THE TRIPODS


Credits and cast list for series 1

Series One: Thirteen 25-minute episodes (here numbered 1.1 to 1.13), dramatised by Alick Rowe from The White Mountains by John Christopher, broadcast on BBC1: 15 September 1984 to 8 December 1984

Block A: Episodes 1.1 to (most of) 1.8 (Wherton, Channel, Paris, the Chateau)

Block B: Episodes 1.8 (last scenes), 1.9 to 1.13 (Vineyard, fete, mountains)

Cast Cast

[Met by the wayside: Robin Langford as Sarlat, Cecilia Boorman as Kirsty]

Will Parker John Shackley 1.1 to 1.13
Henry Parker Jim Baker 1.1 to 1.13
Mrs Parker Lucinda Curtis 1.1, 1.2
Mr Parker Peter Dolphin 1.1, 1.2
Squire Peter Stockbridge 1.1
Jack Michael Gilmour 1.1, 1.2
Ozymandias Roderick Horn 1.1, 1.2, 1.13
Schoolmaster John Scott Martin 1.1
Man with Camel David Shaw 1.2
Barmaid (Dorrie) Barbara Thorn 1.2
Nick James Staddon 1.2, 1.3
Seb Eddie Caswell 1.2, 1.3
Mate John Michael McCarthy 1.2, 1.3
Cook Marcus Powell 1.3
Captain Curtis Harry Meacher 1.3
Black Guard Officer Paul Ridley 1.3
Black Guard Sergeant Jeremy Clyne 1.3
Black Guard Rolf Saxon 1.3
Beanpole (Jean-Paul Deliet) Ceri Seel 1.3 to 1.13
Christophe Nadio Fortune 1.5 to 1.8
Eloise de Ricordeau Charlotte Long 1.5 to 1.7
Comtesse de Ricordeau Pamela Salem 1.5 to 1.8
Duc de Sarlat Robin Langford 1.5 to 1.8
Comte de Ricordeau Jeremy Young 1.5 to 1.8
Black Guard Nick Burnell 1.5
Artist (M. Guernichet) Kieran Montague 1.6
Duc de Trouillon Terry Forrestal 1.7
Comte de Saclay Roger Hammond 1.7
Mme. Vichot Anni Lee Taylor 1.9, 1.10
M. Vichot Stephen Marlowe 1.9, 1.10
Jeannie Barbara Wilshere 1.9, 1.10
Helen Clare Nimmo 1.9, 1.10
Shelagh Maria Evans 1.9, 1.10
Kirsty Cecilia Boorman 1.9, 1.10
Fiona Imogen Boorman 1.9, 1.10
Lucy Nicola Boorman 1.9, 1.10
Daniel Montagnon Julian Jones 1.10 to 1.12
Farmer with Cart Tim Brown 1.11, 1.12
Old Woman at Table Elma Soiron 1.11, 1.12
Mayor Victor Baring 1.11, 1.12
Vagrant chief Michael Cassidy 1.11
Black Guard Vass Anderson 1.11, 1.12
M. Dubois (Defence advocate) Max Harvey 1.12
M. Neyrand (Village advocate) Ian Ruskin 1.12
Cabot Kim Durham 1.13
Interrogator Peter Halliday 1.13
Second Black Guard Hugo Bower 1.13
Third Black Guard Christopher Warrick 1.13
Julius Richard Wordsworth 1.13

Numerous non-speaking roles, such as the Squire's wife (1.1) or the stalking girl in the ruins of Paris (1.4) go uncredited, as do about 300 extras (English villagers, musicians, a blacksmith, quayside labourers, fishmongers, tavern drinkers, runaways, sailors, Vagrants, Calaisians, Black Guards, servants, society guests, squires, peasants, Tournament contenders, ladies in waiting, village fete-goers, magistrates, a court-room audience, southern French villagers, free men and so on). The Ricordeaus' ubiquitous servant, Christophe, is credited even though his entire dialogue consists of a discreet cough at the beginning of 1.5. The next smallest speaking part is Trouillon's (who says "Merci"), though the actor, Terry Forrestal, was also the Tournament choreographer and arranged the stunts.

Long-time Doctor Who fans may be interested to see John Scott Martin's schoolmaster, in episode 1: for about thirty years he sat inside the Chief Dalek, and this is a rare chance to see his face.

Credits and cast list for series 2

Series Two: Twelve 25-minute episodes (2.1 to 2.12), dramatised by Christopher Penfold from The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher, broadcast on BBC1: 7 September 1985 to 23 November 1985

Block A: Episodes 2.1 to 2.4 and 2.11 to 2.12 (travelling)

Block B: Episodes 2.5 to 2.10 (within the City)

The cast is given in order of appearance, and the five characters also appearing in Series 1 are italicised. (Owing to the tragic death of Charlotte Long, Eloise is played by a different actress in Series 2: she has no dialogue.)

Cast Cast

[The strong arm of the law: Godfrey James as Goetz, James Coyle as Borman]

Will Parker John Shackley 2.1 to 2.12
Henry Parker Jim Baker 2.1 to 2.2
Beanpole (Jean-Paul Deliet) Ceri Seel 2.1 to 2.4, 2.11, 2.12
Fritz Eger Robin Hayter 2.1 to 2.10
Anne Alisa Bosschaert 2.1
Carlo Robert Craig-Morgan 2.1
Schenker Peter Forbes-Robertson 2.1
Krull Jeffrey Perry 2.1, 2.2
Rudi Robert Boyd 2.1
Kurt Colin Dunn 2.1
Brigitte Karen Seacombe 2.1
Brigitte's mother Magda Miller 2.1
Village elder Dennis Edwards 2.1
Julius Richard Wordsworth 2.1
Pierre Andrew Kimpton 2.1
Kieran Michael O'Hagan 2.1
Professor Bernstein Edward Kelsey 2.1
Dulcima player Sue Harris 2.1
Ulf Richard Beale 2.2, 2.3
Petra Maureen Morris 2.2, 2.3
Moritz Billy Fellows 2.2
Woman in Square Doraine Green 2.2
Trautwein Dennis McGarry 2.2
Commandant Goetz Godfrey James 2.2, 2.3
Boy in Pit Stephen Leatherland 2.2, 2.3
Frau Heinitz Pam St. Clement 2.3
Herr Krummel John Ringham 2.3
Master of Ceremonies Alec Linstead 2.3
Zerlina Lisa Maxwell 2.3, 2.4
Papagena Elizabeth Morton 2.3, 2.4
Games Captain Martin Matthews 2.4
Judge David Brierly 2.4
Referee Tim Dantay 2.4
Boxers David Corti, Sean McCabe, Stuart St. Paul 2.4
Musicians Andrew Cronshaw, Ric Sanders 2.4
Georg Keith Marsh 2.5
Gabriel Mark Nicholls 2.5, 2.6
Master West 468 John Woodvine 2.5 to 2.9
Albert Simon Needs 2.5
First Black Guard Ian Brimble 2.5, 2.6, 2.10
Second Black Guard Ian Cinderby 2.5, 2.6, 2.10
Pierre Julian Battersby 2.6, 2.7
Speyer Alfred Hoffman 2.6 to 2.10
Borman James Coyle 2.6, 2.8, 2.10
Boll Edward Highmore 2.6 to 2.10
Nurse Geraldine Griffiths 2.6, 2.7, 2.10
Jeanne (Garden Pyramid) Elizabeth McKechnie 2.6, 2.7
Katrina (cleaner) Seeta Indrani 2.6
Power Master Bernard Holley 2.6 to 2.10
Eloise Cindy Shelley 2.7, 2.8
Cognosc Christopher Guard 2.8, 2.9
Dorfen Alex Leppard 2.9, 2.10
Slave Master Garfield Morgan 2.9, 2.10
Baker Ivor Salter 2.11
Black Guard Captain Neville Jason 2.11
Black Guard Mark Jefferis 2.11
Ali Pasha Bruce Purchase 2.11, 2.12
Madame Fatima Alexandra Dane 2.11, 2.12
Casimir Christopher Karallis 2.11, 2.12
Raquel Virginia Fiol 2.11, 2.12
Nikki Amber Bezer 2.11, 2.12
Gino Matthew David 2.11, 2.12
Pepe Patrick Henry 2.11, 2.12
Mimi Mary Greco 2.11, 2.12
Sigmund Christopher Vogelsang 2.11, 2.12
Charlotte Jacqueline Williams 2.11, 2.12
Dineka Nicola Laurence 2.11, 2.12
Ramon Tom Catch 2.11, 2.12
Jacques Julian Wisdom 2.11, 2.12
Yvette Denise Funnell 2.11, 2.12

Note the simply enormous cast of the relaunch episode (2.1): 17 speaking parts, several establishing characters who would have been important in series 3, and a host of extras.

Continuity between the White Mountains as presented in series 1 and 2 is ensured by the fact that the production teams for block B of series 1, and block A of series 2, are nearly identical.

Technical credits and major castings for series 3

Dramatised by Alick Rowe from The Pool of Fire by John Christopher.

The directors were to have been Graham Theakston and Christopher Barry, exactly as in series 1, with Richard Bates and Ian Wallace remaining as producer and assistant. John Shackley, Jim Baker, Ceri Seel and Robin Hayter were to continue as Will, Henry, Beanpole and Fritz, while Roderick Horn and Richard Wordsworth would return as Ozymandias and Julius.

Cast Cast

[The free men return: Roderick Horn as Ozymandias, Richard Wordsworth as Julius]

"Would I have seen you in anything?"

[This is an extremely partial trawl through British TV cast lists, for amusement value only, contributed mostly by the database of Toby Nelson, to whom my thanks.]

"Can You Put Me Through To The Costume Department, Please?"

Robin Langford [Duc de Sarlat] honed his skills as international fascist through years of appearing as Kessler's secretary Rennert in Secret Army. A continent apart, but in the same war, Cindy Shelley [Eloise, series 2] played Alice Courtenay, a prisoner of the Japanese in Tenko.

That most inexplicable of English TV genres, the lives-of-the-servants show, is well represented by Tripods cast members. Elma Soiron [Old Woman At Table] turns up in episode 4:The Path of Duty of Upstairs, Downstairs, but The Duchess of Duke Street is clearly the show to have been in. No prizes for guessing that Robin Langford, as Eddie Sturgess in 18:A Lesson In Manners, is very much "upstairs". Even he is somewhat outclassed by Roger Hammond [Duc de Saclay] in 1:A Present Sovreign, who plays the Prince of Wales. James Coyle [Borman] was Frank in 8:Trouble and Strife; John Scott Martin [Schoolmaster] was Will Richards in 19:Winter Lament; Christopher Guard [Cognosc voice] was John in 26:Where There's A Will.

Ancient Futures

Peter Halliday [chief Black Guard interrogator] played Dr John Fleming, the hero and central character of A For Andromeda and Andromeda Breakthrough. A less distinguished survivor of 60s black and white sci-fi was John Scott Martin [Schoolmaster], a Technician in Quatermass and the Pit. Godfrey James [Goetz] turns up in the stupidest-named episode of Space:1999 or indeed any other show, The Rules of Luton. (Fred Freiburger, a producer recently arrived from America, saw the name Luton on a road sign and thought, what a great name for a planet...)

Blake's Seven has paid gas-bills for several of the cast. Pamela Salem [Countess] was the passionate disciple Kara in 3:Cygnus Alpha. Marcus Powell [ship's cook] lent his midget proportions to two different episodes: a Decima in 5:The Web and the Lord Thaarn in 30:Dawn of the Gods. James Coyle [Borman] was Moloch in 21:Hostage. Paul Ridley [chief Black Guard in Calais] was Cato in 41:Power. Max Harvey [M. Dubois, a lawyer] was, incredibly, Borr in 44:Animals.

"I was a Doctor Who monster..."

Honours here clearly go to John Scott Martin [the Schoolmaster], the Dalek operator supreme, who may well have kept Marcus Powell [ship's cook] a Prisoner in Destiny of the Daleks. Peter Halliday voiced numerous early Cybermen, the Silurians, the aliens from The Ambassadors of Death and the Jaggaroth. Nick Burnell [a Black Guard] was a Mummy from the Pyramids of Mars. Christopher Guard [voice of Cognosc] was Bellboy in The Greatest Show In The Galaxy. Bernard Holley [voice of Power Master] must have impressed as Peter Haydon in The Tomb of the Cybermen, but not very much, as he was recalled to be Axon Man and Voice of Axos in The Claws of Axos. Maureen Morris [Ulf's wife Petra] was a Citizen in The Macra Terror and then Spider Voice in Planet of the Spiders. But the winner of the Trivial Who Bit-Part Award must surely go to Peter Stockbridge [the Squire], for his definitive performance as Person In Market in The Underwater Menace, a role so undemanding that the author couldn't be bothered even to decide its gender.

Moving up into the league of characters with actual names, Jeremy Young [Count] played Kal, one of the cavemen in the very first Who serial, An Unearthly Child; and also played Gordon Lowery in Mission to the Unknown (a.k.a. Dalek Cutaway). Godfrey James [Goetz] played Tarn in Underworld, Edward Highmore [Boll] was Malkon in Planet of Fire and Max Harvey [M. Dubois] played Cardinal Zorac in Arc of Infinity. The redoubtable Pamela Salem [Countess] managed (uniquely) to play two different roles in successive stories, the Voice of Xoanon in The Face of Evil and then Pilot Toos in The Robots of Death: and she was also Professor Rachel Jensen in Remembrance of the Daleks.

But the Who Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Peter Halliday, who besides voicing four species of alien was also the hapless Florentine soldier who's "paid not to notice" eccentricity among the Borgias in City of Death; Packer in The Invasion; Chairman Pletrac in Carnival of Monsters, and the Vicar in Remembrance of the Daleks.

Crime Often Pays

It might be worth mentioning at this point that Richard Bates, producer of The Tripods, spent his entire earlier career in ITV, working on crime shows and on The Avengers. In any case, with plenty of Black Guard parts on offer, actors specialising in policemen were on to a good thing.

Here goes, starting with the former Avengers. Godfrey James [Goetz] was Nature Boy in 15:The Frighteners; Lucinda Curtis [Mrs Parker] was Ann Meadows in 72:Trojan Horse; Jeremy Young [Count] was Willy Frant in 99:A Touch of Brimstone; Roger Hammond [Comte de Saclay] was Dr Russell in 121:Return of the Cybernauts; and Peter Halliday was Perrier in 138:Noon / Doomsday.

Jeremy Young [Count] and Godfrey James [Goetz] play Wren and Charley Smith in episodes 7:The Placer and 11:Big Spender respectively of The Sweeney.

No less than eight cast members were among The Professionals. Pamela Salem [Countess] played Ann in 3:The Female Factor and Marikka in 23:Fall Girl. James Coyle [Borman] played Merv in 13:Klansmen. John Michael McCarthy [ship's Mate] played Insp. Grainger, in 32:The Acorn Syndrome. Christopher Guard [Cognosc voice] played Tony in 35:Involvement. Jeremy Young [Count] played Geiser in 40:Slush Fund. Max Harvey [M. Dubois] played a Pedestrian, in 50:Lawsons Last Stand. Vass Anderson [Black Guard] played a Doctor, in 53:Cry Wolf. Godfrey James [Goetz] played Ross Kilpin in 57:No Stone.

The Black Guard clearly recruit their officers from former espionage agents: Vass Anderson [chief Black Guard at feast] turns up in Smiley's People. Hugo Bower [second Black Guard interrogator] was Wendicke in episode 9:Enough of Ghosts of The Sandbaggers, and Paul Ridley [Black Guard at Calais] was a Russian policeman in 16:Unusual Approach.

Proving that recruitment into the Metropolitan Police has changed since the bad old days, Barbara Thorn went from being [Dorrie, the bar-maid at the Harbour Inn], to become Inspector Christine Frazer of the police-soap The Bill between 1988 and 1990. And Barbara Wilshere [Jeannie, the eldest Vichot girl] became a regular as Mo's lover, Kate Roberts, in Between the Lines. Peter Halliday [Black Guard] has a rather different relationship to the female lead of Dalziel and Pascoe: he is Ellie's father. Another Black Guard turning up in a present-day crime series is James Coyle, in Anna Lee.

Is This Genuine?

Rummaging around sets littered with obscure items of different ages must have helped the careers of several cast-members who turned up later in the antiques-drama show (no, really) Lovejoy.

Imogen Boorman [Fiona Vichot] is in 18:Sugar & Spice. Peter Halliday, yet again, is in 24:Out To Lunch. Peter Stockbridge [Squire] is in 25:No Strings. Roger Hammond, yet again, is in 43:God Helps Those. Christopher Guard [Cognosc voice] in 65:Somewhere-Over the Rainbow.

Watching the great detectives...

Poirot has run into Lucinda Curtis [Mrs Parker] and Rolf Saxon [yet another Black Guard]. Miss Marple has cast beady eyes at Roger Hammond [Saclay], who has also been detected by Sherlock Holmes, along with Barbara Wilshere [Jeannie] and Christopher Guard, who also encountered Shoestring. Only Godfrey James [Goetz] has come up against Maigret. If Rumpole of the Bailey can be called a detective, then he took in James Coyle [Borman] and Paul Ridley [Calais Black Guard officer].

And still I haven't mentioned that Pamela Salem was a regular, as Zoe Bennett, in All Creatures Great And Small. Or that James Onedin nearly proposed marriage to her in The Onedin Line.

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