Into the Labyrinth (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The first series was released on VHS in the late 1980s.
• Network released the entire series as a three-disc DVD boxset in the UK on 14 July 2008, encoded for Region 2 with photo galleries.
• The first series was later shown in the United States as part of The Third Eye science fiction series on Nickelodeon.

Synopsis

The series centres on a conflict between two immortal sorcerers: the noble Rothgo and the evil Belor. Belor steals the Nidus, a magical object of limitless power that belongs to Rothgo, and sends it through time and space so he cannot find it; without it, Rothgo will eventually die. In the first series, modern-day children Phil, Helen and Terry discover Rothgo near death in a labyrinthine cave. Rothgo sends them into different historical periods—such as the French Revolution, Ancient Greece, and the English Civil War—to search for the Nidus, which is disguised as a different object in each era and visible only in reflection. In each period the children encounter an earlier version of Rothgo, playing a character from that time, and are thwarted by Belor, who also appears in disguise. Whenever the children are about to retrieve the Nidus, Belor hurls it further through time with the incantation "I deny you the Nidus!" and a bolt of lightning. Belor cannot touch the Nidus while Rothgo lives, so she seeks only to deny him possession until he dies. At the end of the first series, the children find the Nidus as a sword and outwit Belor, returning it to Rothgo. He offers to share its power, but Belor refuses and is reduced to a lifeless skull.

Behind the scenes

The first season of Into the Labyrinth used the Cheddar Gorge caves for its opening and closing scenes, with that footage also serving as CSO backdrops. The historical adventures were mostly filmed in a studio using the same cave sets, which were redecorated for different eras. For the second and third seasons, the opening and closing sequences were filmed at Stanton Drew stone circles and Glastonbury Tor. Several writers had worked on Doctor Who, among them co-creator Bob Baker, Robert Holmes, Anthony Read, and John Lucarotti. The theme song’s haunting operatic vocals were performed by Lynda Richardson, who also sang the main melody for Children of the Stones. Patrick Dromgoole served as executive producer, and Sidney Sager composed the music for both series. The three child actors continued their careers: Simon Beal now goes by Charlie Caine and appeared in Bridget Jones's Diary; Lisa Turner acted in Bad Girls; and Simon Henderson played Eddie Hunter on EastEnders. Pamela Salem based Belor’s distinctive laugh on Ted Rhodes, script editor for All Creatures Great and Small, and she also played Zoe Bennett in several episodes.