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Survivors (2008 TV Series)
Encyclopedia
Survivors is a British science fiction television
series produced by the BBC
. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent strain of heretofore unknown influenza
which has wiped out most of the human race. According to the producers, the series is not a remake of the 1970s BBC television series Survivors
(1975–1977), created by Terry Nation
, but is loosely based on the novel of the same name that Nation wrote following the first season of the 1970s series. Two series were produced of the new series. Series 1 ran on BBC One
and BBC HD
in November–December 2008, and series 2 ran in January–February 2010, ending with a cliffhanger
. The BBC announced on 13 April 2010 that, due to poor viewing figures and other considerations, Survivors had been cancelled.
The series had its premiere in South Africa on BBC Entertainment in September 2009, in France on DTTV channel NRJ 12
on 12 January 2010, and on BBC America
in the United States on 13 February 2010. The series' Australian premiere was on Channel Nine, on 21 March 2010.
– referred to as "European flu" – which kills most of the world's population due to it causing Cytokine Storm
s in the body's immune system. The series sees the characters struggling against terrible dangers in a world with no society, no police and no law, led by the de facto matriarch of the group, Abby Grant.
. It was decided that the show would be a re-imagining of the 1970s material made by BBC Productions rather than an external production company. The BBC pursued the rights for Survivors from Terry Nation's estate so that the series could be revived. The agreement, which was signed in 2007, took months of negotiations. For legal reasons, the new series is billed as being based on Nation's novelisation of material from his episodes of the 1970s series.
In remaking the series, Adrian Hodges
worked to avoid criticisms of the 1970s series and he felt it was "important that a new version had a cultural and class mix that really represented the country as it is now"; to meet this needs, they created two new characters, Al and Najid. The writers claimed that the new series retained the "spirit" of the 1970s show, but Hodges concentrated on the hope and the humanity which was said to be an attempt to make it "less depressing" to watch.
The city scenes in the first series were filmed in Manchester
, while city scenes in the second series were filmed in Birmingham
.
To help create a world with no people, some scenes were shot very early on a Sunday morning, including a sequence where Al Sadiq drove his car at speed around the city centre. Producer Hugh Warren said that this reduced the amount of computer-generated imagery
required and allowed the budget to be spent on effects such as when the city starts to flood and fires burn. Other locations included a house near Helmshore
in Lancashire which doubled as the survivors' main base, the disused Earth Centre
in the village of Denaby Main
near Doncaster
and on the Jaguar Cars test track in Nuneaton
which stood in for deserted motorways.
The series is shot using 35 mm film
. Warren said that this was chosen over high-definition
cameras due to the low light levels that would be experienced when filming in a world without electricity and during an autumn filming period, and over Super 16
due to high-definition transmission requirements.
The first series received a mixed critical reception, with some reviewers concerned that the series is too derivative and predictable while others were more positive. The producers were happy to have started well, survived the ratings lull in the middle and ended with an upward curve in the last two weeks. Audience breakdowns indicate that a higher proportion of younger viewers were tuning in than many other shows.
, most only appeared in the first episode as perishing during the viral pandemic.
The cliffhanger is quickly resolved, while the story of the lab plays through series two, allowing more about the backstory of the virus, and the lab's direct connection with that. The production team's intention was to spend more time exploring the nitty-gritty of survival in the post-virus world, and how the various characters coped.
Filming took place in various locations around Birmingham including Baskerville House
(exterior) and the former ITV Central studios
(interior) standing in for a fictional hospital.
To tie in with the broadcast of the series Terry Nation's 1976 novelisation was released as a new edition by Orion Books. The 2008 series is credited as being based on this novel.
A web site was launched to tie in with the series, entitled "Survivors Interactive", which included interviews with actors, clips from the programme and original character pieces-to-camera. The interactive component was based on visitors selecting characters from the show and then answering either/or dilemma-based questions, which are then profiled by what type of survivor they would make as they travel through the post-plague environment.
The first series was released by 2 Entertain Video on DVD on 26 January 2009, and includes special features such as an Easter Egg, A New World - The Making of Survivors documentary, character profiles and a Survivors Special Effects featurette.
A new book entitled "Worlds Apart: an unofficial and unauthorised guide to the BBC's remake of Survivors" written by Rich Cross is due to be published by Classic TV Press in March 2010, shortly after transmission of the second series completes. The book incorporates: in depth synopses and reviews for all the episodes from Series 1 and 2; insights into the making of the series; examination of the similarities and differences between the new series and the 1970s series; a photographic guide to filming locations and exclusive production shots.
There is a Tom Price in the 1970s novelisation and series. However, in the 1970s novelisation, he was a Welsh tramp
who witnessed the climactic accidental killing of Abby Grant by her son, Peter. In the 1970s television series, he joined Abby's community but was shot and killed during the first season.
There are no direct counterparts to Anya Raczynski, Najid Hanif and Al Sadiq in the book. Samantha Willis does not appear in the book, either, but her characterisation incorporates and parallels some of the personality and leadership ambitions of Arthur Wormley, a "ruthless former trade union leader," who establishes a paramilitary organisation called the National Unity Force which is responsible for Abby's community's eventual decision to leave Britain for the Mediterranean in the latter chapters of the novelisation.
At the end of the book, Peter Grant, who has joined a nomadic gang of feral adolescents, accidentally shoots and kills Abby, who he has not seen for the last four years. However, at the end of the current incarnation of Survivors Series 2, Peter shoots but doesn't kill Tom and Abby is finally reunited with Peter, without her accidental death.
Sarah Bowyer is probably the closest character to her portrayal in the 1970s novelisation. Her companion was named Vic, not Bob and in the 1970s series, she was named Anne Tranter. Vic starved to death in the novelisation. In the 2008 version Bob survives his initial abandonment. In the 1970s series, Anne (Sarah in the 2008 version) leaves during Episode 11 but in the 2008 version she dies from a mutated version of the virus.
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent strain of heretofore unknown influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
which has wiped out most of the human race. According to the producers, the series is not a remake of the 1970s BBC television series Survivors
Survivors
Survivors is a British post-apocalyptic fiction television series devised by Terry Nation and produced by Terence Dudley at the BBC from 1975 to 1977...
(1975–1977), created by Terry Nation
Terry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, but is loosely based on the novel of the same name that Nation wrote following the first season of the 1970s series. Two series were produced of the new series. Series 1 ran on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
in November–December 2008, and series 2 ran in January–February 2010, ending with a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
. The BBC announced on 13 April 2010 that, due to poor viewing figures and other considerations, Survivors had been cancelled.
The series had its premiere in South Africa on BBC Entertainment in September 2009, in France on DTTV channel NRJ 12
NRJ 12
NRJ 12 is a French television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television "TNT".-External links:*...
on 12 January 2010, and on BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
in the United States on 13 February 2010. The series' Australian premiere was on Channel Nine, on 21 March 2010.
Synopsis
Set in the present day, the series focuses on a group of ordinary people who survive the aftermath of a devastating viral pandemicPandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
– referred to as "European flu" – which kills most of the world's population due to it causing Cytokine Storm
Cytokine storm
A cytokine storm, or hypercytokinemia is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells, with highly elevated levels of various cytokines.-Symptoms:...
s in the body's immune system. The series sees the characters struggling against terrible dangers in a world with no society, no police and no law, led by the de facto matriarch of the group, Abby Grant.
Production
Sue Hogg, an executive producer at the BBC, had the idea of remaking Survivors following the recent increase in concerns about future pandemics and diseases such as SARSSevere acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
. It was decided that the show would be a re-imagining of the 1970s material made by BBC Productions rather than an external production company. The BBC pursued the rights for Survivors from Terry Nation's estate so that the series could be revived. The agreement, which was signed in 2007, took months of negotiations. For legal reasons, the new series is billed as being based on Nation's novelisation of material from his episodes of the 1970s series.
In remaking the series, Adrian Hodges
Adrian Hodges
Adrian Hodges is a British television and film writer.He began his career in journalism for Screen International magazine and his screenwriting debut was the 1991 television drama Tell Me That You Love Me, followed by screenplays for The Bridge and Tom & Viv for which Miranda Richardson and...
worked to avoid criticisms of the 1970s series and he felt it was "important that a new version had a cultural and class mix that really represented the country as it is now"; to meet this needs, they created two new characters, Al and Najid. The writers claimed that the new series retained the "spirit" of the 1970s show, but Hodges concentrated on the hope and the humanity which was said to be an attempt to make it "less depressing" to watch.
The city scenes in the first series were filmed in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, while city scenes in the second series were filmed in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
To help create a world with no people, some scenes were shot very early on a Sunday morning, including a sequence where Al Sadiq drove his car at speed around the city centre. Producer Hugh Warren said that this reduced the amount of computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
required and allowed the budget to be spent on effects such as when the city starts to flood and fires burn. Other locations included a house near Helmshore
Helmshore
Helmshore is a village in the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire, England. It is situated south of Haslingden, broadly between the A56 and the B6235, approximately 16 miles north of Manchester.- Early history :...
in Lancashire which doubled as the survivors' main base, the disused Earth Centre
Earth Centre, Doncaster
The Earth Centre, Doncaster was intended to "establish a world centre for sustainable development promoting the best environmental and sustainable practice" which opened in 1999 with funding from the Millennium Commission in Conisbrough, Metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England...
in the village of Denaby Main
Denaby Main Colliery Village
Denaby Main is a village situated between Mexborough and Conisbrough in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It was built by the Denaby Main Colliery Company to house its workers and their families, and originally given the name Denaby Main Colliery Village, to...
near Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and on the Jaguar Cars test track in Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
which stood in for deserted motorways.
The series is shot using 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
. Warren said that this was chosen over high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
cameras due to the low light levels that would be experienced when filming in a world without electricity and during an autumn filming period, and over Super 16
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
due to high-definition transmission requirements.
The first series received a mixed critical reception, with some reviewers concerned that the series is too derivative and predictable while others were more positive. The producers were happy to have started well, survived the ratings lull in the middle and ended with an upward curve in the last two weeks. Audience breakdowns indicate that a higher proportion of younger viewers were tuning in than many other shows.
Main cast
- Julie GrahamJulie GrahamJulie Graham is a Scottish television and film actress.-Career:Graham's television roles have included The Houseman's Tale BBC TV Series , Alison McGrellis in Casualty ; Alice in Harry ; Alison McIntyre in Life Support ; Lisa Kennedy in The Bill ; Megan Hartnoll in...
as Abby Grant. The protagonist and moral compass of the group, she's determined to find her missing son Peter, who she insists throughout the series has survived the pandemic. She strives to maintain peace and welcome new arrivals. She and Peter are found to be the only characters to have survived the virus without a pre-existing immunity, which makes them of paramount importance to a shadowy consortium of companies that released the virus and are seeking a cure. - Max BeesleyMax BeesleyMaxton Gig Beesley Jr. , known simply as Max Beesley, is an English actor and musician.Beesley rose to fame for his role of Andy Simpson in Every Woman, Every Man from 1993 to 1998, and has since appeared in a variety of television shows including Bodies, Hotel Babylon, London Ink, Survivors and...
as Tom Price. Tom Price was serving a long prison sentence at Wandsworth prisonWandsworth (HM Prison)HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
when the virus struck. He escapes after killing the sole remaining guard and makes his way home, only to discover that his mother had also died during the pandemic. Price's remorselessness and violent streak serve an element of friction within the group, though he is often proven right about the darker side of human nature. Largely through his relationship with Anya, Tom becomes quite loyal to the group. At the close of the second series (and the programme), Tom had secreted himself aboard a consortium aeroplane bound for parts unknown. - Paterson JosephPaterson Joseph-Career:Born in London. Attended Cardinal Hinsley R.C High School in North West London. Joseph first trained at the Studio '68 of Theatre Arts, London – 1983–85 with Robert Henderson, then at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . In recent years he has had a high number of roles in...
as Greg Preston. Greg first encounters Abby on the motorway. His original wish is to be self-sufficient and alone, but as Abby convinces the other survivors to come together he decides to remain within the group. Greg is shown to be more prepared than most to survive in this post-virus world, having immediately assembled a range of necessities. Before the pandemic kill-off, Greg's wife had left him for a civil servant, and had told Greg she was visiting Boston. At that point, she and their two children vanished. Greg later discovered that his wife may have known about the virus before the outbreak, and might have escaped it. - Zoe TapperZoe TapperZoe Tapper is an English actress who first came to prominence playing Nell Gwynne in Richard Eyre's award-winning film Stage Beauty in 2004. She is known for portraying Anya Raczynski in Survivors and Mina Harker in Demons.-Background:...
as Dr. Anya Raczynski. Anya was a doctor in a busy city hospital when the virus struck, and watched hundreds of patients die of the virus, including her friend Jenny Walsh. After treating a badly wounded Tom on the road, she joins the group. She privately discloses that, in the face of the pandemic, her faith to practice medicine was deeply shaken, and she had initially sought to kill herself. Only later does she regain her confidence to successfully deliver a breech birthBreech birthA breech birth is the birth of a baby from a breech presentation. In the breech presentation the baby enters the birth canal with the buttocks or feet first as opposed to the normal head first presentation....
infant. - Phillip RhysPhillip RhysPhillip Rhys is an English actor.Rhys was born the second of three boys in South London. After graduating from Westminster College he spent a year living and working in Paris...
as Al Sadiq. The son of an immensely wealthy man, Al lived a life of leisure before the pandemic, and has had difficulty adapting to a life without modern conveniences. He finds Najid alone in the city, and soon developed a paternal relationship with the boy. He had a close relationship with Sarah, and grows despondent when she dies from a mutated strain of the virus near the end of the second series. He volunteers for the experimental vaccine, and survives. - Chahak Patel as Najid Hanif. Najid is an 11-year old Muslim boy. He awakens in a mosque to find the entire congregation, including his parents, dead. He meets Al and the pair joins the group. He knows he had relatives in Blackburn, but doesn't know if they survived the pandemic. Shown to be a friendly, considerate child, Najid is adopted into the group with the most ease, and forms especially close bonds to Abby and Al.
- Robyn AddisonRobyn AddisonRobyn Addison is a British actress.Robyn Addison is best known for her roles in television series such as the 2008 re-makeof Survivors and Casualty.She has numerous other television drama and theatre credits.-Background:...
as Sarah Bowyer. Before the virusVirusA virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
, Sarah was an opportunist, manipulating men into supporting her. She joined the group after meeting Greg, eventually beginning a relationship with Al. After stumbling upon an elderly couple with a new strain of the virus, she was quarantined, but was infected and died.
Supporting cast
While some characters were emphasised in the BBC promotional material, such as Freema AgyemanFreema Agyeman
Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is best known for playing Martha Jones, former companion of the Tenth Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and itsspin-off series Torchwood...
, most only appeared in the first episode as perishing during the viral pandemic.
- Nikki Amuka-BirdNikki Amuka-BirdNikki Amuka-Bird is a Nigerian born British actress of the stage and screen. Her theatrical credits include Welcome to Thebes ; Twelfth Night ; World Music ; Top Girls ; A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest and The Servant of Two Masters Nikki Amuka-Bird is a Nigerian born British actress of the...
as The Right Honourable Samantha Willis MP. One of the main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s of the first series, Samantha - formerly the Junior Minister responsible for the government's media response to the virus - is the sole governmental official remaining. She moves into a small ecopolis, and seeks to establish a provisional governmentProvisional governmentA provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
and restore order. Abby notes that her methods are harsh and, ultimately, corrupt. This is signified by her killing a woman found guilty of invading the ecopolis to steal food as well as overruling a court finding of innocence and giving the convicted over to slave labourSlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. She eventually forms a doomed alliance with Dexter, a violent gang leader who had been threatening her community. - Anthony FlanaganAnthony FlanaganAnthony Flanagan is an English actor most widely known for his portrayal of policeman Tony in Channel 4's comedy-drama series Shameless.-Biography:...
as Dexter. A vicious thug whom the group initially encounters while foraging for supplies. He claims grocery stores and later warehouses as part of his turfTurf warAccording to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
. Later he joins with Samantha's provisional government, seeking to eventually assume leadership of it. Cold and ruthless, he is killed by Tom, whom Samantha allows to "escape", in return for removing Dexter as a threat to her power. - Nicholas GleavesNicholas GleavesNicholas Gleaves is an English actor best known for his role as Rick Powell in the television drama series Playing the Field. He also appeared as Tom Bedford in The Chase, from 2006-2007....
as Dr. James Whitaker. Whitaker served as the main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the second series. He is a biochemistBiochemistryBiochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
leading the research into a cure for the virus from the safety of a biologically secure research & development facility. As the research begins to require increasingly unethical practices, he lies and rationalises in the struggle to maintain the loyalty of his colleagues. Unbeknownst to the other workers (all of whom had lost loved ones in the pandemic), he had secreted his wife (portrayed by Alisa ArnahAlisa ArnahAlisa Arnah is a British actress born in London. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has worked in TV, film and theatre.Alisa has appeared in several BBC dramas including Survivors, Wallander and Jane Eyre...
) and young son within the facility, violating protocol. His true motives are suspect, as he answers to someone called Mr. Landry with whom he communicates over a satellite video link. Until his death he was using stolen anti-virus produced from Abby's blood for himself, keeping it from the others, who died when the virus mutated At the end of the second series, he is accidentally shot and killed by a sniper in Landry's employ. - Christopher FulfordChristopher FulfordChristopher Fulford is a British actor who is best known for his supporting roles in many British TV shows.In his early career he often appeared in British crime dramas. He was guest star of both the ITV crime series Inspector Morse, in Driven to Destruction and as a killer in the early A Touch...
as Henry Smithson. A former Oxford professor of Classical History, he has found a new career in managing the forced slave labour of an old coal mine shaft near the country manor where he has taken up residence. He was last seen begging for mercy while being beaten to death by the workers released by an enslaved Tom. - Roger Lloyd PackRoger Lloyd PackRoger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:...
as Billy Stringer. An articSemi-trailer truckA semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
driver who kidnaps people he "befriends" along the road to work as slaves in a coal mine for Smithson, requesting food and lorryLorry-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
fuel in return. Tied up and left in the woods by Tom, he is subsequently freed by the children he is transporting in the back of the truck, one of them giving his name... Peter Grant. Pack is the only actor to appear in the 2008 version who also appeared in the 1970s series: He played Wally in Series 2 of the 1970s programme (1976), in an episode called "Lights London". - Patrick MalahidePatrick MalahidePatrick Malahide is a British actor, who has played many major film and television roles.-Personal life:Malahide, real name Patrick Gerald Duggan, was born in Reading, Berkshire, the son of Irish immigrants, a cook mother and a school secretary father...
as Mr. Landry. Part of a company which specialises in pharmaceutical research, which Whitaker was also once a part of; the pair would meet occasionally over a satellite video link to discus further advancements. The group, following the details on a mysterious postcard, finds Landry, who admits that the virus is a genetically-engineered attempt to discover a universal cure for all known forms of influenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
; it failed and escaped into the populace, creating the pandemic. Landry plans to take Peter Grant to a place where civilisation had been established months before, but is offered the newly-created vaccine as an alternative. At the end of Series Two, he is heading back to this place via aeroplane. - Jack Richardson as Peter Grant. Abby's young son. Unseen during the first series, he is unknowingly set free from Billy and a group of children his age. Billy finds him again and takes him to Dr. Whitaker, who uses him to find a cure for the virus (he inherited his mother's ability to fight off the infection). He is reunited with his mother at the cliffhanger ending at the close of the second series.
- Freema AgyemanFreema AgyemanFreema Agyeman is a British actress who is best known for playing Martha Jones, former companion of the Tenth Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and itsspin-off series Torchwood...
as Jenny Walsh . A young primary school teacher who lived with Patricia and Anya before the virus, who dies shortly after discovering the true power of the disease. She appears in the first episode of Series One. - Shaun DingwallShaun DingwallShaun Dingwall is a British actor and is known for his roles on British television.-Early life:Shaun Dingwall was born in 1972 and attended Ilford County High School for boys. His initial ambition was to become a photographer and for several years he worked as an assistant photographer within the...
as David Grant. Abby's husband and Peter's father. When Abby contracts the virus and collapses, David cares for her until he believes that she has succumbed to the virus. When she awakens three days later, she discovers that David died from the same flu that almost claimed her life. - Sacha ParkinsonSacha ParkinsonSacha Louise Parkinson is a British actress best known for playing Sian Powers in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street from January 2009 onwards. Her character will leave the show in January 2012.-Career:...
as Kate. Greg and Tom see a helicopter flying over and they also encounter an uninfected family who have been isolated since the onset of the virus but when the family's daughter (Kate) reaches out to them, she risks infecting them. She appears in the third episode of Series One.
Series 1 (2008)
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original airdate | Ratings (millions) |
|---|
Series 2 (2010)
A second series of six episodes was commissioned and began airing in January 2010. Adrian Hodges returned to oversee the project and Julie Graham, Paterson Joseph, Zoe Tapper, Philip Rhys, Robyn Addison, Chahak Patel and Max Beesley returned to their roles for the next series.The cliffhanger is quickly resolved, while the story of the lab plays through series two, allowing more about the backstory of the virus, and the lab's direct connection with that. The production team's intention was to spend more time exploring the nitty-gritty of survival in the post-virus world, and how the various characters coped.
Filming took place in various locations around Birmingham including Baskerville House
Baskerville House
Baskerville House, previously called the Civic Centre, is a former civic building in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England.-History:The site was originally occupied by the home of John Baskerville. He was buried nearby in the area which was known as Easy Hill...
(exterior) and the former ITV Central studios
Alpha Tower
Alpha Tower is a commercial building in Birmingham, England. It was built to a design by George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners as the headquarters of the commercial television company ATV and part of the companies' production studio complex known as ATV Centre...
(interior) standing in for a fictional hospital.
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original airdate | Ratings (millions) |
|---|
Media
The first series was released by 2 Entertain Video on DVD on 26 January 2009, and includes special features such as an Easter Egg, A New World - The Making of Survivors documentary, character profiles and a Survivors Special Effects featurette.
A new book entitled "Worlds Apart: an unofficial and unauthorised guide to the BBC's remake of Survivors" written by Rich Cross is due to be published by Classic TV Press in March 2010, shortly after transmission of the second series completes. The book incorporates: in depth synopses and reviews for all the episodes from Series 1 and 2; insights into the making of the series; examination of the similarities and differences between the new series and the 1970s series; a photographic guide to filming locations and exclusive production shots.
Differences from the source material
In the credits, the re-imagined series is said to be based on the 1976 novel by Terry Nation; however, there are a number of differences between the series and its source material. In the novel, Jenny Richards survives, whereas her counterpart in the 2008 series, Jenny Walsh, does not; this means that Greg Preston and Jenny cannot have a child as the years unfold. Abby Grant still falls in love with Jimmy Garland; however in the book, he eventually dies from septicaemia.There is a Tom Price in the 1970s novelisation and series. However, in the 1970s novelisation, he was a Welsh tramp
Tramp
A tramp is a long term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking or hiking all year round. In British English meanwhile a tramp simply refers to a homeless person, usually not a travelling one....
who witnessed the climactic accidental killing of Abby Grant by her son, Peter. In the 1970s television series, he joined Abby's community but was shot and killed during the first season.
There are no direct counterparts to Anya Raczynski, Najid Hanif and Al Sadiq in the book. Samantha Willis does not appear in the book, either, but her characterisation incorporates and parallels some of the personality and leadership ambitions of Arthur Wormley, a "ruthless former trade union leader," who establishes a paramilitary organisation called the National Unity Force which is responsible for Abby's community's eventual decision to leave Britain for the Mediterranean in the latter chapters of the novelisation.
At the end of the book, Peter Grant, who has joined a nomadic gang of feral adolescents, accidentally shoots and kills Abby, who he has not seen for the last four years. However, at the end of the current incarnation of Survivors Series 2, Peter shoots but doesn't kill Tom and Abby is finally reunited with Peter, without her accidental death.
Sarah Bowyer is probably the closest character to her portrayal in the 1970s novelisation. Her companion was named Vic, not Bob and in the 1970s series, she was named Anne Tranter. Vic starved to death in the novelisation. In the 2008 version Bob survives his initial abandonment. In the 1970s series, Anne (Sarah in the 2008 version) leaves during Episode 11 but in the 2008 version she dies from a mutated version of the virus.