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443:(where Tracy Island is located) for unauthorised rocket launches. When the tracking equipment breaks down, astronaut Elliott performs a spacewalk to make repairs but accidentally discharges his thrusters and is hurled into space. Unable to retrieve Elliott, astronaut Hale informs Lambert that his colleague has only three hours of air remaining. Apprised of the situation by
424:" Jeremiah Tuttle, discovers aircraft tyre tracks near an abandoned mine. Returning to the cabin where he lives with his elderly mother, he uses a concealed videophone to inform Tracy Island. Jeff does not think the tracks suspicious, reasoning that they could have been left by a commercial aircraft making a
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According to
Richard Farrell, the episode derives humour from mocking the military and the news media (neither of which can locate International Rescue, despite being quick to condemn them) as well as poking fun at British and American cultural differences (for example, Penelope's ineptitude versus
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gets stuck in a mud patch, forcing them to abandon the car and proceed on foot. Arriving at the mine, Penelope, who tripped over on the way, is dismayed to find her pistol jammed with dirt. Hearing her cries, Jenkins and Carela arm themselves with rifles and take aim at the intruders. However, they
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magazine characterises the episode as a mixture of serious and light-hearted moments, describing the story as "eventually engaging". He regards the Tracy family's "clash of interests" – whether or not to risk exposure to save a man's life – as the highlight of the episode. For Marcus Hearn, the
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the
Tuttles' initiative). Noting that the Tuttles are capable and well equipped agents despite their "dozy hillbilly" ways, Farrell argues that they exemplify one of Gerry Anderson's "favourite themes" – the concept of people and things "not always being what they seem".
352:, the organisation is faced with a dilemma when a mishap in orbit leaves an astronaut stranded in space, forcing the Tracys to choose between mounting a rescue and giving away their location, or maintaining cover and leaving the man to die. Meanwhile, field agents
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Posing as a journalist, Penelope learns that the aircraft was an EJ2 flying south-south-west. She alerts the Tracys, who calculate that the impostors must have landed near the
Tuttles. Remembering the tyre tracks, Jeff orders Penelope and her chauffeur
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are prevented from firing by the arrival of the
Tuttles, who throw a grenade (disguised as a tin of beans) into the mine to force the impostors' surrender. The manhunt is called off by order of the
409:. Determined to bring International Rescue to justice, General Lambert instigates a worldwide manhunt for the organisation. Before long, military forces are scouring the globe by land, sea and air.
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follows the missions of
International Rescue, a secret organisation which uses technologically-advanced rescue vehicles to save human life. The lead characters are ex-astronaut
453:, Jeff refuses to order a rescue, knowing that Tracy Island will be exposed once Hale completes the repairs. Eventually, however, he changes his mind and dispatches
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405:. Unknown to onlookers, the men are impostors and the rescue was a front for breaking into the facility and stealing the plans of the AL4, an experimental
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interview witnesses to the staged rescue. Meanwhile, the organisation's other field operatives are ordered to report any unusual activity. One of them, "
348:. In "The Impostors", International Rescue is framed for the theft of military aircraft plans and becomes the target of a worldwide manhunt. Grounded on
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At the
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declares
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Are Go! Ideology and
Representation in the Cold War Era". In Olson, Debbie; Schober, Adrian (eds.).
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Tracys' moral dilemma is more interesting than the plot about the stolen plans, which he calls the "
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At the Aeronautical Research Station, a member of International Rescue saves a man from a collapsed
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to rendezvous with their fellow agents and apprehend the impostors.
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The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide
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Farrell, Richard (September 2015). Hearn, Marcus (ed.).
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Fox, Tom (August 2004). Payne, Andrew (ed.). "TV View".
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Thunderbirds – A Complete Guide to the Classic Series
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Rating "The Impostors" three out of five, Tom Fox of
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18:19th episode of the 1st series of Thunderbirds
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812:. Routledge Advances in Television Studies.
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748:Thunderbirds: The Vault
1268:Give or Take a Million
1247:Alias Mr. Hackenbacker
1194:The Duchess Assignment
1117:The Perils of Penelope
987:Vehicles and locations
746:Hearn, Marcus (2015).
666:Thunderbirds: Close-Up
367:of "The Impostors" on
117:Guest character voices
1254:Lord Parker's 'Oliday
1159:30 Minutes After Noon
257:30 Minutes After Noon
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1338:Thunderbirds Are Go
1299:Thunderbirds Are Go
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1180:Cry Wolf
1032:Series 1
1024:Episodes
997:machines
978:The Hood
686:(1991).
346:machines
312:AP Films
252:Previous
168:Co-Pilot
50:Series 1
43:Episode
946:Grandma
265: →
250:←
200:Elliott
162:Colonel
159:Jenkins
107: (
38:episode
1381:(2004)
1373:(2000)
1008:Zero-X
973:Parker
963:Kyrano
953:Brains
936:Gordon
926:Virgil
820:
787:
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520:Parker
434:Parker
358:Parker
203:Carela
1389:Other
1002:FAB 1
921:Scott
472:FAB 1
459:Scott
304:Gerry
941:John
931:Alan
916:Jeff
861:IMDb
818:ISBN
785:ISBN
756:ISBN
729:ISSN
694:ISBN
645:ISBN
616:ISBN
457:and
455:Alan
445:John
414:Jeff
397:well
391:Plot
385:BBC2
356:and
306:and
263:Next
206:Jack
156:Hale
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552:".
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45:no.
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