An unofficial guidebook to the BBC’s remake of Survivors

The Survivorsbbctv blog is pleased to announce the publication of a new guidebook on the BBC’s remake of Survivors, written by the author of this blog and published by Classic TV Press. Full details as follows:

WORLDS APART: The unofficial and unauthorised guide to the new SURVIVORS

One of the standout televisual highlights of recent years, Survivors succeeded in remaining true to the essence of the original series whilst delivering strong characters and storylines, and a hauntingly modern setting. Starring Julie Graham, Paterson Joseph, Max Beesley and Zoë Tapper, the remake proved to be a series which could be enjoyed both by those coming to the show with no memories or awareness of its predecessor and enthusiasts of Terry Nation’s original. Published on 7 April 2010, this guidebook – though unofficial and unauthorised – serves as a comprehensive guide to the new Survivors and includes:

• A detailed behind-the-scenes section on the ‘making of’ the new series
• In-depth synopses and reviews of all of the episodes from Series 1 and 2
• Cast and crew interview material
• An exploration of previous attempts to revive Survivors
• Similarities and differences between the new Survivors and the original series
• An examination of Terry Nation’s original novel on which the new series is partly based
• A photographic guide to the first series’s filming locations and exclusive production shots

The book is currently available to buy at a discounted price from Classic TV Press.

Survivors series one – BBC HD repeat begins 17 January 2012

A repeat broadcast of series one of Survivors begins on the BBC HD channel at 22:30 on Tuesday 17 January 2012.

Survivors - series one - BBC HD - January 2012

The Walking Dead – renewed for a third series

Post-apocalyptic zombie TV serial The Walking Dead has been renewed for a third season of thirteen episodes. US Cable channel AMC confirmed that the series would be returning for a third series in light of impressive viewing figures (in the US and internationally) and widespread critical acclaim.

In the UK, The Walking Dead is broadcast on the FX channel, and – in synch with the US – current transmission has paused at a ‘mid-season finale’ point, seven episodes in. The Walking Dead returns to UK screens shortly after the US broadcast recommences in February 2012.

The Walking Dead

Incognito Gallery – images of post-apocalyptic Manchester

The Incognito Gallery in Manchester is hosting an exhibition of works by artist James Chadderton depicting a post-apocalyptic Manchester – a key filming location for several episodes of series one and two of Survivors.

Entitled ‘Death of Our City’, the exhibition showcases several striking images of an imaginary future Manchester in ruins.

The Go See This in Manchester site reports:

Featuring many of Manchester’s iconic buildings and landmarks, the show is a haunting, unnerving and photorealistic collection of images created by a fusion of traditional painting techniques, photography and new media.

“Trying to maintain a degree of realism was essential as I wanted the audience to be absorbed into that reality” explains Chadderton. “The focus was to provide images of iconic areas of Manchester such as Urbis and The Palace Theatre in a derelict and eroded state as if involved in an apocalyptic event that somehow left the city lifeless and dissolving over potentially hundreds of years.”

Several selected pieces from the exhibition are viewable in an online gallery on the BBC News site.

The exhibition continues until 4 January 2012.

The Death of Our City

Original series Survivors actors at Memorabilia, Birmingham 19-20 November 2011

A number of actors from the original Survivors (1975-1977) appeared at the Memorabilia event in Birmingham on 19-20 November.

Those scheduled to appear were:

* Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston, S1-S3)
* Myra Francis (Anne Tranter, S1)
* James Cosmo (Lenny Carter, The Chosen, S2)
* Roger Lloyd Pack (Wally, Lights of London S2)
* Philip Madoc (Max Kershaw, The Chosen, S2)

Roger Lloyd Pack is unique is being the only actor from the original series of Survivors to appear in the revival of the series. Lloyd Pack appeared as villainous truck driver Billy Stringer in episodes three and four of series two of the new Survivors.

No specific Survivors panel or event had been arranged, and the appearance of such a large number of Survivors alumni (all of whom have a large number of other genre credentials to their name) seems to have been entirely co-incidental.

Survivors secures French language DVD release

Survivors has been released in a special French language (Region 2) DVD series on the Koba Films label.

Individual sets of series one and series two were released on 27 April 2011, and a two series box-set released on 19 October 2011.

All three releases offer a dubbed French (along the original English) soundtrack and French subtitles, and have the additional French title of Les Survivants De L’Apocalypse (‘Survivors of the apocalypse’).

The Koba Films release is the only example so far of a second language release for Survivors. The French editions are widely available through European DVD retailers (alongside the original English-language Region 2 2-entertain release).

Zombie post-apocalyptic drama returns to UK TV screens

Season two TV of US zombie-post-apocalyptic drama The Walking Dead began its UK premier on the FX channel on 21 October.

The UK FX site for the show announced:

The critically acclaimed series The Walking Dead returns to UK screens this October for its gripping second season. Last season left us nailed to our seats as the survivors of the zombie apocalypse fled an epic explosion at the CDC. As we enter the new season the survivors must make their way out of Atlanta to escape the tribe of ‘walkers’ that have taken over the city. But with the stakes even higher, what new problems will they face in their fight for survival?

The seven-episode second series continues on FX in the UK on Fridays at 10pm.

George Baker (Arthur Wormley, original Surivors) dies aged 80

British actor George Baker (who memorably played the guest-starring role of union president Arthur Wormley in Genesis, the second episode of the original Survivors) has died aged 80 after a short illness (7 October 2011).

Baker enjoyed a long and varied career on the big and small screen, and in the latter part of his career became best known for playing the lead role in the Ruth Rendell Inspector Wexford detective series.

Genesis was written by series creator Terry Nation, and the character of Wormley appears in the 1976 Survivors novel which Nation also wrote. In the 2008-10 remake of Survivors (developed from Nation’s novel) the character of Wormley was reinvented in the guise of junior government minister Samantha Wills (played by Nikki-Amuka Bird) who appeared as a recurring character in both series.

Obituaries for Baker appear in The Guardian and other newspapers, and on the BBC News site.

Review of Alwyn W Turner’s ‘The Man Who Invented the Daleks’

I’ve posted a review of Alwyn W Turner’s The Man Who Invented the Daleks: The Strange Worlds of Terry Nation (London: Aurum Press, 2011) on the Survivors: A World Away web site. Terry Nation created the original Survivors (1975-77), and the BBC’s revival of Survivors (2008-10) was based on Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel.

New US post-apocalyptic drama Falling Skies secures second season

New US post-apocalyptic drama Falling Skies has been renewed for a second ten-episode season less than half-way through its first season run.

Brought to the screen by executive producer Steven Spielberg and Robert Rodat (scriptwriter for Saving Private Ryan), Falling Skies is set six-months after the planet has been devastated by an alien invasion. Human civilisation has been destroyed and, in the ruins of their old world, the remaining survivors are locked in a desperate guerilla war against the invader; detemined to secure the survival of the human race and to repel the aggressors from Earth.

Starring Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood and Drew Roy, Falling Skies is produced for the TNT cable network. The pilot episode was shot in 2009, and after the series was commissioned the remaining episodes of the first season were shot in 2010.

Falling Skies premiered on the TNT network in the US on June 19 2011, where the opening episode secured some 8m viewers. In the UK, Falling Skies is being shown on the FX channel, with the opening episodes shown on 5 July.

More details, behind-the-scenes information and clips can be found on the show’s official web site; and on the UK FX Falling Skies site.

Survivors theme composer – streaming extracts online

Samples of award-winning TV composer Edmund Butt’s music for Survivors are available for streaming on the Cool Music web site.

Amongst an online collection of samples of Butt’s work are two extracts from his Survivors score – Survivors – Sacrifice (2m, 46s) and Survivors – Anarchy (1m, 35s), in streaming MP3 format.

There is no sign at present of the theme and collection of incidental music from Survivors being prepared for commercial release.

Thanks to Adrian H for alerting the blog to this

Roger Hancock of the Terry Nation Estate dies aged 79

Roger Hancock (brother of comedian Tony Hancock, and for many years agent for Survivors‘ creator Terry Nation) has died at the age of 79.

Roger was the emeritus head of the Terry Nation estate, and for many years proved himself to be a tough and resolute negotiator, determined to get the best deal possible from anyone seeking to licence any of Terry Nation’s intellectual property – the Daleks foremost amongst that body of work.

The Doctor Who News Page reports:

He was involved in many protracted negotiations with the BBC and others over their use of the Daleks, refusing any use which was thought inappropriate. In July 2004 it was reported that talks between the BBC and Hancock, representing the estate of Terry Nation, had broken down over issues of editorial control and as a result the Daleks would not appear in the relaunched series. An agreement was later reached which saw the return of the iconic monsters to the series.

In 2006, lengthy negotiations between the Terry Nation estate and the BBC over the use of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors‘ novel concluded successfully – clearing the way for Adrian Hodges’ revival of Survivors in 2008.

Audio interview with Nation author Alwyn W Turner

A new audio interview with author Alywn W Turner, discussing his new book on Survivors‘ creator Terry Nation is now available from Tim Haigh Reads Books. Johnny Mindlin of Green-Shoot explains that in the book: “Alwyn busts the myth of the Daleks’ name and points out that Nation didn’t think much of the Daleks when he first got the job, writing the first season in a week between other jobs. The interview also covers Survivors, Blake’s Seven and Nation’s time with Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Ted Ray, Erik Sykes and other comedy writers.”

Alwyn W Turner – The Man Who Invented The Daleks, The Strange Worlds Of Terry Nation

You may remember Survivors and Blake’s Seven. You may even remember that they were created by Terry Nation. But Terry Nation’s immortality will always be tied up with invention of The Daleks. Alwyn W Turner has written a lively and fascinating account of Terry Nation’s times and career, from his radio days with Ted Ray and Tony Hancock, through the glory years of The Saint, The Avengers and countless others. Tim chased Alwyn through a petrified forest towards a steel-covered city populated by the last few mutant descendants of the human race, while a doomsday bomb ticked its countdown to oblivion, pausing only to chat about why Terry Nation’s television shows got under your skin.

The interview is available to stream online; to download (right-click to Save), and through iTunes

Alwyn W Turner. 2011. The Man Who Invented The Daleks, The Strange Worlds Of Terry Nation. London: Aurum Press is available from Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith and other retailers.

A review of the book will be published on the Survivors: A World Away web site shortly.

BBC axes post-apocalyptic off-world Outcasts

The BBC has confirmed that the post-apocalyptic off-world science-fiction drama Outcasts has been cancelled after one series.

Outcasts‘ opening episode attracted 4.45m viewers (a 17.9% audience share), but by episode three viewing figures had slipped to 2.95m, and to 2.6m for episode four, amidst a largely hostile critical reception.

In response to the weak viewing figures, the BBC moved the drama from its 9pm Monday night slot to 10.25pm on Sunday – an indication that it had effectively abandoned its support for the show. The BBC explained:

“BBC One commissions a large number of new drama series each year and inevitably there will be some that do not engage as wide an audience as we would like them to [...] We are proud to have brought this original and high quality drama to the audience but unfortunately it did not engage enough of them to justify playing the full series out in a 9pm slot.”

On 13 March 2011, the final episode of the eight-part series drew 1.56m viewers (11.6%). The following day the BBC confirmed that Outcasts would not be returning.

Survivors ‘Jennys’ to appear on screen together

The actresses who played the character of Jenny in the original Survivors and in the 2008 remake will appear together on screen later in 2011 in an episode of the ITV crime drama Law & Order.

Law & Order regular Freema Agyeman (Jenny Walsh, Survivors, 2008) will be joined for a one-episode guest-star role by Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards, Survivors, 1975-1977). In the original Survivors, the character of Jenny survived all 38 episodes of the show. In the remake of Survivors, the character of Jenny was killed off in the opening episode.

Bob Meade has published a behind-the-scenes photo of the two actresses on his Survivors site (republished below):

BBC cameras visit Survivors’ locations

The 27 February 2011 edition of BBC One’s Countryfile magazine show included a feature on developments Croome Park, Worcestershire – the filming location used extensively for episode four of the second series of Survivors, which provided, amongst other things, the stately home headquarters for ruthless mine owner Smithson.

The episode is available (to UK viewers) on the BBC iPlayer until Sunday 6 March.

One week earlier, on 20 February 2011, BBC One’s perennial Antiques Roadshow came from Hampton Court, Herefordshire, the signature filming location for series one of the original Survivors in 1975.

Outcasts – new BBC One ‘post-apocalyptic’ off-world drama

The new eight-part BBC One science fiction series Outcasts begins this evening (7 February 2011) at 21:00. Outcasts follows the travails of a disparate group of survivors sent from Earth to create a new frontier community on the distant planet of Carpathia, leaving behind a world that has suffered an (initially unexplained) apocalyse.

More information can be found on the BBC’s Outcasts mini-site; on the BBC TV blog (where writer Ben Richards discusses the inspiration behind the show); and on the BBC Press Office site. The series can also be followed on Twitter and Facebook.

BBC takes different view of end of series cliffhangers – says SFX

In a feature on forthcoming BBC scifi drama Outcasts in SFX No 205 (March 2011) Tim OgleThorpe suggests that the BBC drama department is no longer keen to for series’ finales to end on unresolved cliffhangers. Says Oglethorpe:

Interestingly, [show creator] Ben Richards says that the first series [of Outcasts] will end “on a series of cliffhangers affecting some of the key characters”, something that should – in theory – guarantee a second series.

Why? Because earlier this year Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC Drama, announced that he had had enough of series that didn’t wrap things up to the satisfaction of the viewer.

Survivors, another futuristic BBC show, is a classic case. When series two ended earlier this year – followed promptly by news that it wouldn’t be returning – Max Beesley’s character Tom Price was left high and dry in an aircraft hold, his fate unclear.

Stephenson doesn’t want any more of that cliffhanging, which surely gives Outcasts a better than average chance of returning for series two in 2012 with all those cliffhangers in the final episodes of series one.

Oglethorpe’s logic seems faulty – rather than feeling compelled to renew Outcasts simply because series one of the show ends with (now ‘unwanted’) cliffhangers, BBC Drama could just as easily be irritated by the fact that the producers of Outcasts are continuing to use cliffhangers as renewal leverage. More significantly, it’s also not clear that Oglethorpe has read Stephenson’s comments accurately. In a speech to the BBC Drama Autumn/Winter 2010/11 launch, for example, Stephenson celebrates one-off, short-run and single author drama – but offers no criticism of the ‘hook’ of series’ finale cliffhangers.

Terry Nation documentary on BBC Radio Wales

A sixty-minute radio documentary exploring the career of Survivors‘ creator Terry Nation was broadcast on BBC Radio Wales on 25 December 2010 and 1 January 2011.

The BBC Radio Wales web site explains that The Terry Nation Story explores:

How the Welsh writer became the cornerstone of cult television in Britain with creations like Blake’s 7, Survivors, and The Daleks. Nicola Heywood Thomas narrates.

The documentary is available (to UK listeners) on the BBC iPlayer until Friday 7 January 2011.

The documentary features brief excerpts from The Fourth Horseman and Genesis; extracts from the Cult of… Survivors interviews with director Pennant Roberts and Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant); and commentary from author Jonathan Bignell.

‘Continue Survivors’ campaign web site launched

A new web site promoting the campaign to Continue Survivors has just been launched [http://www.continuesurvivors.co.uk/Backpage.htm].

With a design based on the ‘Hope Never Dies’ postcard featured in the series two story arc, the site promotes the Survivors series three online petition; the Survivors Series 3 please BBC Facebook group; as well as this blog.

Netflix leads to surge of interest in Survivors in USA

The launch of series one and series two of Survivors on the Netflix on-demand streaming video service has led to a surge of interest in the series in the USA. Only available within the US, Netflix (USA) also offers a postal DVD rental service alongside its online video library.

Both series one and series two of Survivors are also available through the Canadian Netflix service.