Give or Take a Million
Bank robbers trapped in a rocket disrupt a Christmas fundraiser.
"Give or Take a Million" is the 32nd and final episode of the British Supermarionation series Thunderbirds, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Written by Alan Pattillo and directed by Desmond Saunders, it first aired on 25 December 1966 on ATV London and Anglia Television as the final episode of Series Two. The Christmas-themed story involves bank robbers who become entangled in a hospital fundraiser that features International Rescue.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Thunderbirds
- Director
- Desmond Saunders
- Writer
- Alan Pattillo
- Photographer
- Julien Lugrin
- Editor
- Harry Macdonald
- Air date
- 25 December 1966
Facts from the source article.
Plot
On Tracy Island, snow covers the villa as International Rescue hosts a young boy named Nicky for Christmas. Jeff Tracy, dressed as Santa Claus, recalls the events leading to this day. Coralville Children's Hospital, seeking funds for a new solar therapy wing, collaborates with Saunders Automations and Harman's department store on a publicity stunt: a Saunders rocket loaded with toys will launch from the store's roof, parachute-drop its cargo into the hospital car park, and give one child a prize of Christmas Day on Tracy Island. On Christmas Eve, criminals Scobie and Straker break into Harman's, drill through a wall to enter the adjacent Second National Bank vault, and steal $10 million in gold bullion. They accidentally trigger an alarm by knocking a pencil to the floor and hide in the rocket's cargo compartment as it is transferred to the launch pad. The rocket launches with the robbers trapped inside; after it drops its cargo over Coralville, hospital staff find Scobie and Straker unconscious among the gold and presents. The hospital turns the robbers and gold over to the police, receiving enough reward money to fund the new wing. Virgil collects Nicky in Thunderbird 2 and flies him to Tracy Island for Christmas.
Production
Although a wall calendar on Tracy Island indicates December 2026, the producers intended the episode to be set in December 2067, consistent with earlier episodes set in 2065. A desktop calendar showing four consecutive dates ending with Saturday the 24th fits both 2067 and 1966, the year of filming; Gerry Anderson and art director Bob Bell dismissed such calendar shots as production design errors. The opening scene features a demonstration launch of Thunderbird 3 using newer footage recycled from the feature film Thunderbirds Are Go, released the same month the episode aired. Nicky's miniature Thunderbird toys were actual merchandise by J. Rosenthal (Toys) Ltd. The scale model towers for Harman's Department Store exteriors were originally built for a deleted scene in Thunderbirds Are Go. The guest character Saunders was named after director Desmond Saunders.
Reception
Critics were split on "Give or Take a Million." Tom Fox of Starburst magazine gave it two out of five stars, dismissing the story as "flabby" and overly sentimental. Sean Bassett of Screen Rant, however, found the plot "especially charming" and praised its "endearingly sweet moments." Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn observed that this series finale is unique in that International Rescue never performs a single rescue. Barnes drew a parallel to the Stingray episode "A Christmas to Remember," where the main characters also host an orphan boy for Christmas. Hearn argued the episode proves Thunderbirds "was successfully experimenting with its format right until the end," calling it a "whimsical entry" with suspenseful bank robbery direction and a "suitably sentimental farewell" in its snowy conclusion. Ian Haywood interpreted Brains' artificial snowfall as a symbol of Tracy Island being "a perfect 'false self', a brilliantly simulated natural paradise" from which real nature is exiled. He linked this to a broader conflict between "masculine" science and "maternal" nature, mirroring the Tracy brothers' lack of a mother. In her 1991 autobiography, Sylvia Anderson credited Alan Pattillo with providing "the human touch for" the Tracy family as they prepare for Christmas.
More in Thunderbirds Episodes
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced