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{{Short description|1975 British children's sci-fi series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2010}}
{{Infobox television
| image = The Changes BBC TV title card.png
| caption = Title card
| alt_name =
| genre = [[Fantasy]]
| creator =
| developer =
| based_on = {{Based on|''The Weathermonger''<br/>''Heartsease''<br/>''The Devil's Children''|[[Peter Dickinson]]}}
| writer = [[Anna Home]]
| director = John Prowse
| creative_director =
| starring = [[Victoria Williams (actress)|Victoria Williams]]<br />Keith Ashton
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = [[Paddy Kingsland]]
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 10
| list_episodes = #Episode guide
| executive_producer =
| producer = [[Anna Home]]
| editor =
| ___location = [[Bristol]]
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 25 minutes
| company = BBC
| channel = [[BBC One|BBC1]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1975|1|6|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1975|3|10|df=y}}
| related =
}}
'''''The Changes''''' is a British children's [[science fiction]] [[television]] serial filmed in 1974 and first broadcast in 1975 by the [[BBC]]. It was directed by John Prowse and is based on the trilogy written by [[Peter Dickinson]]: ''The Weathermonger'' (1968), ''Heartsease'' (1969), and ''The Devil's Children'' (1970) (the books were written in reverse order: the events of ''The Devil's Children'' happen first, ''Heartsease'' second, and ''The Weathermonger'' third).
==Background==
''The Changes'' posits a Britain where a sudden enveloping noise emanating from all machinery and technology causes the population to destroy them. The resulting upheaval displaces many people and reverts society to a [[pre-industrial society|pre-industrial age]] where there is a deep suspicion of anyone who may be harbouring machinery. Even the words for technology are taboo. The remnants of modern technology that escape destruction (such as electricity pylons) produce a physical and sometimes violent repulsion among those left in Britain.
The Changes are seen through the eyes of teenage schoolgirl Nicky Gore ([[Victoria Williams (actor)|Victoria Williams]]), and the 10-part series, originally broadcast every Monday from
==Regular cast==
* [[Victoria Williams (actress)|Vicky Williams]] as Nicky Gore (all episodes)
* Keith Ashton as Jonathon (episodes 5–10)
* David Garfield as Davy Gordon (episodes 5–8)
* Rafiq Anwar as Chacha (episodes 2–5)
* Zuleika Robson as Margaret (episodes 5–8)
* Raghbir Brar as Gopal (episodes 2–5)
* Sahab Qizilbash as Grandmother (episodes 2–5)
* [[Marc Zuber]] as Kewal (episodes 2–5)
* Rebecca Mascarenhas as Ajeet (episodes 2–5)
* [[Jack Watson (actor)|Jack Watson]] as Peter (episodes 5–8)
==Production notes==
Despite its modest budget, ''The Changes'' had extensive ___location filming. This included:
* [[Bristol]]: [[Clifton, Bristol|Clifton]]; [[Hotwells]]; [[Totterdown, Bristol|Totterdown]]
* [[Weston-super-Mare]]: Anchor Head
* [[Berkshire]]: [[Stanford Dingley]]; [[Bothampstead]]; [[Winterbourne, Berkshire|Winterbourne]]
* [[Gloucestershire]]: [[Miserden]]; [[Gloucester and Sharpness Canal]] (incl. Splatt swing bridge, Purton Locks and the British Waterways tug Severn Active); [[Sapperton, Gloucestershire|Sapperton]] (Daneway Inn); [[Forest of Dean]] ([[Bixslade]] Valley and [[Clearwell Caves]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Clearwell Caves Owner: Ray Wright|url=http://freespace.virgin.net/mark.campbell10/is22changeswright.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040918134124/http://freespace.virgin.net/mark.campbell10/is22changeswright.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-09-18|work=Skonnos Magazine|accessdate=7 October 2019|date=Jan 2001}}</ref>
The theme and incidental music, composed by [[Paddy Kingsland]], combines the sound of an [[EMS Synthi 100]] [[synthesizer|synthesiser]] with a small live band (horn, sitar and percussion).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama|first1=Mark J.|last1=Docherty|first2=Alistair D.|last2=McGown|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|year=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/hillbeyondchildr0000mcgo/page/89 89]|isbn=978-0-851-70878-2|url=https://archive.org/details/hillbeyondchildr0000mcgo/page/89}}</ref> Kingsland went on to score both the radio and TV adaptations of ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' and incidental music for a number of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' stories in the early 1980s.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}
Described by BBC continuity as "a serial for older children", the TV series was freely adapted by [[Anna Home]] from a trilogy of novels by [[Peter Dickinson]]. The series took most of its material from ''The Weathermonger'' which, together with ''Heartsease'' and ''The Devil's Children'' has recently been reissued in a single volume in the UK. In the original books, however, the lead character of Nicky Gore appears only in ''The Devil's Children'' – the books have entirely separate characters, and Nicky is introduced into scenarios in which she does not appear in the books, mixing with characters from the other two books. In addition, the timespan of ''The Changes'' is considerably reduced from that of the original trilogy.
The series was shown overseas, repeated by the BBC in 1976 and on [[Gold (UK TV channel)|UK Gold]] in 1994. It was released on DVD by the [[British Film Institute|BFI]] in August 2014.<ref>BFI DVD releases announced for August/September 2014 https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/announcements/bfi-dvd-releases-announced-augustseptember-2014</ref>
==Episode
'''Note:''' Episode titles were given in ''Radio Times'', but were not shown on-screen.
{{Episode table |background= |overall= |title= |aux2= |aux2T=Guest cast |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 1
| Title= The Noise
| Aux2= [[Sonia Graham]] (Mrs Gore), [[Bernard Horsfall]] (Mr Gore), Clyde Pollitt (Preacher), [[Bartlett Mullins]] (Old Man)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|1|6|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= A strange noise fills people all over Britain with a violent rage against modern technology.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 2
| Title= The Bad Wires
| Aux2= [[Bartlett Mullins]] (Old Man)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|1|13|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Separated from her parents, Nicky joins a group of Sikhs.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 3
| Title= The Devil's Children
| Aux2= [[Arthur Hewlett]] (Mr Tom), James Ottoway (Maxie), David King (Mr Barnard), Nancy Gabrielle (Mrs Sallow)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|1|20|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky and the Sikhs settle at Brooker's Farm but are dubbed by villagers as "the Devil's Children".
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 4
| Title= Hostages!
| Aux2= [[Arthur Hewlett]] (Mr Tom), James Ottoway (Maxie), David King (Mr Barnard), [[Edward Brayshaw]] (Chief Robber), [[Derek Ware (actor)|Derek Ware]] (Second Robber)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|1|27|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Bandits attack the village and take the children hostage.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 5
| Title= Witchcraft!
| Aux2= [[Roy Evans (actor)|Roy Evans]] (Carter), James Ottoway (Maxie), [[Stella Tanner]] (Anne)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|2|3|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky tries to track down her aunt, while the farm is visited by a witch finder.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 6
| Title= A Pile of Stones
| Aux2= [[Stella Tanner]] (Anne), Tony Hughes (Jack)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|2|10|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky is found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death by stoning.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 7
| Title= Heartsease
| Aux2= [[Stella Tanner]] (Anne), Tony Hughes (Jack), [[Kenneth Gilbert (actor)|Kenneth Gilbert]] (Innkeeper), Daphne Neville (Villager), Godfrey Jackman (Publican)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|2|17|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky and Jonathon escape, pursued by the witch-finder and enraged villagers.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 8
| Title= Lightning!
| Aux2= [[Kenneth Gilbert (actor)|Kenneth Gilbert]] (Innkeeper), [[Tom Chadbon]] (Michael), Merelina Kendall (Mary)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|2|24|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky and Jonathon try to escape to sea but their boat is struck by lightning.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 9
| Title= The Quarry
| Aux2= [[Tom Chadbon]] (Michael), Merelina Kendall (Mary), [[Oscar Quitak]] (Mr Furbelow)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|3|3|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= Nicky and Jonathon set off to investigate a mysterious power source on the other side of the mountains.
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber= 10
| Title= The Cavern
| Aux2= [[Oscar Quitak]] (Mr Furbelow)
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1975|3|10|df=yes}}
| ShortSummary= The protagonists enter a cavern and uncover the cause of the unbalancing of the world.
| LineColor=
}}
}}
==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| italic_title = no
| name = ''The Changes''
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = [[Paddy Kingsland]] and the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 21 April 2018
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Soundtrack
| length =
| label = Silva Screen
| producer =
| chronology = [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
| prev_title = [[Everything You Can Imagine Is Real]]
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = [[The Five Doctors#Soundtrack|Doctor Who The Five Doctors]]
| next_year = 2018
}}
A selection of music from this serial was released as a single by [[BBC Records]] (RESL 33) in 1976.
The complete soundtrack by Paddy Kingsland was released on double white vinyl LP on 21 April 2018 for [[Record Store Day]] 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2018/paddy-kingsland/|title=Paddy Kingsland – Record Store Day|website=[[Record Store Day]]|accessdate=9 March 2018|archive-date=10 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074750/https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2018/paddy-kingsland/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
It was reissued as a bonus disc in the [[Record Store Day]] exclusive 6-CD [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop discography#Box sets|box set]] ''Four Albums 1968 – 1978''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-drop-august/bbc-radiophonic-workshop-the/|title=BBC Radiophonic Workshop, The – Record Store Day|website=recordstoreday.co.uk|access-date=2 June 2020|archive-date=3 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903153910/https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-drop-august/bbc-radiophonic-workshop-the/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.silvascreen.com/rsd2020-the-bbc-radiophonic-workshop-four-albums/|title=Silva Screen Records|website=www.silvascreen.com}}</ref> 29 August 2020.
===Track listing===
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 1: "The Noise"
| all_writing =Paddy Kingsland
|title1 = The Changes Opening Titles
|length1 = 0:35
|title2 = Home Alone (Nicky's Theme)
|length2 = 3:05
|title3 = Everybody's Gone
|length3 =2:07
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 2: "The Bad Wires"
|title4 = A Note on the Door
|length4 = 1:14
|title5 = A Special Kind of People
|length5 = 3:34
|title6 = Your Ways Are Not Our Ways
|length6 = 1:08
|title7 =The Changes Closing Titles (56" Version)
|length7 = 1:01
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 3: "The Devil's Children"
|title8 = The Bad Wires
|length8 = 0:58
|title9 = The Barns
|length9 = 1:36
|title10 = Life on the Farm
|length10 = 1:45
|title11 = The Devil's Children
|length11 = 2:17
|title12 = The Village Court
|length12 = 0:56
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 4: "Hostages!"
|title13 = The Forge
|length13 = 1:34
|title14 = Hostages!
|length14 = 4:48
|title15 = Rescue
|length15 = 5:43
|title16 = The Changes Closing Titles (67" Version)
|length16 = 1:10
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 5: "Witchcraft"
|title17 = The End of the Rescue
|length17 = 0:30
|title18 = A Farewell
|length18 = 0:43
|title19 = A Journey, And Arrival at Henley Farm
|length19 = 3:21
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 6: "A Pile of Stones"
|title20 =Sentence of Death
|length20 = 3:07
|title21 = Leaving Shipton
|length21 = 3:09
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 7: "Heartsease"
|title22 = Heartsease
|length22 = 4:09
|title23 = At Purton Bridge
|length23 = 1:10
|title24 = The Changes Closing Titles (63" Version)
|length24 = 1:07
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 8: "Lightning!"
|title25 = After The Bridge
|length25 = 1:59
|title26 = Michael And Mary
|length26 = 2:09
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 9: "The Quarry"
|title27 = Necromancer's Weather
|length27 = 3:19
|length28 = 2:46
|title29 = Mr Furbelow
|length29 = 0:59
|title30 = Qui Me Tangit, Turbat Mundum
|length30 = 2:39
|title31 = The Changes Closing Titles (48" Version)
|length31 = 0:53
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Episode 10: "The Cavern"
|title32 = Into The Rock
|length32 = 2:59
|title33 = The Cavern
|length33 = 1:53
|title34 = Merlinus Sum
|length34 = 0:19
|title35 = It's All Over
|length35 = 1:40
|title36 = Everything's Alright Again (End Titles)
|length36 = 0:49
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Bonus Tracks
|title37 = Nicky's Theme (Stereo Demo)
|length37 = 1:35
|title38 = Theme 2 Demo
|length38 = 1:47
|title39 = The Noise
|length39 = 3:10
}}
==Critical Reception==
Science fiction historian [[Brian Stableford]] lauded ''The Changes'', writing that "Home's adaption of Dickinson's well-written novels is sensitive and artful."<ref>[[David Pringle|Pringle, David]]. ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'', London, Carlton Books. 1996. {{ISBN|185868188X}} (p.154)</ref>
Reviewing the DVD release of ''The Changes'', writer Rob Young praised the show. Young stated "Episode one, entitled ‘The Noise’, is as good as anything the BBC children’s department ever produced."<ref name="s&s">Young, Rob. "The World Gone Mad" (Review of ''The Changes''). ''[[Sight and Sound]]'', October 2014 (p.98).</ref> Young said ''The Changes'' had "occasionally stilted script and dialogue", but praised the performances of Victoria Williams, David Garfield and Oscar Quitak.<ref name="s&s" /> Young concluded: "Home was committed to creating a canon of youth television to compare with the great works of children’s literature, and ''The Changes'' deserves that comparison".<ref name="s&s" />
[[Stewart Lee]] has remarked during an interview on the [[BBC Four|BBC4]] programme ''[[Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe]]'' that he feels lucky for having been a teenager watching TV for teenagers in the 1970s as "there was something really comforting for nerds and weirdos about programmes like ''[[Children of the Stones]]'' and ''The Changes''.".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWcpkNbIJZg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211031/XWcpkNbIJZg| archive-date=2023-08-29 | url-status=live|title=Stewart Lee on Skins|last=Lee|first=Stewart|work=Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe| date=5 March 2007|publisher=BBC Four|access-date=20 December 2008}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0072484|title=The Changes}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040810155406/http://freespace.virgin.net/mark.campbell10/is22changes.htm Issue 22 of ''Skonnos''], a TV fanzine special issue on the series from 1996, with interviews (via [[archive.org]]).
* [http://www.thechestnut.com/changes.htm Little Gems] minisite with screencaps episode-by-episode
* {{cite web|url=http://www.elidor.freeserve.co.uk/changes.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030417072156/http://www.elidor.freeserve.co.uk/changes.htm|via=[[Wayback Machine]]|archivedate=17 April 2003|date=22 May 2002|title=They're awful, they frighten me, they're evil and wicked and dangerous...|first=Robin|last=Carmody|work=Elidor|url-status=dead}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Changes, The}}
[[Category:1975 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1975 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British children's television series]]
[[Category:BBC children's television shows]]
[[Category:British science fiction television shows]]
[[Category:Post-apocalyptic television series]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:1970s British science fiction television series]]
[[Category:Witch hunting in fiction]]
[[Category:Fiction about Sikhism]]
[[Category:Folk horror]]
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