 |
|
'Timeslip' was the reason I
started reading Look-in, upon seeing the TV adverts (La-la-la-la-la
Look-in! etc.,), and knowing that my favourite series was to be a picture
strip, I had to have it.
I was a big fan of the series. Set in 1971, the series begins when a
young girl disappears by a disused naval station. When two other
children, Simon Randall (Spencer Banks) and Liz Skinner (Cheryl Burfield)
go to investigate the station, they hear a strange buzzing sound, on
getting nearer to the sound Liz disappears too, she reappears in the same
naval station but it is night time. When Simon Joins her, they eventually
realise they have found a way into the past, or 'The Time Barrier' as it
becomes known. Whilst beyond the barrier, Liz's mother Jean (Iris
Russell) finds she is able to keep a telepathic link to Liz, and senses
when she is in danger. Always around, the mysterious Commander Traynor
(Denis Quilley), is very eager for Liz and Simon to keep entering the
barrier, he wants to find out about secret experiments on a longevity
drug. During their time in the barrier, Liz and Simon meet past and
future versions of people they know, some of whom turn out to be clones
made by Morgan C. Devereaux (John Barron), Head of the ministry, who is
conducting longevity experiments.
Simon and Liz infiltrate Devereaux's
establishment, and find that he has been holding the real Traynor
prisoner, and the one in 1971 is in fact a clone. In the climax to the
series Traynor confronts and destroys the clone, which is sucked into the
barrier.
The series was made in colour and B&W, but only B&W copies survive,
apart from one episode. It remains one of the most memorable
children's series ever, for a lot of reasons, the music, 'La Rite de
Terre' by Edouard Michael, was quite scary for a 9 year old!, and some of
the subject matter is quite heavy for a teatime series, but it never
deterred the huge amount of kids that watched it. It is still
remembered and loved, it even has it's own website now -
www.timeslip.org.uk.
The strip was an excellent continuation of the
stories, and gave some idea what could have been achieved if the series
had continued, although some stories like the Egypt one, would have been a
bit high budget!
The stories were drawn first in colour by Mike Noble, but when Mike was
moved on to Follyfoot, the strip continued in black and white, with a
series of unknown artists, the stories were still ok, but without Mike's
artwork, were not as enthralling.
Stories were written as usual, by Angus P.
Allan.
 |
