The Tribe - Season 1 (Box Set) (DVD)

The Tribe is the post-apocalyptic TV series set in a world where the adults have all died from a virus and the children are left to fend for themselves.

In this DVD box set we have the entire first series, right from the start. You get to see all the beginnings of the Tribe, how the MallRats (the main good guys) all came together and see how all the adventures started.

It is this series which originally main the Tribe ...
...be made. Some of the best story lines happen here. The ones which are more centred on characters and survival: Salene's bulimia, Trudy's teenage pregnancy, how to get medical treatment without adults and new medical supplies and scavenging for food.

It also introduces us to an amazing take on a world with no adults. Many of us have always wondered what might happen should the adults all disappear. Will the kids survive on their own? ... more

The Tribe is the post-apocalyptic TV series set in a world where the adults have all died from a virus and the children are left to fend for themselves.

In this DVD box set we have the entire first series, right from the start. You get to see all the beginnings of the Tribe, how the MallRats (the main good guys) all came together and see how all the adventures started.

It is this series which originally main the Tribe the success if was, allowing for the 5 series to be made. Some of the best story lines happen here. The ones which are more centred on characters and survival: Salene's bulimia, Trudy's teenage pregnancy, how to get medical treatment without adults and new medical supplies and scavenging for food.

It also introduces us to an amazing take on a world with no adults. Many of us have always wondered what might happen should the adults all disappear. Will the kids survive on their own? Well here we see how Tribes have formed. Alliances and rivalries have been created. It's not really a pretty sight to think how dangerous the world could become, especially since these are just children.

In contrast to the bleak outlook, The Tribe manages to bring fun and colour into the world in equal measure. The costumes and make-up are generally very wild. They develop significantly as this series develops and more so in future series. You can see the effort put into creating unique and fascinating looks for each character. The wild hair colours. The heavy use of make-up (even on the guys). The often bright or unusual clothing worn. While some might criticise the series for being full of 'weirdos' because of this creativity, for others the use of such a strong personal expression of the characters is one of the biggest appeals.

So, enough about the content, on to the making of the show. First the acting: these are kids, many of which had little experience of acting an many which are very . So some can be forgiven for not giving Oscar winning performances. But there is hardly a character you cannot feel for on some level. You soon get engrossed in the stories and development and any affect the acting might have initially had is soon forgotten.

Raymond Thompson (the creator and I think director) has made a real hit here. He deserves a great big pat on the back. One of the best children's shows I've ever seen. One that will really stay with me for a long time. The series was aimed at the teen market, but I the show has appeal for people of all ages. I'm in my twenties now and still love the show as much as when I first saw it. I know others who were 20, 30, 40 or older when they became fans.

What do e get on this DVD then: as said the whole first series (a whopping 52 episodes, so over 22 hours of TV). We also have some interesting extras. The Documentary 'The Making of The Tribe' goes behind the scenes from the early stages. You see all the characters as real people on their first visit to the massive Phoenix Mall set. It gives a real insight to what it must have been like working on the show.

The character profiles are nothing too amazing. Certainly nothing better than what you can find on the Internet, but such things seems standard on DVDs these days.

The outtakes can be funny at times (and some have appeared on TV shows like 'It'll Be Alright On The Night). The one with Trudy taking many attempts to smash a mirror is one of my favourites - she just cannot seem to do it. Sadly some outtakes are from later series, so those unfamiliar with The Tribe will see characters and scenes they will not yet have come across.

Finally we are given a video following some cast members on The Tribe On Tour visit to Europe. The Tribe has spawned a huge fan base across Europe and this video shows just how quickly that developed. Set about a year after the Tribe first aired in the UK you see masses of people waiting to have a few minutes chatting to cast members and getting signed photos. These just aren't kids, many older people (not parents) are there too. And many are dressed up in 'tribe-style' costumes!

So over all this DVD is well worth a buy if you remember watching The Tribe on TV. If you've never seen it before, but like the idea of it, maybe see if you can borrow a copy first: it can be rather pricey if you end up not liking it (but not many people will come to this conclusion). One final piece of advice: shop around. Some places sell this for as little as £20-22 brand new. No need to pay the full £34.99 I've seen it in some places.  

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