPs, Gordon commanded a deep-sea bathyscaphe and spent a year beneath the ocean investigating marine farming methods. An expert oceanographer, he is also the designer of a unique underwater breathing apparatus, which he has modified and improved for International Rescue. [3]
Shortly before International Rescue began operating, Gordon was involved in a hydrofoil speedboat crash when his vessel capsized at 400 knots. The craft was completely shattered and Gordon spent four months in a hospital bed. Now, as the pilot of Thunderbird 4, he commands the world's most advanced and versatile one-man submarine. Good-natured and high-spirited, he possesses a strength and tenacity that make him a respected leader and commander. He is also one of the world's fastest freestyle swimmers and is a past Olympic champion at the butterfly stroke. [4]
In addition to being the pilot of Thunderbird 4, Gordon is also the co-pilot of Thunderbird 2, and thus often accompanies Virgil.
Of all the family, Gordon is the funny one, which gives him a tendency to get into trouble with Jeff over his flippant sense of humour. For example, in "Day of Disaster", somebody has taken Grandma's personal edible transmitter, and Gordon proves his innocence when he says he'd know if he'd taken a transmitter, but Jeff gets annoyed. Gordon's favourite pastimes are playing chess (often with Scott or Brains), going fishing and playing the guitar.
Ben Torgeson plays Gordon in the 2004 live action film, which focuses on Alan Tracy; as such, not much is known about this version of the character. According to Alex Pang's Thunderbirds: X-Ray Cross Sections, he is 18, and a recent graduate from Wharton Academy, the school that Alan attends at the start of the film. He is noted to still be training on the Thunderbirds craft, with a year remaining until he is permitted to fly solo. [5]
David Menkin plays Gordon in the 2015 CGI redux of Thunderbirds, entitled Thunderbirds Are Go!. [6] He is now a blonde, instead of being a redhead (he and John have traded hair colours, as have Scott and Virgil). As well as piloting Thunderbird 4, he also pilots various devices flown around by Thunderbird 2, such as the new Elevator Cars in "Fireflash". Again, he's the funny one, and is also described as having a loud voice, dwarfed only by his clothing tastes. His IR outfit now has a scuba-diving mouthpiece attached to his now-yellow sash (it was orange in the original series).
Similar to his older brother John he seems to have been given a romantic interest in the reboot - in Gordon's case Lady Penelope.
Carolyn Percy of the Wales Arts Review comments that whereas the 1960s puppet character was one of the least developed Tracy brothers, this version of Gordon is characterised as a "light-hearted joker". [7]
Thunderbirds is a 2004 British-American science fiction action-adventure film directed by Jonathan Frakes, written by William Osborne and Michael McCullers, and based on the 1960s TV series Thunderbirds created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
Scott Tracy is a fictional character in Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 1960s Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds, the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968) and the TV remake Thunderbirds Are Go!. He is the pilot of the primary vehicle of the Thunderbird fleet, Thunderbird 1. His specialist training is as a First Responder and Team Leader.
Virgil Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds, the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6 as well as the TV remake Thunderbirds Are Go!. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds. Virgil's specialist expertise is in demolition, heavy lifting and logistics.
"Operation Crash-Dive" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. Written by Martin Crump and directed by Desmond Saunders, it was first broadcast on 16 December 1965 on ATV Midlands as the 12th episode of Series One. It is the eighth episode in the official running order.
John Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are Go, Thunderbird 6 and the live-action film Thunderbirds.
Alan Tracy is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1960s British Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds, its film sequels Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968), as well as the TV remake Thunderbirds Are Go. The character also appeared in the 2004 live-action film adaptation, Thunderbirds.
"Desperate Intruder" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films for ITC Entertainment. Written by Donald Robertson and directed by David Lane, it was first broadcast on 18 November 1965 on ATV Midlands as the eighth episode of Series One. In the official running order, it is the 17th episode.
Jeff Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The voice for the character in these shows was supplied by Peter Dyneley. The character also appeared in the live-action movie Thunderbirds, played by actor Bill Paxton.
"The Man from MI.5" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. Written by Alan Fennell and directed by David Lane, it was first broadcast on 20 January 1966 on ATV Midlands as the 17th episode of Series One. It is the 20th episode in the official running order.
"Atlantic Inferno" is the 27th episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films for ITC Entertainment. Written by Alan Fennell and directed by Desmond Saunders, it was first broadcast on 2 October 1966 on ATV London and Anglia Television as the first episode of Series Two. It had its first UK-wide network broadcast on 17 April 1992 on BBC2.
"Security Hazard" is the 26th episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. The final episode of Series One, it was written by Alan Pattillo, directed by Desmond Saunders, and first broadcast on 31 March 1966 on ATV Midlands. It had its first UK‑wide network transmission on 10 April 1992 on BBC2.
"Sun Probe" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films (APF) for ITC Entertainment. Written by Alan Fennell and directed by David Lane, it was first broadcast on 9 December 1965 on ATV Midlands as the 11th episode of Series One. It is the fourth episode in the official running order.
"Terror in New York City" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films for ITC Entertainment. Written by Alan Fennell and directed by David Elliott and David Lane, it was first broadcast on 21 October 1965 on ATV Midlands as the fourth episode of Series One. In the official running order, it is the 13th episode. It had its first UK-wide network broadcast on 22 November 1991 on BBC2.
"End of the Road" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films for ITC Entertainment. Written by Dennis Spooner and directed by David Lane, it was first broadcast on 25 November 1965 on ATV Midlands as the ninth episode of Series One. It is the 14th episode in the official running order.
"Day of Disaster" is an episode of Thunderbirds, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company AP Films for ITC Entertainment. Written by Dennis Spooner and directed by David Elliott, it was first broadcast on 4 November 1965 on ATV Midlands as the sixth episode of Series One. In the official running order, it is the 15th episode.
The Thunderbirds machines are a series of fictional vehicles that appear in the mid-1960s film and television series Thunderbirds (1960). The series was developed by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. The series began with the Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and was followed by the subsequent feature films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6, which were released between 1965-68. The show featured a large variety of futuristic air, land, and sea vehicles and machines, most of which were designed by special effects director Derek Meddings.
Brains is a fictional character introduced in the British mid-1960s Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds, who also appears in the sequel films Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968) and the 2004 live-action adaptation Thunderbirds. The puppet character was voiced by David Graham in the TV series and the first two films, while Anthony Edwards played the role for the live-action film. Brains is voiced by Kayvan Novak in the CGI remake series Thunderbirds Are Go, which aired in 2015.
The Hood is a fictional criminal and terrorist and the recurring villain of the 1960s puppet television series Thunderbirds and its adaptations. He is the primary antagonist of the International Rescue organisation, founded by Jeff Tracy. In the original series, the character possesses powers of hypnosis and telepathy and uses an array of disguises to carry out his activities undetected. He operates from a temple in the Malaysian jungle.
Tin-Tin Kyrano is a fictional character introduced in the 1960s British Supermarionation puppet television series Thunderbirds. In the original TV series and its film sequels, the voice of Tin-Tin was provided by actress Christine Finn. In the live-action film adaptation, the character was played by Vanessa Hudgens, while in the remake series, she was voiced by Angel Coulby.
Grandma Tracy is a fictional character in the puppet television series Thunderbirds and its animated remake Thunderbirds Are Go. She is the mother of Jeff Tracy and the paternal grandmother of the Tracy brothers: Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon and Alan. The character was voiced by Christine Finn in the original series and Sandra Dickinson in the remake.