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Welcome back to Wholesome TV Picks. Today we're traveling through time to explore a hidden gem from Australian television: The Girl From Tomorrow. This sci-fi series is perfect for all ages and this series ran from 1991 to 1992 with just 12 episodes in the first season, making it perfect for a weekend binge. And you can stream it for free on YouTube. Or rent it on Amazon Prime. I'll leave links in the show notes so you can just click and watch. It completely captivated me as a child, and I'm excited to deep dive into why it deserves a spot on your family's watch list. Welcome to Wholesome TV Picks. I'm Jennifer, your guide to Clean family friendly shows and movies that bring back the good stuff. Think classic values, think timeless laughs and stories you can actually feel good about watching together. Let's jump in

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Before we start, I just wanna say a quick thank you to a few of you I spotted in the stats recently. To my listener in Frederickton, Canada. I noticed you listened to five episodes this week. That's so kind of you. Thank you so much for spending that kind of time with me and the show. And to those of you in Mount Airy, Denver, Sundsvall, and Stockholm, I see you've been tuning into multiple episodes as well. And again, I'm so grateful you're here. And to my listener in Hammond, Indiana, you quietly pushed Wholesome TV Picks past 1000 downloads. That's a moment. I'll always remember. You're part of what makes this show so special. I genuinely love to hear your voices and connect with you. You can leave me a message @wholesometvpicks.com/speak. I'd encourage you to go back and listen to some of our past episodes. They're all full of great picks that you and your family will enjoy. And if you don't know where to start, I've made it super easy. You can visit wholesometvpicks.com/starthere to catch up on listener favorites. Now, back to The Girl From Tomorrow.

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Okay, picture this. It's the year 3000 and the world has achieved peace. Technology works perfectly with a daily life. Pollution is gone and people have learned to get along. Now, imagine being ripped away from this perfect world and dropped into 1990? A world of pollution, fighting, and completely different ways of doing things. Well, that's exactly what happens to Alana, our main character in the show, The Girl From Tomorrow who's from the year 3000, and when she's kidnapped by the villain, Silverthorne and taken back to 1990. What makes this show so great, is how it shows culture shock through Alana's eyes. She doesn't understand money, doesn't know what a police officer is, traffic, or why people say the things they do. In one instance, Jenny says, "My mom's gonna kill me!" She goes, "Why is she gonna do that?" She's been raised to tell the truth and she doesn't understand that.

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Alana's saving grace is the Kelly family. A single mom named Irene running her own business while raising two kids. There's Jenny, the teenage daughter, who becomes Alana's closest friend and the first to believe her Incredible story. Then there's Petey, the younger brother who initially thinks Alana might be an alien. And Petey is sort of a brat, but he's lovable. He's your classic, inventive and imaginative kid who creates all kinds of different gadgets and contraptions and MacGyver style solutions to any situation that he needs to come up with a gadget for. And speaking of MacGyver, you can go check out episode number 11 where I go into a deep dive of MacGyver and why it's an important show for your kids.

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The Kelly family represents everything good about this show. They're dealing with real challenges like running a small business, single parenting, and typical teenage stuff. But helping a child in need is something they can't ignore. They try to help Alana fit into their world by enrolling her in school as Jenny's cousin, while secretly working to help her find a way home. Now the technology in this show. What's fascinating is how the writers, the creators of the show came up with the technology used in the show. Alana wears what looks like a bracelet. It, it kind of reminds me of those slap bracelets from the eighties, um, that kind of a thing. But it's actually her personal computer companion named, um, that she calls PJ. Even though this was 1991, decades before smart watches and Siri, PJ kind of reminds me of today's Apple Smart Watches, but Alana's friend, PJ., Her personal companion hacks into computers, unlocks electronic devices, and even records hologram messages. Then there's Alanis transducer, a headband like device with a Juul in the middle, and it's controlled by thought. And with it, she can levitate objects, heal injuries, and even defend herself if necessary. I love that the show focuses on the good that the transducer is meant to do.

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Now let's talk about the villain of the show, Silverthorne. Now he comes from the year 2,500, an era marked by war, corruption, and fighting over resources. He's discovered the time capsule and wants to use it for personal gain. Much like Biff and Back to the Future with his Sports Almanac scheme. The time capsule contains historical records of everything before the year 3000, making it incredibly valuable to someone with selfish intentions. What I really find interesting about Silverthorne is that he's not just evil for evil's sake. He needs Alana because she's the only one who can use the transducer. He tries it many times when he gets his hands on it and fails miserably.

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So, why does this show work for families today? Here are the three reasons why I really believe this show is perfect for today's families. First, it's incredibly bingeable. Every episode ends on a genuine cliffhanger that makes you desperate to know what happens next. And just makes you have that, "I gotta watch the next one" feeling. And the music that ends on the cliffhanger; I love the theme song of the show. It's great music and that's how they add that at the end of every show. And it's just so impactful and dramatic. Don't just take it from me. Here's what my 8-year-old thinks of the show. "I honestly like this show, and how fun and exciting it is. And how every episode they ended it, where you wanna watch the next episode. Plus, the fact that Petey's really funny and Petey is my favorite character 'cause of how he is, what he does, and how he builds a lot of cool stuff. And the fact that the villain was like, no. Uh, action violence you'll see in today's movies and tv."

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Second, the show tackles meaningful themes like friendship, compassion, helping strangers, families coming together to help, and thinking outside the box. Third, their performances are solid. Katherine Cullen portrays Alana, Melissa Marshall is Jenny Kelly, James Findley plays her little brother, Petey Kelly, Andrew Clarke is James Rooney, Helen O'Connor plays mom, Irene Kelly, John Howard as Silverthorne and his sidekick, Eddie is portrayed by Miles Buchanan. The cast brings authenticity to their roles. From Irene as a caring single mom to Petey's boundless curiosity and energy. And can we talk about the Australian accents? It adds a charm to the whole show. I just love Australian accents.

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Now, for an early 1990s production, the special effects hold up reasonably well. Yeah, they're dated by today's CGI standards, but I don't really care about that. I, I understand that computer technology was limited back then, but the visual effects serve the story effectively. And I appreciate the work the people did back then. More importantly, this is completely family-friendly content. There's really no violence, there's no profanity, no content parents need to worry about, and it's so rare to find a show you can just press play on without any concerns. This show clearly left an impact. It has a 7.9 rating on IMDB with reviewers calling it "downright excellent" and "outstanding and memorable kids drama." One fan from the UK wrote about rewatching it as an adult and finding it "lives up to your memory", which is high praise for any childhood favorite.

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What strikes me most about the fan reviews is how many people describe being "Hooked from the first episode" and watching the entire series in a day. One reviewer wrote, "Best time traveling show ever. I got hooked up on the show from the first episode and kept watching it until I realized I completed the series in a day. It has the best story and the characters are also very interesting. It never feels boring." Another fan said, "I can say modern shows can't even come close to this gem. Best acting, awesome cast, best scenes." And from someone who discovered it recently says, "I've just discovered this show on Amazon Prime in the UK, and it is making me ridiculously happy. Pure nineties retro sci-fi joy with great performances and great characters." Now that's the mark of truly engaging storytelling. When people decades later are still discovering it and falling in love with it all over again.

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So here are my final thoughts for The Girl From Tomorrow. It is one of those rare finds that works for the whole family. Kids will love the sci-fi elements and adventure. While adults can appreciate those same components. It's a show about kindness, creativity, and the idea that home isn't just a place, it's also the people who care about you. By the way, if this podcast has helped you find a show or a movie your family now loves, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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That brings us to the end of this episode of Wholesome TV Picks. I hope you enjoyed learning about The Girl From Tomorrow. Next up, they gave us the soundtrack of summer, but their real story was anything but carefree. Behind the harmonies was a fractured family, years of silence and wounds that never fully healed. God only knows how they held it together. So, don't forget to follow Wholesome TV Picks so you don't miss it. Thanks for listening. Have a great rest of your week and I'll catch you on the next episode. Take care.