Why were the 1994 FOX Network (U.S.) airings cut to 30 minute episodes?
The one hour “Thunderbirds” episodes were edited down to 30 minute (half-hour) shows when aired on the FOX Network (U.S.) in 1994. New music, changed credits, and dialog tracks for its 1994 run on the U.S.-based FOX network has created various debates. In a letter widely circulated on USENET and the FAB-L mailing list, ITC claimed a number of reasons why “Thunderbirds” had to be cut down: Pressure from FOX’s Standards and Practices to remove unsavory or inappropriate elements (drinking, smoking, subservient minorities, excessive violence); the short attention span of U.S. children made the hour-long format impractical; the sale in the mid-1980s of the ITC music libraries to U.S. pop star Michael Jackson meant the music and vocal tracks had to be edited out and redubbed with new voices and music; the credits after all the edits were made were simply inappropriate to the new show. There is much evidence to the contrary to counter ITC’s assertions that these were the reasons “Thunderbirds
