Yes it’s true, Channel 5 screens the 200th episode of The Tribe this weekend!
To celebrate the occasion we thought that you might like to be reminded of some of the old memories of The Tribe.
Prepare yourself for a
SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY…
And it all began in the mind of Raymond Thompson, Executive Producer and creator of The Tribe.
The Phoenix Mall was built in Studio 12 at Cloud 9 Studios, Lower Hutt and was the biggest static set ever built in the Southern Hemisphere. The Mall looked just like a real Mall would.
All the shops were there as well as the famous Phoenix Fountain with it’s twinkling lights, the café, the main staircase and the balconies that many tribal cast members have leaned over in their time.
The Phoenix, icon of the Mall, a new life rising from the flames.
From a series of drawings the Mall began to take shape and it took a total of five weeks for the set builders to complete it.
Then the set dressers made sure that every inch of the Mall was suitably stocked with beds, tables, magazines, CDs and all the other things that would be in a real shopping complex.
Bob the dog protects the kids as they sleep.
Patsy and Paul are blissfully unaware of the danger that lurks outside.
There were several shops in the Mall and each Tribe member took one for his or her own.
The younger kids shared the Furniture Store and spent a lot of their time in there with their trusty companion, Bob the dog.
The Furniture Store had real beds in it and comfy bedding. It must have been quite hard for the young cast members to actually stay awake in their beds under the hot lights of the studio!
Sometimes there would be as many as 12 crew members in the same room as the cast, all crouched out of sight of the cameras!
The Director, Assistant Directors, Art Department, Props, Make-up team, Camera, Lighting and Sound team, Chaperones and Set Nurse; all these people would have to be as close to the action as they could be to ensure that everything in the scene went to plan. Hard to imagine all those people there when you look at the picture of Zachary and Sarah, seemingly snoozing peacefully!
The stairs feature a lot in the Tribe. So many cast members have gone up and down this grand staircase.
And sometimes it is just a good place to sit and have a chat.
Michael and Ashwath look so small! And now they’re all grown up.
Of course, we all remember many moments of various cast members looking over (and falling over) the balcony.
It has the best vantage point of the whole Mall.
The first time we saw a cast member leaning over it was in the very first episode. Jack leant over when he heard Amber, Dal, Salene and the young ones coming in to seeksome kind of sanctuary.
The most tragic balcony moment was when Zoot accidentally fell over it and died. Though some might say it was the best thing to happen, Trudy doesn’t look too happy.
The area around the Phoenix Fountain has seen many great scenes. Weddings, hearings, get togethers, fights, intruders…and prayers.
The area around the Fountain was quite big and many of the cast and crew used to congregate there. There would be a unit table there sometimes with tea and coffee and fresh fruit. It was probably the area of the Mall that was used most often in scenes.
And now we will leave you with some other pictures to tantalize your brain cells and to bring back memories of all those scenes gone by in and out of the Mall.
Ryan and Lex have a rumble.
Lex likes his shopping trolley!
Ebony, a prisoner in the cage.
Ebony and Bray enjoy the great outdoors.
Lex and Ryan investigate the sewers.
Jack and Dal wish there was something better on the menu at the café.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed a glimpse at some of the scenes gone by. There are plenty more old pictures throughout Tribeworld this week so take a look and remember the good old days!