Review for A Traveller in Time - The Complete Series

The BBC went through a golden period of producing top-notch Children’s drama, usually based on well-known books. Many might recall the Narnia series of the mid-1980’s or ‘Five Children & It’ or ‘The Box of Delights’ from the same vintage. Prior to that, during the mid to late 1970’s there was ‘Carrie’s War’ and ‘A Traveller in Time’, setting the mould for a style of low-budget children’s drama which carried on into the early 1990’s.
Simply Media, who released the 1988 time-travel drama, ‘Moondial’ earlier this year (my review of that can be found here), have once again done for the BBC what Network has consistently done for ITV, and released this little seen but possibly much-loved children’s drama. It’s appeal will likely rest with adults who recall watching this first time around although it’s slow moving, gentle pace may have novelty appeal for some youngsters today.


Whilst the series has all the right ingredients, with a young girl going to live for a while with an Aunt at ancient rural farm-house and then finding herself transported back in time, it never quite ignites and is far less satisfying that so many others of its ilk as a result. Which is not to say it’s bad; it’s just not all that exciting and, as a consequence, a tad ploddy.
Penelope lives in contemporary seventies Britain (check out that boyish ‘new wave’ hairstyle) but when she goes to stay with her Aunt at ‘Thackers’, an ancient farm-house that all changes (actually Babington House owned by the parents of Simon Groom, presenter of Blue Peter at the time).

She finds herself straddling two time lines; the present and the distant past of the 1500’s here she joins the Babington family during a time when they are harbouring Mary Queen of Scots who is in mortal danger. Based on a popular children’s book by Alison Uttley, only Penelope is able to see and engage with the ancient world, very much like in ‘Moondial’ where her curious appearance and manners mark her out as a very different.
Penelope seems very relaxed to find herself in these situations and perhaps it’s this blasé approach that lets the drama down. It just never feels particularly dramatic – until towards the end of the last episode where things really come to a head. It all feels like an opportunity lost as, in theory, there is much to enjoy in the fantasy of the book which goes a long way to helping bring history to life. This excitement is all but lost here.

Sophie Thompson who played Penelope (her first TV role) went on to appear in countless TV series and movies (not least ‘5 Weddings and a Funeral’) though I suspect she won’t reflect on this start as her finest hour! Elizabeth Bradley (Maud Grimes in Coronation Street) hams it up well enough as her kind old Aunt who also appears as the role of Housekeeper in the Elizabethan world.


Shot with a combination of video (interiors) and 16mm (exteriors), the image quality is passable enough though may appear a bit washed out and grainy by today’s standards. There are no extra features.


If you remember this series with nostalgic fondness then you’ll be delighted to see it getting a proper release. It’s great that Simply Media are taking the time and trouble to licence and release these little–seen shows of yesteryear. I hope that it sells well enough to encourage them to continue to release such material. However, ‘A Traveller in Time’ won’t be to everyone’s tastes and is certainly not one of the better historic children’s adaptations.