Fatty & George

I don't know how many times I have posed the question on the aus.tv newsgroup - "Does anyone remember a show in the early 80's in which there were these kids trying to find their scientist father who has disappeared, and are being chased by some evil lady who is trying to steal some special crystal wand they possess which can freeze time..."

It took years to find out the title, and then do a search here in IMDB, to find - nothing. This is to at least allow anyone else who has gone through a similar search to be able to put their mind at ease.

Yes, I remember the show... Yes, it really does exist... No, I can't really elaborate any more than I have above. I wonder if the ABC will ever air it again...

Like most shows that I enjoyed when I was a kid the memories are always better than the actual show, if I were to watch it again today I would probably cringe in embarrassment. I remember that it had some good ideas that appealed to my 10 year old mind at the time. I always wanted one of those crystals and I also loved their beach front hideout.

There was a movie made a few years back called Timeclockers that seemed like a rip off of Fatty and George, I wonder if the writers were inspired by this classic series? Would anyone like to see it on DVD? Makes me wonder what happened to the actors that were in the show.

Anyone else remember this show?

Fatty and George are two ordinary kids with an extraordinary father - a scientist conducting experiments in time travel. One day, things go horribly wrong, sending him into a limbo-like dimension, powerless to return. Worse still, the rod-like crystal at the heart of the operation is much sought-after by rivals Phil and Nancy, not least because it has the ability to freeze time around the bearer, leaving them to do with the world as they will. With the help of their friend Izzy, Fatty and George secure the crystal and try to stay one step ahead of their pursuers while battling a gang of biker kids until they can figure out how to bring their father back from limbo.

'Fatty & George' was one of the earliest sci-fi shows I ever saw as a child, and helped begin my lifelong love of the genre. Small wonder then that despite ABC Australia's refusal to repeat it since somewhere around 1985, it sticks firmly in my memory. Doubtless by now, the special effects (some early superimposed graphics as well as some equally basic green-screen) would hardly look state of the art, but a good show is measured by an interesting script and the conviction of its actors, as evidenced by the continuing popularity of the similarly low-budget original Doctor Who that I also grew up with. It was a great adventure for children, who probably all enjoyed imagining what they would do if they had a crystal that could freeze time. I know I did, just as I know I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind seeing it again.