Timeslip
Encyclopedia
Timeslip is a British
children's
science fiction
television
series made by ATV
for the ITV
network and broadcast between 1970 and 1971. The series centres around two children, Simon Randall (Spencer Banks) and Liz Skinner (Cheryl Burfield) who discover the existence of a strange anomaly, known as the “Time Barrier”, that enables them to travel in time to different historical periods in alternate pasts and futures. The two children have contrasting personalities; whereas Simon is studious, Liz is something of a tomboy
, and this often leads to conflict between the two. However, as the series progresses, their antagonism matures into a deep bond of friendship.
The main theme of the series is concerned with the way mankind uses – and abuses – science and technology. It explores how the pursuit of scientific knowledge and advancement can lead to the depersonalisation of individuals and the abandonment of moral principles. A secondary theme – explored in the instances where Liz and Simon encounter potential future versions of themselves – concerns the extent to which an individual can change according to the situations encountered in his or her life.
), mother Jean (Iris Russell) and daughter Liz – to the village of St Oswald. Frank had served at the (now abandoned) naval research base in St Oswald during World War II
, where he had suffered a mental breakdown. This has left him with no recollection of what happened during his time there. Also staying at St Oswald is a man called Charles Traynor (Denis Quilley
), who reveals that he was Skinner's commanding officer at the base during the war. Traynor had ordered Skinner to destroy the apparatus the scientists at the base were working on, and he is eager to learn from Skinner if he succeeded in the task. This is because a German expeditionary team attacked and took over the base for a short time in 1943. The German commander, Gottfried (Sandor Elès
), is now a prominent scientist on the other side of the Iron Curtain
, and Traynor is concerned that if the research work done at the base had fallen into his hands, it could be used against the West
. While out playing near the ruins of the naval base, Liz and Simon encounter the Time Barrier for the first time. They are transported back to 1943, to the very day the Germans took over the base. There they encounter both Traynor, who is commander of the base, and Liz's father, a young naval recruit (played by John Alkin
). A link is maintained to the present via Liz's mother, who is able to communicate telepathically
with her daughter. When the Germans arrive, Liz and Simon are initially captured, but then escape and succeed in helping young Frank Skinner carry out Traynor's orders to destroy the secret apparatus – a prototype laser
weapon – before the Germans can seize it. They escape back through the Time Barrier, but instead of returning to St Oswald in their time of 1970, they find themselves in an icy wilderness.
). In the present, Traynor is amazed to learn of Devereaux's presence in the future; he had been a student of Devereaux's and believed he had died in 1969. Meanwhile, Liz is stunned when she encounters first her mother, and then her future self – a cold, emotionless, scientist going by the name Beth (Mary Preston) – working in the Ice Box. The staff of the Ice Box are conducting controlled experiments on human volunteers, including tests of longevity drug called HA57. A catalogue of failures has been plaguing the research effort, but Devereaux refuses to entertain the possibility that the base computer is making errors. The failures get worse, and Devereaux's behaviour becomes more and more erratic. Liz and Simon learn that Devereaux is a clone
of the original Devereaux, the first in the world. Investigating further, Liz and Simon discover that the purpose of the computer is to create a new clone of Devereaux. This is so that the formula for the longevity drug, which is known only to Devereaux and not written down, can be preserved and kept secret. The Ice Box researchers confront Devereaux, attempting to convince him that the computer is malfunctioning. Devereaux is unable to accept his failing and, suffering a mental breakdown, escapes out into the Antarctic ice. As the computer fails, the base begins to freeze over. The staff, including Jean and Beth, each take a dose of an anti-freeze formula in the hope of surviving the cold until rescue arrives. Liz and Simon depart; as they approach the Time Barrier, they discover the frozen body of Devereaux.
to that of the Ice Box. In this future, England is covered in tropical rainforest
. Once again, Liz encounters her future self, Beth (once more played by Mary Preston). This time, however, she is a hippy Earth mother type who has rebelled against the technocracy that rules this future world, and lives in a primitive village with similar misfits. Simon also encounters his future self – a technocrat known as Controller 2957 (David Graham
), charged with implementing the Master Plan intended to reshape the Earth to the benefit of mankind. The Master Plan had originally been devised in 1970 by Traynor. However, 2957 has since usurped him, and now Traynor, who is still alive in 1990, is determined to wreak his revenge. Traynor sabotages the computer managing the Master Plan. His interference ruins the Earth's climate, causing global temperatures to soar and leading to an environmental collapse of devastating proportions. Beth aids Liz and Simon in returning through the Time Barrier before heading for the safety of some caves with the misfits and 2957, who has seen the error of his ways, where there is water and they might stand a chance of survival.
Ruth Boswell, who developed the format and the outline of the first story with her husband James. Its development was instigated by ATV producer Renee Goddard, who wanted to produce a programme that could challenge the popularity among children of the BBC
's science fiction series Doctor Who
(1963–89; 1996; 2005–present). Boswell was determined to come up with a show that was rooted more firmly in everyday life than Doctor Who, which at the time she felt had become progressively more outlandish. Much of the show's time travel concepts were based on the book An Experiment with Time
by J. W. Dunne
. However, in order to give the series as authentic a veneer as possible, Geoffrey Hoyle
, son of physicist
Fred Hoyle
and a noted science fiction author in his own right, gave his advice regarding how time travel might be possible. In addition, the opening episodes of the first two serials - “The Wrong End of Time” and “The Time of the Ice Box” - were introduced by Peter Fairley
, who was science correspondent for ITN.
The plot of the first serial, “The Wrong End of Time”, was inspired by a – possibly apocryphal – story of a German Expeditionary Force supposed to have landed in Britain in 1940, during World War II. The later stories were inspired by ecological concerns that were beginning to make headlines at the time – this has led to Jeff Arnold in the telefantasy journal Timescreen to draw parallels between Timeslip and the similarly inspired adult drama series Doomwatch
(1970–72). This view was echoed by an article in TV Zone
magazine, which noted that Timeslip “was probably the general public's first introduction to what are now everyday scientific concepts, such as cloning
and climate change
”.
Although Boswell originally conceived Timeslip as a single-story six-part serial, the concept was soon expanded into a much longer series of twenty-six episodes. New Zealand
er Bruce Stewart
, who had adapted various science fiction short stories for the anthology
series Out of this World
(1962) and Out of the Unknown
(1965–71), was tasked with developing Boswell's outline into scripts. Eighteen of the scripts were written by Stewart, before pressure of other work meant that Stewart had to move on, and the final serial, “The Day of the Clone”, was written by Victor Pemberton
. Pemberton is also credited with the script of the final episode of “The Year of the Burn Up”, which acts as a bridge into “The Day of the Clone”. Pemberton had previously served as script editor of Doctor Who and had penned the serial “Fury from the Deep
”.
Timeslip was recorded mainly in the studio. The most notable location used was that of the Ministry Field where Liz and Simon discover the Time Barrier – this was in fact the Burnt Farm Army Camp near Goff's Oak
, Hertfordshire
. The effect of the children passing through the Time Barrier was achieved by way of a simple split screen
effect.
A sequel series was mooted, but was not made, as John Cooper felt that the idea had run its natural course. Additionally, the series went well over budget, and the potential for sales of the series was lost because some episodes were made in black and white
.
Victor Pemberton acquired the rights to Timeslip in the early 1990s, intending to produce either a re-make or sequel series. Nothing came of this attempt, however.
Cheryl Burfield, who played Liz Skinner, had begun her career as a child model. For her audition as Liz, she dressed in trousers and sported a pigtail to emphasise the tomboy nature of the character – an image that stuck for the duration of the series. The character of Liz was originally written as a thirteen-year-old; however, when the eighteen-year-old Burfield was cast, Liz's age was upped to fifteen.
Timeslip was the first major television role for Spencer Banks, who played Simon Randall. Unlike his co-star, no change was needed to the age of his character; even though he was fifteen at the time, he was able to pass as younger. Regarding the age difference between the two, Banks recalled that on their first meeting Cheryl Burfield remarked that she looked “positively matronly beside him”. However, over the course of production, Banks grew and matured and his voice broke. Banks went to star in the children's series Tightrope (1972) (made by the same team behind Timeslip) and The Georgian House
(1976). He also starred in the highly acclaimed TV drama Penda's Fen
(1974) by David Rudkin
.
Denis Quilley
went on to become a leading figure in the National Theatre
and was awarded the O.B.E.. He died in 2003.
Iris Russell was best known for her role as Matron Stevenson in Emergency - Ward 10 (1957–67) and appeared in the role of “Father” in The Avengers
episode “Stay Tuned” (1969).
Derek Benfield
later went on to appear in regular roles in The Brothers (1972–76) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
(1996–98). He also enjoyed a successful career as a playwright. He died in 2009.
David Graham
(Controller 2957/Simon Randall) was a regular voice artist in the Gerry Anderson
Century 21 Supermarionation series. He voiced Brains and Gordon Tracy as well as others in Thunderbirds
; also voicing characters in Stingray
, Fireball XL5
, Four Feather Falls
, The Secret Service and Supercar
. He appeared in Doctor Who
in the stories The Gunfighters
and City of Death
, in addition to voicing Daleks in several episodes.
Ian Fairbairn (Alpha 4 & Doctor Frazer) had minor roles in several episodes of Doctor Who
, including the Patrick Troughton
stories The Macra Terror and The Invasion, Inferno with Jon Pertwee
and Tom Baker
's The Seeds of Doom, the latter three directed by Douglas Camfield
.
Ruth Boswell went on to adapt Catherine Storr
's novel Marianne Dreams
, as the children's television serial Escape Into Night
(1972) and produced the first season of The Tomorrow People
(1973–79; 1992–95).
, John Lawrence said, “I always feel wary of programmes that are announced as “science fiction” since too often the description is applied to something that uses wild and improbable events to jump gaps in otherwise badly conceived stories... Judging by the first episode of ATV's new series, Timeslip, by Bruce Stewart, however, this programme looks like it might prove to be a welcome exception. [...] Its strength lies in the fact that it is imaginatively conceived in terms of the detailed development of the plot, and well written. ...if the standard is maintained, it will be a series well worth watching, and not just by the children, either”. Later, during the broadcast of “The Time of the Ice Box”, many of the children watching were frightened by the scene where Edith Joynton (Peggy Thorpe-Bates
) ages to death thanks to an incorrect dosage of HA57; this scene was edited slightly when the series was repeated in 1973.
Timeslip has generally remained well regarded in the years since first broadcast. A retrospective of the series in Dreamwatch
magazine in 1996 concluded that Timeslip was “a series that demanded much of the viewer over 26 weeks and rewarded those who persevered”. In 1999, when science fiction magazine SFX
asked an expert panel from the SF field, including Terry Pratchett
and Stephen Baxter
, to compile a list of the top 50 SF shows of all time, Timeslip came thirtieth on the list. Later, in 2005, SFX went on to poll its readers for their list of the top 50 British telefantasy shows and Timeslip was voted into twenty-eighth position on the list, the magazine describing it as “surprisingly intelligent and thoughtful SF with some ambitious ideas” and a series that “dared to be more adventurous with its science fiction than most so-called grown-up SF shows”.
, except for episodes 21-24, which were recorded in black and white due to the so-called “colour strike
” - industrial action
by technicians that affected many ITV programmes at this time. Today, only the final episode of “The Time of the Ice Box” survives in its original colour videotape format. The remaining episodes exist as black and white telerecordings.
, a juvenile spin-off of the listings magazine TV Times
. Look-In also published a number of interviews with the show's two young stars.
A novelisation of the first two serials - “The Wrong End of Time” and “The Time of the Ice Box” - was written by James Boswell and published by Pan Books
to coincide with the broadcast of the series in 1970.
Timeslip was released on VHS
videotape by ITC
Home Entertainment in 1992. Each serial was issued as a double-pack videocassette. The complete series – including the surviving colour episode – was released in a four disc region 2 DVD
boxset by Carlton
in 2004. A region 1 DVD – which includes a documentary, Beyond the Barrier – was issued in 2005 by A&E Home Video
.
The iconic opening titles for the series, using 3D lettering altered for each of the four stories. A standard 2D graphic of the same type face was used for the 'End of Part One', 'Part Two' and the closing credit captions in all four stories. In all cases, there was no consistency in the way the letter 'I' was arranged. It varied for each use, providing inconsistent 'logos' for the programme name.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
children's
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series made by ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network and broadcast between 1970 and 1971. The series centres around two children, Simon Randall (Spencer Banks) and Liz Skinner (Cheryl Burfield) who discover the existence of a strange anomaly, known as the “Time Barrier”, that enables them to travel in time to different historical periods in alternate pasts and futures. The two children have contrasting personalities; whereas Simon is studious, Liz is something of a tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
, and this often leads to conflict between the two. However, as the series progresses, their antagonism matures into a deep bond of friendship.
The main theme of the series is concerned with the way mankind uses – and abuses – science and technology. It explores how the pursuit of scientific knowledge and advancement can lead to the depersonalisation of individuals and the abandonment of moral principles. A secondary theme – explored in the instances where Liz and Simon encounter potential future versions of themselves – concerns the extent to which an individual can change according to the situations encountered in his or her life.
Plot summary
The Wrong End of Time
In the first serial, “The Wrong End of Time”, Simon, whose mother has died recently, has been taken on holiday by the Skinner family – father Frank (Derek BenfieldDerek Benfield
Derek Benfield was a British playwright and actor.He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce Running Riot and the second actor who played Patricia Routledge's character's husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
), mother Jean (Iris Russell) and daughter Liz – to the village of St Oswald. Frank had served at the (now abandoned) naval research base in St Oswald during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he had suffered a mental breakdown. This has left him with no recollection of what happened during his time there. Also staying at St Oswald is a man called Charles Traynor (Denis Quilley
Denis Quilley
Denis Clifford Quilley OBE was an English theatre, television and film actor who was long associated with the Royal National Theatre....
), who reveals that he was Skinner's commanding officer at the base during the war. Traynor had ordered Skinner to destroy the apparatus the scientists at the base were working on, and he is eager to learn from Skinner if he succeeded in the task. This is because a German expeditionary team attacked and took over the base for a short time in 1943. The German commander, Gottfried (Sandor Elès
Sandor Elès
Sandor Elès was a Hungarian-born actor....
), is now a prominent scientist on the other side of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, and Traynor is concerned that if the research work done at the base had fallen into his hands, it could be used against the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. While out playing near the ruins of the naval base, Liz and Simon encounter the Time Barrier for the first time. They are transported back to 1943, to the very day the Germans took over the base. There they encounter both Traynor, who is commander of the base, and Liz's father, a young naval recruit (played by John Alkin
John Alkin
John Alkin was a British actor turned spiritual healer.Alkin is best remembered for 2 roles, namely that of DS Tom Daniels in The Sweeney, and as barrister Barry Deeley in the long running daytime TV Drama Crown Court...
). A link is maintained to the present via Liz's mother, who is able to communicate telepathically
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
with her daughter. When the Germans arrive, Liz and Simon are initially captured, but then escape and succeed in helping young Frank Skinner carry out Traynor's orders to destroy the secret apparatus – a prototype laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
weapon – before the Germans can seize it. They escape back through the Time Barrier, but instead of returning to St Oswald in their time of 1970, they find themselves in an icy wilderness.
The Time of the Ice Box
In the second serial, “The Time of the Ice Box”, this icy wilderness is revealed to be Antarctica in the year 1990. Liz and Simon are rescued from the ice and brought to a research base – the International Institute for Biological Research, nicknamed the “Ice Box” - headed by Morgan C. Devereaux (John BarronJohn Barron (actor)
John Barron was an English actor.-Biography:Born in Marylebone, London, Barron was interested in acting from an early age. For his 18th birthday his godfather paid his entry fee to RADA. After serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he returned to stage acting...
). In the present, Traynor is amazed to learn of Devereaux's presence in the future; he had been a student of Devereaux's and believed he had died in 1969. Meanwhile, Liz is stunned when she encounters first her mother, and then her future self – a cold, emotionless, scientist going by the name Beth (Mary Preston) – working in the Ice Box. The staff of the Ice Box are conducting controlled experiments on human volunteers, including tests of longevity drug called HA57. A catalogue of failures has been plaguing the research effort, but Devereaux refuses to entertain the possibility that the base computer is making errors. The failures get worse, and Devereaux's behaviour becomes more and more erratic. Liz and Simon learn that Devereaux is a clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of the original Devereaux, the first in the world. Investigating further, Liz and Simon discover that the purpose of the computer is to create a new clone of Devereaux. This is so that the formula for the longevity drug, which is known only to Devereaux and not written down, can be preserved and kept secret. The Ice Box researchers confront Devereaux, attempting to convince him that the computer is malfunctioning. Devereaux is unable to accept his failing and, suffering a mental breakdown, escapes out into the Antarctic ice. As the computer fails, the base begins to freeze over. The staff, including Jean and Beth, each take a dose of an anti-freeze formula in the hope of surviving the cold until rescue arrives. Liz and Simon depart; as they approach the Time Barrier, they discover the frozen body of Devereaux.
The Year of the Burn Up
In “The Year of the Burn Up”, the Time Barrier returns Simon and Liz to 1970. Traynor warns them not to use the Time Barrier again. Determined to prevent the future of the Ice Box that they have witnessed, and curious as to what Traynor is afraid they might discover, they disobey him and once more enter the Time Barrier. Once again, they end up in 1990, but in an alternate futureAlternate future
In science fiction stories involving time travel, an alternative future or alternate future is a possible future which never comes to pass, typically because someone travels back into the past and alters it so that the events of the alternative future cannot occur.An alternative future differs from...
to that of the Ice Box. In this future, England is covered in tropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. Once again, Liz encounters her future self, Beth (once more played by Mary Preston). This time, however, she is a hippy Earth mother type who has rebelled against the technocracy that rules this future world, and lives in a primitive village with similar misfits. Simon also encounters his future self – a technocrat known as Controller 2957 (David Graham
David Graham (actor)
David Graham is a British character actor and voice artist. Born in London, after a period in the R.A.F as a Radar Mechanic he trained as an actor in New York but has worked mainly on British television series....
), charged with implementing the Master Plan intended to reshape the Earth to the benefit of mankind. The Master Plan had originally been devised in 1970 by Traynor. However, 2957 has since usurped him, and now Traynor, who is still alive in 1990, is determined to wreak his revenge. Traynor sabotages the computer managing the Master Plan. His interference ruins the Earth's climate, causing global temperatures to soar and leading to an environmental collapse of devastating proportions. Beth aids Liz and Simon in returning through the Time Barrier before heading for the safety of some caves with the misfits and 2957, who has seen the error of his ways, where there is water and they might stand a chance of survival.
The Day of the Clone
The final serial, “The Day of the Clone”, ties together many of the elements of the previous serials. Believing that Beth needs her help, Liz attempts to return to 1990 via the Time Barrier, but is kidnapped by Traynor. Simon goes looking for Liz and tracks her to R1, a secret research establishment under Traynor's command. The children learn that R1 was established by Morgan C. Devereaux to research into the longevity drug – HA57 – that the children previously encountered in the Ice Box. They break out of R1 and, with Traynor in pursuit, they make their escape through the Time Barrier, which transports them to the year 1965. Realising that Devereaux would have been alive in this time, they return to R1. There the children learn that R1 is not only researching longevity, but also cloning. Devereaux believes that for the cloning and longevity process to be a success, subjects must also undergo psychological reconditioning, but Traynor, who is working at R1 as the Government's representative, disagrees, believing that Devereaux is turning the volunteer subjects into brainwashed puppets. When Traynor threatens to shut down R1, Devereaux has him detained and replaced by a clone. Simon realises that it is Devereaux who is the source of the dystopian futures they have witnessed, and that the Traynor they know has been a clone all along. The Time Barrier created a clone projection of Devereaux in the Ice Box in the hope that the children could return a working formula for HA57 to the Traynor clone in 1970. The Traynor clone is also a projection of the Time Barrier, charged with implementing Devereaux's vision of the future: the catastrophic Master Plan that will lead to the “Burn Up”. Returning to 1970, Liz and Simon discover the real Traynor, locked up in a secret room in R1 since 1965. The children and the real Traynor confront the clone Traynor at the Time Barrier at St Oswald. Traynor tells the clone that he doesn't exist, that he is a projection. As the clone nears the Barrier, an invisible force grabs him and he disappears into the Time Barrier. Liz and Simon return to their families, leaving the real Traynor alone...Production
Timeslip was devised by ATV script editorScript editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
Ruth Boswell, who developed the format and the outline of the first story with her husband James. Its development was instigated by ATV producer Renee Goddard, who wanted to produce a programme that could challenge the popularity among children of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's science fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(1963–89; 1996; 2005–present). Boswell was determined to come up with a show that was rooted more firmly in everyday life than Doctor Who, which at the time she felt had become progressively more outlandish. Much of the show's time travel concepts were based on the book An Experiment with Time
An Experiment with Time
An Experiment with Time is a long essay by the Irish aeronautical engineer J. W. Dunne on the subjects of precognition and the human experience of time. First published in March 1927, it was very widely read, and his ideas promoted by several other authors, in particular by J. B. Priestley. Other...
by J. W. Dunne
John William Dunne
John William Dunne FRAeS was an Anglo-Irish aeronautical engineer and author. In the field of parapsychology, he achieved a preeminence through his theories on dreams and authoring books preoccupied with the question of the nature of time...
. However, in order to give the series as authentic a veneer as possible, Geoffrey Hoyle
Geoffrey Hoyle
Geoffrey Hoyle is an English science fiction writer, best known for the works which he co-authored with his father, the astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle. About half of Fred Hoyle's science fiction works were co-authored with his son....
, son of physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
and a noted science fiction author in his own right, gave his advice regarding how time travel might be possible. In addition, the opening episodes of the first two serials - “The Wrong End of Time” and “The Time of the Ice Box” - were introduced by Peter Fairley
Peter Fairley
Peter Fairley was a science journalist who was the Science Editor for Independent Television News and TV Times magazine the late sixties and early seventies.His name became synonymous with ITN's extensive live coverage of the Apollo moon landing missions.- Biography :His father was a...
, who was science correspondent for ITN.
The plot of the first serial, “The Wrong End of Time”, was inspired by a – possibly apocryphal – story of a German Expeditionary Force supposed to have landed in Britain in 1940, during World War II. The later stories were inspired by ecological concerns that were beginning to make headlines at the time – this has led to Jeff Arnold in the telefantasy journal Timescreen to draw parallels between Timeslip and the similarly inspired adult drama series Doomwatch
Doomwatch
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
(1970–72). This view was echoed by an article in TV Zone
TV Zone
TV Zone was a British magazine published every four weeks by Visual Imagination that covered cult television. Initially, it mostly covered science fiction, but branched out to cover other drama and comedy series.-History:...
magazine, which noted that Timeslip “was probably the general public's first introduction to what are now everyday scientific concepts, such as cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
”.
Although Boswell originally conceived Timeslip as a single-story six-part serial, the concept was soon expanded into a much longer series of twenty-six episodes. New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
er Bruce Stewart
Bruce Stewart (scriptwriter)
Bruce Stewart was a scriptwriter best known for his scripts for television. Originally from New Zealand, he lived for several years in Australia, working in the theatre, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. There he worked on many projects for both the BBC and ITV, notably Out...
, who had adapted various science fiction short stories for the anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series Out of this World
Out of This World (UK TV series)
Out of This World is a British science fiction anthology television series made by ABC Television and broadcast in 1962. A spin-off from the popular anthology series Armchair Theatre, each episode was introduced by the actor Boris Karloff. Many of the episodes were adaptations of stories by...
(1962) and Out of the Unknown
Out of the Unknown
Out of the Unknown is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Each episode was an independent dramatisation of a separate science fiction short story...
(1965–71), was tasked with developing Boswell's outline into scripts. Eighteen of the scripts were written by Stewart, before pressure of other work meant that Stewart had to move on, and the final serial, “The Day of the Clone”, was written by Victor Pemberton
Victor Pemberton
Victor Pemberton is a British writer and television producer.Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty.His television production work included the British version of...
. Pemberton is also credited with the script of the final episode of “The Year of the Burn Up”, which acts as a bridge into “The Day of the Clone”. Pemberton had previously served as script editor of Doctor Who and had penned the serial “Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
”.
Timeslip was recorded mainly in the studio. The most notable location used was that of the Ministry Field where Liz and Simon discover the Time Barrier – this was in fact the Burnt Farm Army Camp near Goff's Oak
Goff's Oak
Goffs Oak is a large village in the borough of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. It is situated between Cuffley and Cheshunt, just north of the M25 motorway in a slightly more rural section of the London commuter belt....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The effect of the children passing through the Time Barrier was achieved by way of a simple split screen
Split screen (film)
In film and video production, split screen is the visible division of the screen, traditionally in half, but also in several simultaneous images, rupturing the illusion that the screen's frame is a seamless view of reality, similar to that of the human eye...
effect.
A sequel series was mooted, but was not made, as John Cooper felt that the idea had run its natural course. Additionally, the series went well over budget, and the potential for sales of the series was lost because some episodes were made in black and white
Monochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
.
Victor Pemberton acquired the rights to Timeslip in the early 1990s, intending to produce either a re-make or sequel series. Nothing came of this attempt, however.
Cast and crew
Timeslip was the first major television role for Spencer Banks, who played Simon Randall. Unlike his co-star, no change was needed to the age of his character; even though he was fifteen at the time, he was able to pass as younger. Regarding the age difference between the two, Banks recalled that on their first meeting Cheryl Burfield remarked that she looked “positively matronly beside him”. However, over the course of production, Banks grew and matured and his voice broke. Banks went to star in the children's series Tightrope (1972) (made by the same team behind Timeslip) and The Georgian House
The Georgian House
The Georgian House is a British children's fantasy series first screened on ITV in 1976. The series consisted of seven episodes.- Plot :The story concerned two students, Dan and Abbie, who arrive at a reconstructed Georgian House in Bristol, which is open for guided tours. They work there as tour...
(1976). He also starred in the highly acclaimed TV drama Penda's Fen
Penda's Fen
Penda's Fen is a British television play which was written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke. Commissioned by BBC producer David Rose, it was transmitted as part of the corporation's Play for Today series.-Plot summary:...
(1974) by David Rudkin
David Rudkin
James David Rudkin is an English playwright of Northern Irish descent. Coming from a family of strict evangelical Christians, Rudkin was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and read Mods and Greats at St Catherine's College, Oxford...
.
Denis Quilley
Denis Quilley
Denis Clifford Quilley OBE was an English theatre, television and film actor who was long associated with the Royal National Theatre....
went on to become a leading figure in the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
and was awarded the O.B.E.. He died in 2003.
Iris Russell was best known for her role as Matron Stevenson in Emergency - Ward 10 (1957–67) and appeared in the role of “Father” in The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
episode “Stay Tuned” (1969).
Derek Benfield
Derek Benfield
Derek Benfield was a British playwright and actor.He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce Running Riot and the second actor who played Patricia Routledge's character's husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
later went on to appear in regular roles in The Brothers (1972–76) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates is a genteel British crime–comedy drama television series which aired from 1996 to 1998 on BBC One. The series starred Patricia Routledge as the title character , Derek Benfield as her patient husband Robert, Dominic Monaghan as their lodger Geoffrey Shawcross...
(1996–98). He also enjoyed a successful career as a playwright. He died in 2009.
David Graham
David Graham (actor)
David Graham is a British character actor and voice artist. Born in London, after a period in the R.A.F as a Radar Mechanic he trained as an actor in New York but has worked mainly on British television series....
(Controller 2957/Simon Randall) was a regular voice artist in the Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
Century 21 Supermarionation series. He voiced Brains and Gordon Tracy as well as others in Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
; also voicing characters in Stingray
Stingray (TV series)
Stingray is a children's marionette television show, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment from 1964–65. Its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened on ITV in the UK and in syndication in the USA. The scriptwriters included Gerry and...
, Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol...
, Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls was the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television, from an idea by Barry Gray.-Production:The show was made on a tight budget and could not afford sophisticated special effects...
, The Secret Service and Supercar
Supercar (TV series)
Supercar was a children's TV show produced by Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis's AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment. 39 episodes were produced between 1961 and 1962, and it was Anderson's first half-hour series. In the UK it was seen on ITV and in the US in syndication...
. He appeared in Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
in the stories The Gunfighters
The Gunfighters
The Gunfighters is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, set in 19th Century America on the days leading up to the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
and City of Death
City of Death
-Pre-production:Writer David Fisher had contributed two scripts to Doctor Whos sixteenth season – The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara – and was asked by producer Graham Williams for further story ideas...
, in addition to voicing Daleks in several episodes.
Ian Fairbairn (Alpha 4 & Doctor Frazer) had minor roles in several episodes of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, including the Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton was an English actor most widely known for his roles in fantasy, science fiction and horror films, particularly in his role as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966 to 1969,...
stories The Macra Terror and The Invasion, Inferno with Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
and Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
's The Seeds of Doom, the latter three directed by Douglas Camfield
Douglas Camfield
Douglas Gaston Sydney Camfield was an accomplished director for television from the 1960s to the 1980s. His programme credits include Z-Cars, Paul Temple, Van der Valk, The Sweeney, Shoestring, The Professionals, Out of the Unknown, The Nightmare Man, the BBC dramatisation of Beau Geste and...
.
Ruth Boswell went on to adapt Catherine Storr
Catherine Storr
Catherine Storr was an English children's writer, best known for her novel Marianne Dreams and for a series of books about a wolf ineptly pursuing a young girl, beginning with Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf.-Life:She was born in Kensington, London, one of three children of a barrister, Arthur...
's novel Marianne Dreams
Marianne Dreams
Marianne Dreams is a children's fantasy novel by Catherine Storr.-Plot introduction:Marianne is a young girl who is bedridden with a long-term illness. She draws a picture to fill her time, and finds that she spends her dreams within the picture she has drawn...
, as the children's television serial Escape Into Night
Escape Into Night
Escape Into Night is a six part British television serial for children made by ATV for ITV that aired from April 19, 1972 until May 24, 1972...
(1972) and produced the first season of The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People
The Tomorrow People is a British children's science fiction television series, devised by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran between 1973 and 1979. The series was re-imagined in 1992, Roger Price acting as executive producer...
(1973–79; 1992–95).
Critical reception
Reviewing the first episode in The StageThe Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
, John Lawrence said, “I always feel wary of programmes that are announced as “science fiction” since too often the description is applied to something that uses wild and improbable events to jump gaps in otherwise badly conceived stories... Judging by the first episode of ATV's new series, Timeslip, by Bruce Stewart, however, this programme looks like it might prove to be a welcome exception. [...] Its strength lies in the fact that it is imaginatively conceived in terms of the detailed development of the plot, and well written. ...if the standard is maintained, it will be a series well worth watching, and not just by the children, either”. Later, during the broadcast of “The Time of the Ice Box”, many of the children watching were frightened by the scene where Edith Joynton (Peggy Thorpe-Bates
Peggy Thorpe-Bates
Peggy Thorpe-Bates was an English actress who appeared in the first three series of Rumpole of the Bailey as his fearsome wife. She also appeared in numerous other supporting roles on both stage and screen. She was married to fellow actor Brian Oulton.-Notes:...
) ages to death thanks to an incorrect dosage of HA57; this scene was edited slightly when the series was repeated in 1973.
Timeslip has generally remained well regarded in the years since first broadcast. A retrospective of the series in Dreamwatch
Dreamwatch
Dreamwatch was a British magazine covering science fiction and fantasy films, books and television programmes.Published monthly by Gary Leigh and then Titan Magazines , it was a leading genre entertainment magazine, competing with SFX and Cinescape in the genre magazine market.-Overview:The...
magazine in 1996 concluded that Timeslip was “a series that demanded much of the viewer over 26 weeks and rewarded those who persevered”. In 1999, when science fiction magazine SFX
SFX magazine
SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy.-Description:SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future Publishing and was founded in 1995. The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy and horror, within the media of films,...
asked an expert panel from the SF field, including Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
and Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter
Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :...
, to compile a list of the top 50 SF shows of all time, Timeslip came thirtieth on the list. Later, in 2005, SFX went on to poll its readers for their list of the top 50 British telefantasy shows and Timeslip was voted into twenty-eighth position on the list, the magazine describing it as “surprisingly intelligent and thoughtful SF with some ambitious ideas” and a series that “dared to be more adventurous with its science fiction than most so-called grown-up SF shows”.
Archive status
Timeslip was originally recorded on colour videotapeVideotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
, except for episodes 21-24, which were recorded in black and white due to the so-called “colour strike
Colour Strike
The Colour Strike was an industrial action by technicians at all ITV companies from 13 November 1970 to 8 February 1971 who, due to a pay dispute with their management, refused to work with colour television equipment.At that time ITV had recently switched to...
” - industrial action
Industrial action
Industrial action or job action refers collectively to any measure taken by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for strike, but the scope is much wider...
by technicians that affected many ITV programmes at this time. Today, only the final episode of “The Time of the Ice Box” survives in its original colour videotape format. The remaining episodes exist as black and white telerecordings.
Other media
A comic strip version – which depicted several new adventures for Liz and Simon – appeared concurrently with the broadcast of the series in Look-InLook-in
Look-in was a long running children's magazine centred around ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior TVTimes". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994...
, a juvenile spin-off of the listings magazine TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
. Look-In also published a number of interviews with the show's two young stars.
A novelisation of the first two serials - “The Wrong End of Time” and “The Time of the Ice Box” - was written by James Boswell and published by Pan Books
Pan Books
Pan Books is an imprint which first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers owned by German publishers, Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group....
to coincide with the broadcast of the series in 1970.
Timeslip was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
videotape by ITC
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
Home Entertainment in 1992. Each serial was issued as a double-pack videocassette. The complete series – including the surviving colour episode – was released in a four disc region 2 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
boxset by Carlton
Carlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
in 2004. A region 1 DVD – which includes a documentary, Beyond the Barrier – was issued in 2005 by A&E Home Video
A&E Television Networks
A&E Television Networks is a U.S. media company that owns a group of television channels available via cable & satellite in the US and abroad...
.
List of serials
Timeslip was first broadcast on Friday evenings at around 5:10-5:15pm on the ATV network with the other ITV regions broadcasting the series on the following Monday.| No. | Title | No. Episodes | Writer(s) | Director(s) | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Wrong End of Time” | 6 | Bruce Stewart Bruce Stewart (scriptwriter) Bruce Stewart was a scriptwriter best known for his scripts for television. Originally from New Zealand, he lived for several years in Australia, working in the theatre, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. There he worked on many projects for both the BBC and ITV, notably Out... |
John Cooper | 28 September 1970 – 2 November 1970 |
| 2 | “The Time of the Ice Box” | 6 | Bruce Stewart Bruce Stewart (scriptwriter) Bruce Stewart was a scriptwriter best known for his scripts for television. Originally from New Zealand, he lived for several years in Australia, working in the theatre, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. There he worked on many projects for both the BBC and ITV, notably Out... |
Peter Jefferies | 9 November 1970 – 14 December 1970 |
| 3 | “The Year of the Burn Up” | 8 | Bruce Stewart Bruce Stewart (scriptwriter) Bruce Stewart was a scriptwriter best known for his scripts for television. Originally from New Zealand, he lived for several years in Australia, working in the theatre, before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. There he worked on many projects for both the BBC and ITV, notably Out... (episodes 1-7); Victor Pemberton Victor Pemberton Victor Pemberton is a British writer and television producer.Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty.His television production work included the British version of... (episode 8) |
Ron Francis | 21 December 1970 – 8 February 1971 |
| 4 | “The Day of the Clone” | 6 | Victor Pemberton Victor Pemberton Victor Pemberton is a British writer and television producer.Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty.His television production work included the British version of... |
David Foster (episodes 1-4); Ron Francis (episodes 5-6) |
15 February 1971 – 22 March 1971 |
The iconic opening titles for the series, using 3D lettering altered for each of the four stories. A standard 2D graphic of the same type face was used for the 'End of Part One', 'Part Two' and the closing credit captions in all four stories. In all cases, there was no consistency in the way the letter 'I' was arranged. It varied for each use, providing inconsistent 'logos' for the programme name.