The Duchess Assignment

"The Duchess Assignment"

Thunderbirds episode

Episode no.

Season 01
Episode 21

Directed by

David Elliott

Written by

Martin Crump

Cinematography by

Julien Lugrin

Editing by

Harry Ledger

Production code

Original air date

17 February 1966

Guest appearance(s)

Voices of:
Sylvia Anderson as
Miss Godolphin
Air Terrainean Flight Attendant
Ray Barrett as
Deborah, Duchess of Royston
Air show spectator
Fireflash co-pilot
John Tate as
Brophy
Peter Dyneley as
Casino Owner
Chandler
First croupier
David Graham as
Wilbur Dandridge III
Air show spectator (Percy)
Customs Officer
Captain Hanson
Automated Elevator Voice
Christine Finn as
Hotel Receptionist
Matt Zimmerman as
Second Croupier
Hendricks

Episode chronology

← Previous
"Move – And You're Dead"

Next →
"Brink of Disaster"

List of Thunderbirds episodes

"The Duchess Assignment" is the 21st episode of the 1960s Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds. Written by Martin Crump and directed by David Elliott, it first aired in the United Kingdom on ATV Midlands on 17 February 1966.

Deborah, the Duchess of Royston, is in severe financial difficulty and is spotted gambling by an acquaintance, Lady Penelope (voiced by Sylvia Anderson), at a French casino. The roulette table has been rigged, and the corrupt croupiers make off with the Duchess' money and tiara. Parker (David Graham) engages in a gunfight with the casino owner, who makes a getaway in a car driven by one of the croupiers. Penelope and Parker give chase in FAB 1, but the criminals successfully evade them.

Having been forced to put Royston Castle up for sale, the Duchess now has only one valuable possession remaining: the "Portrait of a Gazelle", a painting by Braquasso. Penelope informs Jeff Tracy (Peter Dyneley), who has flown to England for the London Air Display, of the Duchess's problems. Keen to help, Jeff contacts his friend Wilbur Dandridge III, director of Gazelle Automations in New York City, with assurances of a prime candidate for the company's anticipated new logo. Although the Duchess is unwilling to sell the painting, she agrees to rent it to Dandridge for a six-month term for the same amount, and travels to the United States onboard Fireflash to supervise the hand-over personally.

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Wikipedia