Unseen Thunderbirds Footage Found in Garden Shed, Set to Be Released for 60th Anniversary
A remarkable discovery has been made in a garden shed in Buckinghamshire, where film cans containing unseen footage of the iconic Thunderbirds TV show were found. The cans, which were light-tight containers used to enclose film, were discovered by a family whose father was an editor on the show and recently passed away.
Stephen La Rivière, from Century 21 Films, received the 22 old cans and revealed that they mainly contained Thunderbirds material from the 1960s, including an alternative version of an episode that was never broadcast. The footage was filmed on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire, where most of Thunderbirds was filmed.
The process of identifying and transferring the material to digital was described as “very, very slow” by Mr. La Rivière. However, the effort paid off when an alternative edit of an existing episode with a previously unseen scene was uncovered.
Despite some damage to the film cans exposing the contents to the elements, Mr. La Rivière expressed hope that the footage could be restored and shown to the public as part of Thunderbirds’ 60th anniversary celebrations next year.
This incredible find serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Thunderbirds and the dedication of fans and filmmakers to preserve and share its history for generations to come.
