So I finally started to unpack the boxes that are piled in the dining room and have been mocking me for many months following my move. Among the several hundred DVDs I found was the complete series of 70s British science fiction “classic” The Tomorrow People. From 1973 to 1979 ITV broadcast this in their attempt to compete with the iconic Doctor Who. On this side of the pond, children’s channel Nickelodeon, in their pre-owned by MTV days, purchased the series in the early eighties and if I remember correctly, it was the last thing they broadcast before ending their broadcast day. I don’t think the show was seen anywhere in America and possibly the rest of the world after 1984.
Now, who are The Tomorrow People? They were a small group of teenagers who were examples of homo superior, the next step in human evolution. Apparently we are in line to inherit special powers. (That’s how they were always referred to on the show.) The teens could talk to each other with their minds, move things without touching them and their major power to teleport (called jaunting). They worked out of an abandoned underground station called “The Lab” and had a artificial intelligence computer called Tim that used biological fluids instead of tapes and spools. (Actually this was a truly visionary concept that is just now starting to be explored.) Occasionally there was a galactic federation involved (that was an obvious Star Trek ripoff) and once or twice there were the Time Guardians (shades of Doctor Who’s time lords).
Now that you know the concept of the show comes the question: What was The Tomorrow People? It was a weekly show initially broadcast in 13 episode seasons though that number would diminish as the years wore on. Through 22 story arcs over 68 episodes on an incredibly minimal budget (much like the show that inspired it, Doctor Who) we followed the adventures of John, Carol, Kenny, Stephen, Elizabeth, Mike, Tyso, Andrew and Hsui Tai. Shot on a combination of videotape and 16mm film that was typical of British television at the time with a cadre of bad (at worst) to mediocre (at best) actors we went on weekly journeys on spaceships (tin foil sets) to other planets (gravel pits).
Yes, the production values were bad, the acting was barely passable and even the editing was amateurish, usually holding for a few seconds too long diminishing the dramatic impact of the shot. Why on earth would I pay over $100 for the complete series so generously released by A&E? Thinking back to my early teens when I first saw these shows I think it had to do with the accessibility of the concept. Yes, there are lots of alien environments, but it was taking place in contemporary times and here was a group of otherwise normal young people who go through a process of breaking out and suddenly you can flit about the planet. Strip the more fantastic elements out of it and you still had people who had fantastic powers. It was all so reasonable. Who didn’t want to break out and start reading minds, pick up the telephone without touching it or go to California without the four hour flight.
That was when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. Now in my late thirties, watching the entire series over again, I was actually impressed at how well it held up over the intervening decades. True, I wanted to slap some actors in the earlier episode because they were absolutely horrible, and the overuse of yellow because funky glowing effects would be badly overlaid via chroma-key, but it remains very watchable.
Another aspect, I think, was the general snobbishness of the show. The Tomorrow People, while on a mission to protect and care for humanity, also looked down their noses at it. They were the next step who eventually replace homo sapiens. They even called the normal humans saps. It was as if they were watching over a planet full of billions of pets. Now what child wouldn’t want to be better than all their classmates. It would probably be second to being able to pop on home for lunch and avoid the cafeteria food. Oddly, the superior attitude mostly affected the original cast while those coming on during the course of the show seemed much more in tune with their more primitive cousins.
The show did mildly improve during the second and subsequent seasons. The characters of Carol and Kenny were written out. (The actors left to pursue bigger and better opportunities and were never heard from again.) More sympathetic characters were introduced and the effects all looked slightly better. The seasons would get shorter until the final season was a single story arc of four episodes. The whole concept was wearing thin by this time. Still, I fondly remember the all. Even the truly horrible stories.
In the early nineties, the show’s creator teamed with Nickelodeon to revive the series as a joint production to be released simultaneously in the US and UK. It was a remake rather than a continuation. Gone were the federation, the aliens and Tim. Instead, children breaking out were drawn to a crashed spaceship on an island in the south pacific that replaced The Lab. Shot on film and using more sophisticated special effects, the whole production had a slicker feel than its ancestor. Unfortunately the acting was as bad or worse in some cases. Despite managing a few notable guest stars such as Christopher Lee, the series only lasted for 25 episodes over three seasons. It’s been released on DVD only in the UK.
I think this is a love it or hate it series. An adult seeing it for the first time would probably not appreciate it. The show requires a child’s perspective and lack of attention to detail for full appreciation. If you did catch this when it first aired in the US and have some favorable memories of it, try watching it again for nostalgia’s sake if nothing else. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Tags: British, DVD, Entertainment, Science Fiction, Television by Dean
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