Timeslip

Timeslip is one of many science fiction series from the 1970's. However, crucially it is also one of the best, standing the test of time better than say the excruciatingly cheap but entertaining romp that was the Tomorrow People or the imaginative fantasy series The Ace of Wands. Created by Ruth Boswell and husband James Boswell, the series focused on crucial issues in an increasingly technological age and did so all under the banner of a serious children's television drama, which for its time was really quite something. Aimed as a rival to the BBC's Doctor Who, the Boswell's and excellent television writer Bruce Stewart produced something entirely different from what was available on British television at the time. Doomwatch - the gritty and often rather lacklustre series covering moral, social and environmental issues was the only programme that came close to Timeslip at this time, but Timeslip was overall much more successful. The premise of the story - a young girl finding a time barrier at an abandoned naval station - is truly intriguing, add in some atmospheric direction from a team of excellent directors, sparse but brilliantly executed location footage and some solid performances - special note goes to the flawless and concentrated performance of Denis Quilley as Commander Traynor and you have a remarkably entertaining and memorable series. The regulars, intrigued by local gossip about the young girl and drawn to the time barrier were an excellent choice as central characters - as children from 1970 could instantly relate to them. Simon, portrayed by the excellent child actor Spencer Banks is the brainy one, interested in science and maths, with an instinct for discovery he single-handedly figures out all the crucial plot points for the audience to absorb, whilst (rather unfortunately) the naive and whining Liz, played by the admirable Cheryl Burfield, whines a little longer. In this respect the serial has dated - but the concepts and ideas put forward, and its ability to predict many future issues put the series way ahead of its time. Timeslip is quite simply 26 episodes of virtually flawless television. Throw away the minor grumbles about the sexist interpretation of Liz and the opening stories slightly laboured execution and delve in. The Wrong End of Time is a fantastic instalment in which one of our central protagonists encounters her father in a 1940's naval station - coincidentally where the time barrier stands in 1970's England - and with the first appearance of Commander Traynor - a character so crucial to the overall story. The Time of the Ice Box gives viewers a terrible insight into future earth - and Liz's alter ego Beth. One of the strongest stories of all - The Year of the Burn Up gives us an equally bleak presentation of future earth - Buckinghamshire turned into an Amazonian jungle, with the issue of climate change being brought to the fore - and all this occurring as a possible projection (like the Ice Box) of the Earth in 1990. The final story - written by the excellent Victor Pemberton - effortlessly following on from Bruce Stewart - addresses the importance of individuality and the limits of genetic progress - with another appearance of the excellent John Barron as Devereaux and a marvellous final twist concerning the malevolent and untrustworthy Commander Traynor. And so after 26 episodes, the series ended. Could it have ran for another series? ........ Quite possibly - but what we have is truly special, consistently brilliant, consistently thought provoking and remarkably well made for its small budget, skillfully avoiding ambitious special effects and concentrating on character, mood and atmosphere. Timeslip is a slice of television gold - one of the best TV series of its time. So sit back relax, and watch the excellent DVD set of all 26 episodes. Beware though, you might want to adjust your lenses for episode 12! To repeat a hideous, but fitting cliché - they don't make them like this anymore!!!

Kids have adventures back and forth in time. The show had flaws in some ways. In spite of the fact a respectable name is credited as scientific advisor, and a legitimate Scientist Man prefaces several episodes assuring us it's all plausible and trying to explain how it might work, I never did quite get the hang of the rules, and several times it's suggested that they're in effect only hallucinating, which would lower the stakes if true but is surely contradicted by other things. The overall story arc is fairly clearly being made up as they go, and without the slickness with which some modern shows do this, and the ending breezily retcons an early part in a way that made no sense to me.

But it's very entertaining and just has a certain something about it, perhaps just the charisma of the leads, in particular the kids and Dennis Quilley as the machiavellian Traynor, and some very good scripts, and it fully deserves its enduring cult status. The parts revolving around the children encountering their future selves and not much liking how they've turned out are especially great. There are some good twists and cliffhangers, images that stay with you and much food for thought, and it gets eerily apocalyptic at one point in a way I've rarely come across. Among other highlights is a turn by CJ out of Reginald Perrin as a genuinely chilling and intimidating mad scientist that has to be seen to be believed.

Simon Randall (Spencer Banks) and Liz Skinner (Cheryl Burfield) are teenage friends who slipped into a time hole to find themselves trapped in various periods of the 20th century, where they encounter all sorts of strange environments.

Another traveler, Commander Charles Traynor (Denis Quilley) also played Caliban in "The Tempest" with John Gielgud

They are not always alone and are also connected telepathically. Similar to projects like "The Time Tunnel" (1966), but has more of that ancient British TV such as the first shows of "Doctor Who" (1963) with William Hartnell.

This program is broken into many small parts which can be annoying and must have been annoying if you had to wait between the parts on the original presentation. Now we have the opportunity to binge 26 episodes. No fare looking ahead as it does wrap up well.

This was actually released on Video quite a few years ago, and I bought the first three series, but somehow missed out on the fourth. This is a classic children's sci-fi drama which gripped tea time viewers during 1970. Comical in parts, and quite dramatic in others, particularly the cliff hangers which left you waiting for the next episode. Those who love Cult TV would have really enjoyed this. Perhaps now is the time for a re-release, perhaps on DVD.

I was six when Timeslip was shown, but it has really stayed with me. I am surprised that no-one has published anything about it on the WWW, and yes, I have indeed been sad enough to search for it. Hell, there is even a Double Deckers page, so why not Timeslip!

Some things I remember are:

*some episodes were in colour, and others in black and white. Might this be why it has not been reshown?

*that the scary blary ATV sig tune blended perfectly into the theme music: da-da-da-da-DAAAAAA.....

*the way Liz and Simon would feel along the gap in the wire netting to find the Time Barrier.

*thinking how freaky it was when Liz met herself in the future (probably 1988 or something), but that she was called Beth.

*I used to have the novelisation, and there was also the comic strip version in Look-in (someone needs to do a Look-In website, by the way).

Does anyone know if Timeslip is available on video? I have never found it and would love to see it again.