The Tomorrow People debuted in March 1973 and was mean't to be an answer to the BBC's Doctor Who but curiously was shown on a Monday instead of Doctor Who's Saturday. It followed the adventures of several teenagers who were the first to gain telepathic powers in the next stages of human evolution. Nicholas Young was cast as John and remained with the series until it ended in 1979. Peter Vaughan Clarke was also one of the first to join the series as well as their computer Tim, voiced by the late Philip Gilbert. Elizabeth Adare joined in Season 2 and she was certainly one of the finest characters in the series alongside John. The show became very popular and ran for 6 years with eight series being produced and shown on ITV. The series certainly has it's classics and the writing by Roger Price (also the series creator) was alway's very good. Strong episodes include 'The Blue and the Green' and 'Vanishing Earth' but to me the ultimate classic is the 1978 two parter 'The Living Skins' (also Nicholas Young's favourite) featuring the Bulboids. To me this story had everything. Good humour, excellent (if funny) aliens, but more importantly despite this it was still very menacing something which I felt earlier stories never maintained. Later 'Tomorrow People' include, Andrew Forbes, Mike (played by Flintlock Drummer Mike Holoway) and Hsui Tai (she tried bless her!) and the series went out on a high in 1979 with 'War of the Empires'. The Tomorrow People remains a science fiction classic which came number 8 of the top ten sci-fi programme on Channel4 in 2001. The series really disappeared apart from some video releases in 1991 until 2001 when DVD releases of the series began to be produced by Revelation films. The commentaries are truly excellent with the wonderfully cynical Nicholas Young providing a lot of laughs. Big Finish productions are now also making new 'Tomorrow People' audio dramas. In conclusion, although 'The Tomorrow People' was sometimes quite shallow and certainly not a patch on Doctor Who it did provide science fiction thirsty children with some excellent stories and perhaps more importantly a good laugh! The show was packed full of humour throughout it's six year run. Certainly a good series, and one among the science fiction greats.
15 Reviews
My COVID binge series
lord_president25 May 2020
Due to a timeslot conflict back in the days before even VCRs I never saw this back in the day so I am taking advantage of social distancing to binge it online to see what I am missing.
I have been told that this was Thames TV's pale imitation of Doctor Who which is both factually correct but misses the point. First of all it had a fair run for any series. Dr Who is almost unique for it's long run so it's a bit unfair to use that yardstick. The effects and sets are cheaper than Dr Who but not as cheap as late Blakes 7.
If I had seen it as a kid I am sure I would have loved it just as much as other stuff I was watching then. As an adult I am smirking a bit but definitely a fan.
There is a tendency for villains to give up a bit easily (perhaps in fear of Whitehouse?) but there are some very sophisticated ideas being thrown about and (mostly) the science is real rather than technobabble with a credited science adviser.
The worst thing about it is that either it was hurriedly rehearsed or they were too pressed to re shoot as flubbed lines are a bit too common and last night I lost it laughing at the boom mike popping in and out of shot but that's minor.
Space and time meddling kids.
Lejink15 December 2012
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.
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.
A jaunting we will go!
progrock21 January 2003
A British Sci-Fi children's Classic! Tomorrow people is the PRIME example of the "Golden Age" of British Children's television of the 70's. In 1973 Doctor Who was king and Thames Television decided to give the BBC a run for their money. The result was The Tomorrow People! Since this was produced in the 70's, the show is certainly dated along with campy special effects and wobbly sets (imagine Doctor Who on even a tighter budget!)but there is quite a charm to this series, and certainly will bring back alot of memories (especially those of us in the States who were early Nickelodeon viewers in the early 80's) Fortunately these episodes are being released on Region 0 DVD's in the U.K.! Not only is it great to have these episodes in good quality, but the fine folks at Big Finish Productions (who are also producing new Tomorrow People audio adventures with the original cast) have added recorded commentary from cast members including Nicholas Young (John), Peter Vaughan-Clarke (Steven), Philip Gilbert (Tim), Elizabeth Adare (Elizabeth) and conducted by Nicholas Briggs. The Commentary tracks are actually worth the price of the DVD alone! These give a FANTASTIC insight into the making of and behind the scenes stories. Many times they'll contribute their own comments about the scenes (ala MST3K) or even stray from the subject completely and will have you literally rolling on the floor with laughter! Highly amusing and recommended!
STRANGE AND ORIGINAL CULT SERIES
asalerno1023 August 2022
The first thing to note is the originality and creativity of the series' premise. A group of teenagers who have evolved above the rest and can communicate through telepathy and have the ability to teleport, this was a very advanced idea for the 70's where most of the fiction series focused on space travelers or invasions aliens The problem with the program was the small budget it had. The scenarios were made of painted cardboard, the FX extremely primitive, since it was not made in film format, these details were even more noticeable. In spite of everything, the production managed to do a lot with so little. The scripts were the strong point, with some really creative stories. A television show that today is outdated but can be seen anyway.
The Tomorrow People
gregoryshnly29 November 2006
A really excellent series,it started off a bit shaky with the awful Kenny and the overacting Carol while Jon and Stephen were great from the start. Elisabeth brought some real acting to the show and the series really had some good stories especially "The Blue And The Green". I thought the introduction of Mike Hollaway as Mike Bell was good,he was a rebel and argued with Jon,which the others didn't do. The series got better with each season and it was always one of those shows that when it finished you thought Why? I highly recommend the DVD releases. "Castle of Fear" was a gem later on,loved the fact a Tomorrow person could create ghosts and even the Loch Ness Monster! I also really liked Hsui Tai,OK her English wasn't too strong but she was very sweet. I didn't enjoy the 90s remake,they should have watched the original,to see how to do a really good Sci-Fi show!
The late Philip Gilbert was great as the all knowing Bio computer Tim.
The late Philip Gilbert was great as the all knowing Bio computer Tim.
Superpowered Youths
hellraiser713 April 2021
This show is another under the radar gem, well not exactly the show was a hit at the time in the 70's mainly in the UK and was slightly know here in the states, but as time went on has been slightly forgotten. There were two revivals made one from the 1990s that I saw on Nickelodeon which I thought was good. Another in the 2000s from the CW which I thought was okay; both are stories for another time. I honestly never heard about his show as I said I was a kid from the 80's and 90's, it was mainly though the 90's revival I saw was how I heard about this classic.
The show was an interesting one sort of the UK's version of "X-Men" though also a little of "Power Rangers" (sort of) and this show was years before both properties got TV shows and movies.
This was a pretty cool concept at the time on youth having superpowers and it makes sense as this show was in the 70's and there was this craze on psychic phenomenon along with youth counterculture growing bigger, and the pursuit of nonviolent solutions to violent problems. It was also a time when TV along with culture was starting to open more, there weren't many live action programs which featured leads or character that were young. Most live action family/kids shows don't always hold up with me, but this show despite one from yesteryears is one of the ones that do.
The show is also a bit of a wish fulfillment fantasy, because it really has some of those things and feelings youths of certain ages have had the first time they were coming of age. As we've grown up, we begin to be able to do and even have access to things we couldn't before which has given most of us that feeling of empowerment which is part of what those superpowers are a metaphor for.
Really like that lair they have which is sort of an interior spaceship design which I think is cool as it seems to provide most of what the character need but also, it's just that feeling of having your own place away from you parents and simply just society itself, which is human nature as we all need our own space.
But also, the powers are a metaphor for freedom that most youths desire and first attain. Much like Nightcrawler on "X-Men" they can teleport which is called a Jant, I personally think that's a cool superpower it's one of my favorites as you can practically go wherever you want by just simply thinking about it and your there; if I want to go to Toronto, Canada to a Fantasia film festival I'm there, still wish I can do that beats all the difficulties. That's also the joy in the youth mentality being able to go wherever you want to do without anyone stopping or telling you where to go.
Though there is a little catch with this power as without one of those belt buckles it drains you a little of mental and physical energy as it takes some effort to utilizing it. But also, range is limited as you can get far locally but to get to far off location like say California you must jaunt many more places to get there, much like going on a road trip and having to make stops at multiple towns. I didn't mind this aspect as you don't want hero/superheroes to be too powerful, this gives us the human factor reminding us that these guys aren't invincible and that having powers doesn't mean you going to have or get everything.
Character are pretty good the cast all work well together, I really like that the group consists of youths of varied ages, not just kids but also teenagers and young adults, which I thought was cool showing that being young isn't restricted to kids only but also that you don't have to be a kid to be or feel truly young. This also helps in balancing characters out giving the group an almost family dynamic.
Jon he's pretty much the leader of the group, this character to me could be Charles Xavier of the "X-Men" as a young adult. His character is very much a big brother type as he keeps things under control. Determined and focused on constantly training and strengthening his mind powers but also on their never-ending mission to keep peace in the galaxy. There is this sharp dry wit to him, and at times seems like he's a bit detached from what goes on Earth or anywhere else but isn't blind as he is aware of what's going on and reconnects when he should.
Steven is the teenager of the bunch, despite being slightly experienced being a Tomorrow person he still has a lot to learn, as he can be a tad arrogant/cocky with the powers. I really like that he's sort of the aggressive one of the bunch as he is the one that is willing to take action.
Tim is pretty much who Jarvis is to the Marvel verse and a bit like Zordon of the Power Rangers. His character is pretty much the mentor figure for "The Tomorrow People" he's does give them what they want where he is able to replicate any kinds of drinks, they desire like iced tea, shakes, maybe even Starbucks coffee. However, he doesn't spoil them as he also gives them what they need which is guidance, making sure they're on the right path, that they don't abuse their gifts.
And of course, this show is a fun pulp sci-fi adventure, from some of the goodies like those fan favorite belt buckles which look like Intelevision controllers which supposedly help to control, takes less time and energy, but increase the range on the jaunt ability by just pressing the button. Though the function of is a little inconsistent as I wonder if you had to always preprogram them so that it would know all the places it goes, let alone how would it know where they're about to go every time they touch it, is there some built in A. I. that picks up telepathic signals?
But that's part of the charm like all the pulp sci-fi it shelves logic and focuses on story, so you just simply roll with it and have fun. Even like the fact they have guns which are of course laser stun guns but just the idea the youths can bear arms was cool. But they do use them as they should be tools for self-defense.
Then there is that theme song which is one of my favorite theme songs of all time. It's a very interesting and eerie theme song, along with that really trippy intro sequence which had a series of pictures from a hand that is constantly making signs, the characters faces on some weird graphics, a flower of some kind I think, and some other weird stuff. It really fit the shows, sort of its way getting you ready for something strange and unexpected.
There are some memorable adventure serial stories some which are written well and do have some creative and thoughtful sci-fi, which really give the show a sense of slight maturity where things aren't watered down or even afraid to take risks.
Three favorites of mine are "The Blue and Green" where there is some Salvador Dali like paintings that act as mood rings that cause people to enact violence, this was a slightly dark serial as it was a little prolific on the issue of school violence. "The Doomsday Men" another intelligent one where the Tomorrow people must stop a war from happening. "The Revenge of Jedikiah" where they deal with the only major super villain the show has.
Only mis jaunts are that the pacing can be a little slow in places, this is probably because of padding or filler spots in certain episodes which can annoy me because it's practically wasted time that could have been used better, almost like when those happen someone realizes they have some extra time left but doesn't know what to do with it. Though same can be said about a lot of other episodes for other programs which is a fundamental problem that's easy to have so I can't complain too much, and this is easy to get past as this just happens sometimes.
The other problem is simply The Tomorrow People don't really get to kick much ass which is why the show isn't that exciting. Well ok they kind of do but rarely, it's just they have the powers and the gadgets, but they don't always get to do anything really cool with them. This could be chalked up not just to budget limitations but hardware limitations as the technology they had back then still wasn't very strong yet to support certain ideas. So, I can't complain too much let alone the Tomorrow People aren't trained fighters so it makes sense which is why I can let this slide.
I wouldn't mind another revival as long as it's done right go maybe from the BBC and put in the right hands. Though personally I'd like a Big Finish audio play series based on this show, they did it for a lot of other UK sci-fi shows most notably "Doctor Who", "Torchwood", "The Omega Factor", etc.; so, it would make sense this would be among them. It could act as a new season picking up where the original show left off, or just be a complete revival. If they have the right voice cast, writing, and cool sound effects. Well, their thoughts to consider jaunting towards.
This is a sci-fi classic that worth a jaunt.
Rating: 3 stars.
The show was an interesting one sort of the UK's version of "X-Men" though also a little of "Power Rangers" (sort of) and this show was years before both properties got TV shows and movies.
This was a pretty cool concept at the time on youth having superpowers and it makes sense as this show was in the 70's and there was this craze on psychic phenomenon along with youth counterculture growing bigger, and the pursuit of nonviolent solutions to violent problems. It was also a time when TV along with culture was starting to open more, there weren't many live action programs which featured leads or character that were young. Most live action family/kids shows don't always hold up with me, but this show despite one from yesteryears is one of the ones that do.
The show is also a bit of a wish fulfillment fantasy, because it really has some of those things and feelings youths of certain ages have had the first time they were coming of age. As we've grown up, we begin to be able to do and even have access to things we couldn't before which has given most of us that feeling of empowerment which is part of what those superpowers are a metaphor for.
Really like that lair they have which is sort of an interior spaceship design which I think is cool as it seems to provide most of what the character need but also, it's just that feeling of having your own place away from you parents and simply just society itself, which is human nature as we all need our own space.
But also, the powers are a metaphor for freedom that most youths desire and first attain. Much like Nightcrawler on "X-Men" they can teleport which is called a Jant, I personally think that's a cool superpower it's one of my favorites as you can practically go wherever you want by just simply thinking about it and your there; if I want to go to Toronto, Canada to a Fantasia film festival I'm there, still wish I can do that beats all the difficulties. That's also the joy in the youth mentality being able to go wherever you want to do without anyone stopping or telling you where to go.
Though there is a little catch with this power as without one of those belt buckles it drains you a little of mental and physical energy as it takes some effort to utilizing it. But also, range is limited as you can get far locally but to get to far off location like say California you must jaunt many more places to get there, much like going on a road trip and having to make stops at multiple towns. I didn't mind this aspect as you don't want hero/superheroes to be too powerful, this gives us the human factor reminding us that these guys aren't invincible and that having powers doesn't mean you going to have or get everything.
Character are pretty good the cast all work well together, I really like that the group consists of youths of varied ages, not just kids but also teenagers and young adults, which I thought was cool showing that being young isn't restricted to kids only but also that you don't have to be a kid to be or feel truly young. This also helps in balancing characters out giving the group an almost family dynamic.
Jon he's pretty much the leader of the group, this character to me could be Charles Xavier of the "X-Men" as a young adult. His character is very much a big brother type as he keeps things under control. Determined and focused on constantly training and strengthening his mind powers but also on their never-ending mission to keep peace in the galaxy. There is this sharp dry wit to him, and at times seems like he's a bit detached from what goes on Earth or anywhere else but isn't blind as he is aware of what's going on and reconnects when he should.
Steven is the teenager of the bunch, despite being slightly experienced being a Tomorrow person he still has a lot to learn, as he can be a tad arrogant/cocky with the powers. I really like that he's sort of the aggressive one of the bunch as he is the one that is willing to take action.
Tim is pretty much who Jarvis is to the Marvel verse and a bit like Zordon of the Power Rangers. His character is pretty much the mentor figure for "The Tomorrow People" he's does give them what they want where he is able to replicate any kinds of drinks, they desire like iced tea, shakes, maybe even Starbucks coffee. However, he doesn't spoil them as he also gives them what they need which is guidance, making sure they're on the right path, that they don't abuse their gifts.
And of course, this show is a fun pulp sci-fi adventure, from some of the goodies like those fan favorite belt buckles which look like Intelevision controllers which supposedly help to control, takes less time and energy, but increase the range on the jaunt ability by just pressing the button. Though the function of is a little inconsistent as I wonder if you had to always preprogram them so that it would know all the places it goes, let alone how would it know where they're about to go every time they touch it, is there some built in A. I. that picks up telepathic signals?
But that's part of the charm like all the pulp sci-fi it shelves logic and focuses on story, so you just simply roll with it and have fun. Even like the fact they have guns which are of course laser stun guns but just the idea the youths can bear arms was cool. But they do use them as they should be tools for self-defense.
Then there is that theme song which is one of my favorite theme songs of all time. It's a very interesting and eerie theme song, along with that really trippy intro sequence which had a series of pictures from a hand that is constantly making signs, the characters faces on some weird graphics, a flower of some kind I think, and some other weird stuff. It really fit the shows, sort of its way getting you ready for something strange and unexpected.
There are some memorable adventure serial stories some which are written well and do have some creative and thoughtful sci-fi, which really give the show a sense of slight maturity where things aren't watered down or even afraid to take risks.
Three favorites of mine are "The Blue and Green" where there is some Salvador Dali like paintings that act as mood rings that cause people to enact violence, this was a slightly dark serial as it was a little prolific on the issue of school violence. "The Doomsday Men" another intelligent one where the Tomorrow people must stop a war from happening. "The Revenge of Jedikiah" where they deal with the only major super villain the show has.
Only mis jaunts are that the pacing can be a little slow in places, this is probably because of padding or filler spots in certain episodes which can annoy me because it's practically wasted time that could have been used better, almost like when those happen someone realizes they have some extra time left but doesn't know what to do with it. Though same can be said about a lot of other episodes for other programs which is a fundamental problem that's easy to have so I can't complain too much, and this is easy to get past as this just happens sometimes.
The other problem is simply The Tomorrow People don't really get to kick much ass which is why the show isn't that exciting. Well ok they kind of do but rarely, it's just they have the powers and the gadgets, but they don't always get to do anything really cool with them. This could be chalked up not just to budget limitations but hardware limitations as the technology they had back then still wasn't very strong yet to support certain ideas. So, I can't complain too much let alone the Tomorrow People aren't trained fighters so it makes sense which is why I can let this slide.
I wouldn't mind another revival as long as it's done right go maybe from the BBC and put in the right hands. Though personally I'd like a Big Finish audio play series based on this show, they did it for a lot of other UK sci-fi shows most notably "Doctor Who", "Torchwood", "The Omega Factor", etc.; so, it would make sense this would be among them. It could act as a new season picking up where the original show left off, or just be a complete revival. If they have the right voice cast, writing, and cool sound effects. Well, their thoughts to consider jaunting towards.
This is a sci-fi classic that worth a jaunt.
Rating: 3 stars.
Enjoyable 70's SciFi
kevinslegg4 April 2021
This was the 3rd British SciFi series from the 70's/80's that we decided to introduce our daughter to during the Covid lockdowns via BritBox; although at the moment they only have the first 4 series rather than all 8.
This one is aimed more at the younger audiences than the other 2 (Blake's 7 and Sapphire & Steel) - and although I wasn't so keen on the 1st Series, it certainly seemed to find its feet after that, even although some of the plots do have the odd hole in them.
Despite being aimed at the younger audience we all enjoyed watching it - and I thought it was better than the attempted 2013 relaunch.
This one is aimed more at the younger audiences than the other 2 (Blake's 7 and Sapphire & Steel) - and although I wasn't so keen on the 1st Series, it certainly seemed to find its feet after that, even although some of the plots do have the odd hole in them.
Despite being aimed at the younger audience we all enjoyed watching it - and I thought it was better than the attempted 2013 relaunch.
A great introductory show for the Sci-fi fan!
pakelsey29 September 2006
I was introduced to the Tomorrow People as a young teen and was hooked forever on Sci-fi. These were teenagers with psychic powers. However they do not kill or harm others, their goal is to protect the Earth from "us" homosepians. As a kid I learned all about Telekenesis, Telepethy, Teleportation and the like, but I also learned that special powers could be used for bank robbery and teleporting vans into outer space! It should be noted that the cast (over the course of the show) was international Just like the American show Star Trek. This show originally was broadcast from a British network, while we Americans had Star Trek, they had The Tomorrow People. It would of been interesting if the two met.
It had been so long...
david_shuff12 December 2003
My memory of the show was completely buried from when I had seen it on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. Then I saw mention of it somewhere not long ago, and it all came rushing back to me, memories of what had been my favorite TV show at the time. That prompted some searching, and as a result, I am the proud owner of the first two seasons of The Tommorow People on DVD, which I ordered from Blackstar in the U.K. Watching it was quite an experience, being torn between thinking "this is so cheesy" and "this is absolutely brilliant". As I found watching the commentary, I wasn't the only one. Featuring Nicholas Young (John), Peter Vaughn-Clarke (Stephen), and Philip Gilbert (the voice of Tim), they made what I thought was going to be a technical commentary into a hilarious inside look at the making of the show, which they obviously thought was as cheesy and brilliant as I did. Everyone thinking of getting the DVD's should watch it. This is especially easy as the DVD's you order from the U.K. are Region 0, which means they can be watched all over the world (don't be fooled by blackstar.co.uk or amazon.co.uk when they mark them as Region 2 on the websites, they are all Region 0). Well worth the money for anyone who remembers the show and wants to take a stroll down memory lane.
It's Raining Men!
Scapegoat_Y2 May 2008
There were many reasons why British children ran home from school every Monday afternoon to watch The Tomorrow People. For some, it was a fantastic source of escapism from the everyday stresses of life. For some, the special effects were so cheesy it made then show a must-watch for a laugh. And there were those who ran home to see their Heathcliffs. The latter category is, unusually, the category that I, an innocent 21st century teenage girl, fall into.
Well, it's not as though these ladies-and gay men-could help it, couldn't they? There was John, a strong father figure, with chiselled good looks and luscious dark hair. There was Kenny, feisty but still a Catie pie. There was Stephen (one of my personal favourites), a nice young lad with a nice body and face. There was Tyso (another personal favourite), an adorable gypsy who went from cute to sexy in just a few stories. There was Mike, great to look at and a mean drummer, not too bright but still great to look at. And finally there was Andrew, an absolute sweetheart with a mischievous streak.
So those are the reasons why I watch the Tomorrow People. Oh, the stories were great too. But I mainly watch it for the hunky men. 8 out of 10 for that alone.
Well, it's not as though these ladies-and gay men-could help it, couldn't they? There was John, a strong father figure, with chiselled good looks and luscious dark hair. There was Kenny, feisty but still a Catie pie. There was Stephen (one of my personal favourites), a nice young lad with a nice body and face. There was Tyso (another personal favourite), an adorable gypsy who went from cute to sexy in just a few stories. There was Mike, great to look at and a mean drummer, not too bright but still great to look at. And finally there was Andrew, an absolute sweetheart with a mischievous streak.
So those are the reasons why I watch the Tomorrow People. Oh, the stories were great too. But I mainly watch it for the hunky men. 8 out of 10 for that alone.
This is an example of classic UK Sci-Fi
sirjaunty-146-70909613 August 2013
I would like by saying that if you are American (as per the only other review), you may indeed find this series hard going. Not because of the story lines, generally, but because of the woeful effects. By US standard, even at the time, TV and film was way ahead of the game and an effects budget of just £12,000 a series was never going to cut any mustard. However, look through this and let yourself get involved with the plots and story lines and you will find yourself being almost hypnotically drawn into it. For a kids show at this time, it was way ahead of the game and many of us older viewers who remember it did indeed rush home from school to see it. Perhaps because it made a distinction between Saps (Homo Sapiens) and The Tomorrow People (Homo Superior), thus any kid left out of the cruel grim schoolyard politics of the depressive early 70's felt that they were catered for by Tim, Stephen et al. Granted it is exceptionally British middle class, and the characters good and bad are perhaps a little unidentifiable to anyone from, say Pismo Beach CA, but its worth the journey and heres why. The ingredients are all here, dark, strong and at times brooding stories; good well rounded 'good guys', fantastically over the top 'bad guys', bad and laughable effects but again all part of the fun; editing and lighting errors and gaffs (that are still in by the way), a haunting, industrial theme tune and great credits. The Tomorrow People episodes have influenced many contemporary scifi TV pro grammes and the series has been resurrected twice (latest this year).
So I urge you to try the original UK series. Laugh if you must, and you probably will, but I would wager the experience will stay with you for quite a while after. You may even love it as I do, even though you might not know exactly why. The Tomorrow People then. A classic BECAUSE of the flaws.
So I urge you to try the original UK series. Laugh if you must, and you probably will, but I would wager the experience will stay with you for quite a while after. You may even love it as I do, even though you might not know exactly why. The Tomorrow People then. A classic BECAUSE of the flaws.
Original themes but zero-budget production values
twobaglife27 August 2011
The Tomorrow People is an unusual series about the next evolution of humanity. Children are being born with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation, and telepathy, and call themselves Tomorrow People. They cannot kill anyone, and hide their abilities from the saps (homo sapiens, the normals) while getting drawn into adventures by aliens and time travelers determined to exploit their abilities.
It's a startling and refreshing take on kids shows at the time. The Tomorrow People are fully aware of what they are when they "break out" and gain control of their powers, and are aided by Tim, their biological computer. It's very much like a kid's version of Doctor Who but with less horror and nihilism. Good performances from the cast of children actors help as well.
There are problems though. The budget and production values are bad even for seventies television, most noticeable in any monster or spaceship shots. There's a weird homoeroticism to it as well, most noticeable in the story arc "The Medusa Strain" with a bit part from Star Wars actor David Prowse as a loincloth wearing android. Many of the early arcs are split among four or more episodes which lead to a lot of padding and wasted time.
The stories are still oriented towards a kids audience, so adults may find themselves wishing for more depth. While the plots are still fresh the show is dated fairly heavily now, and a lot of the impact is lost since many kids shows cover SF themes. Still, for those of us that watched it as kids on Nickelodeon in the late seventies/eighties, it was a mind-expanding experience, right down to the psychedelic opening sequence. Worth a rental if you like British SF or want to remember it if you watched again, but there are too many flaws to make it a classic.
It's a startling and refreshing take on kids shows at the time. The Tomorrow People are fully aware of what they are when they "break out" and gain control of their powers, and are aided by Tim, their biological computer. It's very much like a kid's version of Doctor Who but with less horror and nihilism. Good performances from the cast of children actors help as well.
There are problems though. The budget and production values are bad even for seventies television, most noticeable in any monster or spaceship shots. There's a weird homoeroticism to it as well, most noticeable in the story arc "The Medusa Strain" with a bit part from Star Wars actor David Prowse as a loincloth wearing android. Many of the early arcs are split among four or more episodes which lead to a lot of padding and wasted time.
The stories are still oriented towards a kids audience, so adults may find themselves wishing for more depth. While the plots are still fresh the show is dated fairly heavily now, and a lot of the impact is lost since many kids shows cover SF themes. Still, for those of us that watched it as kids on Nickelodeon in the late seventies/eighties, it was a mind-expanding experience, right down to the psychedelic opening sequence. Worth a rental if you like British SF or want to remember it if you watched again, but there are too many flaws to make it a classic.
i loved watching this show as a kid.
agroplace19 September 2004
i loved this show ,wishing i could do what they could. Like some of them could move things around and being able to connect with each other by just thinking about it. if i remember right there were some people who were always after the tomorrow people and a lot of the story lines centered around someone getting caught by the bad guys and the others rescuing them because they could give the
others info on where they were being held. i wish they could put the series onto DVD or video like they are doing with so many other shows and also "here come the doubledeckers". the tomorrow people was a great series and the remake in the 90's just wasn't the same as the original, i rate it 4 out of 5
others info on where they were being held. i wish they could put the series onto DVD or video like they are doing with so many other shows and also "here come the doubledeckers". the tomorrow people was a great series and the remake in the 90's just wasn't the same as the original, i rate it 4 out of 5
Even though its for 12-13 years I still think it is below par...
alienworlds29 April 2010
Its a funny thing, I was in a record store and I saw this show there, and I thought...'A and E' made the DVD set so I thought it must be kind of a thriller...well, lo and behold, it was anything but. Really does not fit the 'A and E' criteria at all, as it is aimed at pre and young adolescents. Never saw it as a kid...maybe someone at AE (The Arts and Entertainment Network) thought it predated Star Trek so deserved to be a DVD-as it has a lot of Star Trek type of gadgets in it...well, it doesn't predate Star Trek and it is really quite lame-even for kids, in my opinion, maybe even could be called a total joke. The fact that AE put it out is more or less a joke also, and highly misleading, as there are no photos to reveal it as a bad kids show on the back of the DVD box. Didn't cost much, maybe I could give it away...but I must admit, I can't think anyone who would want to watch it.
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