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The premise of the show concerned the emergence of the next stage of human evolution, who were literally classified as ''homo superior'', the next stage after '' Homo Sapiens '', but preferred to call themselves "the Tomorrow People". Born to ''homo sapiens'' parents, an apparently-normal child might at some point between childhood and late adolescence experience a physically and mentally stressful process calling "breaking out"; surviving this process meant becoming a "Tomorrow Person", capable of various psi powers (especially Telepathy , Teleportation (called ''jaunting'' in the show), and Psychokinesis ) but unable to deliberately physically injure others (though capable of using non-lethal weaponry such as "stun guns".) Possessing not only psi powers, but advanced technology such as the biological computer "TIM" (who was explicitly capable of original thought, and who could augment their psychic powers), the Tomorrow People operate out of a secret laboratory built in an abandoned London Underground station, watching for new Tomorrow People "breaking out" to help them through the process, and sometimes dealing with attention from extraterrestrial species, especially from a "Galactic Federation" which oversees the development of telepathic species. While they reveal the existence of Tomorrow People to some (especially to parents of the Tomorrow People), they generally operate in secrecy for fear that normal people (whom they term "saps", an abbreviation for ''homo sapiens'') will either fear and victimise them because of their special powers or try to exploit their powers for military purposes. Roger Price produced the revival for Tetra Films (a Thames Television subsidiary) and Nickelodeon between 1992 and 1995. However, this was markedly different from its predecessor and featured none of the original cast. Also missing were the computer TIM , the title sequences and music, the "Lab", and their distinctive belt buckles used for Teleportation . Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was not so well received as its forebearer. Nickelodeon broadcast the original 1970s version in the United States in the early 1980s, and broadcast all five stories (''The Tomorrow People'', ''The Culex Experiment'', ''Monsoon Man'', ''The Rameses Connection'' and ''The Living Stones'' ) from the revival in the '90s. A comic strip version was also produced, written by Angus P. Allan and printed in TV comic Look-In . In 2001, Big Finish Productions launched an audio series based on the original concept, produced by Nigel Fairs . Nicholas Young reprised his role as John and Philip Gilbert as TIM with Helen Goldwyn and Daniel Wilson appearing as the new Tomorrow People Elena and Paul. Some releases also feature other original cast members, such as Peter Vaughan-Clarke , Elizabeth Adare and Mike Holloway (notably ''Trigonometry''). After Philip Gilbert's death, Trevor Littledale took over the role of TIM in the audio series, from ''The Warlock's Dance'' onwards. SPECIAL EFFECTS Even for the time, the Special Effects of the original show were considered sub-par and Camp , largely attributable to the small budget the show had access to. For instance, the planet Peeri (World's Away) was actually the countryside on the outskirts of London filmed through a yellow filter. The visual effects improved considerably in the 1990s series, although the Tomorrow People initially tend to have some difficulty with their teleportations and seem to frequently teleport to just above a swimming pool, or just off the beach of their South Pacific island (actually a beach in Dorset , England ), while the 1970s series often suffers from the somewhat primitive colour-separation overlay effects of the time (and a limited budget). 1970S SERIES NOTE: All 8 seasons of the original series are now being released on DVD through Revelation Films in the UK with all series now available. All discs are Region 0 and will be playable in most countries where PAL is the standard. In 2005, A&E TV released two boxsets for North America. Set 1 (green cover) contains series 1 and 2, and set 2 (blue cover) contains series 3, 4, and 5 (though the cover erroneously says series 3 & 4 only; the confusion seems to arise that series 3 has the same number of episodes as series 4 & 5 combined). The remaining episodes are scheduled for Region 1 DVD release on May 30, 2006. Series 1 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke ::Carol - Sammie Winmill ::Kenny - Stephen Salmon ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert ::Ginge - Michael Standing ::Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch. ::Director: Paul Bernard ::Guest Cast: :::Lefty - Derek Crewe :::Jedikiah - Francis De Wolff :::Cyclops - Robert Bridges :::Mrs. Jameson - Patricia Denys ::Plot: Stephen, up until now an ordinary schoolboy, suddenly collapses on a London street as the mental ordeal of "breaking out" begins. The three existing Tomorrow People John, Carol and Kenny, aware of his ordeal, manage to make contact with him and guide him through the process, but are unable to keep him from being kidnapped by Ginge and Lefty, two Cockney thugs working for the mysterious Jedikiah, who wants the Tomorrow People for their psychic powers, and who serves in turn the even more mysterious Cyclops. Jedikiah turns out to be in reality the Cyclops' shape-changing robot; the Cyclops (implied to be of the same race as Polyphemus , the Cyclops of Homer's '' Odyssey '') turns out to be an alien traveller stranded near Earth after an accident killed his crew of telepaths, whose powers are needed to operate his ship's engines. Jedikiah is damaged and goes berserk, damaging the ship and dooming it to explode; the Tomorrow People, however, are able to teleport the Cyclops off the ship to Earth, and contact other aliens who can provide the Cyclops with the atmosphere he needs to breathe and with transport back to his own star system. Jedikiah survives the explosion of the ship and is left drifting in space; Ginge and Lefty become the Tomorrow People's allies. ::Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch. ::Director: Roger Price. ::Guest Cast: :::Peter - Richard Speight :::Jedikiah - Roger Bizley :::Rabowski - Roger Booth :::Coppin - Dave Prowse :::Medusa - Norman McGlen ::Authors: Roger Price, Brian Finch. ::Director: Paul Bernard. ::Guest Cast: :::Lefty - Derek Crewe :::Smithers - Kenneth Farrington :::Steen - Kevin Stoney ::: Spidron - John Woodnutt Series 2 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Chris - Christopher Chittell ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert ::Professor Cawston - Brian Stanion
::Original UK transmission 4 February - 4 March 1974 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Roger Price. ::Guest Cast: :::Grandfather - Nigel Pegram :::Robert - Jason Kemp :::Police Inspector - Simon Merrick :::Johnson - Ray Burdis ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Roger Price. ::Guest Cast: :::Peter - Richard Speight :::Professor Sylvia Garner - Sylvia Coleridge :::Gaius - Stanley Lebor :::Lothar - Leonard Pieroni ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Roger Price. ::Guest Cast: :::Douglas McLelland - William Relton :::Lt General McLelland - Lindsay Campbell :::Lee Wan - Eric Young :::Doomsday Man - Bill Treacher Series 3 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Tyso - Dean Lawrence ::Chris - Christopher Chittell ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert ::Professor Cawston - Brian Stanion
::Original UK transmission 26 February - 19 March 1975 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Stan Woodward. ::Guest Cast: :::Patricia Conway - Anne Curthoys :::Col. Masters - Trevor Bannister :::Prime Minister - Hugh Morton ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::Mrs Boswell - Joanna Tope :::Evergreen Boswell - Denise Cook :::Lenda - Lydia Lisle :::Timus / Tikno - Philip Gilbert :::Arkron - Keith Chegwin ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Stan Woodward. ::Guest Cast: :::Elmer - Peter Davison :::Emily - Sandra Dickinson :::The Momma - Margaret Burton :::Publican - Robin Parkinson :::Mr Greenhead - Bill Dean ::See also: Tickling Boots ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::Jedikiah - Francis de Wolff :::Sergeant Evans - John Lyon :::Evergreen Boswell - Denise Cook :::Mustaf - Ali Bongo Series 4 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Stephen - Peter Vaughan-Clarke ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Tyso - Dean Lawrence ::Mike Bell - Mike Holloway ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
::Original UK transmission 21 October - 5 November 1975 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Leon Thau. ::Guest Cast: :::Inspector - Tim Barrett :::Lord Dunning - Harold Kasket :::Mr O'Reilly - Patrick McAlinney :::Thwaites - Arnold Diamond
::Original UK transmission 13 January - 28 January 1976 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Roger Price. ::Guest Cast: :::Tirayaan - Geoffrey Bayldon :::Kwaan - Stephen Garlick :::Vaktaan - Brian Coburn :::Ralaa - Raymond Boyd Series 5 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Mike - Mike Holloway ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
::Original UK transmission 28 February - 7 March 1977 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::Pavla - Anulka Dubynska :::KGB Man - Jan Murzynowski :::Senior KGB Man - Gabor Vernon :::Major Ann Turner - Vivien Heilbron ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Richard Mervyn. ::Guest Cast: :::Gremlon - Anthony Garner :::Trig - Guy Humphries :::Trog - David Corti ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::Jake - Roddy Maude-Roxby :::Mike Harding - James Smilie :::Derek - Derek Pascoe :::Bill - Bill Rice :::The Fresh Hearts - Flintlock (Jamie Stone, John Summerton) Series 6 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Mike - Mike Holloway ::Hsui Tai - Misako Koba ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Peter Webb. ::Guest Cast: :::Matsu Tan - Burt Kwouk :::Sage - Robert Lee ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Leon Thau. ::Guest Cast: :::Hitler - Michael Sheard :::Professor Friedl - Richard Warner :::Major Hughes - Leon Eagles :::Karl Brandt - Nicholas Lyndhurst :::Willi Frisch - Earl Rhodes ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Peter Yolland. ::Guest Cast: :::General Papa Minn - Olu Jacobs :::Flynn - Michael Audreson :::Sula - Jackie Cowper :::Major Marcos - Eric Roberts Series 7 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Mike - Mike Holloway ::Hsui Tai - Misako Koba ::Andrew Forbes - Nigel Rhodes ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
::Original UK transmission 9 October - 16 October 1978 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::Bruce Forbes - Dominic Allen :::Angus McDuff - Bill Gavin :::Professor Gail Mayer - Jennifer Watts :::Professor Young - Brian Jackson
::Original UK transmission 23 October - 30 October 1978 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Gabrielle Beaumont. ::Guest Cast: :::Bruce Forbes - Dominic Allen :::Yagon - Hilary Minster :::Cantor - Christian Rodska :::Glip - Stanley Bates :::Timus - Philip Gilbert :::Accompanist - Ted Taylor
::Original UK transmission 6 November - 11 November 1978 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Stan Woodward. ::Guest Cast: :::Wilton - Ralph Lawford :::Girl - Judith Fielding :::Guard - Dave Carter Series 8 :Regular Cast ::John - Nicholas Young ::Elizabeth - Elizabeth Adare ::Mike - Mike Holloway ::Hsui Tai - Misako Koba ::Andrew Forbes - Nigel Rhodes ::Voice of TIM - Philip Gilbert
::Original UK transmission 29 January - 19 February 1979 ::Author: Roger Price. ::Director: Vic Hughes. ::Guest Cast: :::American President - John F. Parker :::American General - Richard Bartlett :::Morgan Evans - David Baxt :::Thargon General - Oliver Maguire :::Chaircreature - David Cann :::Sorsen Captain - Terry Woodfield :::Thargon Commander - Percy Herbert :::Thargon Officer - Anthony Stafford 1990S SERIES :Regular Tomorrow People: ::Adam Newman - Kristian Schmid ::Megabyte (Marmaduke Damon) - Christian Tessier ::Kevin Wilson - Adam Pearce (only until ''The Culex Experiment'') ::Lisa Davies - Kristen Ariza (only in the Pilot/Origin/Beginning) ::Ami Jackson - Naomie Harris (from ''The Culex Experiment'') ::Jade Weston - Alexandra Millman (''The Living Stones'' with a brief appearance in ''The Culex Experiment'')
::First UK transmission: November - December 1992 ::Guest Cast: :::Professor Galt - Hugh Quarshie :::General Bill Damon - Jeff Harding :::Lady Mulvaney - Gabrielle Hamilton
::First UK transmission: January - February 1994 ::Guest Cast: :::Culex - Jean Marsh :::Culex' twin henchpeople - Tessa Vale, Deborah Vale
::First UK transmission: February 1994 ::Guest Cast: :::Colonel Cobb - William Hootkins
::First UK transmission: January 1995 ::Guest Cast: :::Rameses - Christopher Lee
::First UK transmission: February 1995 ::Guest Cast: :::Byron Lucifer - Danny John-Jules THE AUDIO SERIES ::#''The New Gods'' by Rebecca Levene and Gareth Roberts ::#''The Deadliest Species'' by Gary Russell ::#''The Ghosts of Mendez'' by Austin Atkinson ::#''The Sign of Diolyx'' by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry ::#''A New Atlantis'' by Nigel Fairs ::#''The Power of Fear'' by Steve Lyons ::#''The Curse of Kaavan'' by Nigel Fairs ::#''Alone'' by Nigel Fairs ::#''The Slarvian Menace'' by Mark Wright ::#''The Warlock's Dance'' by Cavan Scott ::#''A Living Hell'' by Nigel Fairs ::#''Trigonometry'' by Gary Russell ::#''Saying Goodbye'' by Nigel Fairs ::#''The Lords of Forever'' by Craig Hinton ::#''Queen of Slarvos'' by Nigel Fairs CONTROVERSIES Silver-suits and references to the "homo superior" were popularised in the ealy 1970's by David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust incarnation. The phrase "homo superior" appears on the track "Oh! You Pretty Things" from the 1971 album "Hunky Dory". The series may have drawn inspiration from the Marvel comic X-Men , which in its original 1963 incarnation featured a team of teenage "mutants" (similarly known as "homo sapien superior") with abilities much like the later ''Tomorrow People''. Another link of note between the two is that the first major storyline of the updated version of the characters, Ultimate X-Men features "The Tomorrow People" as the title and uses a font similar to the opening credits of the '70s series. EXTERNAL LINKS
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