''Timeslip'' is a British

children's A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

series made by ATV for the ITV network, and broadcast in 1970 and 1971. It was first shown on Monday evenings at around 5:15-5:20pm, beginning on 28 September 1970, in all ITV regions, apart from Thames (London) and Southern which broadcast the series the following Friday.

Overview

The series is centred on two children, Simon Randall (

Spencer Banks Spencer Banks (born 1954 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield) is a British television actor. He was mainly active in the 1970s, when he tended to play a geeky adolescent in glasses. He starred in two significant programmes: the popular chi ...

) and Liz Skinner (Cheryl Burfield), who discover a strange anomaly, known as the Time Barrier, which enables them to travel in time, and visit the past as well as alternative futures. The time barrier, which operates in a field at a disused military base, moves the children not only through time but also through space: for example, they travel from St Oswald's in the UK in 1940 to the Antarctic in one projection of 1990. The children have contrasting personalities: Simon is studious, but Liz is something of a crybaby. This often leads to conflict, but as the series progresses, their antagonism matures into a deep bond of friendship. The main theme of the series is the way humankind uses and abuses science and technology, and tends to support the idea that the pursuit of scientific knowledge and advancement leads 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, is the extent to which an individual can change, or be changed, depending on the situations he or she encounters.

''List of serials''

Summary

''Wrong End of Time''

Simon, whose mother has died recently, has been taken on holiday in 1970 by the Skinner family – father Frank (

Derek Benfield Derek Benfield (11 March 1926 – 10 March 2009) was a British playwright and actor. He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce ''Running Riot'' and pla ...

), 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 or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, where he had suffered amnesia. This has left him with no recollection of what happened during his time there. A local girl, Sarah, disappears through an invisible time barrier, witnessed by a local man, but nobody believes him when he tells the story in the pub where the Skinners are staying; but his story attracts a man called Charles Traynor (

Denis Quilley Denis Clifford Quilley (26 December 1927 – 5 October 2003) was an English actor and singer. From a family with no theatrical connections, Quilley was determined from an early age to become an actor. He was taken on by the Birmingham Repertor ...

), who arrives in the village and reveals that he was Skinner's commanding officer at the base during the war. Traynor had ordered Skinner to destroy the apparatus which 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 1940. The German commander, Gottfried (

Sandor Elès József Sándor Éles (15 June 1936 – 10 September 2002), sometimes credited simply as Sándor Éles, was a Hungarian actor. He started his career in theatre, but was best known latterly for TV and film work. Early life Born in Tatabánya, 6 ...

), is now a prominent scientist, kidnapped and forced to work on the other side of the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political 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 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

, 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 West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. 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 1940, 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 (born 17 January 1947) is an English actor turned spiritual healer. He was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, under the name John Kenneth Foinquinos. Biography Acting career Alkin is best remembered for two roles: DC Tom Daniels in Thames ...

). A link is maintained to the present via Liz's mother, who is able to communicate

telepathically Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...

with her daughter. After crossing the Time Barrier, Liz and Simon encounter Sarah, the teenage girl who fell through the barrier, and help her return to the present day. 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 A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

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. During their experience in 1940, Liz is shot yet the bullet does not harm her, which seems to confirm Traynor's advice to Liz's parents (in 1970) that the children are not actually in any danger from the time travel because they are only hallucinating about it and the past cannot harm them.

''The Time of the Ice Box''

The icy wilderness is revealed to be

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

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 Barron). Liz and Simon manage to escape and return to the present time, but only just after Liz believes she has seen her mother in the Ice Box. 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. Using Simon's curiosity about these events, Traynor persuades the children to return to the Ice Box and 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 a 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. Liz discovers to her horror and disgust that her father Frank is also in the Ice Box, but has been buried under the ice for ten years as part of an experiment, but the experiment fails when the Ice Box temperature controls fail. 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''

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 future Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, and film. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized in H. G. Wells' ...

from that of the Ice Box. In this future, England is covered in tropical

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

. Once again, Liz encounters her future self, Beth (once more played by Mary Preston). This time, however, she is a

hippy A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to different countries around the w ...

Earth mother A mother goddess is a major goddess characterized as a mother or progenitor, either as an embodiment of motherhood and fertility or fulfilling the cosmological role of a creator- and/or destroyer-figure, typically associated the Earth, sky, a ...

type who has rebelled against the

technocracy Technocracy is a form of government in which decision-makers appoint knowledge experts in specific domains to provide them with advice and guidance in various areas of their policy-making responsibilities. Technocracy follows largely in the tra ...

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 humankind. 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 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, that is located at St. Oswald's and next to the Time Barrier. 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. Devereaux's experiments fail and the young people Simon and Liz encounter at R1 in 1965, they meet again in 1970 only now they are all very old men and women on the point of dying. 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 does not 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 editor A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television and radio programs, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas wit ...

Ruth Boswell, who developed the format and the outline of the first story with her husband James.Arnold, ''Breaking Barriers''. 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 The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's science fiction series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' (1963–89; 1996; 2005–present).Stewart, ''Timeslip Memories Part Two''. 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'' is a book by the British soldier, aeronautical engineer and philosopher J. W. Dunne (1875–1949) about his precognitive dreams and a theory of time which he later called "Serialism". First published in March 1927 ...

'' by

J. W. Dunne John William Dunne (2 December 1875 – 24 August 1949) was a British soldier, aeronautical engineer and philosopher. As a young man he fought in the Second Boer War, before becoming a pioneering aeroplane designer in the early years of the 20t ...

. However, in order to give the series as authentic a veneer as possible, Geoffrey Hoyle, son of

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

Fred Hoyle Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper, B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on oth ...

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 (2 November 1930 – 5 August 1998) was a British 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 ...

, who was science correspondent for

ITN Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, New York City, New York, Paris, Sydney and Washin ...

. The plot of the first serial, "The Wrong End of Time", was inspired by an – initially apocryphal (but according to some accounts confirmed after remaining a State Secret for more than 70 years) – story of a German Expeditionary Force that landed in Britain to carry out a raid on an Isle of Wight radar station in 1940 (or 1943), 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'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC1 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 ( ...

'' (1970–72). This view was echoed by an article in ''

TV Zone ''TV Zone'' was a British magazine that was 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 ''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 Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction; this reproduction of an organism by itself without ...

and

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

". Although Boswell originally conceived ''Timeslip'' as a single-story six-part serial, the concept was soon expanded into a much longer series of 26 episodes. New Zealander Bruce Stewart, who had adapted various science fiction short stories for the

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

series '' Out of this World'' (1962) and ''

Out of the Unknown ''Out of the Unknown'' is a British television science fiction and horror anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Most episodes of the first three series were dramatisations of s ...

'' (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 Francis Pemberton (10 October 1931 – 13 August 2017) was a British writer and television producer. His scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including ''Doctor Who'', '' The Slide'', ...

. 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'' is the Doctor Who missing episodes, completely missing sixth serial of the Doctor Who (season 5), fifth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which originally aired in six weekly parts from 1 ...

". The iconic opening titles for the series, using 3D lettering altered for each of the four stories. The

light source Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

moving round the letters to give shadows reminiscent of a sun dial. 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. The first story's typeface used

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, a typeface designed for

Westminster Bank Westminster Bank was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales. It was created in 1834 as the London and Westminster Bank. It merged with the London and County Bank in 1909, after which it renamed itself the London County and W ...

to be used on cheques as it is easily recognisable by

optical character recognition Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) is the electronics, electronic or machine, mechanical conversion of images of typed, handwritten or printed text into machine-encoded text, whether from a scanned document, a photo ...

. ''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 Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

. The effect of the children passing through the Time Barrier was achieved by way of a simple

split screen Split screen may refer to: * Split screen (computing), dividing graphics into adjacent parts * Split screen (video production), the visible division of the screen * ''Split Screen'' (TV series), 1997–2001 * Split screen, a focusing screen in a ...

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 Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

.Robinson, ''Timeslip (Part 2)'', p. 15. 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

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.Robinson, ''Timeslip (Part 1)'', p. 27. The character of Liz was originally written as a 13-year-old; however, when the 18-year-old Burfield was cast, Liz's age was upped to 15. ''Timeslip'' was the first major television role for

, who played Simon Randall. Unlike his co-star, no change was needed to the age of his character; even though he was 15 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".Houldsworth, ''Fantasy Flashback – Timeslip: The Time of the IceBox'', p. 54. However, over the course of production, Banks grew and matured and his voice broke. Banks went on to star in the children's series ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' (1972) (made by the same team behind ''Timeslip'') and ''

The Georgian House The Georgian House is a British children's historical fantasy television series produced by HTV in Bristol and first screened on ITV (TV network), ITV in 1976. The series consisted of seven episodes. Plot The story concerned two students, ...

'' (1976). He also starred in the highly acclaimed TV drama '' Penda's Fen'' (1974) by

David Rudkin James David Rudkin (born 29 June 1936) is an England, English playwright. Early life Rudkin was born in London. Coming from a family of strict evangelical Christians, he was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and read Mods and Great ...

. In 2015, Banks and Burfield played characters called Rev. Simon Randall and Liz Randall in '' The Amityville Playhouse''.

went on to become a leading figure in the National Theatre and was awarded the

O.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

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).

later went on to appear in regular roles in '' The Brothers'' (1972–76) and ''

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates ''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'' is a British crime drama television series, starring Patricia Routledge as the title character, Henrietta "Hetty" Wainthropp, that aired for four series between 3 January 1996 and 4 September 1998 on BBC One. T ...

'' (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 Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist, who is known for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s production ...

Century 21 Supermarionation series. He voiced ''Parker'', ''Brains'' and ''Gordon Tracy'' as well as others in '' Thunderbirds''; also voicing characters in ''

Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

'', ''

Fireball XL5 ''Fireball XL5'' is a 1960s British children's Science fiction on television, science-fiction puppet television series about the missions of ''Fireball XL5'', a vessel of the World Space Patrol that polices the cosmos in the year 2062. Commanded ...

'', ''

Four Feather Falls ''Four Feather Falls'' is a British children's western television series, the third puppet TV show produced by AP Films (APF) in association with Granada Television. It was based on an idea by Barry Gray, who also wrote the show's music. The ...

'', ''

The Secret Service ''The Secret Service'' is a 1969 British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, Century 21, for ITC Entertainment. It follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, a ...

'' and ''

Supercar A supercar, also known as an exotic car, is a street-legal sports car with race track-like power, speed, and handling, plus a certain subjective ''cachet'' linked to pedigree and/or exclusivity. The term 'supercar' is frequently used for th ...

''. He appeared in ''

'' in the stories '' The Gunfighters'' and ''

City of Death ''City of Death'' is the second serial of the seventeenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor. It was produced by the BBC ...

'', in addition to voicing Daleks in several episodes. Ian Fairbairn (Alpha 4 and Doctor Frazer) had minor roles on ''

'', including the

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor. He became best known for his roles in television, most notably starring as the Second Doctor, second incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the lo ...

stories ''

The Macra Terror ''The Macra Terror'' is the completely missing seventh serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 March to 1 April 1967. In this serial, th ...

'' and '' The Invasion'', '' Inferno'' with

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

and

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

's ''

The Seeds of Doom ''The Seeds of Doom'' is the sixth and final serial of the Doctor Who (season 13), 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 31 January to 6 M ...

'', the latter three directed by Douglas Camfield. Continuing Cast: *''Simon Randall'': Spencer Banks *''Liz Skinner'': Cheryl Burfield *''Frank Skinner'': Derek Benfield *''Jean Skinner'': Iris Russell *''Commander Charles Traynor'': Denis Quilley The Wrong End of Time: *''Frank'':

*''Gottfried'':

*''Graz'': Paul Humpoletz *''Arthur Griffiths'': John Garrie *''George Bradley'':

Royston Tickner Roy Albert Tickner (8 September 1922 – 7 July 1997), known professionally as Royston Tickner, was a British film actor. Biography Born in Leicester, a tailor's son, he trained as an actor at Scarborough repertory theatre. He served in the Ro ...

*''Ferris'':

Peter Sproule Peter Sproule (born 1947) is an English actor. His roles include a guest appearance on an early episode of '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his first appearance at the Bristol Old Vic ...

*''Phipps'':

John Abbott Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Canada from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbo ...

*''Dr. Fordyce'': Kenneth Watson *''Alice Fortune'': Virginia Balfour *''Sarah'': Sally Templer *''German Sailor'':

Hilary Minster Roger Michael Hilary Minster (21 March 1944 – 24 November 1999) was an English character actor. Life and career Born in Surrey, England, he is best known for playing General Erich Von Klinkerhoffen in the sitcom Allo 'Allo!'' between 198 ...

The Time of the Ice Box: *''Morgan C. Devereaux'': John Barron *''Beth'': Mary Preston *''Dr. Bukov'': John Barcroft *''Dr. Edith Joynton'':

Peggy Thorpe-Bates Margaret Freda Oulton (11 August 1914 – 26 December 1989), better known by her stage name Peggy Thorpe-Bates was an English actress who appeared in the first three series of ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' as Rumpole's fearsome wife Hilda. She a ...

*''Larry'': Robert Oates The Year of the Burn Up: *''Beth'': Mary Preston *''2957'': David Graham *''Miss Stebbins/Alpha 16'': Teresa Scoble *''Alpha 17'': Lisa Scoble *''Vera'': Merdel Jordine *''Paul'':

Brian Pettifer Brian Pettifer (born 1 January 1953) is a Scottish actor who has appeared in many television shows, and also on stage and in film. He is the younger brother of folk musician Linda Thompson. Biography He intended to become a photographer, but ...

*''Alpha 4'': Ian Fairbairn *''Delta 22'': Patrick Durkin The Day of the Clone: *''Morgan C. Devereaux'': John Barron *''Dr. Frazer'': Ian Fairbairn *''Dr. Pitman'': John Swindells *''Miss Stebbins'': Teresa Scoble *''Maria'': Mary Larkin *''De Seram'': Derek Sydney *''Dr. Ferguson'': Keith Grenville *''Mr. Randall'':

John Cazabon John Forde Cazabon (3 August 1914 – 22 June 1983) was an English actor and stage writer whose career began in Sydney, Australia. History Cazabon was born in Hertford, Hertfordshire, to violinist and composer Albert Cazabon (1883–1970) and N ...

*''George Pointer'':

Richard Thorp Richard Stanley Thorp (2 January 1932 – 22 May 2013) was an English actor. He was best known for his 30-year tenure portraying Alan Turner in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1982 to 2013. He also appeared in films such as '' The Dam Bu ...

*''Desk Attendant'':

Bruce Beeby Bruce Edward Beeby (21 October 1921 – 20 October 2013) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in British films and television. He was probably best known for portraying Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell in the 1950s BBC radio serials '' Journ ...

*''Ward Sister'': Hilary Liddell *''Commissionaire'': Harry Davis *''Driver'': Dennis Balcombe *''News Vendor'': John Herrington 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 ''The Tomorrow People'' is a British children's science fiction on television, science fiction television series created by Roger Price (television producer), Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV (TV network), ITV Network, th ...

'' (1973–79; 1992–95).

Critical reception

Reviewing the first episode in ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

'', 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 (

) 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'' was a British magazine covering science fiction and fantasy films, books and television programmes. Published monthly by Gary Leigh (July 1983 to January 2001) and then Titan Magazines (2001 to 2007), it was a leading genre entert ...

'' 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 Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

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".

Archive status

Most of ''Timeslip'' was originally recorded on colour

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually Sound recording and reproduction, sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog signal, analog or Digital signal (signal processing), digital signal. V ...

. An exception was episodes 23 and 24, which were recorded in black and white due to the so-called

colour strike The Colour Strike was an industrial action by technicians at ITV (TV network), ITV companies which ran from 13 November 1970 to 8 February 1971. Due to a pay dispute, technicians refused to work with colour television equipment. Some shows made d ...

, an

industrial action Industrial action (British English) or job action (American English) is a temporary show of dissatisfaction by employees—especially a strike or slowdown or working to rule—to protest against bad working conditions or low pay and to increas ...

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 format. The remaining episodes exist as black and white

telerecording Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

s. Research for the 2009 documentary 'Timeslip: Behind the Barrier' revealed that only two episodes were recorded in black and white. An extra scene for episode 25 had to be taped during the same recording session, meaning that this episode was broadcast only in black and white. It is believed the original videotapes for the wiped episodes were wiped and reused by Central in 1982 or '83 after they took over from ATV providing ITV programmes to the Midlands during an archive purge of programmes of their predecessors. At the time, these programmes were seen to have no commercial value and were deemed worthless. Other sources claim that when Central had taken over, it was found that the videotapes had been badly damaged by age and poor storage conditions and were disposed of on the grounds of poor technical quality unsuitable for broadcast.

Home video release

''Timeslip'' was released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

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 The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

boxset by Carlton in 2004. A region 1 DVD, containing a restored and uncut version of the series, included the documentary ''Beyond the Barrier''. This was issued in 2005 by A&E Home Video, under license from Granada International Media Limited. A new DVD release by Network Distributing was released in 2016 in black and white. ''Timeslip: Behind the Barrier'', an independent documentary chronicling the making of Timeslip was produced in 2009. It features interviews with many of the surviving cast members, including Cheryl Burfield, Spencer Banks, David Graham, Ian Fairbairn and Iris Russell as well as creator Ruth Boswell, writers Bruce Stewart and Victor Pemberton and director Ron Francis. It was produced by the owners of the official Timeslip website.

Other media

A comic strip, which depicted several new adventures for Liz and Simon, appeared concurrently with the broadcast of the series in ''

Look-In ''Look-in'' was a children's magazine centred on ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior '' TVTimes''". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994.TV Times ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine. From 1955 until 1991, it was the only source of seven-day listings for ITV and, from 1982, Channel 4 (as well as S4C in Wales in an enclosed local supplement titled '' Sbec''). The magaz ...

''. The comic strip was drawn by Mike Noble.''Look-In'' also published a number of interviews with the show's two young stars. A

novelisation A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

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 is a British publishing imprint that first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers, owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group of Germany. History Pan Books began as an indepe ...

to coincide with the broadcast of the series in 1970. It is visible on-screen in episode 6 of the series ''Tightrope'' on a rack of books.

Big Finish

In 2020,

Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...

released a new series of ''Timeslip''. This comprised two box sets as full cast audio productions with original cast members Spencer Banks and Cheryl Burfield. The first box set was released on ''Timeslips 50th Anniversary in May 2020, with the second set following in June 2020. Two more box sets were released in July 2023 and then August 2023.

Notes

References and further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Official Timeslip Website
*

* {{Screenonline TV title, id=1386836 1970s British science fiction television series British science fiction television shows ITV children's television shows British time travel television series 1970 British television series debuts 1970s British children's television series 1971 British television series endings Television series by ITV Studios British English-language television shows Television shows produced by Associated Television (ATV) Television shows adapted into comics Television shows adapted into novels Television shows shot at ATV Elstree Studios Folk horror