The Tripods 

Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Masters using their giant Tripods. When humans reach the age of sixteen, they must undergo a process known as capping which places ... See full summary »

Stars:

John Shackley, Ceri Seel, Jim Baker

Cast

Series cast summary:
John Shackley	...	Will Parker 25 episodes, 1984-1985
Ceri Seel	...	Beanpole 17 episodes, 1984-1985
Jim Baker	...	Henry Parker 15 episodes, 1984-1985

Storyline

Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Masters using their giant Tripods. When humans reach the age of sixteen, they must undergo a process known as capping which places their mind under the control of the conquerors. In 2089, having learned the truth, cousins Will and Henry Parker embark on a journey to the White Mountains in search of a group of free men.

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Plot Keywords:

human being | planet earth | freedom | year 2089 | mountain | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK]

Country:

Australia UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1984 (UK)

Also Known As:

Die dreibeinigen Herrscher

Company Credits

Production Co:

7 Network, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Fremantle International Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min (25 episodes) 30 min (25 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Halliday stated in interviews that he did not recall working on the series.

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Connections

Featured in It Was Alright in the...: Fear in the 80s (2015)

User Reviews

Stodgy, but sometimes effective

I've only recently seen the whole series, and read the three books, though I remember watching some of the stories when it first aired, close to 20 years ago now.

The trouble with the series is that they added far too much filler material - plotlines absent from the books - and instead of making a really good single series, of perhaps 12 hour long episodes, they opted to make one series per book - and then had themselves cancelled before they could televise the rather crucial third book.

The first series has some excellent moments, but far too much filler material added, and acting (and/or scripting) is at times very wooden. The special effects are very good, considering budget, and are the saving grace of the whole series.

The second series seems to make far too much of the journey to and from the Tripods' city, introduces an irrelevant second tier of power in the city, while eliminating some of the feeling of hardship and brutality imposed on the human slaves, and then the series ends on a sour note, quite unnecessarily, since in the book, there is a happy and surprise ending.

There are some huge errors of judgement in the second series. The French language is lost altogether, whereas it is at least partially used in the first set of stories - they are in France after all! And then in the masters city, where we've established that by 2089 that peasant life is a simple affair, with country dancing, and no electricity - we have a blasted 1980's style Disco, with flashing lights, and pop music - good God, what possessed the idiot director to put that scene in there? How are the humans dancing, when the masters installed extra gravity, and wear their subjects into the ground?

Overall, I'd recommend reading the books (even as an adult), and forget the TV version. The books are well-written, and have a certain nobility and charm.