Simon and Liz fell into a time hole and found themselves trapped in different eras of the 20th century, where they have all sorts of adventures. Many of these involve the nefarious Commander... Read allSimon and Liz fell into a time hole and found themselves trapped in different eras of the 20th century, where they have all sorts of adventures. Many of these involve the nefarious Commander Traynor, who is also traveling through time.Simon and Liz fell into a time hole and found themselves trapped in different eras of the 20th century, where they have all sorts of adventures. Many of these involve the nefarious Commander Traynor, who is also traveling through time.
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- Creators
- James Boswell(uncredited)
- Ruth Boswell(uncredited)
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Did you know
- TriviaThe regular cast were very close: Spencer Banks and Cheryl Burfield are still friends (her husband was best man at his wedding), and godparents to each other's children.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Time Travel TV Shows (2016)
Featured review
Problematic, but Seriously Memorable
British sci-fi of the 1970s, particularly TV sci-fi, didn't have a lot of money for special effects, so there tended to be a lot of gurning actors and paper mache monsters. Think Dr Who, TOS. The better ones tended to go for psychological thrills, compulsive characterisations and interesting, indeed, frightening, ideas. This show was one of the best. Running for only one series in 1970, it covered four separate adventures, interlinked, and together comprising a complete story arc, something which, to my knowledge, was never attempted in sci-fi again until Babylon 5, years later. This is all the more astonishing when you consider that it was a children's show, and it was broadcast at a time when there was no such thing as streaming or binge watching on demand. If you wanted to see it, you'd better get yourself home from school in time to catch it and follow the plotline over half a year, once a week. Trusting an audience like that is unheard of today, even for adults. Maybe especially for adults.
Simon and his friend Liz are teenagers on holiday with Liz's family near an unused old naval base where Liz's father had served 30 years before, in 1940, during the Second World War, where they find a "time barrier" which allows them to disappear into different periods of past and future. The first adventure sends them back to 1940, where they meet the base commander, Traynor, whom they also meet in his 1970 incarnation. Traynor appears in various stages of youth and age across two the the three subsequent adventures, two of which take place in possible alternative futures in 1990, and one in 1965. Traynor seems to be the link in the arc, but as the series goes on, he appears to change into an increasingly sinister character. Or does he? Traynor is played by the late Denis Quilley, a fine actor whose presence elevates the quality of the show and gives it a gravitas beyond a children's series. Also worthy of mention is another old school English actor, John Barron, who appears in two of the four adventures, and may or may not be a pivotal player. Despite the dated visuals, the series was amazingly prescient, predicting a future where technocrats rule and science is elevated almost to the status of a religion, and the moral problems this is going to present. Add to all this one of the creepiest theme tunes ever recorded and anyone who sees this show will never forget it.
The problematic bit can be summed up under the adage, "it was the seventies". Anybody who remembers the decade will immediately understand. It's the classic exemplar of the past being a foreign country, and they certainly did things differently back then. The first thing our more puritanical times would find difficult is how the character of Liz is presented. Cheryl Burfield was 18 years old when she played the part, and quiet honestly, it shows. Even at the time, I suspect, there was some unease about this, as Liz was originally written as being 13, and later made up to 15 because there was no way the actress could be made to look that young. This will be at its most uncomfortable for modern sensibilities in the second adventure, "The Time of the Ice Box" with regard to Liz's relationship with the much older Larry. I think there would be a lot of column inches in the newspapers if this were made today. This issue becomes even more apparent in the third adventure, "The Year of the Burn", when the wonkish Simon becomes the object of starry-eyed adoration for the character of Vera, who is played by an actress who looks about 10 years older than the then 16 year old Spencer Banks. Remember, this was a children's show. Like I said, it was the seventies. If you're the sort of person who worries about pronouns, you may have difficulties with this show. Nevertheless, it's still one of the finest sci-fi productions ever to come out of England, seventies sensibilities notwithstanding, and if you're a sci-fi nerd, this is one that should definitely be in your collection, if only to allow you to say that you've watched it. Classic.
Simon and his friend Liz are teenagers on holiday with Liz's family near an unused old naval base where Liz's father had served 30 years before, in 1940, during the Second World War, where they find a "time barrier" which allows them to disappear into different periods of past and future. The first adventure sends them back to 1940, where they meet the base commander, Traynor, whom they also meet in his 1970 incarnation. Traynor appears in various stages of youth and age across two the the three subsequent adventures, two of which take place in possible alternative futures in 1990, and one in 1965. Traynor seems to be the link in the arc, but as the series goes on, he appears to change into an increasingly sinister character. Or does he? Traynor is played by the late Denis Quilley, a fine actor whose presence elevates the quality of the show and gives it a gravitas beyond a children's series. Also worthy of mention is another old school English actor, John Barron, who appears in two of the four adventures, and may or may not be a pivotal player. Despite the dated visuals, the series was amazingly prescient, predicting a future where technocrats rule and science is elevated almost to the status of a religion, and the moral problems this is going to present. Add to all this one of the creepiest theme tunes ever recorded and anyone who sees this show will never forget it.
The problematic bit can be summed up under the adage, "it was the seventies". Anybody who remembers the decade will immediately understand. It's the classic exemplar of the past being a foreign country, and they certainly did things differently back then. The first thing our more puritanical times would find difficult is how the character of Liz is presented. Cheryl Burfield was 18 years old when she played the part, and quiet honestly, it shows. Even at the time, I suspect, there was some unease about this, as Liz was originally written as being 13, and later made up to 15 because there was no way the actress could be made to look that young. This will be at its most uncomfortable for modern sensibilities in the second adventure, "The Time of the Ice Box" with regard to Liz's relationship with the much older Larry. I think there would be a lot of column inches in the newspapers if this were made today. This issue becomes even more apparent in the third adventure, "The Year of the Burn", when the wonkish Simon becomes the object of starry-eyed adoration for the character of Vera, who is played by an actress who looks about 10 years older than the then 16 year old Spencer Banks. Remember, this was a children's show. Like I said, it was the seventies. If you're the sort of person who worries about pronouns, you may have difficulties with this show. Nevertheless, it's still one of the finest sci-fi productions ever to come out of England, seventies sensibilities notwithstanding, and if you're a sci-fi nerd, this is one that should definitely be in your collection, if only to allow you to say that you've watched it. Classic.
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