Commander Norman is a fictional character

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 in the television series Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds (TV series)

Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...

. The puppet

Puppet

A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....

 was voiced by Peter Dyneley

Peter Dyneley

Peter Dyneley was a British actor, born in Hastings, East Sussex, England.Although appearing in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for his performance as the voice of Jeff Tracy in the Gerry Anderson 1960s TV series Thunderbirds and the subsequent movies...

. He is one of two recurring characters on the show barring the main cast, the other being Captain Hanson.

Commander Norman is in charge of London Airport, often being seen in the main control tower. He is present for Fireflash's maiden voyage in which the aircraft is stricken with a bomb that will explode if the landing gear is released. He oversees the initial rescue attempts which fail. Thankfully, the newly created International Rescue come to Fireflash's aid, with Scott Tracy

Scott Tracy

Scott Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The character also appeared in the live action movie Thunderbirds....

 taking up position in Norman's control tower. Commander Norman ensures that security is provided for the Thunderbird craft, and organises a police chase when the security is compromised. Despite the tense situation, Norman keeps a cool head, urging the airport's fire crews to leave unmanned burning aircraft to burn out as "Fireflash is carrying passengers, they're not" ("Trapped In The Sky").

When Fireflash experiences further trouble, with Fireflash 3 disappearing along with the death of 600 crew and passengers, Norman does not hesitate in allowing International Rescue to help out, suggesting Captain Hanson pilot the flight as he is familiar with them from Fireflash's maiden voyage. Ultimately, a saboteur is found and Fireflash flies again ("Operation Crash Dive").

Norman is also around at London Airport when the Red Arrows squad faces difficulties, including a plane crashing into its hangar. Despite voicing his support to the Red Arrows chief, Colonel Tim Casey is replaced for future testing ("Edge Of Impact"). It turns out The Hood

The Hood (Thunderbirds)

The Hood is the main villain and adversary of International Rescue in the Thunderbirds TV series.-TV series:The Hood's precise origins are unknown but it is thought to have been based loosely on Wayne Pembridge...

 is sabotaging the Red Arrows and Casey is reinstated.

Commander Norman oversees the design and production of Brains' Skythrust plane, allowing Brains (or Mr. Hackenbacker as he wished to be called) privacy within the airport, although he often gets the name of Brains's alias confused. After Skythrust's maiden voyage in which the plane was almost hijacked, Norman invites Brains, Tin-Tin

Tin-Tin Kyrano

Tin-Tin Kyrano is a character in the mid-1960s British television show Thunderbirds. In the original TV series and its original movie adaptations, Tin-Tin, like the other characters, is portrayed using a marionette, and Christine Finn provided her voice....

 and Lady Penelope into the control tower for a celebratory glass of champagne ("Alias Mr. Hackenbacker").

Appearances

• "Trapped In The Sky"
• "Operation Crash-Dive"
• "Edge Of Impact"
• "Security Hazard"
• "Alias Mr. Hackenbacker"