The Tomorrow People - U.S. version (review)

I just finished watching the pilot for the new American sci-fi series The Tomorrow People and I had to review it. It's one of the most engaging pilots I've ever seen. It's based on a British series of the same name and while I know a lot of people are often quite derisive of American remakes, I thought this show was set up spectacularly. That said, I've not seen the British series so I won't be able to compare.

This show is about the 'tomorrow people' who are the next step in human evolution. These people have superhero-like powers of telekinesis, telepathy and teleportation, known as 'the three T's'. The lead character, Stephen Jameson, is originally unaware of his status as 'homo-superior' until he is taken to an underground network of tomorrow people, and the genetic mutation explained to him. However, there exists a group called Ultra who are trying to round up the tomorrow people and neutralize them, removing their mutation.

There was just such a realism about everything in this show.

The characters are really well established, with enough shown of each person to get a sense of their personalities and how they might grow as the series continues. I particularly loved the way they showed the characters interacting with each other, most notably in my opinion between Stephen and his best friend, Astrid. On this note, everything was acted really well. Nothing over the top, nothing that you didn't buy straight away. Great to see in a pilot.

The aesthetics of this show are also appealing. The show is quite gritty and so very realistic, whilst also having the uber-stylised Ultra as a visual contrast to the underground group of tomorrow people. Kudos also to the costuming which pulled off the same visual contrast and appeal.

Music was used really well in the pilot too, emphasizing all the different moods of the opening, from the few actions scenes that were in it, to suspenseful situations and more emotionally based scenes.

The effects were done really well too. Sometimes with a tv budget, shows can be hampered by bad effects but the teleportation, for example, worked very well.

The structure of the episode was effective too, despite not being that original, with an opening monologue appearing at the end of the pilot again, demonstrating already Stephen's development as he finds himself within the world of the tomorrow people


This is a sci-fi drama so you do have to be ready to throw yourself into the situations, otherwise there were some moments that could be read as very cheesy as opposed to very dramatic. That said, there are a few cliches present in the first episode and some predictable elements too. But there was a twist at the end which I admit I did not see coming. Also I think it's wonderful that we haven't been presented with a love interest for Stephen in the first episode which I do find myself rolling my eyes at in pretty much every other show made for this demographic.

Honestly, I am very very excited to see where this show goes from here. I will be tuning in every week to follow Stephen's journey into the world of Ultra and the tomorrow people.

Final Rating:
4 out of 5


Until next time.

I looked at sexism in episodes 6 and 7.