 Thunderbirds has influenced TV programmes , films and various other media . The puppet comedy of the film Team America : World Police was directly inspired by the idiosyncrasies of Thunderbirds @-@ era Supermarionation techniques . Allusion and homage are also evident in Wallace and Gromit : A Close Shave , Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me and Spaced , as well as the character design of Star Wars : The Clone Wars . The BBC sketch comedy Not Only ... But Also included a segment titled " Superthunderstingcar " – a parody of Thunderbirds , Supercar and Stingray . 
