Thunderbirds (TV series) by ITV, Sylvia Anderson and the estate of Gerry Anderson. "Thunderbirds" has influenced TV programmes, films and various other media. The puppet comedy of the film "" was directly inspired by the idiosyncrasies of "Thunderbirds"-era Supermarionation techniques. Allusion and homage are also evident in "Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave", "" and "Spaced", as well as the character design of "". The BBC sketch comedy "Not Only... But Also" included a segment titled "Superthunderstingcar" – a parody of "Thunderbirds", "Supercar" and "Stingray". IR's life-saving mission inspired the founding of the volunteer International Rescue Corps, originally made up of a group
Gerry Anderson they licensed a huge range of toys, books, magazines and related items. The worldwide popularity of their TV shows, coupled with astute marketing, made APF one of the most successful merchandising ventures of the decade. The die-cast metal toys from series such as "Thunderbirds" were very popular at the time, and they now number among the most collectible toys of their kind. Models from almost all their series have been reproduced ever since by companies throughout the world, notably in Japan, where the TV series produced by Anderson has a dedicated following. The next series by APF was the futuristic