The Sparticle Mystery
Encyclopedia
The Sparticle Mystery is a British
science fiction
television
serial produced by Sparticles Productions for CBBC
. The series was written and created by Alison Hume, directed by Jon East and produced by Stephen Smallwood. The series follows a group of ten children within modern Britain
, where an experiment at a Large Hadron Collider
-like facility, named the Sparticle Project, goes wrong, sending all persons aged 15 and over into a parallel dimension
at exactly 11:11am. The children travel to the Sparticle Project in attempt to bring back the adults and re-align the two dimensions. The series, which had a budget of £3 million, was filmed in and around Bristol
, with the final episode filmed at the ISIS neutron source
particle accelerators, near Didcot.
The programme, which stars Annette Badland
as Doomsday Dora, has similar themes to both Lord of the Flies
and the Gone series
, and has many similarities to The Tribe (TV series).
Initially the world becomes their exciting playground. With adults' rules, law and order all removed, the youngsters have great fun fulfilling many wishes, including raiding sweetshops etc. However, as the world's resources start to dwindle and daily survival gets harder, the youngsters resolve to bring the adults back by venturing to the top secret
'Sparticle Project'. They are aided in their quest by a number of clues left before the disappearance by a woman named 'Doomsday' Dora, a scientist who worked on the Sparticle Project. Along the way they have many adventures and learn important life skills.
Early in episode one we discover that in this 'post-disappearance' world, opportunistic gangs soon come to inhabit the streets. This prompts the lead male character Sadiq to usher his newly-formed tribe to safety in the City Hotel. After discovering her Mum and older sister missing, a scientifically minded young girl called Kat takes charge of Liam, the small boy next door. They too try to gain entry to the City Hotel, but only Liam gets in, leaving Kat to initially fend for herself, before Sadiq caves in and allows her entry. One of the tribe, a young girl called Reese, soon starts to experience strange events, which eventually turn out to be the manifestation of her own latent psychic powers.
Kat and Reese quickly deduce that the Sparticle Project is behind the adults' disappearance. The 'Sparticles' tribe then split in two: the 'Ranchers', Tia and Jeffrey (who has Cerebral Palsy
), who stay at City Hotel with the two younger kids, Liam and Frankie, and the 'Questers', (Sadiq, Kat, Jordan, Ami, Holly and Reese), who go in search of the Sparticle Project. Also featured is Callum, a tough streetwise young teen, whom at first appears to be the Sparticles' enemy.
as Ian Dury) as Jeffrey; Karim Zeroual (also from Sylvia Youngs, and who previously starred in the West End musical 'The Lion King' as Young Simba) as Sadiq.
Given the premise of the show, the adult cast was minimal, but notable are Annette Badland
as 'Doomsday' Dora, and Larissa Wilson
as Anita.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
serial produced by Sparticles Productions for CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
. The series was written and created by Alison Hume, directed by Jon East and produced by Stephen Smallwood. The series follows a group of ten children within modern Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where an experiment at a Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
-like facility, named the Sparticle Project, goes wrong, sending all persons aged 15 and over into a parallel dimension
Many-worlds interpretation
The many-worlds interpretation is an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts the objective reality of the universal wavefunction, but denies the actuality of wavefunction collapse. Many-worlds implies that all possible alternative histories and futures are real, each representing an...
at exactly 11:11am. The children travel to the Sparticle Project in attempt to bring back the adults and re-align the two dimensions. The series, which had a budget of £3 million, was filmed in and around Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, with the final episode filmed at the ISIS neutron source
ISIS neutron source
ISIS is a pulsed neutron and muon source. It is situated at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom and is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council...
particle accelerators, near Didcot.
The programme, which stars Annette Badland
Annette Badland
Annette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London...
as Doomsday Dora, has similar themes to both Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
and the Gone series
Gone (series)
Gone is a young-adult dystopian science fiction book series written by Michael Grant. The first novel in the series, also entitled Gone, was originally published in 2008. The second book, Hunger, was released a year later, followed by the third book, Lies, on May 4, 2010. Book four, released on...
, and has many similarities to The Tribe (TV series).
Synopsis
The Sparticle Mystery follows a group of ten children left to fend for themselves within modern day earth after a science experiment at 'The Sparticle Project' goes wrong, resulting in all those of age 15 and over disappearing into a parallel universe, at precisely 11:11am.Initially the world becomes their exciting playground. With adults' rules, law and order all removed, the youngsters have great fun fulfilling many wishes, including raiding sweetshops etc. However, as the world's resources start to dwindle and daily survival gets harder, the youngsters resolve to bring the adults back by venturing to the top secret
Top Secret
Top Secret generally refers to the highest acknowledged level of classified information.Top Secret may also refer to:- Film and television :* Top Secret , a British comedy directed by Mario Zampi...
'Sparticle Project'. They are aided in their quest by a number of clues left before the disappearance by a woman named 'Doomsday' Dora, a scientist who worked on the Sparticle Project. Along the way they have many adventures and learn important life skills.
Early in episode one we discover that in this 'post-disappearance' world, opportunistic gangs soon come to inhabit the streets. This prompts the lead male character Sadiq to usher his newly-formed tribe to safety in the City Hotel. After discovering her Mum and older sister missing, a scientifically minded young girl called Kat takes charge of Liam, the small boy next door. They too try to gain entry to the City Hotel, but only Liam gets in, leaving Kat to initially fend for herself, before Sadiq caves in and allows her entry. One of the tribe, a young girl called Reese, soon starts to experience strange events, which eventually turn out to be the manifestation of her own latent psychic powers.
Kat and Reese quickly deduce that the Sparticle Project is behind the adults' disappearance. The 'Sparticles' tribe then split in two: the 'Ranchers', Tia and Jeffrey (who has Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
), who stay at City Hotel with the two younger kids, Liam and Frankie, and the 'Questers', (Sadiq, Kat, Jordan, Ami, Holly and Reese), who go in search of the Sparticle Project. Also featured is Callum, a tough streetwise young teen, whom at first appears to be the Sparticles' enemy.
Episode List
| # | Title | |Original air date |
|---|
Cast and crew
The main characters within The Sparticle Mystery are all children of different ages and ethnic groups, many of whom were new to acting. Included in the main cast are: 16 year old Megan Jones (from Sylvia Youngs) as Tia; 10 year old Oliver Bell as Liam; Wesley Nelson (who has cerebral palsy, and previously starred in the film 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (film)
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a 2010 biopic of Ian Dury, starring Andy Serkis as Dury. The film follows Dury's rise to fame and documents his personal battle with the disability caused by having contracted polio during childhood. The effect that his disability and his lifestyle have upon his...
as Ian Dury) as Jeffrey; Karim Zeroual (also from Sylvia Youngs, and who previously starred in the West End musical 'The Lion King' as Young Simba) as Sadiq.
Given the premise of the show, the adult cast was minimal, but notable are Annette Badland
Annette Badland
Annette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London...
as 'Doomsday' Dora, and Larissa Wilson
Larissa Wilson
Larissa Hope Wilson is an English television and film actress from Bristol. She is best known for her role as Jal Fazer in the first two seasons of Skins....
as Anita.
| Actor | Character | Profile | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Hardingham | Kat | Kat is the daughter of Professor Henry Barker, the leading scientist on The Sparticle Project. Holds a strong relationshp with Callum | Quester |
| Karim Zeroual | Sadiq | Sadiq is the co leader (with Kat) of 'The Sparticles'. | Quester |
| Wesley Nelson | Jeffrey | Jeffrey has Cerebral Palsy and is the brother of Jordan. He is one of 'The Ranchers' and stays back at the City Hotel whilst 'The Sparticles' are on their quest. Holds a strong relationship with Tia | Rancher |
| Megan Jones | Tia | Tia is also one of 'The Ranchers' and stays behind at the City Hotel whilst 'The Sparticles' are on their quest. Holds a strong relationship with Jeffery. | Rancher |
| Jerome Holder Jerome Holder Jerome Holder is an English actor, best known for appearing in CBBC's The Story of Tracy Beaker as Maxi, Holby City as Max Tyson and Fallout as Clinton. He has also appeared in Casualty and The Bill... |
Callum | At first he was an enemy but in later episodes he helps both the Ranchers and Sparticles. Holds a strong relationship with Kat. | N/A |
| Zachary Middleton | Ami | Ami is diabetic and is a professional gymnast. He is one of 'The Sparticles'. | Quester |
| Grace Mandeville | Holly | Holly has a foreshortened arm and is found in one of the City Hotel rooms. She is one of 'The Sparticles'. She is a rival to Reese but soon befriends her. | Quester |
| Emily Sanderson | Reese | Reese is blonde and she has special powers. She and Holly disagree throughout most of the series. | Quester |
| Iestyn Darmanin | Jordan | Jordan is the brother of Jeffrey and is one of 'The Sparticles'. He worries about his brother. | Quester |
| Abbie Hayes | Frankie | Frankie is Sadiq's half sister and is one of 'The Ranchers' who stays behind at the City Hotel whilst 'The Sparticles' are on their quest. Good friends with Liam | Rancher |
| Oliver Bell | Liam | Liam is one of 'The Ranchers' who stays behind at the City Hotel whilst 'The Sparticles' are on their quest. Good friends with Frankie | Rancher |
| Annette Badland Annette Badland Annette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London... |
'Doomsday' Dora | N/A | |
| Larissa Wilson Larissa Wilson Larissa Hope Wilson is an English television and film actress from Bristol. She is best known for her role as Jal Fazer in the first two seasons of Skins.... |
Anita | The only adult left. She has had the heart implant of a 14 year old boy. | N/A |
See also
- The Tribe (TV series) (1999) - all adults wiped out by a virus
- The Odyssey (TV series)The Odyssey (TV series)The Odyssey is a Canadian-produced half-hour adventure-fantasy television series for children, originally broadcast 1992-95 on CBC Television...
(1992) - no-one reaches the age of 16 - The Changes (TV series)The Changes (TV series)The Changes is a British children's science fiction television serial filmed in 1973 and first broadcast in 1975 by the BBC. It was directed by John Prowse...
(1975) - The Gone Book SeriesGone (series)Gone is a young-adult dystopian science fiction book series written by Michael Grant. The first novel in the series, also entitled Gone, was originally published in 2008. The second book, Hunger, was released a year later, followed by the third book, Lies, on May 4, 2010. Book four, released on...
- Lord of the FliesLord of the FliesLord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...