The Tomorrow People
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The Tomorrow People was a children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price and produced by Thames Television for Britain's ITV network between 1973 and 1979. It was also broadcast in the United States on Nickelodeon in the early 1980s.
Price produced a revival for Tetra Films (a Thames Television subsidiary) and Nickelodeon between 1992 and 1994.
In 2001 a brand new audio series based on the original concept was launched by Big Finish Productions with "The New Gods" by Rebecca Levene and Gareth Roberts. Nicholas Young reprised his role as John and Philip Gilbert as TIM with Helen Goldwyn and Daniel Wilson appearing as the new Tomorrow People Elena and Paul.
The new series is produced by Nigel Fairs.
When Philip Gilbert passed away Trevor Littledale took over the role of TIM from "The Warlock's Dance" by Cavan Scott
The premise of the show concerned the emergence of homo superior, the next stage of human evolution, in the form of teenagers capable of various psi powers, e.g. telepathy, teleportation (jaunting), psychokinesis, etc. They operate in secrecy for fear of "saps" (homo sapiens, normal people) victimising them and using their powers for military purposes (they are physically unable to injure people), although they do make their existence known to the British Prime Minister in Secret Weapon in order to rescue some of their members from the clutches of the military's Experimental Weapons Establishment.
In the 1970s series, from the third series some stories involve the "Galactic Federation" which oversees the development of telepathic species, and consequently some stories are set on extraterrestrial planets.
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Special effects
The special effects of the show were often criticized and mocked as being sub-par, largely attributable to the small budget the show had access to. For instance, the extraterrestrial worlds often look like the countryside on the outskirts of London filmed through different coloured filters.
The visual effects improved considerably in the 1990s series, although the Tomorrow People initially tend to have some difficulty with their teleportations and seem to frequently teleport to just above a swimming pool, or just off the beach of their South Pacific island (actually a beach in Dorset, England), while the 1970s series often suffers from the somewhat primitive colour-separation overlay effects of the time (and a limited budget).
1970s series
[NOTE: All 8 seasons of the original series are now being released on DVD through Revolution Filmsin (http://www.revfilms.com) the UK with seasons 1-5 available now and the remainder of the series scheduled for release sometime in August 2004 (approximate). All discs are Region 0 and will be playable in most countries].
Series 1
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke
- Carol - Sammie Winmill
- Kenny - Stephen Salmon
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- Ginge - Michael Standing
- Slaves of Jedikiah
- Original UK tranmission 30 April - 4 June 1973
- Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch.
- Director: Paul Bernard
- Guest Cast:
- Lefty - Derek Crewe
- Jedikiah - Francis de Wolff
- Cyclops - Patricia Denys
- The Medusa Strain
- Original UK transmission 11 June - 2 July 1973
- Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch.
- Director: Roger Price.
- Guest Cast:
- Peter - Richard Speight
- Jedikiah - Roger Bizley
- Rabowski - Roger Booth
- Coppin - Dave Prowse
- Medusa - Norman McGlen
- The Vanishing Earth
- Original UK transmission 9 July - 30 July 1973
- Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch.
- Director: Paul Bernard.
- Guest Cast:
- Lefty - Derek Crewe
- Smithers - Kenneth Farrington
- Steen - Kevin Stoney
- Spidron - John Woodnutt
Series 2
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Chris - Christopher Chittell
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- Professor Cawston - Brian Stanion
- The Blue and The Green
- Original UK transmission 4 February - 4 March 1974
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Roger Price.
- Guest Cast:
- Grandfather - Nigel Pegram
- Robert - Jason Kemp
- Police Inspector - Simon Merrick
- Johnson - Ray Burdis
- A Rift in Time
- The Doomsday Men
- Original UK transmission 8 April - 6 May 1974
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Roger Price.
- Guest Cast:
- Douglas McLelland - William Relton
- Lt General McLelland - Lindsay Campbell
- Lee Wan - Eric Young
- Doomsday Man - Bill Treacher
Series 3
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Tyso - Dean Lawrence
- Chris - Christopher Chittell
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- Professor Cawston - Brian Stanion
- Secret Weapon
- Original UK transmission 26 February - 19 March 1975
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Stan Woodward.
- Guest Cast:
- Patricia Conway - Anne Curthoys
- Col. Masters - Trevor Bannister
- Prime Minister - Hugh Morton
- Worlds Away
- Original UK transmission 26 March - 9 April 1975
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Vic Hughes.
- Guest Cast:
- Mrs Boswell - Joanna Tope
- Evergreen Boswell - Denise Cook
- Lenda - Lydia Lisle
- Timus / Tikno - Philip Gilbert
- Arkron - Keith Chegwin
- A Man For Emily
- Original UK transmission 16 April - 30 April 1975
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Stan Woodward.
- Guest Cast:
- Elmer - Peter Davison
- Emily - Sandra Dickinson
- The Momma - Margaret Burton
- Publican - Robin Parkinson
- Mr Greenhead - Bill Dean
- See also: Tickling boots
- Revenge of Jedikiah
- Original UK transmission 7 May - 21 May 1975
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Vic Hughes.
- Guest Cast:
- Jedikiah - Francis de Wolff
- Sergeant Evans - John Lyon
- Evergreen Boswell - Denise Cook
- Mustaf - Ali Bongo
Series 4
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Tyso - Dean Lawrence
- Mike Bell - Mike Holloway
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- One Law
- Original UK transmission 21 October - 5 November 1975
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Leon Thau.
- Guest Cast:
- Inspector - Tim Barrett
- Lord Dunning - Harold Kasket
- Mr O'Reilly - Patrick McAlinney
- Thwaites - Arnold Diamond
- Into The Unknown
- Original UK transmission 13 January - 28 January 1976
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Roger Price.
- Guest Cast:
- Tirayaan - Geoffrey Bayldon
- Kwaan - Stephen Garlick
- Vaktaan - Brian Coburn
- Ralaa - Raymond Boyd
Series 5
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Mike - Mike Holloway
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- The Dirtiest Business
- Original UK transmission 28 February - 7 March 1977
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Vic Hughes.
- Guest Cast:
- Pavla - Anulka Dubynska
- KGB Man - Jan Murzynowski
- Senior KGB Man - Gabor Vernon
- Major Ann Turner - Vivien Heilbron
- A Much Needed Holiday
- The Heart of Sogguth
Series 6
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Mike - Mike Holloway
- Hsui Tai - Misako Koba
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- The Lost Gods
- Original UK transmission 15 May - 22 May 1978
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Peter Webb.
- Guest Cast:
- Matsu Tan - Burt Kwouk
- Sage - Robert Lee
- Hitler's Last Secret
- Original UK transmission 5 June - 12 June 1978
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Leon Thau.
- Guest Cast:
- Hitler - Michael Sheard
- Professor Friedl - Richard Warner
- Major Hughes - Leon Eagles
- Karl Brandt - Nicholas Lyndhurst
- Willi Frisch - Earl Rhodes
- The Thargon Menace
Series 7
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Mike - Mike Holloway
- Hsui Tai - Misako Koba
- Andrew Forbes - Nigel Rhodes
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- Castle of Fear
- Original UK transmission 9 October - 16 October 1978
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Vic Hughes.
- Guest Cast:
- Bruce Forbes - Dominic Allen
- Angus McDuff - Bill Gavin
- Professor Gail Mayer - Jennifer Watts
- Professor Young - Brian Jackson
- Achilles Heel
- Original UK transmission 23 October - 30 October 1978
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Gabrielle Beaumont.
- Guest Cast:
- Bruce Forbes - Dominic Allen
- Yagon - Hillary Minister
- Cantor - Christian Rodska
- Glip - Stanley Bates
- Timus - Philip Gilbert
- Accompanist - Ted Taylor
- Living Skins
- Original UK transmission 6 November - 11 November 1978
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Stan Woodward.
- Guest Cast:
- Wilton - Ralph Lawford
- Girl - Judith Fielding
- Guard - Dave Carter
Series 8
- Regular Cast
- John - Nicholas Young
- Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare
- Mike - Mike Holloway
- Hsui Tai - Misako Koba
- Andrew Forbes - Nigel Rhodes
- Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
- War of the Empires
- Original UK transmission 29 January - 19 February 1979
- Author: Roger Price.
- Director: Vic Hughes.
- Guest Cast:
- American President - John F. Parker
- American General - Richard Bartlett
- Morgan Evans - David Baxt
- Thargon General - Oliver Maguire
- Chaircreature - David Cann
- Sorsen Captain - Terry Woodfield
- Thargon Commander - Percy Herbert
- Thargon Officer - Anthony Stafford
1990s series
- Regular Tomorrow People:
- Adam Newman - Kristian Schmid
- Megabyte (Marmaduke Damon) - Christian Tessier
- Kevin Wilson - Adam Pearce (only until The Culex Experiment)
- Lisa Davies - Kristen Ariza (only in the Pilot/Origin/Beginning)
- Ami Jackson - Naomie Harris (from The Culex Experiment)
- Jade Weston - Alexandra Millman (The Living Stones with a brief apperance in The Culex Experiment)
- The Tomorrow People - untitled story
- First UK transmission: November - December 1992
- Guest Cast:
- Professor Galt - Hugh Quarshie
- General Bill Damon - Jeff Harding
- Lady Mulvaney - Gabrielle Hamilton
- The Culex Experiment
- First UK transmission: January - February 1994
- Guest Cast:
- Culex - Jean Marsh
- Culex' twin henchpeople - Tessa Vale, Deborah Vale
- Monsoon Man
- The Rameses Connection
- First UK transmission: January 1995
- Guest Cast:
- Rameses - Christopher Lee
- The Living Stones
- First UK transmission: February 1995
- Guest Cast:
- Byron Lucifer - Danny John-Jules
The Audio Series
- The New Gods by Rebecca Levene and Gareth Roberts
- The Deadliest Species by Gary Russell
- The Ghosts of Mendez by Austin Atkinson
- The Sign of Diolyx by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry
- A New Atlantis by Nigel Fairs
- The Power of Fear by Steve Lyons
- The Curse of Kaavan by Nigel Fairs
- Alone by Nigel Fairs
- The Slarvian Menace by Mark Wright
- The Warlock's Dance by Cavan Scott