Into the Labyrinth (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Into the Labyrinth |
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| Genre | Fantasy |
| Written by | Bob Baker Peter Graham Scott Ivan Benbrook Robert Holmes Ray Jenkins John Lucarotti Andrew Payne Anthony Read Gary Hopkins |
| Directed by | Peter Graham Scott |
| Starring | Pamela Salem Simon Beal (aka Charlie Caine) Ron Moody Lisa Turner Simon Henderson Chris Harris |
| Composer(s) | Sidney Sager |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 21 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Patrick Dromgoole |
| Producer(s) | Peter Graham Scott |
| Production location(s) | Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England, United Kingdom |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | HTV West |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 13 May 1981 – 8 September 1982 |
Into the Labyrinth is a British TV series made for children. It was produced by HTV for the ITV network. The show ran between 1980 and 1982. The first series was shown in May 1981.
There were three series in total, each with seven episodes. Each episode was about 25 minutes long. Peter Graham Scott produced and directed the series. He also created the show with Bob Baker. Bob Baker had written many stories for Doctor Who before this. The first series was also shown in the United States on Nickelodeon. It was part of a science fiction show called "The Third Eye". The series was also broadcast in Australia, Spain, Ireland, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Contents
Story of the Series
The series is about a fight between two very old sorcerers. One is good, named Rothgo, played by Ron Moody. The other is evil, named Belor, played by Pamela Salem. Both want to get the Nidus. The Nidus is a magical object with endless power.
The First Series: Finding the Nidus
The Nidus originally belonged to Rothgo. But Belor stole it. She used her magic to send it through time and space. This way, Rothgo could not find it. Without the Nidus, Rothgo would eventually die.
The first series follows three modern-day children: Phil, Helen, and Terry. They find Rothgo, who is almost lifeless, in a maze-like cave. Rothgo sends the children through different times in history. They search for the Nidus. The Nidus looks like a different object in each time period. It can only be seen in a reflection.
The children visit various historical times. These include the French Revolution, Ancient Greece, and the English Civil War. In each time, they find an earlier version of Rothgo. He is playing a character from that period. Together, they look for the Nidus.
Belor tries to stop them all the time. She also appears in each time period. She is disguised as a character herself. Just as the children are about to get the Nidus, Belor uses her magic. She shouts, "I deny you the Nidus!" A bolt of lightning comes from her fingers. She throws the Nidus further through time. Belor cannot touch the Nidus while Rothgo is alive. So, she just tries to stop him from getting it until he dies.
At the end of the first series, the children find the Nidus. It is shaped like a sword. They finally trick Belor and return the Nidus to Rothgo. Rothgo offers to share its power with Belor. She refuses and turns into a lifeless skull.
The Second Series: Nidus Fragments
In the second series, Belor comes back to life. She has her own power source called the Albedo. She hopes to use it to destroy Rothgo and take the Nidus. But during their battle, the two power sources crash together. The Albedo is destroyed. The Nidus breaks into five pieces. These pieces scatter through time and space.
Rothgo again asks Phil, Terry, and Helen for help. They need to find the Nidus pieces. These pieces are also disguised as objects. They can only be seen in a reflection. This time, the children have two advantages. Rothgo's other selves in time can recognize the children right away. Also, Rothgo can claim the Nidus pieces before Belor can send them away. He shouts, "I claim the Nidus!"
Belor still tries to stop them. In the last episode of the second series, the children put the Nidus back together. But they cannot escape Belor. So, Phil throws the Nidus into a very deep pool of water.
Now, Belor has neither the Nidus nor the Albedo. She turns into a lifeless skull again. Rothgo explains that the Nidus is not just his anymore. It was thrown into the Waters of Time. He says that he, and anyone else seeking wisdom, can use its power there. This allows him to stay immortal and travel through time freely again.
The Third Series: Lazlo's Scarabeus
In the third and last series, only Phil returns. He helps a new sorcerer named Lazlo. Lazlo is played by Chris Harris. Lazlo's power comes from the Scarabeus. This is a magical amulet that fits onto a bracelet he wears.
Belor has cheated death again. She can no longer get the Nidus. So, she tries to steal Lazlo's Scarabeus. She hides it from him in different, made-up time periods. Lazlo and Phil try to find the Scarabeus using the bracelet. Belor constantly tries to stop them. In the final episode, they win. Lazlo defeats her for good.
Behind the Scenes
Some scenes of the Labyrinth were filmed inside the Cheddar Gorge caves. These caves were used for the beginning and end of the first season. Footage from the caves was also used as backgrounds. Most of the historical adventures were filmed in a studio. The same cave sets were changed to look like different time periods. The opening and closing scenes for seasons two and three were filmed at Stanton Drew stone circle and Glastonbury Tor.
Several writers for the series had also worked on Doctor Who. These include Bob Baker, Robert Holmes, Anthony Read, and John Lucarotti.
The singing voice in the show's theme song is Lynda Richardson. She also sang the main melody for the theme of Children of the Stones. Patrick Dromgoole was the executive producer for both shows. Sidney Sager wrote the music for both series.
The three child actors continued acting as adults. Simon Beal now uses the stage name Charlie Caine. He had a small role in the movie Bridget Jones's Diary. Lisa Turner had a main role in the UK drama Bad Girls. Simon Henderson played Eddie Hunter in the TV show EastEnders.
Pamela Salem, who played Belor, based Belor's laugh on Ted Rhodes. He was a script editor for the BBC show All Creatures Great and Small. Pamela Salem also appeared in several episodes of that show.
Books About the Show
The first and second series were turned into books by Peter Graham Scott. The first book was called Into The Labyrinth. The second was called Return To The Labyrinth.
Home Video Releases
The first series was released on VHS tapes in the late 1980s. The entire series was released on DVD in the UK on July 14, 2008. It came as a three-disc box set. It included photo galleries as extra features.
Main Cast
- Rothgo (Series 1 & 2, 1981): Ron Moody
- Belor (Series 1 - 3, 1981–82): Pamela Salem
- Phil (Series 1 - 3, 1981–82): Simon Beal
- Helen (Series 1 & 2, 1981): Lisa Turner
- Terry (Series 1 & 2, 1981): Simon Henderson
- Lazlo (Series 3, 1982): Chris Harris
- Bram (Series 3, 1982): Howard Goorney
See also
In Spanish: Dentro del laberinto (serie de TV) para niños
