Home
about Stephen Hunt's SFcrowsnest.com
Search:
EUROPE'S MOST VISITED SF/F WEB SITE
   

The Tomorrow People 3:3 and 3.4: A Man For Emily and The Revenge Of Jedikah
pub: DVD: Fremantle/Revelation PAR 61143. 150 minutes. Price: £15.99) stars: Nicholas Young, Peter Vaughn Clarke, Elizabeth Adare, Dean Lawrence and Philip Gilbert with Peter Davison, Brian Stanion and Ann Curthoys.

check out website: www.revfilms.com


If you were hoping to collect all 'The Tomorrow People' stories on video, I think you're going to be disappointed. I had a nice chat with the people at Revelation and because video sales have been minute, further releases are going to be strictly DVD.

Mind you, considering how the space on the High Street shelves is being dominated by DVD these days, other than copying to video, I'd be surprised if any pre-recorded videos will be available in a couple years time.

The Tomorrow People 3:3 and 3.4: A Man For Emily and The Revenge Of JedikahThis DVD contains two three episode stories. 'A Man For Emily' is considered one of the worst in the series and 'The Revenge Of Jedikah' is thought to be one of its finest and certainly brings the majority of the elements from the earlier episodes to play in what was considered, at the time, to be the end of the series.

As actor Nicholas Young commentated in the audio commentary, 1500 letters persuaded Thames to keep the series going. 'A Man For Emily' was really played out for its comedic elements and as the aforementioned Nicholas Young, Peter Vaughn Clarke and Peter Davison (his first TV acting performance) comment in their audio track was exactly the way they were told to play it.

A spaceship arrives in Earth orbit and Elmer (actor Davison) convinced by The Momma and The Emily from receiving video broadcasts, is sent down dressed as a cowboy to bring back supplies.

Of course, he has all the etiquette of a cowboy with no idea he has to pay for food or drink and from a pub, has a shoot-out with the police. Ultimately, Elmer is arrested and the Tomorrow People, unable to teleport him, have to spring him from jail and back to the doozlum pin to return to the spaceship.

Things don't go to plan and one by one, each of them meet The Momma and Emily gets the hots for John. Although the story doesn't fit in with the overall seriousness of the series, I have to confess to find it irritatingly funny to watch now.

The audio commentary gives it a further blast, especially Nicholas Young's obsession with Tim's balls and Elmer playing with them!! 'The Revenge Of Jedikah' should give away the plot really. The Khultan in the past find the marooned and memory damaged shape-shifter robot Jedikah on Mercury.

They repair him and arrange for him to replace one of their rebelling pharaohs. When his time is done, Jedikah allows himself to appear mummified to hibernate back to the present day when his tomb is opened and he escapes. Following a series of shape-shifting impersonations, Jedikah is determined to neutralise the Tomorrow People and enslave the Earth.

There are elements of this story that share similarities to the later John Carpenter film 'The Thing' as although the viewer is let on who Jedikah is by the odd breath, no one else knows who he is or have any positive way of proving he can't be imitating him. On reflection, I would have thought jaunting would at least establish the Tomorrow People's own credentials but hey, this series is 29 years old now.

Apart from the audio commentaries, there's the usual selection of other material including stills, lead character and actor biographies. I would have thought a précis of each episode as somewhat redundant and might suggest showing a few stills of the actors as they were when they recorded their bits recently.

If you're nostalgic for your childhood or want to show your own children what you used to watch then you should be out buying this one if for no other reason it might encourage Fremantle to release other shows from this period on DVD (hands up for 'Timeslip').

As this DVD can also be bought as part of a Season 3 set, you have multiple ways of getting your own copies.

GF Willmetts


HobbitsFREE SF MAGAZINE
Sign up for the Crowsnest SF e-magazine - full of funny reports and gossip. Be the first to find out about hot science fiction happenings & news! 
        

more on the magazine...

CHAT ABOUT THIS STORY

NEWS ARCHIVE

 

OTHER REVIEWS - January 2004

NEW. Add this news to your own web site for free!

Books and Magazines

By Moonlight Only edited by Stephen Jones

The MasterHarper Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

The Complete Book Of Gerry Anderson's UFO by Chris Bentley

Down The Bright Way by Robert Reed

Dragon's Kin by Anne and Todd McCaffrey

Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Third Alternative # 36 - Autumn 2003

Southern Fire by Juliet E. McKenna

The Mabinogion by Evangeline Walton

The Glass Mountain by Jessica Rydill

Dear Abby by Terry Bisson

The Gathering Storm by Kate Elliott

Lord Of Snow And Shadows by Sarah Ash

Incompetence by Rob Grant

The Wind From The Sun by Arthur C. Clarke

DVDS and Videos

Hulk

Terminator 3: The Rise Of The Machines

The Tomorrow People 3:3 and 3.4: A Man For Emily and The Revenge Of Jedikah


CHAT ABOUT THIS STORY

Advertise Here (More ...)

 

   
HTML Text AOL
nest home | search engine | site directory | shop | library | tools | about us |  

... www.sfcrowsnest.com © 2001 C
Want a free SF/F Zine? Then send an e-mail to: hologramtales-subscribe@topica.com