E4 To Show Tomorrow People Revival
Monday, 9 September 2013 - Reported by John Bowman
The American revival of classic ITV children's fantasy/drama/sci-fi series The Tomorrow People is to be shown in the UK on the digital channel E4 early next year.
The 13-episode sci-fi show, which will première on American broadcast TV network The CW on Wednesday 9th October, stars Robbie Amell as Stephen Jameson, Luke Mitchell as John Young, Aaron Yoo as Russell Kwon, Peyton List as Cara Coburn, Mark Pellegrino as Dr Jedikiah Price, Madeleine Mantock as Astrid Finch, Jason Dohring as Killian McCrane, and the voice of Dan Stevens as the biotronic computer TIM.
The latest version is part of a package of three dramas bought from Warner by Channel 4, with the others being Hostages - showing on Channel 4 - and apocalyptic The 100, which is also to be shown on E4. Exact starting dates for their broadcast in the UK have yet to be confirmed.
Jeffrey R Schlesinger, the president of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, said:
The 13-episode sci-fi show, which will première on American broadcast TV network The CW on Wednesday 9th October, stars Robbie Amell as Stephen Jameson, Luke Mitchell as John Young, Aaron Yoo as Russell Kwon, Peyton List as Cara Coburn, Mark Pellegrino as Dr Jedikiah Price, Madeleine Mantock as Astrid Finch, Jason Dohring as Killian McCrane, and the voice of Dan Stevens as the biotronic computer TIM.
They are the next evolutionary leap of mankind, a generation of humans born with paranormal abilities - the Tomorrow People. Stephen Jameson stands at the crossroads between the world we know and the shifting world of the future. Up until a year ago, Stephen was a "normal" teenager - until he began hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep, never knowing where he might wake up. Now, Stephen's issues have gone far beyond the usual teenage angst, and he is beginning to question his sanity.
In desperation, he decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People - John, Cara, and Russell - a genetically-advanced race with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation, and telepathic communication. However, the Tomorrow People are being hunted down by a paramilitary group of scientists known as Ultra. Led by Dr Jedikiah Price, Ultra sees the Tomorrow People as a very real existential threat from a rival species, and the outcast group has been forced to hide out in an abandoned subway station just beneath the surface of the human world.
Trading in secrets, Jedikiah offers Stephen the chance for a normal life with his family and best friend Astrid if he will help in the struggle to isolate and eradicate the Tomorrow People. On the other hand, Cara, John, and Russell offer Stephen a different type of family and a home where he truly belongs.
Unwilling to turn his back on humanity or the world of the Tomorrow People, Stephen sets out on his own path - a journey that could take him into the shadowy past to uncover the truth about his father's mysterious disappearance, or into an unknown future with the Tomorrow People.
The new series has been made by Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Berlanti Productions, FremantleMedia, Warner Bros Television, and CBS Television Studios. The executive producers are Greg Berlanti, Julie Plec, Danny Cannon, Phil Klemmer, Thom Beers, and Craig Cegielski, with Melissa Kellner Berman as co-executive producer. It is based on the ITV series of the same name, which was devised by Roger Price and ran for 68 episodes over eight series from 1973 to 1979. A rebooted version that bore little resemblance to its progenitor ran for 25 episodes over three series between 1992 and 1995, while between 2001 and 2007 Big Finish produced five series of officially licensed audio productions starring cast members from the original show.In desperation, he decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People - John, Cara, and Russell - a genetically-advanced race with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation, and telepathic communication. However, the Tomorrow People are being hunted down by a paramilitary group of scientists known as Ultra. Led by Dr Jedikiah Price, Ultra sees the Tomorrow People as a very real existential threat from a rival species, and the outcast group has been forced to hide out in an abandoned subway station just beneath the surface of the human world.
Trading in secrets, Jedikiah offers Stephen the chance for a normal life with his family and best friend Astrid if he will help in the struggle to isolate and eradicate the Tomorrow People. On the other hand, Cara, John, and Russell offer Stephen a different type of family and a home where he truly belongs.
Unwilling to turn his back on humanity or the world of the Tomorrow People, Stephen sets out on his own path - a journey that could take him into the shadowy past to uncover the truth about his father's mysterious disappearance, or into an unknown future with the Tomorrow People.
The latest version is part of a package of three dramas bought from Warner by Channel 4, with the others being Hostages - showing on Channel 4 - and apocalyptic The 100, which is also to be shown on E4. Exact starting dates for their broadcast in the UK have yet to be confirmed.
Jeffrey R Schlesinger, the president of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution, said:
These three series were incredibly well-received and sought after at the LA Screenings and we are pleased that they ultimately landed at Channel 4 and E4.
Channel 4's chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, said: Channel 4 has had real success with Warner Bros shows such as The Big Bang Theory and 2 Broke Girls so I'm thrilled to be bringing more of the best acquisitions to the Channel 4 network.
A lengthy preview trailer for the new series is available to watch:The preview trailer for the forthcoming series of The Tomorrow People (via The CW's YouTube channel)