Ace of Wands TV show - review

Do you remember watching Ace of Wands in the early 1970s? This quick look at the children's TV series includes deep dives into the careers of the key actors, plot summaries, and lots of stills from the lost episodes to bring back memories of one of the most thrilling children's TV shows ever made.
There's an Ace of Wands Facebook group here / 28958840465 that's full of friendly fans of the show.
Hear audio of some of the missing episodes here: • Ace of Wands
See my The Tomorrow People: • The Tomorrow People (1...
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Cheers, Steve.
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[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

I loved this series, for me it was one of the best ever made, and seemed more than just another Children's TV series, it didn't talk down to its audience. My particular favourite story was in the second series with Stabbs which you mentioned. It had great acting all around in my opinion although I know that some didn't like Tarot's male helpers.

[@yonkieponkie]

the original transmissions are still going thru outta space. So if you live 50 light years away, or more, the shows will be coming your way ;)

[@SteveChiverton]

I just had an image of people on Betelguese complaining about 'more bloody repeats'!

[@TheChannel-001]

Imaging that! Getting ahead of the transmission. But if time is not linear - as some people theorise - everything is happening at once. Then it is just a case of layers and landing on the right one. A timeslip to 1970/71 with a VHS recorder (and tapes).

[@MrDavey2010]

Utterly fascinating talk on a faintly remembered TV series. Thank you so much!

[@benji274]

Thanks for covering this show, hoping the rest can be found one day. One omission from your review: Peacock Pie, widely regarded as the best story of the surviving Season 3

[@TheChannel-001]

You may be right. The video started as a ‘once over lightly’ review and grew into a monster, lots of sections were cut out to get the duration down. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@markandresen1]

I beg to differ that there'd be no room for a reboot. There was little in the show that could be deemed controversial today.

[@DorisDay-lw4xs]

Bet someone somewhere would find something 🤔

[@TheChannel-001]

Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to see redone in a traditional style, but in this PC/woke world we live in…I can’t see it. I would like an audio drama though, one where Tarot goes back in time to prevent the explosion. 😊

[@ange5673]

Yes the tarot community is growing quite large and it has become very popular!

[@jd4925]

Thanks Steve. You brought back a lot of childhood memories. Will you be doing a video on 'Timeslip'? Fortunately all the episodes exist albeit most only in black and white, not unless someone does the chromadot therapy that has been done on some Jon Pertwee Dr Who episodes to restore the colour.

[@TheChannel-001]

@@jd4925 yes. It’s on my list. As is Children of the Stones, but before that a black comedy …

[@DorisDay-lw4xs]

I wish the Nightmare Gas story was still with us. I remember that being brilliant.

[@TheChannel-001]

You can hear the episode in the KZbin list in my description above.

[@tonysharp1615]

I too believe the theme song one of the best ever written for T.V. By the way, the “synth” drifting out of tune as the song fades is a Mellotron, which uses lengths of recording tape for each note, with a maximum duration of 8 seconds before you run out of tape and have to press the key again to reset it. They’re all over Progressive Rock music, mostly using the Strings, Brass and Choir tapes. They are notorious for drifting out of tune, particularly if the ambient temperature of the room / studio / stage suddenly changed; making them a bit of a nightmare on gigs. Robert Fripp of King Crimson is attributed with the comment “A Mellotron in tune isn’t”.

[@TheChannel-001]

Thanks for sharing that. I've heard of the Mellotrone. I guess it was almost an early sampler, as anything could be put on there tape? But 8 seconds...and imagine having to change the loops after every performance. We don't know how easy we have it... Cheers.

[@LaReynedEpee]

​@@TheChannel-001 A recent version was built and sold around 2007. Also used on Oasis' Wonderwall to provide the cello sound in the chorus.

[@coastliner5848]

🎵Tarot cards..🎶 Loved this show as a kid!

[@Three-Chord-Trick]

I remember the program with Brian Wilde. He could control people's minds either, as I remember, by hypnosis or telepathy. I was 10 or 11 at the time. I imagined myself with similar powers. 😮

[@davidmarr9593]

Mr Stabs made a couple of returns - played by Russell Hunter again in a 1975 episode of Shadows and then played by David Jason in a 1984 Dramarama.

[@djlewis5149]

The bomb that killed Tarot was called ‘the tomorrow people’ Even at 12 it was too childish for me

[@yonkieponkie]

the original 45 of the theme tune is impossible to find on ebay, but the DEMO version of the 45 seems to be common. People want £100 post free for the demo version, yet they want to send it second class untracked post for something so rare that is supposed to be "post free"

[@dlamiss]

FANTASTIC theme tune only bettered by the persuaders

[@TheChannel-001]

@@dlamiss oh yes. Love the deep synth.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

Oh, that was great! Tony Christie!

[@MrGorpm]

@@xmaseveeve5259 John Barry wrote the theme to The Persuaders, I believe you are thinking of The Protectors.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

@@MrGorpm Oh, thank you! I always mix them up. It was a great song.

[@jamiegoddard562]

Loved ace of wands was little when it came out so never saw it till recently thought it was cool and unusual liked it

[@TheChannel-001]

@@jamiegoddard562 thanks for watching.

[@jamiegoddard562]

@@TheChannel-001 very welcome love the channel thank you for all you do

[@fburton8]

I remember Nightmare Gas being very creepy. The word “hallucinogen” still gives me goosebumps.

[@TheChannel-001]

I never saw that episode but have had a listen here kzbin.info/aero/PLVYUq7aYmz1PcUrFMs1D-SG51E5tUpQSc&si=sHw2gdqE54UyTXxV

[@fburton8]

@@TheChannel-001Thanks for the pointer! “Subconsciously the mind knows the dream is only temporary. We know we’re going to wake up. With H23 there’s no such guarantee; the subject is completely involved. So vivid is his nightmare, so awful, that the victim will die of shock within 23 minutes.”

[@arthurvasey]

The only storylines I remember are the one with the theatrical troupe and the ventriloquist’s dummy - towards the end, it developed autonomy and the leader of the troupe said “Destroy it!!!!” - and The Eye Of Ra, featuring a diamond that could turn people into chalk figures! Such a pity none of those survive! Get me a time machine and a video recorder - I will go back in time to the day those episodes were transmitted and record them and bring the tapes forward to now!

[@ashdrive]

Totally agree with the music...I have whats available on dvd, my favourite episodes was The Beautiful People...fab cars and clothing....

[@darenbayliss7173]

I remember Mr Stabs quite clearly and wasn’t there a villain that could face the wall and blend in with it?

[@markandresen1]

Creepy as hell in his first story, as I recall. Like a demonic bank manager.

[@markdunstan8277]

Great video You missed a couple of stories from season 3 Peacock pie and the not very good Sisters deadly Great series of videos

[@TheChannel-001]

Yes…the review was getting too long so something had to give. Thanks for watching.

[@SteveChiverton]

Tomorrow People, Ace of Wands...fingers crossed for Children of the Stones soon then! For me they were the real 'boundary pushers' of what kids Tv COULD be if you didn't patronise the kids! A path I believe started by none other than Gerry and Sylvia Anderson with their 'Supermarionation' Puppet shows Thunderbirds and then the INCREDIBLY dark Captain Scarlet! They may have been puppet shows but the actual story content was a long way beyond kids TV and which broke the boundaries and kicked open the 'possibilities' door for others, led by Ace of Wands and then the others.

[@TheChannel-001]

I’ll check out Children of the Stones. I vaguely recall the title of the show. Captain Scarlet is my favourite from Gerry Anderson. Cheers.

[@SteveChiverton]

@@TheChannel-001 Children of the Stones was incredible. It got a nick-name of 'The Wicker Man for Kids'! Filmed almost entirely within the Stone Circle of Avebury. The whole series is on YT.....Happy Day!

[@TheChannel-001]

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08tk8ff

[@SteveChiverton]

@@TheChannel-001 Interesting new audio version there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iai3YaqCo7lqiMU The complete original series!

[@markdunstan8277]

Great vid But you missed two stories in season 3 Peacock pie and the awful sisters deadly Hopefully more vids to cone

[@fburton8]

Bungle, Zippy… and George!

[@TheChannel-001]

Apparently Zippy was based on Pamela Lonsdale’s husband.

[@alansmith1989]

Why did you miss out on covering `Mama Doc` `Peacock Pie` and `Sisters Deadly` from Series Three?

[@TheChannel-001]

Well the review was getting too long, lots had to be left out to get it down, and series three is available to buy.

[@yonkieponkie]

the theme tune on the TV show ends on the "hard days night" openning chord

[@TheChannel-001]

@@yonkieponkie fascinating observation. Cheers.

[@djlewis5149]

Written by Andy Bown who was, and is The keyboard player in Status Quo

[@MelanieRuck-dq5uo]

No mention of Tony Selby's role as Savalon Glitz in Doctor Who?

[@ftumschk]

* Sabalom

[@DorisDay-lw4xs]

That was bad 😮.

[@MelanieRuck-dq5uo]

@@ftumschk Thank you! I'm on commission for advertising Savalon!

[@richardhart9204]

The only thing I liked about this show when I was a kid, was the theme. Once that was over, I was gone.

[@TheChannel-001]

Hope you bought and kept the record.

[@richardhart9204]

@@TheChannel-001 … didn’t know there was such a thing, until I watched this video.😅

[@greatlambrini8722]

Never liked Tony Selby or Roy Holder. They never seemed quite believable and because of distinctive looks (and hair) always played themselves.