In the year 2089, Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Masters using their giant Tripods. When humans reach the age of sixteen, they must undergo a process known as capping, which places their minds under the control of the conquerors, making them more docile. Having learned the truth about the Tripods and life in the past, cousins Will and Henry Parker embark on a journey to the White Mountains in search of a group of free men who live in freedom from the Tripods and caps. What an outstanding series that pushed the boundaries in technology during its making and was unfortunately cut short in its prime leaving the story unfinished, which to this day still upsets fans (including myself). I absolutely loved this sci-fi adventure series. We are introduced to the setting of the future in 2089, which instantly draws many questions as we see a horse-drawn wagon with a backdrop mirroring the past. We soon come to realise that the world has been set back hundreds of years after this invasion, which has affected everything from the human way of life to technology. More is learned on the journey through France where large cities are found decimated and have no idea what cars are, showing the true damage of this occupation and how far they have been set back. Speaking of the protagonists, we follow Will, Henry and Beanpole as they head to the white mountains in hopes of finding a place free from the Tripods and the caps. I liked each one of them both in terms of their characters and actors. I think they gave brilliant performances and I found each to be very compelling and grew very fond of the trio. I adored their banter, sense of awe and wonder, courage in the fight for freedom and ability to overcome their differences to work together. The first season is easily my favourite where they travel to the white mountains, getting into many difficult situations to overcome with mini-adventures along the way. They each go through hardships and treacherous tasks that when they finally arrive it feels so rewarding. The second season is quite unlike the first set up more as a more spy-like undercover story in the City of Gold where the Masters live where Will infiltrates the city with free man aid Fritz. I was upset to see a departure from Henry who showed up at the start only to disappear for the rest of the season (but was set to return heavily in the cancelled season) and Beanpole is still there but only for a bit at the start and end. For its time, the special effects were superb, really pushing the boundaries and quite a lot still hold up to this day. Everything that was done to bring the Tripods to life is so fascinating and they easily have the best effects. I think those effects definitely added to my favouritism of them in the series. The glow of the eye-like spotlights was so visually stunning and the way it walked/manoeuvred looked very practical that I could totally believe they would work. Their presence upped the tension, mainly because they would pop up out of nowhere and lead to some smart and decisive tactics to get away. This BBC cult classic series was based on the 3 Tripod books by John Christopher and were adapted into a Saturday tea-time show, which was planned to be 3 seasons long with one being for each novel. However, to everyone's astonishment, the 3rd season was cancelled due to the new BBC One controller Michael Grade's dislike for sci-fi and considered the programme an expensive rating failure despite receiving 6 million views, which today would be amazing. There are descriptions out there of what was planned in detail for the 3rd and final season with some incredible developments that I won't spoil here but is worth looking up, especially with that season 2 cliffhanger leaving things on a depressing note. Overall, The Tripods is a phenomenal sci-fi adventure that is full of so many creative ideas and exceptional execution in bringing it to life. There is a huge deal to appreciate from this magnificent show that was left unfinished leaving many fans in an uproar to this day and it's plain to see why. This is a wonderful cult classic show in dire need of being discovered by more people and that's why I recommend it as a must-watch.
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