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The Tomorrow People Volume 2: The Medusa
Strain
Video: Revelation/Fremantle: PAR 50127. 100 minutes.
Price: varies from £10.99 to £ 9.99. Stars: Sammie Winmill, Nicholas
Young, Peter Vaughn-Clarke, Stephen Salmon, Michael Standing and
Philip Gilbert.
Looks
like ‘The Tomorrow People’ series is going to be a regular video
occurrence every two months. This tale returns the metamorphic robot
Jedikah after being restored in the future by Count Rabowski.
This particular renegade human lives in a spaceship
in hyperspace to evade capture and has imprisoned Peter, a Guardian
of the Time Lanes, forcing him to shift them through time.
This
suits Jedikah who in a younger human-looking form than his previous
appearance - the original actor wasn’t available - who wants revenge
on the 20th century Tomorrow People. He helps Rabowski steal the
Crown Jewels and kidnaps Carol when she and Stephen try to intercept
them. The rest of the story centres on the rest of the Tomorrow
People and Ginger, their Sap pal, trying to rescue them.
The ‘Medusa’ of the title is a telepathic creature that prevents
Tomorrow People from effectively using their abilities but has difficulty
with more than one at a time. Jedikah re-creates the head bands
he used previously that blocks their abilities while continues with
his own plans.
There were several thoughts that went through my head as I watched
this story. Outside of the Anderson shows, this has to be the only
other series that springs to mind from this period where we have,
in Roger Price, a writer-director in charge of proceedings for the
whole of its run.
Such control allows stronger continuity and upholds the series
bible. There was an odd reference to Hitler being an alien which
is actually covered in more detail much later in the series. At
this time, no doubt it was just a throwaway line but it was remembered
later and used.
As to the Tomorrow People themselves. A revelation that they are
only telepathic amongst themselves and can’t read the human Saps
minds also indicates Price having to build up their limitations.
Having Carol and Peter essentially powerless for most of the story
and blasting John and Stephen so they were out of commission stops
them having an easy time.
When you have a group who can essentially teleport/jaunt where
they want to go plus limited telepathic and telekinetic abilities,
more work is required to stop them ending the story quickly.
Looking at the series through adult eyes these days, I find I’m
looking at these aspects differently to how I did when I was in
my teens. Occasionally, I’m also wondering what influence it must
have had when I came up with my own ‘Psi-Kicks’ stories although
the only thing in common is somewhat similar abilities that all
psionic based humans have. If anything, it taught me to take a different
path rather than follow suit.
A taste of childhood - even if my erstwhile publisher claims he
never had one - then seeing ‘The Tomorrow People’ again is no doubt
on your list.
GF Willmetts
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