A secret WWII shore base so convincing, the Admiralty thinks it's a destroyer at sea.
Season 1 • Episode 13
LatestThundercloud is a 1979 British television comedy created and written by Ian Mackintosh. Produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, it was significantly more lighthearted than Mackintosh's prior series Warship and The Sandbaggers. Lieutenant Commander ‘Monty’ Morgan – a stickler for forms – and his shipmates operate aboard the shore-based HMS Thundercloud, a secret Royal Navy station on the Yorkshire coast during World War II, apparently far enough away from HQ to merit a remarkable degree of autonomy. In fact, the Admiralty were convinced that the station was actually a destroyer in the North Sea!
Writing
Mackintosh's sharp wit finally lets loose from spy thriller gloom.
Acting
John Fraser's twitchy formality vs. James Cosmo's gruff warmth.
Production
Ingeniously cheap sets that sell the naval illusion completely.
Creator
Ian Mackintosh
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Creator Ian Mackintosh was a former Royal Navy officer who'd go missing in a plane crash two years later, making this rare comedic detour even more poignant.
Sarah Douglas appeared here between Superman's Ursa and her Hollywood career — rare early British TV work from a future blockbuster villain.
GB
