UK channel plans 'Thunderbirds' reboot

"Thunderbirds Are Go!"... is a go!

The classic puppet adventure series "Thunderbirds" is set for a modernized reboot under the guidance of Great Britain broadcaster ITV Studios. The network has ordered 26 half hour episodes of the reboot to be aired on its children's network CITV in 2015.

The original cult series ran for two seasons on ITV in the 1960s before gaining a wider following in syndication for years thereafter.

The series will still maintain the foundation of the original story, revolving around a family of heroes, the Tracy brothers, as they conduct daring rescue missions around the globe through their organization International Rescue. Don't expect the reinvention to completely hearken back to the dated puppetry, however -- the new series will reportedly be a unique mixture of CGI animation and live-action model sets.

ITV Studios U.K. managing director Denise O Donoghue said: "Thunderbirds is a highly respected brand that continues to hold recognition around the world. This cult series is often credited as changing the history of animation and action-adventure, and we look forward to taking the show to another level while retaining the much-loved heritage that has endured over the past fifty years."

Production of the series will be based out of New Zealand's Pukeko and Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop, which will handle character and production design work for the series, based on scripts rom head writer Rob Hoegee ("Generator Rex", "Teen Titans" and "Ben 10").

Richard Taylor, co-owner of Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop, said: "Thunderbirds was a hugely influential television series in my childhood. I personally, together with the teams here at Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop, look forward to designing and creating an inspirational world that will engage the imagination of a whole new generation as it did for us nearly half a century ago."