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Arguably the most successful program ever to emerge from New Zealand network television, The Tribe was set several years after a mysterious virus wiped out the entire adult population of the Earth. The only humans left were those aged 18 and under, who, in order to survive, formed their own small tribes, most of them predatory and violent in nature. The series focused on a tribal group comprised of basically good kids who roamed the empty streets, decaying office buildings, and deserted shopping malls in search of food, clothing, and the necessary technology to stay alive. Such vicious rival gangs as the Demon Dogs and the Locusts regularly pounced upon the characters whom the audience cared about, and there was never any forewarning as to who would still be standing at the end of each episode. Not unexpectedly, several of the young actors on The Tribe proved to be extremely popular with teen and preteen viewers, though this did not in any way prevent the demise of several "likable" characters if the scripts so demanded. Debuting in New Zealand on April 24, 1999, The Tribe was originally telecast two times per week, with each half-hour episode picking up where the previous one left off. The program went on to air in the U.S. via the MoviePlex cable service.