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Questions 12
- 24 'The deeper meaning of conversation…'
12. JC: Have you heard about the new TP stories
on CD? What are your thoughts on the TP being dramatised after all this
time and if, you were asked, would you get take part in them?
EA: Probably. If the stories were like the original one, The Blue
and Green type period. I think they had a lot to say. I think we're
back in that kind of situation now. Accepting other people and all that…
I think it is the right time, people are seeking for guidance in how
we live and how we treat each other and ourselves.
JC: The new CD's are very true to the original
spirit of the show. People will be very pleased that you may consider
it. You never know you may get a phone call soon.
13. JC: So how much of Elizabeth's character
came from you and how much was Roger Price's influence?
EA: I think it was a mixture. I think that was another attribute
that Roger had. He was actually able to observe and to intuit… He obviously
recognised in me some of what was in Elizabeth's character which is
the compassionate side and the professionalism. Part of what I've done
since is counselling. So I think he was able to spot the essence of
a character and to bring it in. All the parts of Elizabeth that were
very sensible and very professional in her approach comes into Elizabeth.
The parts of me that he didn't include were family, which is very important
to me. And the side of me that can get angry… Although Liz told the
others off a couple of times I don't think that was included very much.
14. JC: What, in your opinion, was the strongest
aspect of Elizabeth's character and what the weakest?
AE: Elizabeth and perhaps TIM too. Was sensitive to people's feelings
and able to stand back and share that with the group. I think that was
her main function in that group of people. Nicki's character was the
thinker, the doer, the perfectionist, and there are aspects of that
in his character too. Roger was very talented in being able to do that.
15. JC: If you could pick just one of the
TP's powers--jaunting, telepathy, or telekinesis, or time travel--which
would you pick and why?
EA: Hmmm. I think telepathy…
JC: Somehow I knew you'd say that… (laughs)
EA: I think it's about communication and interaction. I think it
is important to be able to do that at an almost spiritual level. For
me prayer is important in my life and meditation. I think it would be
that because… somehow I imagine telepathy to be at a deeper level than
the spoken. It's about deeper conversation and deeper meaning. Touching
people's feelings.
JC: In my job as a teacher you can tell sometimes
from body language that someone has a problem and wants to open up.
I've thought all my life that if you had telepathy and just knew what
the problem was you could use that…
EA: And use that to… Yes.
16. JC: Have you ever had any real life psychic
experiences?
EA: No. Not really. Apart from thinking that the telephone is about
to ring...
(Telephone rings)
... and it does. (Laughs).
I intuit very well, with members of the family. But I don't think
that is psychic just being aware.
17. JC: Are there any story lines that you
would have liked to see Liz in that would have showed a different side
of her? You mentioned the anger… would you have liked the opportunity?
EA: I don't think there was a nasty side to Elizabeth but I think,
just as an actor, it's nice to play parts that aren't that good. There
is usually more meat to them, more levels.
18. JC: Have you read any fan fiction? If
so, what?
EA: What's that?
JC: Stories written by fans which take the
series further and continue it into the present day. Where is a whole
data base on the internet…
EA: Really? Wow! Brilliant. That's amazing really good. Roger would
be pleased that all this has come out of the programme. He obviously
really inspired people tremendously. I haven't read them but would love
to it sounds great.
19. JC: What was your favourite story line?
EA: The Blue and the Green. I suppose that's the one I remember
most because I broke out. I also liked living skins. I think there was
some real issues in it. The idea of wearing fashion for fashion, being
ruled by that, and it raking over your life. It's an analogy… I think
there were several messages in that one. At the time the shell suits
were all the rage. Young people just had to have them.
JC: And now it's Nike trainers…
20. JC: Was there any aspect of the show that
you didn't like, be it an episode, a cast member, or something else?
EA: No. I suppose what I didn't like was when the stories became
less science fiction and the comic element came in. It didn't really
fit in and was almost the show sending itself up. Normally you'd try
to stop it before it got to that stage.
21. JC: Did you see any of the New Series
episodes? If so, what did you think?
EA: Yes I saw some of it. I don't know whether
it's because technology moves on but it didn't grab me in the same way.
It's hard to do a remake… of anything. It got treated the way other
children's programs were treated before the Tomorrow people. It wasn't
children taking ownership.
22. JC: Do you feel that Roger Price's ideas
for the show were a product of his interest in sci-fi or just a form
of kids entertainment?
EA: He had an interest in science fiction and an overriding thing
was an interest in young people. Giving young people a voice. He was
speaking on behalf of those young people. Also allowing us into the
technical side of things to get involved. He was happy to let people
change lines to say it in the way they felt was the best way to say
it or whatever. What he did during the rehearsals was as important as
the science fiction side. Didn't he do some serious documentaries for
the BBC before the TP? There was another serious side to him but I don't
know any more than that.
23. JC: What in your opinion was the greatest
strength of the tomorrow people i.e. their inability to kill, their
special powers or something else?
EA: Inability to kill. That's the most important.
24. JC: Were the cast aware, at the time,
of all the issues written into the show (anti war etc) why do you think
it has had such a lasting appeal for the dedicated fans?
EA: Yes most of the cast were aware. That was Roger as well with
his communal living… the lasting appeal was to do with the time it came
into the children's television arena. It was the first show to speak
directly to the children rather than down to them and young g people's
involvement in the show. Like Mike and Flintlock. There were other issues
that young people liked as well. It was looking at young people from
their point of view. I suppose that if you look at something like that
it stays with you forever. It captures the time and the right audience.
That's why people still think about it now.
JC: It's interesting that when the 90's series
was made, because it was fairly successful in the states they re-ran
the original series and that's why our discussion group took off. People,
even though they were a different generation of kids, they saw the original
with its messages and set up this group. It wasn't even their own childhood
but it appealed and took off again.
EA: And that's why it's resurfacing again. We're in a war… it's
'do I want to be involved?' and all of those issues.
End of part Two...
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