The Duchess Assignment
In this frolic turned serious, John Tracy becomes a dotty old dowager, Jeff goes British on us and Lady Penelope runs smack into the Partridge Family's bus! Seriously!
Ray Barrett became the voice of the Duchess only after a frustrating afternoon of watching the female cast members struggle with performing the voice of the elderly dowager. His vocals and mannerisms during the recording session had all of the other cast members in stitches!
According to his autobiography, Ray's main concern with the troubles that Sylvia and Christine were having with finding a voice for the Duchess was that it was holding himself and Peter Dyneley up from going to the pub that day!
Jeff Tracy owns a beautiful yacht which is named for his beloved wife, Lucille.
Taking complete leave of her senses, Lady Penelope---on holiday in Monte Carlo---allows Parker to call the shots at the Roulette table. Apparently, all is forgiven after the events of "The Man From MI 5" in which his gambling tactics cost her FAB 2, her yacht.
The doctor seen in "Trapped In The Sky" is seen sitting next to the Duchess at the roulette table. (Makes one wonder what he's charging Jeff for those house calls)!
A man who was an expert at creating glass eyes for humans made the realistic-looking eyes for the Thunderbirds characters. His name: William Shakespeare! (Hey---it can happen)!
A real Rolls Royce grill was used in some shots of FAB 1 when the rapid-fire cannon was in use.
Gordon Tracy was the only of the brothers to not have attended a college or university for any length of time. The easily excitable red-head went straight from high school into the cadet ranks of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol in Marineville.
This is the only time there's a glimpse of Jeff's bedroom on Tracy Island. Other rooms visited belong to Gordon, Virgil and Tin-Tin. Additionally, Alan's room is seen in "Thunderbirds Are Go," and John's is seen aboard TB5.
Gordon's best event as an Olympian was the butterfly stroke, at which he won a Gold Medal.
There was only one complete model of Thunderbird 5 ever made for the series.
Prince Charles was a big fan of "Thunderbirds" when it initially aired, but apparently that wasn't true of his sister, Anne, the Princess Royal. When Lady Penelope was used to greet her at a royal garden show many years later, she gasped in disgust and stormed off!
The Hood can be seen to the right behind Jeff Tracy on the platform as Jeff and Penelope watch the air show. He is wearing the disguise seen in "Martian Invasion" and "The Mighty Atom."
One of Wilbur Dandridge's gazelle statuettes can be seen in Chip's English bedroom in the episode "Security Hazard."
Deborah, The Duchess Of Royston, was crafted on the famous British actress Dame Edith Evans.
Wilbur Dandridge appears as the sleazy Warren Grafton in the episode "Brink Of Disaster."
John gets to perform what should have been a more regular function for him as he uses the sensitive receptor equipment aboard Thunderbird 5 to actively aid Scott and Virgil in pinpointing the spot where the Duchess is held captive.
The Fireflash SST is again used as the preferred method of transport, with Captain Hanson and his co-pilot at the helm and the same air hostess seen in "Trapped In The Sky."
Like the homing device St. Christopher medal given to the Duchess by Lady Penelope in this episode, she also supplies a similar medal as a precaution to protect a member of the Zero-X team in the film "Thunderbirds Are Go."
FAB 1 sports four forward tires in aid of supporting its massive engine and the heavy rapid-fire rifle equipment contained behind the grill.
Though it heightens the drama of the scene, there is no explanation given for why Dandridge's call to Lady Penelope is cut off.
Ever the gadget freak, Dandridge is seen shaving with an electric razor at his desk!
Weird science: At the remote hideaway where the Duchess is held captive, the whole house explodes into a fireball---with the exception of the basement in which the Duchess is located...where the leaking gas pipe which started the fire happens to be.
The only one of the Tracy brothers with a known nickname is Virgil; on occasion, his brothers call him "Virg."
"Desperate Intruder" (the title of an earlier episode) turns up as a horse in the derby, and the Duchess turns up in the same hospital as Professor Blakely---Brains' associate from the same episode.