"The Tomorrow People" (1973) TV series 1973-1979

Creator:

Roger Damon Price
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

30 April 1973 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Tomorrow People are British teens who have special powers. They can communicate to each other using telepathy...

Plot Keywords:

Telepathy | Supernatural Power

Cast

Nicholas Young	...	John (68 episodes, 1973-1979)
Philip Gilbert	...	Tim / ... (66 episodes, 1973-1979)
Elizabeth Adare	...	Elizabeth (50 episodes, 1974-1979)
Peter Vaughan-Clarke	...	Stephen (46 episodes, 1973-1977)
Michael Holoway	...	Mike (29 episodes, 1975-1979)

Series Directed by
Roger Damon Price		(17 episodes, 1973-1976)
Vic Hughes		(16 episodes, 1975-1979)
Paul Bernard		(9 episodes, 1973)
Stan Woodward		(9 episodes, 1975-1978)
Leon Thau		(5 episodes, 1975-1978)
Darrol Blake		(4 episodes, 1974)
Dennis Kirkland		(3 episodes, 1975)
Richard Mervyn		(2 episodes, 1977)
Gabrielle Beaumont		(2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Webb		(2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Yolland		(2 episodes, 1978)
Michael Minus		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Roger Damon Price		(64 episodes, 1973-1979)
Brian Finch		(13 episodes, 1973)
Jon Watkins		(4 episodes, 1976)

Series Produced by
Ruth Boswell	....	producer (39 episodes, 1973-1975)
Vic Hughes	....	producer (22 episodes, 1977-1979)
Roger Damon Price	....	producer (16 episodes, 1973-1976)

Series Original Music by
Brian Hodgson		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Tony O'Toole		(8 episodes, 1978)
Dan Carter		(5 episodes, 1973)
Nigel Hoban		(4 episodes, 1978)
Sean Fullerton		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Casting by
Gwladys Jenks		(16 episodes, 1978-1979)

Series Production Design by
Harry Clark		(13 episodes, 1973)
Michael Minas		(13 episodes, 1974)
Philip Blowers		(13 episodes, 1975)
David Richens		(10 episodes, 1977-1978)
Peter Elliott		(7 episodes, 1975-1976)
Gordon Toms		(5 episodes, 1978)
John Plant		(4 episodes, 1979)
Martyn Hebert		(2 episodes, 1978)
Allan Cameron		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Pam Doolan		(12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jan Rowell		(7 episodes, 1975-1976)
Allard Tobin		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Makeup Department
Joan Barrett	....	makeup supervisor (8 episodes, 1978)
Anne Edwards	....	makeup (4 episodes, 1979)
Audrey Prodrick	....	makeup supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Gilly Wakeford	....	makeup supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Sue Ignatius	....	makeup (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Art Department
Jerome Gask	....	graphics / graphic designer (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jim Gask	....	graphic designer (2 episodes, 1978)
Andy Armstrong	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
David Crozier	....	film sound (5 episodes, 1978)
Brian Hibbert	....	sound supervisor (4 episodes, 1978)
Brian Moray	....	sound supervisor (4 episodes, 1978)
Tony Dawe	....	film sound / sound recordist (3 episodes, 1973-1979)
Brian Rendell	....	film sound (2 episodes, 1978)
Ron Thomas	....	film sound (2 episodes, 1978)
Mike Westlake	....	sound supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Willcocks	....	sound supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Julian Ford	....	sound supervisor (2 episodes, 1979)
Stan Lee	....	sound supervisor (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Reed	....	lighting director (10 episodes, 1978)
Peter Howell	....	senior camera operator (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Paul Stripp	....	vision controller / vision control (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Dick Bayley	....	film camera (5 episodes, 1973)
Albert Almond	....	senior camera operator (4 episodes, 1978)
Bill Marley	....	vision control (4 episodes, 1978)
Bob Simmons	....	lighting director (4 episodes, 1979)
Nick Hale	....	film camera / camera operator (3 episodes, 1978)
Bill Braine	....	film camera (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Coombs	....	senior camera operator (2 episodes, 1978)
Roy Easton	....	senior camera operator (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter George	....	film camera (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Goodwin	....	animation camera operator (2 episodes, 1978)
Allen Harradine	....	vision controller (2 episodes, 1978)
Malcolm Harrison	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1978)
Dudley Lovell	....	film camera (2 episodes, 1978)
Bob Mason	....	vision control (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Bower	....	vision controller (2 episodes, 1979)
Peter Lang	....	film camera (2 episodes, 1979)
Chas Watts	....	senior camera operator (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Kelly	....	costumes (4 episodes, 1973)
Lyn Harvey	....	costume supervisor (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Editorial Department
Colin Bocking	....	editor: video tape (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Fred Turner	....	editor: video tape (5 episodes, 1978)
Nick Bigsby	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Peter Boffin	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Martin Perrett	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1978)
Peter Phillips	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1978)
Dave Lewinton	....	editor: video tape (3 episodes, 1978)

Series Music Department
Dudley Simpson	....	composer: title music (68 episodes, 1973-1979)

Series Other crew
Christopher Evans	....	scientific advisor (68 episodes, 1973-1979)
Mary Douglass	....	stage manager (8 episodes, 1978)
Myles MacMahon	....	stage manager (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Len Whitcher	....	film research (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ruth Boswell	....	script editor (5 episodes, 1975-1976)
David Downing	....	floor manager (4 episodes, 1978)
Dave Sparks	....	operational supervisor (4 episodes, 1978)
John White-Jones	....	operational supervisor (4 episodes, 1978)
Mike Adams	....	floor manager (4 episodes, 1979)
Sheila Kinany	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1979)
Norman Beardsley	....	puppeteer (2 episodes, 1978)
Sandra Brett	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1978)
Nigel Cook	....	floor manager (2 episodes, 1978)
Campbell Keenan	....	operational supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
John Lopes	....	floor manager (2 episodes, 1978)
Barbara Mitchell	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1978)
Liz Monkton	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1978)
Del Randall	....	operational supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Nora Stapleton	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1978)
Patrick Vance	....	floor manager (2 episodes, 1978)
Bruce Englefield	....	studio supervisor (2 episodes, 1979)
Peter Groome	....	studio supervisor (2 episodes, 1979)

Production Companies

• Thames Television

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (UK)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:30 min (68 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Thames Television

Trivia:

During the majority of the series, when the lab was located in the abandoned underground station, the control panel for the entrance was a prop that previously appeared in "Doctor Who" in the early Tom Baker story _"Doctor Who" The Ark in Space: Part 1 (1975)_. The prop was originally made for the 'Gerry Anderson' series "UFO" (1970), and other panels and control desks from that series can occasionally be seen in both "Doctor Who" and "The Tomorrow People."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the episode "The Vanishing Earth", the Spidron (who is supposed to be a plant creature) is having a conversation with Steen and turns his head, revealing the actor's human head underneath the Spidron's hood.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Kids TV Shows (2001) (TV)

Space and time meddling kids.

If like me, you were in your early teens when this first aired, you were probably a fan too of this low-tech but engaging children's sci-fi series. Replacing another favourite in the ITV schedules of the time, "Ace Of Wands", "The Tomorrow People" aimed even more at its target school-age audience by employing child actors in the lead roles of teenage "homo- superiors" with the ability to telepath and "jaunt" through time and space.

Unfortunately this was its biggest weakness, as the young actors in the starring parts are almost universally wooden, every take looking like they're repeating a line learned a minute before. The sets and special effects are similarly dodgy, all cardboard and flashing lights, yet watching the episodes today some forty years on, with its excellent theme tune and arresting title sequence, it still takes me back to my childhood, when I would settle in after school and watch it faithfully.

That nostalgic glow makes it easy to forgive its rather obvious shortcomings and to be fair the stories I've re-watched are okay too, sort of junior Dr Who. The good news is that all the original episodes are currently available to watch somewhere in hyper-space, unlike the late lamented "Ace Of Wands" so enjoy them while you can.