The Tripods (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Tripods
The Tripods Titles
Genre	Science fiction
Written by	John Christopher (novel) Alick Rowe (series 1) Christopher Penfold (series 2)
Directed by	Graham Theakston (7 eps) Christopher Barry (11 eps) Bob Blagden (7 eps)
Starring	John Shackley Ceri Seel Jim Baker
Composer(s)	Ken Freeman
Country of origin	United Kingdom Australia
Original language(s)	English, French, Italian, German
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	25
Production
Producer(s)	Richard Bates
Running time	25–30 minutes per episode
Release
Picture format	PAL (576i)
Audio format	Monaural
First shown in	United Kingdom BBC Australia Seven Network
Original release	15 September 1984 (1984-09-15) – 23 November 1985 (1985-11-23)

The Tripods is a television adaptation of John Christopher's The Tripods series of novels. It was jointly produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom and the Seven Network in Australia. The music soundtrack was written by Ken Freeman.

Series one of The Tripods, broadcast in 1984, had 13 half-hour episodes written by Alick Rowe, the author of many radio plays, and covers the first book, The White Mountains; the 12-episode second series (1985) written by Christopher Penfold covers The City of Gold and Lead. Although a television script had been written for the third series, it was cancelled by BBC executives Michael Grade and Jonathan Powell due to the adaptation failing in the ratings.

The first series was released on both VHS and DVD. The BBC released Tripods — The Complete Series 1 & 2 on DVD in March 2009.

Filming locations

The following is a list of fictional locations in the show, the series, the episode in which the location appeared, and the actual location (all in the UK except where shown):

• Village of Wherton and mill pond (series 1, episode 1) - Friday Street
• Parker Family mill (series 1, episode 1) - Headley Mill, Hampshire
• Vagrant Bridge (series 1, episode 1) - Gutte Pond Bridge, Wotton Estate, Wotton, Surrey
• Tomb location (series 1, episode 1) - Evelyn Mausoleum, Brickyard Lane, Wotton, Surrey
• Rhymney (series 1, episodes 1,2) - Charlestown Harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall
• cave entrance (series 1 episode 3) - Charlestown Harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall
• Airfield control tower (series 1, episode 4) - Radlett Field, Frogmore
• Metro station entrance (series 1, episode 4) - Intersection of Cornhill and Threadneedle Street, London
• The Chateau Ricordeau (series 1, episodes 5-8) - Saltwood Castle, Hythe, Kent
• Canal "chemin de fer" (series 1, episodes 8) - Section of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, Gloucester
• Tunnel "exterior shots" (series 1, episodes 9) - Windsor Hill Tunnel, New tunnel, North portal, Downside
• Tunnel "interior shots" (series 1, episode 9) - Highgate Tunnel, Holmesdale Road, Highgate, London
• Vichot's Vineyard (series 1, episodes 9,10) - Wootton Vineyard, North Wotton
• water fall/creek crossing (series 1, episode 11) - Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed, Gwynedd, Wales
• viaduct (series 1, episodes 11,12) - Pensford Viaduct, Pensford
• French festival location (series 1, episode 11) - Haughmond Abbey ruins, Shropshire
• French village archway (series 1, episode 11) - Portmeirion, Gwynedd, Wales
• French village court house (series 1, episode 11) - Court room scenes were shot inside Town Hall in the Hercules room, Portmeirion, Gwynedd, Wales
• Stone quarry building (series 1, episode 12) - floor six mill, Diffwys slate quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales
• Stone hut (series 1, episode 12) - Diffwys slate quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales
• Black pipeline/interrogation building (series 1, episode 13) - Lake llyn Cowlyd, Trefriw, Wales
• Alpine chapel (series 2, episodes 1,12) - St-Jean, Switzerland
• Boxing ring (series 2, episode 1) - Lake Ffynnon Llugwy, Wales
• Freemen camp (series 2, episodes 1,12) - Lake Ffynnon Llugwy, Wales
• Swiss capping site (series 2, episode 1) - Rue du Village, Grimentz, Switzerland
• Ship graveyard (series 2, episode 2) - Purton Ship Graveyard, Purton, Berkeley
• [Basel docks] where the boys find the barge Erlkoenig (series 2, episode 2) - Victoria Basin of the Gloucester Docks, Gloucester
• [Württemberg docks] where the barge Erlkonig is moored (series 2, episode 2) - Lydney docks and harbour, Lydney
• The Pit (series 2, episode 2) - Town Hall Square, Unterseen, Switzerland
• [Bachara docks] Will and Beanpole meet Zerlina and Papagena (series 2, episode 3) - Lake Thun Next to Oberhofen Castle, Oberhofen, Switzerland
• Church clock tower (series 2, episode 3) - St Mauricius Church, Thun, Switzerland
• Will and Beanpole are chased into alley by Black Guards after Will escapes from the pit (series 2, episode 3) - Alley off of Spielmatte Strasse, Unterseen, Switzerland
• Will and Beanpole are chased by black guards after Will escapes from the pit (series 2, episode 3) - Oberhofen Castle, Oberhofen, Switzerland
• Will and Beanpole miss the barge to the games (series 2, episode 3) - Lydney docks and Harbor on the River Severn, Lydney
• Derelict house where girls scare boys (series 2, episodes 4,11) - Gwylfa Hiraethog, (former hunting lodge), Wales
• Games stadium (series 2, episode 4) - Former site of White City Stadium at Trafford, Manchester
• Gardens in City of Gold (series 2, episodes 6,7) - The Barbican conservatory, Barbican Centre, London
• City of Gold interior shots (series 2, episodes 7-10) - Dinorwig power station, Wales
• Beanpole rescues Will from river (series 2, episode 11) - River Wye. The house is known as "The Gatehouse" and was formerly "the Boatman's Rest", Hole-in-the-Wall.
• Market where Beanpole tries to sell chess pieces (series 2, episode 11) - City Hall Plaza, Thun, Switzerland

Video game

BBC Enterprises licensed a video game adaptation of the TV series in 1985. It was designed by Watermill Productions and published by Red Shift.

Film adaptation

Disney has owned the film rights to The Tripods since 1997. It was reported in 2005 that a cinematic version was in pre-production with Australian-born director Gregor Jordan signed on to rewrite and direct for Walt Disney's Touchstone Pictures label.

The film version was expected to be released in 2012, although as of 2019 the project is still listed as being in development, and no announcements about the cast or filming dates have been made.

DVD & soundtrack

A DVD release of the complete series 1 & 2 was released on 23 March 2009 (Region 2). A new soundtrack album, The Tripods: Pool of Fire Suite by original composer Ken Freeman inspired by the unmade third series of Tripods was released at the same time.