The Tomorrow People facts for kids
The Tomorrow People is a British science fiction TV show created by Roger Price. It was made by Thames Television for the ITV network. The first series aired from April 30, 1973, to February 19, 1979.
Later, in 1992, after the original show was very popular in America, Nickelodeon asked Roger Price to make a new version. This new show was filmed at Nickelodeon Studios Florida and kept the main idea of the original. It ran until March 8, 1995. From 2001 to 2007, Big Finish Productions made audio plays based on the first series, using many of the original actors. In 2013, an American version of the show started on The CW.
Contents
What the Show is About
All versions of The Tomorrow People are about the next step in human evolution. These special people are called Tomorrow People. They are born to normal parents. At some point, usually between childhood and their late teens, they go through a process called 'breaking out'. This gives them amazing powers.
These powers include psionic abilities like:
- Telepathy: Reading minds.
- Telekinesis: Moving things with their mind.
- Teleportation: Moving instantly from one place to another.
However, there's one big rule they can't break: they cannot intentionally kill anyone. This is a key part of who they are.
The First Series (1970s)
Quick facts for kids The Tomorrow People |
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| Genre | Superhero / Fantasy / Drama / Sci-Fi |
| Created by | Roger Price |
| Starring | Nicholas Young, Elizabeth Adare, Peter Vaughan-Clarke, Philip Gilbert, Stephen Salmon, Sammie Winmill, Dean Lawrence, Mike Holoway, Misako Koba, Nigel Rhodes |
| Music by | Dudley Simpson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 68 (List) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 30 April 1973 – 19 February 1979 |
The first Tomorrow People series was made by Thames Television for ITV. The Tomorrow People work from a secret base called The Lab. It's hidden in an old London Underground station.
The team constantly looks for new Tomorrow People who are "breaking out." This usually happens around the age of puberty. They help these young people through the difficult process as their minds suddenly change. They also deal with aliens and dangers from military groups on Earth. These groups want to capture or use them.
A key rule for Tomorrow People is the "prime barrier." This means they cannot intentionally take a life. If a Tomorrow Person causes someone's death, their brain would become confused, driving them insane.
They also have links with the "Galactic Federation." This group looks after telepathic species across the galaxy. Besides their psychic powers (telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation), they use cool technology. This includes a special computer named TIM. TIM is a "biotronic" computer, meaning it's partly biological. TIM can think for itself, use telepathy, and even boost their powers. TIM also helps them teleport long distances. For this, they need to wear a device on their belt or wrist. Teleportation is often called jaunting in the show.
In the original series, Tomorrow People are also called Homo novis or Homo superior. The term Homo superior was first used by Olaf Stapledon in his 1935 book Odd John.
Roger Price got the idea for the show in 1970. He first offered it to Granada, where he worked, but they said no. Then, Thames Television decided to make a 13-episode series. They wanted a show to replace Ace of Wands. ITV was also looking for its own answer to Doctor Who.
The show's opening credits were very memorable. They showed haunting images and close-ups of the main actors. An eerie theme tune by Dudley Simpson played in the background.
Season One
Roger Price wanted talented and good-looking actors for the main roles. Nicholas Young played John, the group's leader. Peter Vaughan Clarke was cast as Stephen. Sammie Winmill played Carol, the female lead. Stephen Salmon played Kenny, the youngest Tomorrow Person. Philip Gilbert provided the voice for TIM, the computer.
The team also had two human friends, bikers named Ginge (Michael Standing) and Lefty (Derek Crewe). They first met the Tomorrow People while working for the villain Jedikiah. Stephen was often the hero, while John was more of an authority figure. Nicholas Young was the only Tomorrow Person actor to be in every episode.
Filming began in March 1973. The first story, "The Slaves of Jedikiah," had some challenges. The crew was new to making science fiction. The special effects were sometimes not great because of the small budget. The first season cost about £5000 per episode, which was half of what Doctor Who cost. Despite this, the show was very popular with young viewers.
Season Two
Because the first series was a success, 13 more episodes were made. Some changes happened. Kenny and Carol left the show. In their place came Elizabeth M'Bondo, played by Elizabeth Adare. Elizabeth was a student teacher at Stephen's school when she "broke out." This became a tradition: a new Tomorrow Person would join in the first story of each new series. Elizabeth Adare stayed until the show ended in 1979.
Michael Standing returned as Ginge, but he broke his leg on the first day of filming. So, Ginge's younger brother, Chris (Chris Chittell), became the new human friend.
Season Three
In 1975, the third series added Dean Lawrence as Tyso Boswell, a gypsy. Roger Price wanted the Tomorrow People to come from all backgrounds. Chris left after one episode. A telepathic secret agent named Tricia Conway appeared in two stories. She fully "broke out" in the series finale.
This series also showed why the Tomorrow People must keep their existence a secret. The British Secret Intelligence Service hunted them down. For the first time, the group visited an alien world. They went to the planet Peerie to help its telepathic people.
Season Four
Roger Price was getting tired of the show and tried to end it. But Thames Television wanted it to continue because it was so popular. So, the show continued with shorter seasons.
At the start of the fourth series, Mike Holoway joined as Mike Bell. Mike was a drummer in a pop band. His arrival meant there were five Tomorrow People in The Lab. This led to Stephen (Peter Vaughan-Clarke) leaving the show. Mike became the new hero, and John and Elizabeth took on more parental roles.
Season Five
Vic Hughes became the producer for Series 5, which started in 1977. This was the only series not to introduce a new Tomorrow Person. Mike Holoway was now the main star. His band, Flintlock, even appeared in one episode.
Season Six
In 1978, Elizabeth Adare was pregnant, so her character, Elizabeth, was mostly absent. In her place came Hsui Tai, played by Japanese actress Misako Koba. A new, smaller Lab set was introduced. The "jaunting belts" were replaced by "jaunting bands" worn on the wrists. These changes happened after a fire at the Thames storerooms.
Season Seven
Season 7 in late 1978 introduced another Tomorrow Person, a young Scottish boy named Andrew Forbes (Nigel Rhodes). Andrew used his powers to create ghost illusions at his father's hotel. Elizabeth also returned from her time away.
Season Eight and Cancellation
By the late 1970s, the show's budget was very tight. A disagreement over studio time led to the show ending in 1979. Roger Price had also moved to America to help set up Nickelodeon. The show finally ended after a short rerun in early 1980.
Main Characters
- TIM (voice of Philip Gilbert) is a special biological computer. He has an artificial intelligence and helps the Tomorrow People with information. TIM is in The Lab.
- John (Nicholas Young) is the leader of the Tomorrow People. He is 17 and an inventor. He built The Lab and TIM. John was the first Tomorrow Person to "break out" without any help.
- Carol (Sammie Winmill) helped John and Kenny watch Stephen before he broke out. She helped Stephen through the process.
- Kenny (Stephen Salmon) is the youngest of the original four Tomorrow People, at 12 years old. He usually stays in The Lab.
- Stephen Jameson (Peter Vaughan-Clarke) is the first Tomorrow Person to "break out" on screen. He has powers like "jaunting" (teleporting), telepathy (reading minds), and telekinesis (moving objects with his mind).
- Jedikiah (Francis de Wolff and Roger Bizley) is a shape-changing alien robot. He hates the Tomorrow People and tries to destroy them.
- Elizabeth M'Bondo (Elizabeth Adare) is the first new Tomorrow Person to join the team. She is a student teacher and brings a sense of kindness to the group. She often stands up to John.
- Tyso Boswell (Dean Lawrence) is introduced in the third season. He comes from a gypsy family and is often cheeky.
- Mike Bell (Mike Holoway) is a working-class Londoner. He joins the team in season four. He is loyal but sometimes disagrees with John's orders.
- Hsui Tai (Misako Koba) is a girl from China who joins in season six. She was worshipped by monks and adapts to Western ways.
- Andrew Forbes (Nigel Rhodes) is a Scottish boy who joins in season seven. He can project illusions.
- Timus (Philip Gilbert) is a friendly alien diplomat from the Galactic Federation. He is a clone and helped build TIM.
Merchandise
A comic strip version of The Tomorrow People was printed in the TV comic Look-In. Five tie-in novels were also released.
New Versions of the Show
1990s Series
| The Tomorrow People | |
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| Created by | Roger Damon Price |
| Starring | Kristian Schmid, Christian Tessier, Adam Pearce, Kristen Ariza, Naomie Harris, Alexandra Milman |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 25 (List) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Tetra Films Reeves Entertainment Thames Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 18 November 1992 – 8 March 1995 |
Roger Price made a new version of The Tomorrow People in the 1990s. This show was almost completely different from the first one. It had a new cast, new characters, and new music. The new series had actors from different countries to help sell the show worldwide.
The new Tomorrow People could teleport without the special belt buckles. They also relied more on their wits and powers instead of stun guns. The secret base, The Lab, was replaced by a psychic spaceship in the South Pacific. The computer TIM was replaced by a silent computer that was part of the alien ship. The special effects were much better in this version.
The main role of Adam Newman went to Kristian Schmid. Other stars included Kristen Ariza as Lisa Davies, Adam Pearce as Kevin Wilson, and Christian Tessier as Megabyte Damon. The first season was one long story about the intelligence services trying to use the Tomorrow People.
The second season started in 1994. Grant Cathro and Lee Pressman took over the writing. The show focused on Adam and Megabyte. Naomie Harris joined as Ami Jackson. The third season featured Christopher Lee as a villain. This series also introduced aliens for the first time in the 1990s version. The show ended after three seasons.
Audio Revival
In 2001, Big Finish Productions started making new audio plays based on the original series. Nicholas Young and Philip Gilbert returned to play John and TIM. Other original actors like Peter Vaughan-Clarke, Elizabeth Adare, and Mike Holoway also appeared. These audio plays continued until 2007.
2013 American Series
In 2012, Julie Plec and Greg Berlanti got the rights to The Tomorrow People to make a new American TV show. The CW Television Network ordered a pilot episode. Luke Mitchell was cast as John Young.
The show was picked up as a full series in May 2013. It aired on Wednesdays and then Mondays. However, on May 8, 2014, The CW decided not to renew The Tomorrow People for a second season.
Documentaries
In October 2005, a documentary about the original series called Beyond Tomorrow was released. It featured interviews with many of the original actors. The next year, another DVD called Re-inventing The Tomorrow People discussed the 1990s series.
