Sci Fi TV Reboots that Should Happen: Reboots are all the rage mostly because the entertainment industry prefers name recognition over original ideas. But there are some properties that truly deserve a do-over because they didn’t quite achieve their goal the first time around or they were cut short.
What Is It?
The original British series from the 1970’s followed a group of young people with telepathic and telekinetic powers that represent the next stage in evolution. This group would search for others of their kind and help them to understand and control their powers as they start to manifest. They also worked with the Galactic Federation which monitors planets with intelligent life and helps others like the Tomorrow People across the galaxy.
Aired: ITV, 1973-79, 8 Seasons Totaling 68 Episodes (It aired in syndication and on PBS in the United States)
Starring: Nicholas Young, Elizabeth Adare, Peter Vaughan-Clarke, Margaret Burton Philip Gilbert
Created By: Roger Price
Where Did the Original Fail?
The original series had a budget that made classic Doctor Who look like a high-dollar production, often falling far short of the writers’ ambitions. It also tended to target younger viewers and deliver more Earth-based, action-oriented stories (because those cost less) rather than focusing on its cosmic elements. Plus, the acting ranged from wooden to over-the-top while the dialog had plenty of copy-and-paste lines.
Why Reboot It?
Despite the cheesiness of the original Tomorrow People, the show did have a certain charm to it and an epic scope that was never fully explored due to budget constraints. It also established an interesting mythology with the Galactic Federation working with planets with intelligent species that started to manifest their mental abilities while also monitoring those that were on the cusp. Plus, there was the fact that the Tomorrow People had to follow certain guidelines to be accepted by the Galactic Federation such as avoiding the use of violence It was a great setup for a show that could provide both family-friendly viewing but also cosmic-level storytelling. The original did venture into the latter territory from time to time, but that was where the budget failed the show. The other storylines typically just delivered the villain-of-the-week trying to capture or control the Tomorrow People.
With current CGI technology, the more cosmic themes that the original touched on could be better realized. There were a lot of good ideas in the ’70s show and some good stories as well, and it is definitely worth revisiting. This could be brought back as a reboot or they could to the revival route that continues from the original similar to what Doctor Who did. It may not be a well-known property, especially in the United States, but a reboot or revival could deliver a sleeper sci fi series.
Did It Before
Series creator Roger Price did a complete reboot of The Tomorrow People in the 90’s with a new cast and with no ties to the original show. That one also dropped the Galactic Federation from the picture and delivered mostly Earth-based stories that were not as well-received as the original series. The CW attempted a reboot in 2013, but that also dispensed with the cosmic elements and basically delivered a budget-friendly retread of the X-Men premise. It disappeared from the airwaves after only one season.
Where Can You Watch It?
The Tomorrow People never received a DVD release in the U.S., though there is a Region 2 set available in the UK that collects the entire original series. It is not available on any of the major streaming services that I am aware of, but you can watch it on YouTube at this link.
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