Thunderbirds 2086 is the English dubbed version of the Japanese anime series , loosely inspired by the original Gerry Anderson Supermarionation series Thunderbirds. The English dub was produced by ITC Entertainment, the original production company for Thunderbirds, although it is not officially recognized as canon because Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson were not involved. The series includes music and sound effects from Thunderbirds and Anderson's other series: Stingray, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90, UFO, and Space: 1999. A total of 24 episodes were produced, but only 18 were broadcast on Fuji TV in 1982. Background The series takes place in 2086 and chronicles the adventures of a rescue team called the "Thunderbirds" ("TechnoBoyager" in the Japanese version, a portmanteau of "technology", "boy", and "voyager"), who work for the International Rescue Organization (IRO). In the Japanese version, the two entities are the same. Unlike the original Thunderbirds, in which the International Rescue organization was small-scale and family-run, Thunderbirds 2086 depicts it as a vast organization with numerous branches controlled by the Federation, the series' equivalent of the United Nations. Although the English version is called Thunderbirds 2086, the Tracy family, who ran International Rescue in the original series, is not mentioned. In the English version, "Thunderbirds" refers to the team, while in the original series, it merely refers to their vehicles. The animated series otherwise has notable similarities to the original, with most episodes revolving around a natural or man-made disaster that the Thunderbirds team must investigate and help resolve. Unlike the original series, Thunderbirds 2086 also has an ongoing story arc revolving around a breakaway independence group known as the Shadow Axis, led by the mysterious Star Crusher. There is a strong suggestion in the series that Star Crusher is not human and may be some kind of alien. Voice cast Japanese voice cast Hiroko Maruyama as Pawl Junichi Takeoka as Hidaka Raiji Kei Tomiyama as Eric Joans Kiyoshi Kobayashi as Gerald Simpson Manami Ito as Catharine Hayward Ryusei Nakao as Sammy Edkins Jr. Takeshi Aono as Gran Hansen English voice cast Alexander Marshall Earl Hammond Eleanor Kearney Henry Mandell Joan Audiberti John Bellucci Keith Mandell Lucy Martin Maia Danziger Paolo Audiberti Peter Fernandez Vehicles and characters Thunderbird 2086 features 17 vehicles, each with different characteristics and purpose. Each craft's name contains the abbreviated designation "TB", which stands for "TechnoBoyager" in the Japanese version and "Thunderbird" in the