in the mid eighties there was a brill series the tripods...there were only ever 2 series and yet the book gave three...the series was never repeated and no film was ever made...does anyone know why?

It was a flop, so series three was never made. The show is remembered fondly by its fans, but there were never very many of those.

A film has been rumoured for years, but it seems unlikely. Fab book though it was, it's not all that well known. You know that the show is out on DVD, though, right?

I didn`t know it had been released on DVD.

I did manage to pick up some of it on VHS from Cash Converters. I keep going back every so often to see if they have the other VHS video on sale.

I only watched both series for the first time recently; I had absolutely no idea that the ending of series 2 was going to be so open-ended. I suppose I really should get round to buying the novels one of these days to find out what happened!

Check around online, or in secondhand book stores. An omnibus addition of all three books was published, which is usually available here and there for very little. I bought a copy by way of Amazon's secondhand section for about 50p a few years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Mickey:
Check around online, or in secondhand book stores. An omnibus addition of all three books was published, which is usually available here and there for very little. I bought a copy by way of Amazon's secondhand section for about 50p a few years ago.

Ah, cheers. That's definitely my kind of price! I'll have to have a hunt around on there myself.

It's a good read. Bear in mind that it's a kids' book, though!

quote:

Originally posted by Mickey:
It's a good read. Bear in mind that it's a kids' book, though!

No worries! I never have too much trouble locating my inner kid.

The author of the Tripods trilogy, John Christopher also wrote a prequel to the series in 1988 called 'When the Tripods Came'.

As for the series on DVD, series 1 was released and series 2 was all set to be released (it was even available for preorder on Amazon.UK) when it was pulled. Apparently Hollywood had bought the film rights and stopped the release of the series 2 DVDs.

quote:

Originally posted by mddawson:

As for the series on DVD, series 1 was released and series 2 was all set to be released (it was even available for preorder on Amazon.UK) when it was pulled. Apparently Hollywood had bought the film rights and stopped the release of the series 2 DVDs.

Gah, talk about frustrating. I was lucky in that a friend did me a copy of series 2 from what seem to have been off-air recordings from when it was shown on some US station.

I rented those online (dvd format) from somebody once ? dvds365.com ? i think

There is a pretty good Tripods website here: http://www.gnelson.demon.co.uk/Tripods.html

thanks everyone i had no idea that a prequel book was written in 1988!
the site i have been directed too was most intersting...shame about the third series i had no idea at the time it was a flop...i think the omnibus book was called the tripods trilogy as i read it years ago.

does any one know what happened to the main actors in the series?

None of them seem to have done any more TV work, although John Shackley (Will) has cropped up here and there since. He had a diploma in film-making or some such though, so that's not surprising.

do you think that the tripods put the mockers on their further acting careers?

No reason it should have done. They might be off doing theatre stuff, anyway.

I remember Tripods. I missed an episode once because my dad accidentally threw me, bum first, into a clump of nettles and I had to lie on my front. Thus I could not see the telly. Ahhh...happy times.

You could have used cushions to lie diagonally.

My logic was impaired because of the agony.

Ah. Fair enough. I hope you punched your dad.

I wouldn't punch my Dad now let alone when I was 5. He's a big fella.

When I was a young kid I'd just had a bath, bent down to dry my legs and burnt my bum on the grill of the paraffin heater (the central heating wasn't up to heating the house I guess).

Luckily it was winter and there was loads of snow outside, so my mum got loads of that and used it to cool me down.

I now realise I missed a great cartoon-moment-opportunity of sitting in the snow and sinking into it in a great cloud of steam

Now who wants to play noughts-and-crosses on my bum?

Actually it didn't leave a scar, probably thanks to the snow. Now aren't you glad I shared that story with you?

Yes, yes I am.

Has the noughts& crosses line ever worked on a lady or gentleman ?

I haven't tried it yet; do you think I should?

What are the best and worst chat-up lines you've had used on you? And what ones do you use?

I do think you should use the line.

I don't think I've ever used a chat-up line or had one used on me. Uusally it's just 'would you like a drink ?'. I feel I'm missing out.

What about you ?