 Thomas argues that the world of Thunderbirds is similar to the 1960s to the extent that contemporary capitalism and class structures appear to have survived mostly intact . He also observes , however , that wealth and high social status are often depicted as character flaws rather than strengths . According to Thomas , a contributing factor to the series ' lasting popularity is the realism of IR 's machines . Newman , for his part , suggests that " the point isn 't realism . The 21st century of Thunderbirds is detailed ... but also de @-@ populated , a high @-@ tech <unk> " . He is more negative in his comparisons of contemporary and future values , noting the " square , almost 50s " attitudes to race , gender and class . With regard to stereotyping , Hood comments that he " would be <unk> if [ villains ] didn 't seem to be recognisable by their <unk> " . Cull , by contrast , considers the series largely progressive on the subject of race , arguing that it rejects negative stereotyping through the use of " positive non @-@ white characters " such as Kyrano and Tin @-@ Tin . However , he deems many of the one @-@ off villains derivative , commenting that these characters are typically presented as " corrupt businessmen , <unk> and gangsters familiar from crime films " . 
