History Trivia / TheTomorrowPeople1973

* StuntCasting: In season four, Roger Price attempted to boost ratings by introducing teen idol Mike Holloway of the pop band Flintlock to the cast in the hope that he would be Britain's answer to Donny Osmond or Music/DavidCassidy.

* UncreditedRole: Creator/LindaRobson as a student in "The Blue and the Green".

** Nicholas Young hated the final story "War of the Empires", saying that he was embarassed to associated with it.

* OldShame: Creator/PeterDavison is rather embarrassed about his early guest role in "A Man For Emily." Let's just say it opens with a nearly nude Peter sagging against a wall and goes downhill from there. Peter expressed utter horror upon learning that the episode had actually been broadcast in the US.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Roger Price cast Peter Vaughan Clarke as Stephen after seeing him in a Manchester rendition of ''Theatre/PeterPan'' with Lulu.

* PropRecycling: During the majority of the series, when the lab was located in the abandoned underground station, the control panel for the entrance was a prop that previously appeared in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E2TheArkInSpace The Ark in Space]]". The prop was originally made for ''Series/{{UFO}}''. Other panels and control desks from that series can occasionally be seen in both ''Doctor Who'' and ''The Tomorrow People''.

** Nicholas Young was unhappy with the show's lack of care for special effects from day one, claiming the show would've fared better over time if more of the budget had been allotted for it. He hated the final story "War of the Empires", saying that he was embarassed to associated with it.

** Nicholas Young was unhappy with the show's lack of care for special effects from day one, claiming the show would've fared better over time if more of the budget had been allotted for it.

* PromotedFanboy: Nigel Rhodes (Ian Andrew Forbes) was a big fan of the series.

* TroubledProduction: Production of the first story, "The Slaves of Jedikiah" was much troubled as the crew found they were unfamiliar with the technical demands of a science fiction drama. The first day in studio was disastrous with virtually no usable material getting made and there was some tension between the cast and Paul Bernard who was very authoritarian with them. Also Nicholas Young banged himself hard into a wall while working on the darkened entrance to the Lab which was being filmed inside the real disused tube station at Wood Lane (closed in the 1940s). Fortunately he was not badly injured and able to carry on later that day after a recovery break.

* {{Cancellation}}: The series ended with the four-part ''War of the Empires'' when a proper SeriesFinale was still in the writing stages. This was the result of the [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes 1979 ITV Strike]] - the very same strike which caused ''Series/DoctorWho'''s ratings to go through the roof - with many electrical personnel walking out. The 90s revival and the audio dramas were also cancelled while more material was being planned.

** Elizabeth Adare grew increasingly unhappy with the quality of later scripts. However she knew how important and ground breaking it was for a black actress to be the female lead in a British TV production so consciously decided to stick around.

* WrittenInInfirmity: Michael Standing (Ginge) fell off his motorbike and broke his leg at the start of season two, prompting a speedy rewrite whereby Ginge's younger brother, Chris, was now seen as the new Sap regular. Chris was mentioned in the dialogue as already being known to the Tomorrow People, so little in the way of changes had to be made to the script. Ginge's absence was explained on-screen by his having been admitted to hospital following a fall from his motorbike, reflecting Standing's real-life accident.

** Roger Price only ever allowed one attempt by another writer to work on it solo, with John E. Watkins penning "Into the Unknown" broadcast in early 1976. Price was not satisfied with the final episodes and decided from now on he would be sole writer.

* DuelingShows[=/=]FollowTheLeader: The series was publicised as Creator/{{ITV}}'s answer to ''Series/DoctorWho''. Plus, the finale, "War of the Empires", was clearly trying to ape ''Film/ANewHope''.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: With inflation out of control in the late-1970s, the budget was stretched to breaking point, a factor which was constantly on the mind of producer Vic Hughes. A dispute over the allocation of studio days ended the show in 1979 when Hughes attempted to gain an extra studio day for the planned ninth series (which fell victim to the ITV strike that summer) following numerous problems during the production of "War of the Empires" (the sole four-part adventure that made up series 8) which had been given only four days in studio. This was partially due to a very ambitious script that, with its numerous space battles, was heavily influenced by ''Film/ANewHope''. Also by this point Roger Price had emigrated to America after being headhunted to help set up Nickelodeon children's channel and Thames were reluctant to carry on without him. However some of the lead actors were of the opinion that the series was disliked within Thames due to its great success. Whatever the reason, it finally vanished after a short repeat run in early 1980.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: As the series was aimed at young people, it would often reflect popular fashions and fads of the time but usually with a suitable sinister twist:
** "Hitler's Last Secret" in 1978 involved the TPs investigating a sudden craze for wearing Nazi uniforms amongst teenagers (reflecting the actions of the then contemporary punk rockers) but is a precursor to Hitler being revived from suspended animation by a group of Nazis.
** "The Living Skins" saw aliens transforming themselves into fashionable plastic jump suits that would control and eventually kill the millions of people who wear them.
** "The Blue and the Green" sees the whole of humanity divided by a craze to wear blue or green badges and for a children's show, the whole concept of classroom violence is handled maturely by Price and his production team.
** In 1977 Mike joins a pop band, "The Heart of Sogguth" whose hell-raising music will bring back the Devil when millions of teenagers are watching them on television.
** The popularity of ''Literature/ChariotsOfTheGods'' was an influence on 1975's "Worlds Away" when it is revealed that the evil Kulthan had controlled and assisted the ancient Egyptians.

** Wildly averted in the 90s remake; three of the four actors were Kristian, Christian, and Kristen, while the actor named Adam did *not* play the *character* named Adam (Kristian did).

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: With inflation out of control in the late-1970s, the budget was stretched to breaking point, a factor which was constantly on the mind of producer Vic Hughes. A dispute over the allocation of studio days ended the show in 1979 when Hughes attempted to gain an extra studio day for the planned ninth series (which fell victim to the ITV strike that summer) following numerous problems during the production of "War of the Empires" (the sole four-part adventure that made up series 8) which had been given only four days in studio. This was partially due to a very ambitious script that, with its numerous space battles, was heavily influenced by ''Film/StarWars''. Also by this point Roger Price had emigrated to America after being headhunted to help set up Nickelodeon children's channel and Thames were reluctant to carry on without him. However some of the lead actors were of the opinion that the series was disliked within Thames due to its great success. Whatever the reason, it finally vanished after a short repeat run in early 1980.

* {{Cancellation}}[=/=]CutShort: The series ended with the four-part ''War of the Empires'' when a proper SeriesFinale was still in the writing stages. This was the result of the [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes 1979 ITV Strike]] - the very same strike which caused ''Series/DoctorWho'''s ratings to go through the roof - with many electrical personnel walking out. The 90s revival and the audio dramas were also cancelled while more material was being planned.

* DuelingShows[=/=]FollowTheLeader: The series was publicised as Creator/{{ITV}}'s answer to ''Series/DoctorWho''.

* NoBudget: For much of the original series. The 90s version significantly improved in budget, though.

** Stephen Salmon, who played Kenny, has given no interviews (not even on the ''Beyond Tomorrow'' documentary) and made no appearances since he left the show. The fandom often question whether he's even still ''alive''. Many speculate it was because of the backlash he received over his wooden acting.

* {{Cancellation}}[=/=]CutShort: The original [[TheSeventies 70s]] series ended with the four-part ''War of the Empires'' when a proper SeriesFinale was still in the writing stages. This was the result of the [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes 1979 ITV Strike]] - the very same strike which caused Series/DoctorWho's ratings to go through the roof - with many electrical personnel walking out. The 90s revival and the audio dramas were also cancelled while more material was being planned.

** Elizabeth M'bundo was played by Elizabeth Adare, and Mike Bell was played by Mike Holoway.

* ActorAllusion: The first 90s story features two police officers named Young and Holloway, named after Nicholas Young and Michael Holloway from the 70s show.

* {{Cancellation}} / CutShort: The original [[TheSeventies 70s]] series ended with the four-part ''War of the Empires'' when a proper SeriesFinale was still in the writing stages. This was the result of the [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes 1979 ITV Strike]] - the very same strike which caused Series/DoctorWho's ratings to go through the roof - with many electrical personnel walking out. The 90s revival and the audio dramas were also cancelled while more material was being planned.

* DuelingShows / FollowTheLeader: The series was publicised as Creator/{{ITV}}'s answer to ''Series/DoctorWho''.
* HideYourPregnancy / AbsenteeActor: Elizabeth Adare was [[CommutingOnABus absent for most of the 1978 season]] due to her pregnancy, making her only appearances through the Lab's monitor.

* TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment: The ''Beyond Tomorrow'' documentary was completed in 1997 and wasn't released until 2005.

* {{Cancellation}} / CutShort: The original [[TheSeventies 70s]] series ended with the four-part ''War of the Empires'' when a proper SeriesFinale was still in the writing stages. This was the result of the [[TVStrikes 1979 ITV Strike]] - the very same strike which caused Series/DoctorWho's ratings to go through the roof - with many electrical personnel walking out. The 90s revival and the audio dramas were also cancelled while more material was being planned.

** Wildly averted in the 90s remake; three of the four actors were Kristian, Christian, and Kristen, while the actor named Adam did *not* play the *character* named Adam (Kristian did).* DuelingShows / FollowTheLeader: The series was publicised as Creator/{{ITV}}'s answer to ''Series/DoctorWho''.

** Wildly averted in the 90s remake; three of the four actors were Kristian, Christian, and Kristen, while the actor named Adam did *not* play the *character* named Adam (Kristian did).
* {{Documentary}}: The TalkingHeads - centred ''Beyond Tomorrow'', which was [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes finally released in 2005]] after being filmed in 1997.
* DuelingShows / FollowTheLeader: The series was publicised as Creator/{{ITV}}'s answer to ''Series/DoctorWho''.

* ReclusiveArtist: Stephen Salmon, who played Kenny, seems to have literally disappeared off the face of the earth. Many speculate it was because of the backlash he received over his wooden acting. Dean Lawrence and Misako Koba are milder examples - the former is now running an "Adult Specialty Shop" and remembers very little about his time on the show, which is why he rarely gives interviews. He did, however, attend the Hyperspace convention in 2008. The latter only just came out of a long time away from the public to attend conventions and give interviews from March 2014 onwards.
* TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment: ''Beyond Tomorrow''.

* TheDanza: Elizabeth M'bundo was played by Elizabeth Adare, and Mike Bell was played by Mike Holoway.

* ReclusiveArtist: Stephen Salmon, who played Kenny, seems to have literally disappeared off the face of the earth. Many speculate it was because of the backlash he received over his wooden acting. Dean Lawrence and Misako Koba are milder examples - the former is now running an "Adult Specialty Shop" and remembers very little about his time on the show, which is why he rarely gives interviews. He did, however, attend the Hyperspace convention in 2008. The latter only just came out of a long time away from the public to attend conventions and give interviews from March 2014 onwards.

* AccidentalInnuendo: Of the visual variety. TIM's balls get tickled on one occasion.

* DemotedToExtra: Tyso's fate by the end of series 4, after being OutOfFocus since the middle of series 3. Apparently his portrayer, Dean Lawrence, didn't seem to mind as he had been planning to leave at the end of that particular series anyway. On the ''Beyond Tomorrow'' documentary he even issued a TakeThat to episodes produced for series 5 and later.