Anomaly (Primeval)
Encyclopedia
Anomalies are fictional phenomena which occur in the science fiction television
series Primeval and are a type of time portal
. The anomaly is shown as an orb of fractured reflective or refractive triangles in the air, much like shards of broken glass. One character stated that he could see a Permian
desert through it. These time anomalies act as a plot generator
for the series, as they are what allow the extinct species that make up the basic plots of the show to travel through them for the show's team to investigate, in a manner similar to the Rift
in Torchwood
, or the Hellmouth
in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They allow past and future creatures to come to the present. The characters on Primeval do not know what causes the anomalies or why they are there.
. They resemble glowing shattered pieces of glass floating in mid-air, through which people, animals and objects can travel. It is also stated in Episode 2, 3 and 8 that atmospheric gases and liquid can also pass through.
The anomalies are highly magnetic, they can draw ferrous
objects – for example keys, and pens – into them, they also render compass
es useless near them. Connor proved this multiple times by throwing metal objects into the anomalies (once accidentally throwing his front door key into the first one that was found). However it is shown in Episode Four that the magnetic field is not strong enough to penetrate through the metal of a stainless steel fridge door. The anomalies also produce radio interference on the frequency 87.6FM as demonstrated by the
shopping center anomaly.
An anomaly can either have a fixed location at both "ends" of the anomaly or one end may be unstable and thus move location, for example the present end of an anomaly moves in the 3rd while the past location of the anomaly was fixed.
It is also possible to enter only partway into an anomaly without being sucked in, for example a person can take a look through an anomaly simply by poking their face through without travelling all the way through. In Episode Four it is shown that dozens of anomalies can be open at the same time and all lead to different eras and locations.
They can cut across distance as well as time, as creatures which were never native to Great Britain, nor the area which Britain has passed through in its geological past, have passed through the anomalies into modern Britain. For example the dodo was only found on tropical islands around Mauritius
, and Scutosaurus
were located in Russia
and parts of Europe.
Also the team encountered dodo
s at one anomaly a bird which did not evolve
until well after the time of the dinosaur
s ended (the dinosaurs became extinct at the end of Cretaceous
period 65 million years ago
whereas the dodo had not separated from its common ancestor with the Rodrigues Solitaire
until around 25 million years ago). This would indicate that the anomalies can be linked to any period in the earth's history.
In Episode 6 it's demonstrated that interference with the past can alter the future in unspecified ways. Also, the ending of the sixth episode ended with a cliffhanger where the anomaly appeared to start to expand for reasons unknown, although Episode 7 showed this was just the anomaly closing. It has not yet been established how many time anomalies have occurred nor where they originate from, though the capture of an extinct form of Sarcopterygian suggests that there have been others before the Forest of Dean
anomaly seen in Episode 1.
The strength of the anomalies weaken over time. They slowly lose their magnetic power, shrink in size, and eventually collapse in on themselves. Although they can be re-opened such as the Permian anomaly, which has closed and reopened at least three times, and the Carboniferous
anomaly which never closed at all.
In the spin-off novels "Shadow of the Jaguar" and "Extinction Event
", an anomaly opens in the Peruvian Jungle and Russian Tundra (respectively), proving that anomalies exist outside the UK. However, the canonicity of the book has yet to be determined.
It is shown in episode 4.7 that two anomalies opening on the same place cause them to become fused and create satellite anomalies that lead to the same place and time as one of the original anomalies. The satellite anomalies are unstable and paler in colour. Two fused anomalies can't be locked in the normal way, they will keep reopening, but using two locking devices it is possible to separate and lock both anomalies, stabilising them and closing the satellite anomalies.
This world appears to act as like an 'airport terminal' linking the different worlds and allowing travel between them. The exact nature of this "network" or how it relates to the temporal fault lines is unknown as all of the other anomalies gave straight access to the other worlds without the need to go through this terminal. Helen Cutter appears to know the details about this network as she was able to travel through without getting lost.
Co-creator Adrian Hodges stated that "Calling this network a 'major factor' would be inaccurate, but it’s certainly part of the way we’re developing the anomaly mythology". The anomaly to this world appeared in the Matchroom Football Stadium's fridge and later closed, whether the other anomalies in the network closed as well is unknown.
At the end of the first episode, Helen – who is presumed to be trapped in Permian
era after having passed through an anomaly – is seen from a distance and leaves Nick Cutter a living specimen of an ammonite
, while in the second she is encountered by Stephen Hart.
This implies that she can create them as there is no other explanation as to how she can get from period to period. This is underlined in the fifth episode, where she appears and disappears, presumably through another anomaly, as she clearly couldn't have come through the sky anomaly.
It is revealed in the third episode after she is tracked down by Nick that she was staying away because she did not want to reveal the secret of the anomalies to the world, something she knew Nick would be compelled to do. In the same episode she claims that she has "the key to time". She later tells Lester that she is aware of where the anomalies will open before they actually do.
However, in Episode 1.6, she 'used' the team to find the Permian anomaly that leads to the future, suggesting that she can't control them or locate them after all (although it is stated later in Series 2 that she was eventually able to reach the future via an anomaly). In the opening scene of Episode 2.2, one can briefly see a device in her bag that resembles the handheld anomaly trackers later made by Connor Temple. And at the end of Series 2, she is shown in command of multiple versions of the same man, perhaps hinting that she has gained sufficient control of the anomalies to use time travel to create multiples of people. It is eventually revealed in Series 3 that this cloning is not a function of the anomalies themselves, but that Helen used the anomalies to steal cloning technology from the future.
In Episode 2.1, Nick Cutter correctly theorised that the anomalies cause radio interference on the 87.6FM wavelength. He passed this knowledge on to Connor Temple, who creates the Anomaly Detection Device sometime before the beginning of Episode 2.3. This new equipment allows the home agency to track any new anomalies within seconds of them opening. Connor also created handheld anomaly trackers to be used by the team in the field. He also mentions he is working on making them more compact. Both these devices show great accuracy; allowing the ARC to track the anomalies much more efficiently.
Early in Series 3, Nick Cutter constructs a physical 3D model which allows him to predict the location (though not the time) at which some anomalies can be expected to occur. This "matrix" appears to work, since it accurately predicts the abandoned house anomaly in Episode 3.2; however Cutter is the only person who understands it, so his death (as well as the fact that the model itself was damaged in the ARC explosions) effectively renders it useless. A running storyline in this series concerns a mysterious artefact from the future, which is eventually revealed to be a device capable of projecting a similar predictive matrix as a light show. Although this demonstrates that Cutter's idea was correct, the problem of interpreting the matrix remains. Helen Cutter eventually learns to interpret it and uses it to trace a route through the anomalies to Site 333, where she poisons the "First Family
" in a failed attempt to halt human evolution
.
It is possible to contain and even move anomalies using magnetic field
s (e.g. by surrounding an anomaly with a "cage" constructed of magnetite
), even when the anomaly is closed. It is also possible to temporarily prevent the passage of objects through an anomaly by the application of an electric current. Connor Temple uses this discovery to create a device which "locks" anomalies by "reversing their polarity". Repeating the process returns the anomaly to its natural unlocked state. A "locked" anomaly appears as a glowing sphere, in contrast to an unlocked anomaly which appears as a round but ill-defined mass of shards.
In Series 3, it is revealed that Helen Cutter possesses a handheld device which can be used to open and close anomalies at will. The device is capable of having the locations of anomalies downloaded to it from a console in the future version of the ARC, implying that it was invented there in the future.
In Episode 4.7 Connor uses a device that can indicate the time period on the other side of an anomaly, for example dating one to exactly 1867.
In Episode 5.1 Philip Burton shows Connor his "New Dawn" project, and explains that he plans to use the anomalies as an energy source to provide the whole world with free, clean energy and asks him to work on this, secretly. Meanwhile Matt Anderson tells Abby that "Something goes wrong with the anomalies in this era. I'm here to find out what it is, and if I can, stop it."
In Episode 5.3 Connor discovers how to create an anomaly.
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Primeval and are a type of time portal
Time portal
Time portals are doorways in time, employed in various fiction genres, especially science fiction and fantasy, to transport characters to the past or future....
. The anomaly is shown as an orb of fractured reflective or refractive triangles in the air, much like shards of broken glass. One character stated that he could see a Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
desert through it. These time anomalies act as a plot generator
Plot generator
A plot generator is either:# a fictional plot device which permits the generation of plots for an extended serial without requiring a great deal of logical connection between the episodes, or...
for the series, as they are what allow the extinct species that make up the basic plots of the show to travel through them for the show's team to investigate, in a manner similar to the Rift
Cardiff Rift
The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
in Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, or the Hellmouth
Hellmouth (Buffyverse)
In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the Buffyverse, a Hellmouth is an area fraught with massive supernatural activity.-Definition:"From beneath you, it devours."...
in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They allow past and future creatures to come to the present. The characters on Primeval do not know what causes the anomalies or why they are there.
Attributes and effects
Nick Cutter describes them being somewhat like an earthquake in time which occur along temporal fault linesFault Lines
Fault Lines, a documentary series produced and broadcasted by Al Jazeera English, is the channel's flagship program about the Americas.Josh Rushing, Zeina Awad and Sebastian Walker host the series, currently enjoying it's third season....
. They resemble glowing shattered pieces of glass floating in mid-air, through which people, animals and objects can travel. It is also stated in Episode 2, 3 and 8 that atmospheric gases and liquid can also pass through.
The anomalies are highly magnetic, they can draw ferrous
Ferrous
Ferrous , in chemistry, indicates a divalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....
objects – for example keys, and pens – into them, they also render compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
es useless near them. Connor proved this multiple times by throwing metal objects into the anomalies (once accidentally throwing his front door key into the first one that was found). However it is shown in Episode Four that the magnetic field is not strong enough to penetrate through the metal of a stainless steel fridge door. The anomalies also produce radio interference on the frequency 87.6FM as demonstrated by the
shopping center anomaly.
An anomaly can either have a fixed location at both "ends" of the anomaly or one end may be unstable and thus move location, for example the present end of an anomaly moves in the 3rd while the past location of the anomaly was fixed.
It is also possible to enter only partway into an anomaly without being sucked in, for example a person can take a look through an anomaly simply by poking their face through without travelling all the way through. In Episode Four it is shown that dozens of anomalies can be open at the same time and all lead to different eras and locations.
They can cut across distance as well as time, as creatures which were never native to Great Britain, nor the area which Britain has passed through in its geological past, have passed through the anomalies into modern Britain. For example the dodo was only found on tropical islands around Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, and Scutosaurus
Scutosaurus
Scutosaurus was a genus of armor-covered pareiasaur that lived around 252-248 million years ago in Russia, in the later Permian period. Its genus name refers to large plates of armor scattered across its body...
were located in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and parts of Europe.
Also the team encountered dodo
Dodo
The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a meter tall, weighing about , living on fruit, and nesting on the ground....
s at one anomaly a bird which did not evolve
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
until well after the time of the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s ended (the dinosaurs became extinct at the end of Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period 65 million years ago
whereas the dodo had not separated from its common ancestor with the Rodrigues Solitaire
Rodrigues Solitaire
The Rodrigues Solitaire was a flightless member of the pigeon order endemic to Rodrigues, Mauritius. It was a close relative of the Dodo.-Discovery:...
until around 25 million years ago). This would indicate that the anomalies can be linked to any period in the earth's history.
In Episode 6 it's demonstrated that interference with the past can alter the future in unspecified ways. Also, the ending of the sixth episode ended with a cliffhanger where the anomaly appeared to start to expand for reasons unknown, although Episode 7 showed this was just the anomaly closing. It has not yet been established how many time anomalies have occurred nor where they originate from, though the capture of an extinct form of Sarcopterygian suggests that there have been others before the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
anomaly seen in Episode 1.
The strength of the anomalies weaken over time. They slowly lose their magnetic power, shrink in size, and eventually collapse in on themselves. Although they can be re-opened such as the Permian anomaly, which has closed and reopened at least three times, and the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
anomaly which never closed at all.
In the spin-off novels "Shadow of the Jaguar" and "Extinction Event
Extinction event
An extinction event is a sharp decrease in the diversity and abundance of macroscopic life. They occur when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation...
", an anomaly opens in the Peruvian Jungle and Russian Tundra (respectively), proving that anomalies exist outside the UK. However, the canonicity of the book has yet to be determined.
It is shown in episode 4.7 that two anomalies opening on the same place cause them to become fused and create satellite anomalies that lead to the same place and time as one of the original anomalies. The satellite anomalies are unstable and paler in colour. Two fused anomalies can't be locked in the normal way, they will keep reopening, but using two locking devices it is possible to separate and lock both anomalies, stabilising them and closing the satellite anomalies.
Convergence
In episode 5.5 both Matt and Philip reveal they know that the number of anomalies is increasing until a "Convergence", created by natural changes in earth's magnetic field every million years. Philip 's New Dawn device is supposed to use this to create a single anomaly that will provide huge amounts of free power; Matt believes doing that is what triggered the apocalypse he came to prevent. In episode 5.5 the Convergence indeed happens, with hundreds of anomalies opening throughout the world, until they are closed by the New Dawn machine.Spaghetti Junction
In episode Four the viewer gets a brief glimpse of an anomaly network in a strange world, named a Spaghetti Junction by Connor Temple.This world appears to act as like an 'airport terminal' linking the different worlds and allowing travel between them. The exact nature of this "network" or how it relates to the temporal fault lines is unknown as all of the other anomalies gave straight access to the other worlds without the need to go through this terminal. Helen Cutter appears to know the details about this network as she was able to travel through without getting lost.
Co-creator Adrian Hodges stated that "Calling this network a 'major factor' would be inaccurate, but it’s certainly part of the way we’re developing the anomaly mythology". The anomaly to this world appeared in the Matchroom Football Stadium's fridge and later closed, whether the other anomalies in the network closed as well is unknown.
Prediction and control
Helen Cutter has claimed she knows the locations of the anomalies before they open and has hinted that she can control them. Yet the evidence she's provided for her claims has proved contradictory.At the end of the first episode, Helen – who is presumed to be trapped in Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
era after having passed through an anomaly – is seen from a distance and leaves Nick Cutter a living specimen of an ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
, while in the second she is encountered by Stephen Hart.
This implies that she can create them as there is no other explanation as to how she can get from period to period. This is underlined in the fifth episode, where she appears and disappears, presumably through another anomaly, as she clearly couldn't have come through the sky anomaly.
It is revealed in the third episode after she is tracked down by Nick that she was staying away because she did not want to reveal the secret of the anomalies to the world, something she knew Nick would be compelled to do. In the same episode she claims that she has "the key to time". She later tells Lester that she is aware of where the anomalies will open before they actually do.
However, in Episode 1.6, she 'used' the team to find the Permian anomaly that leads to the future, suggesting that she can't control them or locate them after all (although it is stated later in Series 2 that she was eventually able to reach the future via an anomaly). In the opening scene of Episode 2.2, one can briefly see a device in her bag that resembles the handheld anomaly trackers later made by Connor Temple. And at the end of Series 2, she is shown in command of multiple versions of the same man, perhaps hinting that she has gained sufficient control of the anomalies to use time travel to create multiples of people. It is eventually revealed in Series 3 that this cloning is not a function of the anomalies themselves, but that Helen used the anomalies to steal cloning technology from the future.
In Episode 2.1, Nick Cutter correctly theorised that the anomalies cause radio interference on the 87.6FM wavelength. He passed this knowledge on to Connor Temple, who creates the Anomaly Detection Device sometime before the beginning of Episode 2.3. This new equipment allows the home agency to track any new anomalies within seconds of them opening. Connor also created handheld anomaly trackers to be used by the team in the field. He also mentions he is working on making them more compact. Both these devices show great accuracy; allowing the ARC to track the anomalies much more efficiently.
Early in Series 3, Nick Cutter constructs a physical 3D model which allows him to predict the location (though not the time) at which some anomalies can be expected to occur. This "matrix" appears to work, since it accurately predicts the abandoned house anomaly in Episode 3.2; however Cutter is the only person who understands it, so his death (as well as the fact that the model itself was damaged in the ARC explosions) effectively renders it useless. A running storyline in this series concerns a mysterious artefact from the future, which is eventually revealed to be a device capable of projecting a similar predictive matrix as a light show. Although this demonstrates that Cutter's idea was correct, the problem of interpreting the matrix remains. Helen Cutter eventually learns to interpret it and uses it to trace a route through the anomalies to Site 333, where she poisons the "First Family
AL 333
AL 333, commonly referred to as the "First Family", is a collection of prehistoric hominid teeth and bones. Discovered in 1975 by Donald Johanson's team in Hadar, Ethiopia, the “First Family” is estimated to be about 3.2 million years old and consists of the remains of at least thirteen...
" in a failed attempt to halt human evolution
Human evolution
Human evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
.
It is possible to contain and even move anomalies using magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
s (e.g. by surrounding an anomaly with a "cage" constructed of magnetite
Magnetite
Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part...
), even when the anomaly is closed. It is also possible to temporarily prevent the passage of objects through an anomaly by the application of an electric current. Connor Temple uses this discovery to create a device which "locks" anomalies by "reversing their polarity". Repeating the process returns the anomaly to its natural unlocked state. A "locked" anomaly appears as a glowing sphere, in contrast to an unlocked anomaly which appears as a round but ill-defined mass of shards.
In Series 3, it is revealed that Helen Cutter possesses a handheld device which can be used to open and close anomalies at will. The device is capable of having the locations of anomalies downloaded to it from a console in the future version of the ARC, implying that it was invented there in the future.
In Episode 4.7 Connor uses a device that can indicate the time period on the other side of an anomaly, for example dating one to exactly 1867.
In Episode 5.1 Philip Burton shows Connor his "New Dawn" project, and explains that he plans to use the anomalies as an energy source to provide the whole world with free, clean energy and asks him to work on this, secretly. Meanwhile Matt Anderson tells Abby that "Something goes wrong with the anomalies in this era. I'm here to find out what it is, and if I can, stop it."
In Episode 5.3 Connor discovers how to create an anomaly.
Occurrences
The "era" indicated below is that stated during the episodes, or the native era of the creatures or people that pass through the anomaly to the present day.| Episode | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1.1 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... (70 mya) |
Indian Ocean anomaly. This anomaly is only alluded to in the first episode and was not seen. |
| Episode 1.1, 1.6 | Permian Permian The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian... (250 mya) |
Forest of Dean Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The... anomaly. This anomaly first opened eight years before the main events of the series and then closed. It re-opened twice eight years later. |
| Episode 1.2 | Carboniferous Carboniferous The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"... (300 mya) |
Parsons Green station anomaly. |
| Episode 1.3 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... |
This anomaly was unstable and moved along a "faultline" from Lambeth Baths to Queen Mary Reservoir Queen Mary Reservoir The Queen Mary Reservoir is one of the largest of London's reservoirs located in the Staines/Sunbury area of West London within the borough of Spelthorne in Surrey. It lies south of the A308 and west of the M3 motorway... and then finally to the basement of a house on Wakefield road. |
| Episode 1.4 | Spaghetti Junction | New Den Stadium New Den Stadium The Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den... anomaly. Linked to Spaghetti Junction, with at least 10 anomalies in one area. |
| Episode 1.4 | Holocene Holocene The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"... Mauritius |
Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar... anomaly. Opened to the Spaghetti Junction. |
| Episode 1.5 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... (70 mya) |
Golf course Golf course A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes... anomaly. |
| Episode 1.6 | Future | Future anomaly. Opened in Permian and linked to an unspecified point millions of years in the future. |
| Episode 2.1 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... (70 mya) |
Shopping centre anomaly. |
| Episode 2.2 | Precambrian Precambrian The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale... era (2700 mya) |
Skyscraper. Era of the oxygen catastrophe Oxygen Catastrophe The Great Oxygenation Event , also called the Oxygen Catastrophe or Oxygen Crisis or Great Oxidation, was the biologically induced appearance of free oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. This major environmental change happened around 2.4 billion years ago.Photosynthesis was producing oxygen both before... . |
| Episode 2.3 | late Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... |
Blue Sky Park anomaly to late Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... North America. This anomaly opened before the events of both series, the Smilodon that came through having come as a cub and adopted by a park ranger. |
| Episode 2.4 | Future | Canals anomaly. Linked to an unspecified point millions of years in the future. |
| Episode 2.5 | Silurian Silurian The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the... (400 mya) |
Building site anomaly. This may be another mobile anomaly like in Episode 1.3 as it closed but then reopened in a different location (a forest adventure park) a few hours later. |
| Episode 2.6 | Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... epoch |
M25 motorway M25 motorway The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ... anomaly. |
| Episode 3.1 | Eocene Eocene The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the... epoch. |
British Museum British Museum The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its... anomaly. This anomaly is held within a cage-like monument made of magnetite Magnetite Magnetite is a ferrimagnetic mineral with chemical formula Fe3O4, one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. The chemical IUPAC name is iron oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-ferric oxide. The formula for magnetite may also be written as FeO·Fe2O3, which is one part... , constructed around it when the anomaly opened in ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh... . |
| Episode 3.2 | Future | Abandoned House anomaly. The first anomaly whose location is predicted by Cutter's 3-D "matrix". Opened around 14 years before the present and leading to the future. At the end of the episode it re-opens. |
| Episode 3.3 | Permian Permian The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian... |
Hospital anomaly which allows a group of diictodon Diictodon Diictodon was a genus of therapsid, roughly 45 cm long. It belonged to the sub-group Dicynodontia. These mammal-like synapsids lived during the Late Permian period, approximately 255 million years ago. Fossils have been found in Africa and Asia... through. |
| Episode 3.4 | Early Cretaceous Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous... |
Airport anomaly. This anomaly opens in a hangar Hangar A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used... . It allows a Giganotosaurus through and back. This is the first anomaly which Connor succeeds to lock with his machine. This anomaly is unusually huge for unexplained reasons. |
| Episode 3.5 | Future | Sir Richard Bentley's Flat anomaly |
| Episode 3.6 | Pleistocene epoch 30,000 BC | Abandoned War Cabin anomaly |
| Episode 3.7 | Medieval era 900–600 years ago | Junkyard anomaly |
| Episode 3.7 | Cretaceous period (65 mya) | Medieval anomaly |
| Episode 3.8 | Future | Race Circuit anomaly |
| Episode 3.9 | Eocene epoch (55-38 mya) | Campsite anomaly |
| Episode 3.10 | Cretaceous period (75 mya) | Future ARC anomaly |
| Episode 3.10 | Pliocene epoch (2–3 mya) | Cretaceous anomaly to Pliocene, Site 333 AL 333 AL 333, commonly referred to as the "First Family", is a collection of prehistoric hominid teeth and bones. Discovered in 1975 by Donald Johanson's team in Hadar, Ethiopia, the “First Family” is estimated to be about 3.2 million years old and consists of the remains of at least thirteen... , in the Great Rift Valley Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa... . |
| Episode 4.1 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... (112-97 mya) |
London street. Abby and Connor return to the present, pursued by a giant Spinosaurus (native to North Africa). |
| Episode 4.2 | Early Cretaceous Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous... |
Five years before Episode 4.2, an anomaly allows a young Kaprosuchus into a London home. |
| Episode 4.3 | Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... |
London theatre. Three humans and deadly "Tree Creepers" come through. |
| Episode 4.4 | Late Permian/ Early Triassic Triassic The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events... |
London school kitchen. Dozens of venomous Therocephalians invade a school. |
| Episode 4.5 | Late Paleozoic Paleozoic The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly... / Early Mesozoic Mesozoic The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time... |
Seaside cave. A large Labyrinthodont and two juveniles appeared via an anomaly that has been active for several years. Connor discovers that a chemical battery can affect the anomaly. |
| Episode 4.6 | Early Miocene Early Miocene The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages.... |
An anomaly in the cellar of a stately home allows a pack of pack of Hyaenodons to wreak havoc on Jenny Lewis's wedding. |
| Episode 4.7 | Pliocene Pliocene The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch... /1867 |
A pair of anomalies open in a prison. Their proximity causes several other anomalies to be created nearby to the same periods. |
| Episode 5.1 | Future | Central London several years ago, to a future period. This allowed large burrowing insects to cross over. |
| Episode 5.2 | Jurassic Jurassic The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by... |
Deep in the North Sea. The team is taken by a naval submarine to close it, but are attacked by a Liopleurodon Liopleurodon Liopleurodon is a genus of large, carnivorous marine reptile belonging to the Pliosauroidea, a clade of short-necked plesiosaurs. Two species of Liopleurodon lived during the Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic Period , while the third, L. rossicus, lived during the Late Jurassic... , lose power, and are pulled through the anomaly. Meanwhile the navy plans to nuke the anomaly, but the sub is repaired and returns in time to abort the attack, and then close the anomaly. |
| Episode 5.3 | 1868 | In a London art gallery. A raptor went through to the Victorian era followed by Matt. He returns with the raptor and also Emily, and her husband. |
| Episode 5.4 and 5.6 | Future | In the ARC. Connor generates a small anomaly and a swarm of Future Beetles and their enormous queen come through. The anomaly reopens in episode 5.6 and several Future Predators make their way into the ARC. |
| Episode 5.5 | Late Cretaceous Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series... |
Central London. An adult Tyrannosaurus rampages through central London, killing several people, making anomalies impossible to cover up. |
| Episode 5.5 | Multiple eras | Worldwide. Hundreds of anomalies open all over the world, in the "Convergence", a natural phenomenon caused by earth's magnetic field. |
| Episode 5.5–5.6 | Future | The "New Dawn" anomaly. Created by the New Dawn machine it merges all the anomalies of the Convergence into one. It connects to the post-apocalyptic future, ruled by Future Predators. It creates a huge atmospheric disturbance, apparently the cause of the future apocalypse seen before. Finally closed by merging it with Connor's anomaly. |