The Tribe (1999 TV series)

The Tribe
Genre
Created by
Theme music composer
Opening theme
  • "The Dream Must Stay Alive"
  • Rosalind J (series 1)
  • Meryl Cassie (series 2–5)
Ending theme
  • "The Dream Must Stay Alive"
  • Rosalind J (series 1)
  • "Abe Messiah"
  • Tribe cast (series 2–3)
  • "Tribe Spirit"
  • Tribe Sister (series 4–5)
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes260 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Declan Eames
  • Debra Kelleher-Smith
Production locationWellington Region, New Zealand
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time25 minutes
Production companyCloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group
Original release
NetworkChannel 5
Release24 April 1999 (1999-04-24) –
6 September 2003 (2003-09-06)
Related
The New Tomorrow
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Tribe is a science fiction drama television series which premiered on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on 24 April 1999. The series was created by Raymond Thompson and Harry Duffin, and was developed and produced by the Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group in New Zealand. The series was commissioned by Channel 5, who received the initial screening rights. The series made its New Zealand premiere in 2000 on TV4.

Primarily aimed at teenagers, The Tribe is set in a post-apocalyptic city in which all adults have been killed as the result of an unknown virus. The series focuses on the remaining children and teenagers who must navigate the social and personal issues of adolescence, while being faced with the larger problems of a society in a state of anarchy. The inhabitants of the city form social groups, or tribes, with the focus of the series on the Mall Rats, who fight to survive among other threatening tribes such as the Locos. Overarching themes include the focus on change from tradition, empowerment, religion, and the exploration of power and corruption. The series was filmed in Wellington, New Zealand.

The series ran for 260 episodes and aired its final episode on 6 September 2003. A sequel series entitled The New Tomorrow was commissioned by Channel 5 and the Seven Network in Australia and first aired in 2005. It depicted the descendants of characters from The Tribe and was aimed at a younger audience. The Tribe experienced a resurgence in popularity after screening on ABC3 in Australia in 2009. This led to Cloud 9 developing a series of novels to continue the story of the television series, the first of which was released in 2011.