The Tripods (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Tripods
The Tripods Titles
Genre	Science fiction
Written by	John Christopher (novel) Alick Rowe (series 1) Christopher Penfold (series 2)
Directed by	Graham Theakston (7 eps) Christopher Barry (11 eps) Bob Blagden (7 eps)
Starring	John Shackley Ceri Seel Jim Baker
Composer(s)	Ken Freeman
Country of origin	United Kingdom Australia
Original language(s)	English, French, Italian, German
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	25
Production
Producer(s)	Richard Bates
Running time	25–30 minutes per episode
Release
Picture format	PAL (576i)
Audio format	Monaural
First shown in	United Kingdom BBC Australia Seven Network
Original release	15 September 1984 (1984-09-15) – 23 November 1985 (1985-11-23)

The Tripods was a popular science fiction TV show. It was based on a series of books by John Christopher. The show was made by the BBC in the United Kingdom and the Seven Network in Australia. It told the story of a future world ruled by giant alien machines called Tripods.

The music for the show was created by Ken Freeman. The first season of The Tripods aired in 1984. It had 13 episodes and covered the first book, The White Mountains. The second season, with 12 episodes, came out in 1985. It was based on the second book, The City of Gold and Lead.

Even though a script was ready for a third season, the show was stopped. This happened because it didn't get enough viewers. Both seasons of The Tripods have been released on DVD.

About The Tripods TV Show

Story and Production

The Tripods takes place in the year 2089. Giant alien machines called Tripods control Earth. They have "capped" all humans over the age of 16. This capping makes people obedient and stops them from thinking freely.

The story follows a young boy named Will Parker. He is almost 16 and will soon be capped. Will decides to run away and find a group of free humans. These people live in secret and are trying to fight the Tripods.

The first season shows Will's journey to find these free people. He travels across Europe, meeting new friends along the way. The second season follows Will and his friends as they try to learn more about the Tripods. They even go inside one of the Tripod cities.

The show was filmed in many different places. These locations helped create the look of a world taken over by aliens. The filming made the show feel real and exciting for viewers.

Where Was It Filmed?

The TV show The Tripods used many real-life places to create its futuristic world. These locations helped make the story believable. For example, the village of Wherton was filmed in Friday Street in the UK. The Parker family mill was filmed at Headley Water Mill in Hampshire.

Many scenes were shot in the beautiful countryside of the UK and even in Switzerland. Places like Charlestown, Cornwall were used for coastal scenes. Old castles like Saltwood Castle became important buildings in the show.

Even tunnels and power stations were used. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal became a "chemin de fer" (railway) canal. Inside shots of the City of Gold were filmed at the Dinorwig power station in Wales. These varied locations helped bring the world of The Tripods to life.

Other Tripods Adventures

The Video Game

In 1985, a video game based on The Tripods TV series was released. It was made by Watermill Productions. The game was published by a company called Red Shift. It let players experience the world of the show in a new way.

Future Film Plans

Since 1997, Disney has owned the rights to make a movie version of The Tripods. In 2005, there were reports that a film was being planned. An Australian director named Gregor Jordan was set to write and direct it.

The movie was expected to come out around 2012. However, as of 2019, the project is still being developed. No cast members have been announced, and filming dates are not yet set. Fans are still waiting to see if a movie will be made.

Music and DVDs

The complete first and second seasons of The Tripods were released on DVD. This happened on March 23, 2009. Fans could finally own the entire TV series.

At the same time, a new music album was released. It was called The Tripods: Pool of Fire Suite. This album was created by Ken Freeman, the original composer for the show. The music was inspired by the third season of the show, which was never made.