The Man From MI-5
Barry Gray's spy theme fits in beautifully in this episode as it accents the tale of a gang of information thieves.
Ocean sequences for the series were shot in large tanks with the Special Effects crews walking around the scenes in wading boots to operate equipment.
From the "Curiouser And Curiouser" file: When Brains is conducting his test, why couldn't Jeff, Tin-Tin or Grandma tell Alan not to get into the pool before he dove in?
The Hood manages to get a great deal of secret information through his trances over Kyrano...but he never thinks to ask where the Thunderbirds' base is! (But he finally does in the comics)!
Fireflash and her crew appear once again as they transport Lady Penelope on her trip to the French Riviera. Maybe there's an SST revival going on, since Air France and British Airways ended supersonic flights way back in 2003!
It was once reported that Henry Ford was shown episodes of "Thunderbirds" and thought the series was great.
The heads of the principle cast members of "Thunderbirds" were constructed mainly of molded fiberglass, while the supporting characters were primarily made of less expensive plastic materials.
"The March Of The Thunderbirds" has been recorded and performed numerous times, most popularly by The Band Of Her Majesty's Royal Marines who appear at the end of the film "Thunderbirds Are Go."
Jeff becomes snippy with John about taking a call from Agent Bondson at MI 5, reminding him that IR does not dabble in politics or police work, yet they do so both in "Perils Of Penelope" and "30 Minutes After Noon."
There's just something about going on a secret rendezvous in a big, conspicuous pink Rolls Royce...!
The Crieghton-Ward ancestral family motto reads: Elegance. Charm. Deadly Danger.
Barry Humphries, better known as Dame Edna Everage, was at one time a voice actor for the Anderson series.
A sought-after item among Thunderbirds collectors is a set of eight porcelain plates depicting the members and machines of International Rescue. The complete set is worth in excess of �500.
As in "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker," Lady Penelope seems only concerned about how much sugar she takes in her tea on the occasions when she must act as a fashion model or chanteuse.
Lady Penelope later returns to the French Riviera for adventure in "The Duchess Assignment."
For the first time in the series, the viewer is treated to a complete launch sequence of Thunderbird 4; normally, the pod is simply dropped to the waves!
It remains unclear just what Penny had hoped to accomplish once she managed to lure Carl, the murderous agent, onto FAB 2. Her plan doesn't seem to make sense to Scott Tracy, either!
Unlike when she calls in a standard report, when Lady Penelope sends an emergency signal to Tracy Island, the beads on her portrait flash instead of the eyes lighting up.
Wonky math: It's stated that the bomb aboard FAB 2 is due to go off within one hour, yet, curiously, Thunderbirds 1 and 2 arrive there in time to pull off the rescue...despite earlier episodes in which it was shown that it would take closer to two hours flight time for Thunderbird 1 to reach that part of Europe.
Ladylike to the last, when Jeff states that he can't hear her through the microphone in her fallen compact, Lady Penelope never considers shouting to him.
Rarely do elements of the story work out in real time, though it did happen in "Operation: Crashdive." In this episode, 2 minutes go by in a matter of 20 seconds!
Mere technicalities: Gordon's drilling into the submerged submarine would more than likely cause the hull to breech and make it rupture.
Between the "Thunderbirds" television series and the second theatrical release, "Thunderbird 6," Lady Penelope loses both FAB 1 and FAB 2!