This time travel themed ITV children’s drama series starred Haydn Gwynne, fresh from Drop The Dead Donkey, as Dr BB Miller who made her mark in the opening sequence, arriving for work at her science laboratory on a 750cc Yamaha motorbike which she handled like a stunt rider.
Dr Miller ran the gamut of establishment disapproval as she tinkered with the concept of time travel.
She decides to try to send her crash helmet back in time. By chance, her lab was once the site of a courthouse and the strange headwear arrives just as a judge is sentencing a young lad, Ben, (Kenneth Hale) to hang for stealing a loaf of bread.
Ben is then transported from 1834 to the modern day where the vengeful head of faculty Professor Crow (Clive Merrison) decides to carbon date him. “If he comes from the past, he’s an object of legitimate scientific research”, crows Crow, preparing to gouge out samples of the boy’s brain tissue.
At this stage, Dr Miller turns into Eddie Kidd and whisks the boy off on her bike, steering the vehicle down corridors and through doors, where it leaves a flaming impression . . .
The pair arrive back in the middle of the English Civil War on BB’s motorbike time machine.
Before their hectic and hilarious adventures are over, they are practically blown up, captured by Roundheads, almost axed to death and meet their worst nightmare in the evil Witchfinder General (Gavin Richards).
Michael Winterbottom directed with pace and verve, keeping young viewers on the edge of their seats, while Haydn Gwynne was great fun as the iconoclastic leather-clad scientist.
Dr B B Miller
Haydn Gwynne Ben
Kenneth Hall Professor Crow
Clive Merrison Hepworth
Kerry Shale Witchfinder General
Gavin Richards Lord Chalmerston
James Saxon Lady Chalmerston
Julie T Wallace Leather Hardbones
Ian McNeice Matlock
Arnold Brown
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Ben is then transported from 1834 to the modern day where the vengeful head of faculty Professor Crow (Clive Merrison) decides to carbon date him. “If he comes from the past, he’s an object of legitimate scientific research”, crows Crow, preparing to gouge out samples of the boy’s brain tissue.
