Jump to content

John Tracy (Thunderbirds): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→top: caption
→Character biography: Tidied a bit of nonsense: "25 years old of age".
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(16 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Fictional character from Gerry Anderson's television series Thunderbirds}}
{{short description|Fictional character from the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson television series Thunderbirds}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:John Tracy (''Thunderbirds'')}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:John Tracy (''Thunderbirds'')}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
Line 6: Line 6:
| series = [[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]
| series = [[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]
| image = John Tracy.jpg
| image = John Tracy.jpg
| caption = The original puppet character
| caption = The classic puppet character
| first = "[[Trapped in the Sky]]"<br />(30 September 1965)
| first = "[[Trapped in the Sky]]"<br />(30 September 1965)
| creator = [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]]
| creator = [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]]
| designer = Mary Turner (puppet sculptor)<ref>{{Cite book|title=Filmed in Supermarionation|first1=Stephen|last1=La Rivière|author1-link=Stephen La Rivière|year=2014|edition=2nd|orig-year=2009|publisher=Network Distributing|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-992-9766-0-6|page=172}}</ref>
| designer = Mary Turner (puppet sculptor)<ref>{{Cite book|title=Filmed in Supermarionation|first1=Stephen|last1=La Rivière|author1-link=Stephen La Rivière|year=2014|edition=2nd|orig-year=2009|publisher=Network Distributing|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-992-9766-0-6|page=172}}</ref>
| voice = [[Ray Barrett]] (original series)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/sep/09/ray-barrett-obituary|title=Ray Barrett &#124; Actor &#124; Obituary|first=Ronald|last=Bergan|date=9 September 2009|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><br>{{Nowrap|[[Keith Alexander (actor)|Keith Alexander]] (''[[Thunderbird 6]]'')}}<br />[[Thomas Brodie-Sangster]]<br>(remake series)
| voice = [[Ray Barrett]] (original series)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/sep/09/ray-barrett-obituary|title=Ray Barrett &#124; Actor &#124; Obituary|first=Ronald|last=Bergan|newspaper=The Guardian |date=9 September 2009|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref><br>{{Nowrap|[[Keith Alexander (actor)|Keith Alexander]] (''[[Thunderbird 6]]'')}}<br />[[Thomas Brodie-Sangster]]<br>(remake series)
| portrayer = [[Lex Shrapnel]]<br>(2004 live-action film)
| portrayer = [[Lex Shrapnel]]<br>(2004 live-action film)
| occupation = {{Nowrap|Space Monitor on ''[[Thunderbird 5]]''}}<br> Astronomer and writer
| occupation = {{Nowrap|Space Monitor on ''[[Thunderbird 5]]''}}<br> Astronomer and writer
| affiliation = International Rescue
| affiliation = International Rescue
| family = {{plainlist|
| family = [[Jeff Tracy]] (father) <br> [[Scott Tracy|Scott]], [[Virgil Tracy|Virgil]], [[Gordon Tracy|Gordon]] and<br>[[Alan Tracy]] (brothers) <br> [[Grandma Tracy]]<br>(paternal grandmother)
* [[Jeff Tracy]] (father)
* Lucille Tracy (mother)
* [[Scott Tracy]] (older brother)
* [[Virgil Tracy]] (older brother)
* [[Gordon Tracy]] (younger brother)
* [[Alan Tracy]] (younger brother)
}}
| relatives = Grant Tracy (grandfather)<br>[[Grandma Tracy]]<br>(grandmother)
| home = [[Tracy Island]]
| home = [[Tracy Island]]
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
}}
}}


'''John Tracy''' is a fictional character from [[Gerry Anderson]]'s [[Supermarionation]] television series ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' and the subsequent films ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', ''[[Thunderbird 6]]'' and the live-action film ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]''.
'''John Tracy''' is a fictional character from [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]]'s [[Supermarionation]] television series ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' and the subsequent films ''[[Thunderbirds Are Go]]'', ''[[Thunderbird 6]]'' and the live-action film ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]''.


==''Thunderbirds'' (1965-66)==
==''Thunderbirds'' (1965-66)==
===Background===
===Background===
John was originally intended to be play a larger role in ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'', but after creator [[Gerry Anderson]] took a dislike to the character{{why|date=February 2021}} he ended up appearing less often than planned.<ref name="fab1"/><ref name="Percy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesartsreview.org/thunderbirds-are-go-a-fans-comparison/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013205728/http://www.walesartsreview.org/thunderbirds-are-go-a-fans-comparison/|archivedate=13 October 2017|url-status=live|date=13 October 2017|title=''Thunderbirds Are Go'': A Fan's Comparison|first1=Carolyn|last1=Percy|work=[[Wales Arts Review]]|accessdate=24 May 2020}}</ref> He was the first of the Tracy brothers to be voice-cast. Actor Ray Barrett was so impressed with the marionette, whose face was modeled on singer [[Adam Faith]] and actor [[Charlton Heston]], that he immediately advised co-producer Sylvia Anderson that he wanted to play the studious young astronaut with the boyish quiff.<ref name="Barrett">{{cite book
John was originally intended to play a larger role in ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'', but after co-creator [[Gerry Anderson]] took a dislike to the character<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnE1_5vjcZc|title=FAB Facts: Why John Tracy was Relegated to Thunderbird 5 in Thunderbirds|date=March 20, 2019|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> he ended up appearing less often than planned.<ref name="fab1"/><ref name="Percy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesartsreview.org/thunderbirds-are-go-a-fans-comparison/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013205728/http://www.walesartsreview.org/thunderbirds-are-go-a-fans-comparison/|archivedate=13 October 2017|url-status=live|date=13 October 2017|title=''Thunderbirds Are Go'': A Fan's Comparison|first1=Carolyn|last1=Percy|work=[[Wales Arts Review]]|accessdate=24 May 2020}}</ref> He was the first of the Tracy brothers to be voice-cast. Actor Ray Barrett was so impressed with the marionette, whose face was modeled on singer [[Adam Faith]] and actor [[Charlton Heston]], that he immediately advised co-producer Sylvia Anderson that he wanted to play the studious young astronaut with the boyish quiff.<ref name="Barrett">{{cite book
| title=Ray Barrett: An Autobiography
| title=Ray Barrett: An Autobiography
| author=Barrett, Ray
| author=Barrett, Ray
Line 33: Line 41:


===Character biography===
===Character biography===
The third son of [[Jeff Tracy]] (founder and financier of International Rescue), John was named after astronaut [[John Glenn]].<ref name="fab1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fab1.co.nz/characters/characters.htm|title=Thunderbirds - The Characters|website=www.fab1.co.nz}}</ref> 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 2002 or 2041—this would make him the third son. The majority of sources and two decades of Thunderbirds calendars cite John's birthday as 8 October and he is 24 years of age. Chris Bentley, author of ''The Complete Book of Thunderbirds'', erroneously cited Gerry Anderson as the source of the misinformation about the birth order of the Tracy brothers, but later admitted that he was using the order of the brothers as shown in the credits. Most sourcebooks on ''Thunderbirds'' prior to the ''Complete'' book noted that the birth order matches the number of the Thunderbirds ships, save that the third brother (John) and fifth brother (Alan) trade shifts aboard their respective crafts. Also, the novel ''Operation: Asteroids'' from 1965 clearly states that [[Scott Tracy|Scott]] and [[Virgil Tracy|Virgil]] are "Jeff's eldest sons".
The third son of [[Jeff Tracy]] (founder and financier of International Rescue), John was named after astronaut [[John Glenn]].<ref name="fab1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fab1.co.nz/characters/characters.htm|title=Thunderbirds - The Characters|website=www.fab1.co.nz}}</ref> 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 8th October 2001 or 2040—this would make him the third son. The majority of sources and two decades of Thunderbirds calendars cite John's birthday as 8 October and he is 25 years old. Chris Bentley, author of ''The Complete Book of Thunderbirds'', erroneously cited Gerry Anderson as the source of the misinformation about the birth order of the Tracy brothers, but later admitted that he was using the order of the brothers as shown in the credits. Most sourcebooks on ''Thunderbirds'' prior to the ''Complete'' book noted that the birth order matches the number of the Thunderbirds ships, save that the third brother (John) and fifth brother (Alan) trade shifts aboard their respective crafts. Also, the novel ''Operation: Asteroids'' from 1965 clearly states that [[Scott Tracy|Scott]] and [[Virgil Tracy|Virgil]] are "Jeff's eldest sons".<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwY2d3sXV9I|title=Thunderbirds Legends: The Tracy Sons & The Disaster|date=March 21, 2020|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>


John is a noted scholar of [[astronomy]], and has authored several popular astronomy textbooks. He is a graduate of [[Harvard University]] with a degree in Advanced Telecommunications.
John is a noted scholar of [[astronomy]], and has authored several popular astronomy textbooks. He is a graduate of [[Harvard University]] with a degree in Advanced Telecommunications.
Line 46: Line 54:
| chapter=29
| chapter=29
| page=21
| page=21
}}</ref> John's quiet intellectual nature and interest in astronomy make 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 he reveals in a conversation with his father in that same episode that he has already been on a "dozen" rescues. According to Carlton Books' ''Lady Penelope's Secrets'', John is known to be exceedingly patient, kindly and gracious and possessed of both great intelligence and poise as gifts inherited from his talented mother.
}}</ref> John's quiet intellectual nature and interest in astronomy make 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 he reveals in a conversation with his father in that same episode that he has already been on a "dozen" rescues. According to Carlton Books' ''Lady Penelope's Secrets'', John is known to be exceedingly patient, kindly and gracious and possessed of both great intelligence and poise as gifts inherited from his talented mother.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq7EQMtHVzA|title=Thunderbird 5: Century 21 Tech Talk|date=May 11, 2019|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Live-action film==
⚫
[[Lex Shrapnel]] portrayed John in [[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|the 2004 live-action film]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SbAEim_dVQkC&q=ben+torgersen+thunderbirds&pg=PA701|title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007|first=Roger|last=Ebert|date=5 February 2013|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=9780740792199|via=Google Books}}</ref> Owing to the film focusing on [[Alan Tracy]], little is known about this version of John; according to Alex Pang's ''Thunderbirds: X-Ray Cross Sections'', he is 22 years of age, and a "computer whizz kid". John's tours of duty last for three weeks at a time, after which he gets a week's rest and relaxation on Tracy Island.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Pang |first=Alex |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56436621 |title=Thunderbird : the movie : x-ray cross-sections |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-911249-5 |location=Oxford |pages=27 |oclc=56436621}}</ref>


A brief scene between him and his father [[Jeff Tracy]] demonstrates that, like the original, he is a kind and patient person, listening to and providing encouragement for Jeff, who is concerned about Alan's behaviour.
==''Thunderbirds'' (2004 film)==
⚫
[[Lex Shrapnel]] portrayed John in [[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|the 2004 live-action film]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SbAEim_dVQkC&q=ben+torgersen+thunderbirds&pg=PA701|title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007|first=Roger|last=Ebert|date=5 February 2013|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=9780740792199|via=Google Books}}</ref> Owing to the film focusing on [[Alan Tracy]], little is known about this version of John. A brief scene between him and his father [[Jeff Tracy]] shows that, like his 1960s counterpart, he is a kind and patient person, because he listens to and provides encouragement for Jeff who is concerned about Alan's behaviour.


Over the course of the film, John is nearly killed by the Hood, who launches a missile at Thunderbird 5, in order to lure International Rescue away from their base and allow him to steal their equipment.
Over the course of the film, John is nearly killed by the Hood, who launches a missile at Thunderbird 5, in order to lure International Rescue away from their base and allow him to steal their equipment.
Line 73: Line 83:
[[Category:Fictional astronauts]]
[[Category:Fictional astronauts]]
[[Category:Fictional astronomers]]
[[Category:Fictional astronomers]]
⚫
[[Category:Fictional Harvard University people]]
[[Category:John Glenn]]
[[Category:John Glenn]]
[[Category:Male characters in animated series]]
[[Category:Male characters in animated television series]]
[[Category:Male characters in film]]
[[Category:Male characters in film]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1965]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1965]]
[[Category:Thunderbirds (TV series) characters]]
[[Category:Thunderbirds (TV series) characters]]
⚫
[[Category:Fictional characters from the 21st century]]

Latest revision as of 13:10, 27 October 2024

John Tracy
Thunderbirds character
The classic puppet character
First appearance"Trapped in the Sky"
(30 September 1965)
Created byGerry and Sylvia Anderson
Designed byMary Turner (puppet sculptor)[1]
Portrayed byLex Shrapnel
(2004 live-action film)
Voiced byRay Barrett (original series)[2]
Keith Alexander (Thunderbird 6)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster
(remake series)
In-universe information
OccupationSpace Monitor on Thunderbird 5
Astronomer and writer
AffiliationInternational Rescue
Family
RelativesGrant Tracy (grandfather)
Grandma Tracy
(grandmother)
HomeTracy Island
NationalityAmerican

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.

Thunderbirds (1965-66)

[edit]

Background

[edit]

John was originally intended to play a larger role in Thunderbirds, but after co-creator Gerry Anderson took a dislike to the character[3] he ended up appearing less often than planned.[4][5] He was the first of the Tracy brothers to be voice-cast. Actor Ray Barrett was so impressed with the marionette, whose face was modeled on singer Adam Faith and actor Charlton Heston, that he immediately advised co-producer Sylvia Anderson that he wanted to play the studious young astronaut with the boyish quiff.[6]

Character biography

[edit]

The third son of Jeff Tracy (founder and financier of International Rescue), John was named after astronaut John Glenn.[4] 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 8th October 2001 or 2040—this would make him the third son. The majority of sources and two decades of Thunderbirds calendars cite John's birthday as 8 October and he is 25 years old. Chris Bentley, author of The Complete Book of Thunderbirds, erroneously cited Gerry Anderson as the source of the misinformation about the birth order of the Tracy brothers, but later admitted that he was using the order of the brothers as shown in the credits. Most sourcebooks on Thunderbirds prior to the Complete book noted that the birth order matches the number of the Thunderbirds ships, save that the third brother (John) and fifth brother (Alan) trade shifts aboard their respective crafts. Also, the novel Operation: Asteroids from 1965 clearly states that Scott and Virgil are "Jeff's eldest sons".[7]

John is a noted scholar of astronomy, and has authored several popular astronomy textbooks. He is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Advanced Telecommunications. [8] John's quiet intellectual nature and interest in astronomy make 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 he reveals in a conversation with his father in that same episode that he has already been on a "dozen" rescues. According to Carlton Books' Lady Penelope's Secrets, John is known to be exceedingly patient, kindly and gracious and possessed of both great intelligence and poise as gifts inherited from his talented mother.[9]

Live-action film

[edit]

Lex Shrapnel portrayed John in the 2004 live-action film.[10] Owing to the film focusing on Alan Tracy, little is known about this version of John; according to Alex Pang's Thunderbirds: X-Ray Cross Sections, he is 22 years of age, and a "computer whizz kid". John's tours of duty last for three weeks at a time, after which he gets a week's rest and relaxation on Tracy Island.[11]

A brief scene between him and his father Jeff Tracy demonstrates that, like the original, he is a kind and patient person, listening to and providing encouragement for Jeff, who is concerned about Alan's behaviour.

Over the course of the film, John is nearly killed by the Hood, who launches a missile at Thunderbird 5, in order to lure International Rescue away from their base and allow him to steal their equipment.

Thunderbirds Are Go (TV series)

[edit]

In the 2015 series, John is still the 'pilot' of Thunderbird 5, but his role is greatly expanded beyond simply receiving calls for help, often providing aid in coordinating the rescue missions via long-distance communication. He is voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster and is now a redhead, instead of being a blond (he and Gordon have traded hair colours).[12]

John is shown as being an emotional introvert, who prefers spending his spare time eating bagels, watching TV (his favourite show is Stingray) and stargazing. He is generally a loner, who doesn't like having to spend more time on Earth than he has to, as he's now the lone operator of TB5 until EOS comes, a program that he designed by himself.

Carolyn Percy of the Wales Arts Review comments that because he was disliked by Gerry Anderson, the original John was the least developed Tracy brother. She considers the new John to be "something of a breakout character",[how?] also noting that the series characterises him as a "slightly anti-social loner".[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ La Rivière, Stephen (2014) [2009]. Filmed in Supermarionation (2nd ed.). London, UK: Network Distributing. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-992-9766-0-6.
  2. ^ Bergan, Ronald (9 September 2009). "Ray Barrett | Actor | Obituary". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  3. ^ FAB Facts: Why John Tracy was Relegated to Thunderbird 5 in Thunderbirds. 20 March 2019 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ a b "Thunderbirds - The Characters". www.fab1.co.nz.
  5. ^ a b Percy, Carolyn (13 October 2017). "Thunderbirds Are Go: A Fan's Comparison". Wales Arts Review. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. ^ Barrett, Ray (1995). Ray Barrett: An Autobiography. Milsons Point: Random House. ISBN 0-09-183074-5.
  7. ^ Thunderbirds Legends: The Tracy Sons & The Disaster. 21 March 2020 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Marriot, John; Anderson, Gerry (foreword) (1992). "29". Thunderbirds ARE GO!. London: Boxtree. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-85283-164-6.
  9. ^ Thunderbird 5: Century 21 Tech Talk. 11 May 2019 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger (5 February 2013). Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9780740792199 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Pang, Alex (2004). Thunderbird : the movie : x-ray cross-sections. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-19-911249-5. OCLC 56436621.
  12. ^ "Thomas Brodie-Sangster: "Thunderbirds promotes simple values based on family"". The Big Issue. 21 September 2017.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=John_Tracy_(Thunderbirds)&oldid=1253707055"