Episode Guide

Story One...
The Wrong End Of Time

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Story Two...
The Time of the Ice Box

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Story Three...
The Year of the Burn Up

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Part Seven Part Eight

Story Four...
The Day of the Clone

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

The Year of the Burn Up - Part Eight

Written by Victor Pemberton

As Alpha 4 and the Delta hunters hold the group at gunpoint, an exhausted Traynor shambles up behind them. He tells them they cannot escape... "No one escapes the new world!" He indicates to the hunters to shoot them. Much to his horror the first of the Delta hunters collapses to the floor as the heat and bright light from the overpowering sun begin to have their effect on the clones. Suddenly, Alpha 4 appear to have a fit, and letting out a guttural cry, he too collapses dead to the ground. As the sun glares ever brighter, Beth and Simon help 2957 to his feet. Beth says that the brightness of the sun will keep the clones away, and her community safe from them. Simon promises her that he and Liz will make sure they are all safe. The group begins to move off ignoring the pathetic calls of the now frantic Traynor. Traynor fumbles at the still corpses of the Delta hunters trying vainly to revive them. He then notices the body of Alpha 4: its eyes staring blindly skywards. Traynor pauses for a moment before he too looks to the heavens...

Simon and Liz struggle through the dying jungle on their way back to the time barrier. Liz stops to catch her breath. Simon tries to coax her to move on. She reflects on whether Beth and her community will survive with the caves as their refuge from the heat. With Simon helping her to her feet, she wearily moves on. Suddenly on the ground, she is shocked to find a dead bird. Simon picks it up commenting on the fact that wild life is starting die off.

As they near the location of the time barrier, Simon tries to lift Liz's spirits by reminding her of the fact that when they arrived they had to "swim for it". Now the creek, that the two of them fell into when they exited the barrier, is little more than a dried up gully. As Simon "feels" for the barrier's entrance, Liz stops again to rest. Glancing up, she suddenly sees the figure of Traynor glaring out them from out of the undergrowth. He has followed them from the wasteland. Simon protectively joins Liz as the old man tells them not to be afraid since he has come to help them. Simon doesn't believe him and tells him bluntly that he and Liz are going home. Traynor points out that this is their home..... their future! Liz becomes frightened as Simon tells Traynor that it's only a projected future. It hasn't occurred yet and they plan to go back and prevent it from ever happening. But Traynor is compelling when he tells them it HAS happened and Simon was a part of it. Simon remains silent as Traynor continues to expound his Master Plan to destroy the world in order to create a new one. Liz is having none of it and argues against him and his literal "scorched Earth". He pleads to Simon that they can create a whole new world... a technocratic one. Leaving Simon in thought, the old man turns and disappears back into the jungle. Liz is disgusted with him and turns to Simon who is deep in thought. She asks him what the matter is. He is unconvincing when he says "Nothing!" Liz reiterates that they must get back to their own time and prevent the burn-up from happening. The seed of doubt has been planted in Simon's head. He still wants to know the answers to many questions. Liz steps into the dry creek and puts her hands out to feel for the barrier. She panics when she realises it isn't there. Simon joins her and tries to find it as well but to no avail. The time barrier, the only route back to their own time, has vanished. Liz starts to panic whilst Simon deduces that Traynor has tricked them. He reminds Liz of when she tried to get back through the barrier to 1940... to rescue Simon from the Nazis at the Naval station. She couldn't get through the barrier at first because she was unsure of herself. Now Traynor's compelling words have made the two of them doubt themselves and, as such, unable to break through the time barrier again. They hear a twig snap in the jungle undergrowth as it dawns on them that they may be trapped in the time bubble forever.

Back in 1970, at the Skinner's home, Frank is worried about the children's whereabouts and entertaining the notion that Liz and Simon have gone through the time barrier again.... unaware of the their recent escapades in the future. Jean is sat in the living room listening as she does some sewing. She too is frustrated at not knowing what has happened to them. Her second sight, of knowing where Liz is, has failed her again. She surmises that they are in the future since she can only "see" them if they are in the present or the past.
In the future, Liz and Simon are trying to make their way back through the jungle to the relative safety of the caves as the world around them is dying. They stop for a rest. With all the physical and climatic changes that the world has experienced, Simon says he wouldn't be surprised if England doesn't experience an earthquake soon. Liz is desperate now and wants to go home. She has had enough of the destruction around her. They hear another twig snap and duck to hide. To their relief, it is Beth. She is shocked to have discovered that Liz and Simon haven't gone back through the time barrier. From a place of hiding, the old Traynor watches the reunion.

In 1970, it is raining and Jean Skinner answers the door to a grinning Commander Traynor. He wants her to spare a few minutes of her time. Jean reminds him that she told him on the phone that she didn't want him at the house anymore. He tells her that his business is official and reluctantly she lets him in out of the wet. She tells him of the children's disappearance as Frank joins them in the hallway. He blames Traynor for the situation. Traynor dismisses the comment and laughingly comments that Frank is implying that he may have kidnapped them. Frank reminds him of his altruistic interest in Liz and Simon ever since they returned from the Ice Box. Traynor tries to assure Frank that he has only visited them in order to clarify his position with Simon. When Frank further accuses Traynor of persuading the children to go back through the barrier, Traynor is genuinely taken aback. He is angry and tells the Skinners that he warned Simon not to go back through it. He demands that Jean tell him where they are. As an incensed Frank protests, he says that he will not allow them to interfere with the future. Jean remains frozen.

Back in the jungle of 1990, Beth is talking quietly to Simon and Liz. She tells them they don't belong there. Simon blames himself for them being trapped. Beth cannot understand how Traynor could convince anyone to want to stay in her dying world. Simon tries to explain about Traynor's compelling reasons for the burn up's necessity and the fact they are witnessing the birth of a new world. Liz and Simon argue the blame and Simon storms off. Beth acts the peacemaker and says that they have to try and find a way home for them. Liz asks how...? Beth says they might want to try the time barrier again. Simon isn't optimistic. The damage has been done. They need a way of clearing their minds and creating the will for BOTH of them to return home.

In the Skinner's living room, Jean is agonising about not being able to sense Liz's whereabouts through her second sight. Traynor reflects on Simon not listening to his warning whilst Frank warns Traynor that if the children don't turn up soon, he will see that Traynor's superior, Colonel Murray, is informed.
Simon thinks that Beth may have inherited her mother's second sight and may be able to help them gain the will power to return home through it. Beth isn't convinced. If she's gained her mother's telepathy, then why hasn't Liz...? Simon tells her that they need outside help. They don't belong in this time so they need it from Beth. Beth is still a little doubtful about Simon's plan but agrees to help.

Elsewhere in the jungle, Traynor is returning with two more Delta hunters. Both are already beginning to succumb to the heat.
Simon, Liz and Beth finally reach the dry creek as Beth warns them to hurry. In a few hours, the whole jungle could be a furnace.
Traynor and his men are getting closer.
Jean Skinner enters her daughter's bedroom. She draws the curtains and sits on the bed. Lifting a teddy bear, she looks at it. Desperately missing Liz, she holds the bear close to her chest.

On the other side of the time barrier, Beth is trying to "see" through the other side just like her mother was able to before. Although she wants to see "something", she can see nothing but the jungle beyond. Liz pleads with her to hurry.
Traynor is closing in.

Beth still cannot see a thing. As Liz panics, Beth becomes "aware" of something beyond her normal sight. She tells the children, it's a woman. It's unclear but there is a force trying to pull her forward. Then Beth realises that it's not her whom the force is pulling but Liz... her younger self. Liz realises the woman is her mother. Beth tells Liz that she must go home. Her mother needs her. She tells Simon that he must take Liz home adding, "We're depending on you.... All of us!" As the two children are about to move into the time barrier, they hear a familiar voice call out to Simon. It is Traynor flanked by two Delta hunters. He goads Simon, trying to convince him that this is his world now. Simon is unconvinced. The time barrier is back. Beth tells the children to leave but Liz is worried about what will happen to Beth at the hands of Traynor and the Delta hunters. Beth tells Liz that she and this future are only projections of what might be. Simon and Liz must return home to prevent this all from ever happening. Reluctantly, Liz makes a dive through the barrier pushed by Simon. Glancing briefly yet appreciatively at Beth, Simon turns and he too vanishes through the barrier. Now on her own, Beth turns slowly to Traynor. He is looking round dumbfounded and angered by the disappearance of the children. Beth has little else to do but laugh at the pathetic old man as he struggles to accept that he has lost...

Some time later (relatively speaking), Jean is tucking a sleeping Liz into bed.
In the living room downstairs, Simon is explaining to Frank about the horrifying future from which he and Liz have just escaped. As usual, Frank is finding it hard to take in. He is particularly puzzled by the fact that the two children have only been missing for a couple of days and yet the adventures Simon has told him about, seem to have taken place over six weeks. Simon too is puzzled by the notion but likens the effect of the time bubble to a dream, which can appear to last longer than it actually does. Jean enters the room telling them that Liz is fast asleep. Frank is relieved but warns Simon not to take Liz through the time barrier ever again. Simon is apologetic but Jean tells Frank not to blame him and that Liz wanted to go back through the barrier as much as Simon did. Jean asks Simon if what Commander Traynor told her and Frank, about telling him not to go back through the barrier was true. Simon says it was and that he now knows why. He then tells them about the man that Traynor could become: the Traynor responsible for the end of the world. Jean calls it terrifying as Simon resolves to stop Traynor's plan from ever happening. Frank tells Simon to let the future take care of itself as the following morning Simon is to return to his father. There will be no more trips through the time barrier. Suddenly, they hear a scream from Liz.

In her room, Liz is sitting bolt upright in bed, wide-awake staring at the mirror on her dressing table. In it, she can see eyes staring back at her. As her worried parents and Simon enter the bedroom, she turns away from the frightening vision sobbing. Almost delirious with terror, she tells her mother what she has just seen. Thinking it a simple nightmare, Frank turns to Simon implying the sooner he goes home the better for both of them. Liz still doubts it was a nightmare as her mother tries to soothe her. Simon remains quiet. The doorbell sounds. Frank goes to answer it. Liz pleads with her mother not to send Simon home. She admits that she likes Simon and that the two of them have an understanding. Jean promises that Liz will be able to see Simon again and tells her not to blame her father for worrying about her.

Frank shows Commander Traynor into the living room. He has already told him about Liz's nightmare. Traynor isn't surprised and puts it down to her time travelling. At least the children are home now, he says. Frank acidly adds that that is where they'll stay. Jean enters the room. She is shocked to see Traynor. Traynor patronisingly asks where the two children are. He is sure they have some fascinating tales to tell about the future.
Upstairs, Liz is telling Simon that she's not going downstairs and doesn't want to see Traynor. Simon tries to explain that this Traynor is not the one they left behind in the future. He was only a projection of what could be. Simon is still of the opinion that the Traynor of the present is a good man and tries to convince Liz of it. Reluctantly she follows him down the stairs.

The two children enter the living room where a smiling Traynor welcomes them home...
Days later, Liz enters her room alone. She is disturbed by something on her mind. She sits on her bed and tries to read a magazine. Glancing into the dressing table mirror, she can see the face of Beth staring back at her. It soon disappears from view like a fading memory and Liz turns away. She thinks for a moment and then removes a pad of paper from a drawer. She writes a message and leaves the note on her dressing table below the mirror. She then hurriedly leaves the room.

Racing down the stairs, she glances about to make sure she isn't seen. Grabbing her coat, she leaves by the front door.
A short while later, Jean enters Liz's bedroom looking for her daughter. She sees the note and picks it up to read it. The note explains how Liz saw the vision of Beth in the mirror and how she feels that Beth needs her help. She tells her father not to worry.
A panicking Jean rushes down the stairs and shows the note to Frank in the living room. She is totally distraught. Frank goes to phone Simon to see if he has anything to do with it. Simon answers the phone. He tells Simon it's about Liz and that they need his help. Jean is staring blankly into space.

At the ministry field, a seemingly calm Liz steps forward towards the time barrier. She puts out her hands to feel for it. From behind she is suddenly grabbed by another person. A handkerchief is forced over her mouth as she tries to cry out. As she struggles, she collapses to the ground.
Back at the Skinner's house, Jean is writhing as she experiences a vision of Liz's attack. Simon manages to pull her out of it. Jean quickly gathers her composure and tells a shocked Simon that Liz hasn't gone through the time barrier. Something stopped her.
Liz awakens on a simple bed in a small room without any windows. Staring at her and calling her name, is Commander Traynor. He tells her she has been very foolish and that she must learn not to interfere. Menacingly he repeats the warning, "Keep out of the future!"

Complete cast for part eight

Cheryl Burfield (Liz Skinner), Spencer Banks (Simon Randall), Iris Russell (Jean Skinner), Derek Benfield (Skinner), Denis Quilley (Commander Traynor), Mary Preston (Beth Skinner: uncredited).
Script editor Ruth Boswell
Scientific adviser Geoffrey Hoyle
Designer Gerry Roberts
Director Ron Francis
Producer John Cooper

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