Created by writer Roger Price, The Tomorrow People was originally touted by ITV as being their answer to Doctor Who and was, indeed, to become their longest-running sci-fi children's drama series of all time.

Based around the idea that a new breed of humans (Homo Superior) was emerging, the Tomorrow People were teenagers whose emerging powers gave them the ability to communicate telepathically and to jaunt (or teleport) from place to place. Their secret base was in a disused section of the London Underground, from which they were able to combat the various alien menaces and villains which came their way, ably assisted by their computer, TIM.

Over the eight seasons, various Tomorrow People came and went including Carol and Kenny who appeared in Season One, Elizabeth, and Stephen whose powers emerged in the very first story, but the only constant presence through the entire run was John.

Unfortunately, while the intentions may have been good, the lack of money and some outrageous scripts kept the series from attaining the heights to which it obviously aspired at the beginning. Although this has almost become a cliche, anyone wishing to see the utter depths to which the series sank should track down a copy of A Man for Emily — a story which future Doctor Who actor Peter Davison is now suitably embarrased about appearing in.

The series was finally cancelled after eight seasons, although the idea was revived in 1992 with a totally new cast. See the Tomorrow People (1990s) page for further details. More recently, the characters from the original series have been dragged into the recording studio for a series of audio dramas from Big Finish Productions.

All eight seasons of The Tomorrow People have been released on DVD, with a box set containing the entire series and a bonus disc featuring interviews with members of the cast being released in March 2006.