Nearly 50 years since it first blasted onto TV screens, the iconic Thunderbirds property is back thanks to UK broadcaster-owned ITV Studios’ and New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures’ newly re-invented animated/live-action TV series, Thunderbirds are Go! (working title).

ITV and Pukeko, in collaboration with Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong), are set to co-produce the 26 by half-hour action/adventure kids series which is expected to debut on ITV and the UK’s CITV channel in 2015.

Thunderbirds are Go!, based on the original “supermarionation” series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, will stay true to the original by featuring different model locations in each episode, but the new characters, including the famous Tracy family, will be re-imagined in CGI.

ITV Studios’ Estelle Hughes, ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Giles Ridge and Pukeko’s Richard Taylor and Andrew Smith are on board to executive produce with head writing duties by Rob Hoegee (Ben 10, Slugterra.)

The series is currently in pre-production and was commissioned by CITV’s programming head, Jamila Metran.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment has retained the worldwide rights to the Thunderbirds brand and will distribute the new series and consumer products globally.