John Tracy (Thunderbirds)
Encyclopedia
John Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson
's Supermarionation
television show Thunderbirds
and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO
and Thunderbird 6
. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds
where he was played by Lex Shrapnel.
Second son of Jeff Tracy
(instigator and financier behind International Rescue
), John was named after astronaut
John Glenn
. Sources vary in the canon of the Thunderbirds series as to John's age and birth date, although one written source suggests that he was born on 28 October 2041 - even though this would make him the third son.
The DVD special features however reveal his birthday as 8th October 2040, making him older than brother Virgil and indeed the second son, As an alumnus of Harvard University
where he studied electronics and communication, his quiet intellectual nature and interest in astronomy
made him the natural choice for the solitary life as the occupant of space station Thunderbird 5, monitoring for distress calls from around the world. He has only ever been seen physically involved in a rescue during the episode "Danger At Ocean Deep," although dialogue at the end of that episode suggests that he has already been on various (if unseen on screen) missions.
He was the least favourite character by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson and consequently had a more limited role in the series than originally intended.
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
's Supermarionation
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television show Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science-fiction film based on Thunderbirds, a 1960s television series starring marionette puppets and featuring scale model effects in a filming process dubbed "Supermarionation"...
and Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6 is a 1968 British science-fiction and adventure film written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, directed by David Lane and produced by Century 21 Cinema...
. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (film)
Thunderbirds is a 2004 science-fiction adventure film loosely based upon the television series of the same name of the 1960s, directed by Jonathan Frakes....
where he was played by Lex Shrapnel.
Second son of Jeff Tracy
Jeff Tracy
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...
(instigator and financier behind International Rescue
International Rescue
International Rescue can refer to*International Rescue Corps, the UK rescue organisation*A fictional rescue organization seen in Thunderbirds *The original name of UK indie band The June Brides*A hit 1989 song by Fuzzbox...
), John was named after astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
. Sources vary in the canon of the Thunderbirds series as to John's age and birth date, although one written source suggests that he was born on 28 October 2041 - even though this would make him the third son.
The DVD special features however reveal his birthday as 8th October 2040, making him older than brother Virgil and indeed the second son, As an alumnus of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he studied electronics and communication, his quiet intellectual nature and interest in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
made him the natural choice for the solitary life as the occupant of space station Thunderbird 5, monitoring for distress calls from around the world. He has only ever been seen physically involved in a rescue during the episode "Danger At Ocean Deep," although dialogue at the end of that episode suggests that he has already been on various (if unseen on screen) missions.
He was the least favourite character by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson and consequently had a more limited role in the series than originally intended.