International Rescue Thunderbirds Agents' Manual
Thunderbirds products are go!
New Classic Thunderbirds licensing campaign begins with manual for fans of all ages
May 1, 2012 -- 5... 4... 3... 2... 1! Thunderbirds are go! ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment's Classic Thunderbirds licensing programme is already making an impact - in the all-important publishing category with a brand new Thunderbirds guidebook. The International Rescue Thunderbirds Agents' Manual from Haynes Publishing is due out this summer and is an informative and entertaining guide to the world's foremost rescue organisation.
Gerry Anderson's famous supermarionette show still enjoys enormous consumer awareness and a strong fan base nearly 50 years after Thunderbirds first hit our TV screens. That's why ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment met a number of potential licensees at Spring Fair as part of the process of creating a licensing programme for the Classic Thunderbirds brand.
The International Rescue Thunderbirds Agents' Manual is comprehensively researched and written by Thunderbirds authority Sam Denham, with breathtakingly detailed cutaway illustrations by Graham Bleathman – one of the hit series' original illustrators. It is expected to appeal to a wide market, not only of children and teens who still watch the original series on TV or DVD, but to the many older fans who grew up with Thunderbirds.
Ever wondered how the Thunderbird crafts are designed and built? Want to know more about the fabulous International Rescue team and its history? And how exactly does the whole operation fit onto Tracy Island? Now, the millions of Thunderbirds fans this iconic show has built up over nearly five decades can find out, with the help of this comprehensive, absorbing and fun guide from Haynes, a world-famous publisher of technical and entertainment-based manuals.
The Haynes Thunderbirds manual will be published in June. It will be available from most major booksellers, including Waterstone's and WH Smith, and online from Amazon, the Book Depository and, of course, Haynes.co.uk.
Haynes is a publisher and distributor of manuals and books on motoring, motorsport, transport, computing, military and aviation, health, home maintenance, music, sport and many other leisure activities. Its portfolio includes manuals based on a number of licensed brands, such as Wallace and Gromit, Bob The Builder and now, of course, Thunderbirds.
Jeremy Yates-Round, Managing Director at Haynes Publishing, says: "Nearly 50 years after Thunderbirds first hit our screens fans of all ages still want to know about Tracy Island, the International Rescue team and the fabulous Thunderbird crafts. We are delighted to have the chance to bring this manual to a new generation of fans as well as the many who grew up with this wonderful show."
Trudi Hayward, SVP, Global Head of Merchandise, ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment, says: "With the Haynes Thunderbirds Manual two acknowledged authorities on the programme have brought together entertainment, information and stunning design with a true affection for this iconic series in a way fans young and old will love. This is a great way to start bringing the Classic Thunderbirds brand into a new era with a new and exciting licensing campaign."
About ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment
ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment is ITV Studios' brand licensing team for Consumer Products as well as television distribution in the UK and Internationally. Our portfolio features a diverse mix of lifestyle brands that reach millions of fans each and every week, including; Alan Titchmarsh, Come Dine with Me, Coronation Street, Thunderbirds, Countrywise and This Morning.
About Haynes
Haynes Publishing is the world's leading publisher and retailer of illustrated workshop car manuals, motorcycle manuals, and motoring titles as well as books on a wide range of sport, leisure and lifestyle subjects.