Time Riders took one of science fiction’s oldest questions — what if you could travel through time? — and wrapped it in a distinctly British television sensibility. It mixed adventure with education, history with fantasy, and that uniquely early-nineties atmosphere where earnestness and oddness often went hand in hand.

Welcome to Very British Futures, the podcast where we digthrough Britain’s small screen visions of tomorrow. In thisinstallment we’re heading back to 1991, to a curious and largely forgotten corner of children’s television: Time Riders.Produced by Thames Television for ITV, it arrived at a moment when British-made telefantasy was largely being carried by children’s drama. And with the absence of Doctor Who, maybe there was room for a new temporal adventurer – Dr B B Miller? Played by Hadyn Gwynne, with TV newcomer Kenneth Hall as her young sidekick. Although this series was inspired more by Back to the Future than the old time lord.

Written by Jim Eldridge, and directed by Michael Winterbottom, years before he became an award-winning filmmaker.

But nearly thirty-five years later, Time Riders has become one of those intriguing television artefacts that sits justoutside the mainstream memory. For those who watched it, there are flashes of recognition — themes, moments, perhaps a particular feeling — while for others it’s almost vanished entirely into the fog of children’s television history.

So what exactly was Time Riders? How was it made? Whatwas it trying to do? And what does it tell us about the futuresBritish television was imagining at the beginning of the 1990s?

Joining me to explore all of that are three exciting guests:Rebecca Wray and Kevin Hiley from I Don’t Do SciFi podcastand brand new voice Tina Jones.

So set your coordinates, rev your Yamaha motorbike, and join us as we travel back to Time Riders — and to a very particularvision of Britain’s future, from the recent past.

Produced and hosted by Gareth Preston, with guests Kevin Hiley, Rebecca Wray and Tina Jones.

Music by Chatri Art

Artwork by Ken Moss

A Phantom Frame Production

I Don't Do SciFi - https://open.spotify.com/show/6vPllHxYmotp85gcFFxmJd

Jim Eldridge Home Page - https://www.jimeldridge.com/

Gareth Preston's blog - https://garethpreston.blog/