Last day of series stacker iPlayer option for Survivors series one

Access to all six episodes of the first series of Survivors on the BBC’s iPlayer service will cease at 9:29pm on Tuesday 30 December, when the ’series stacker’ option for the programme comes to an end.

The series one DVD will be released for sale on 26 January 2009.

(2 January update: Although all Survivors episodes have now been withdrawn from the main iPlayer, episode six is still available from the BBC Survivors mini-site until 5 January. This version is the one with in-screen sign-language).

Survivors features in Screenwipe’s review of the year

Survivors features in BBC Four’s Screenwipe’s review of 2008, presented by Charlie Brooker.

The programme is available on the iPlayer service until the evening of 31 December. (iPlayer access to this programme has now been extended to 12:24am on Thursday 8 January 2009.)

Survivors episode five and six reviews round-up

Reviews of the final two episodes of Survivors‘ first series have been posted on the Digital Spy site (episode five and episode six); the Total SciFi site (episode five and episode six); and the Quiet Earth site (episode five and episode six).

Digital Spy has also published its verdict on Survivors series one.

Total SciFi – interviews with Zoë Tapper and Paterson Joseph

The Total SciFi site has published interviews with Zoë Tapper (22 December 2008) and Paterson Joseph (15 December 2008)

BBC Press Office confirms Survivors recommissioned

In a press release issued on 22 December, the BBC Press Office confirms that a second series of Survivors has been commissioned.

In the release, Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning is quoted as saying:

“I am delighted Survivors will be returning in 2009 with Adrian Hodges at the helm – it’s been a thrilling and emotional journey, and I look forward to more twists and turns in series two.”

The press release is accompanied by a revised version of the original group-shot of the series characters, which adds in Sarah and removes Samantha Willis (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and the now-deceased Jenny Collins (Freema Ageyman) and David Grant (Shaun Dingwall) – effectively showing the full ensemble of Abby’s community.

Survivors actors in the press

In the 14 December issue of The Sunday Times, Survivors actor Phillip Rhys (Al) discusses some of his favourite family and solo holidays growing up; while in the January 2009 issue of Arena magazine (cover below) features a photo-shoot and brief interview with Zoë Tapper (Anya). The web version of the shoot features more photos than the print version, but the magazine interview features a brief reference to Survivors not included online.

Survivors fifth episode nets 5m viewers

The Media Guardian reports (17 December) that the fifth (and penultimate) episode of Survivors netted 5m viewers and a 22% audience share – its best result for three weeks.

Elsewhere Broadcast magazine indicates that, although the viewing figures are (predictably enough) down on that secured by the opening 90-minute pilot, Survivors “is still performing above the channel’s slot average for the year so far of 4.8m (20.5%)”.

Survivors – BBC commissions series two

The Guardian media section (of 19 December 2008) has confirmed that the BBC has commissioned a second series of Survivors, and that a further set of six episodes will go into production early next year for transmission later in 2009.

The story in full:

Survivors gets second series on BBC

The BBC has commissioned a second six-part series of Adrian Hodges’ post-apocalyptic drama Survivors before the first run has finished.

The first series has been a ratings success for the corporation, averaging 5.9 million viewers and a 23% audience share in its Tuesday 9pm timeslot.

Like the original 1970s version, scripted by Daleks creator Terry Nation, the Hodges series was set in the UK after a virus had wiped out at least 90% of the world’s population. The original Survivors series first aired in 1975 and ran for 38 episodes over three series.

The final episode in the current series, which follows the disparate group of survivors trying to build a new life, screens on BBC1 on December 23rd at 9pm.

Hodges, who was also behind Primeval and Charles II, will return to executive produce the second series of six episodes next year.

The cast including Julie Graham, Max Beesley and Phillip Rhys will return, with “further casting to be announced next year” according to a BBC spokeswoman.

Sam Nichols, Guardian Media
19 December 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/19/survivors-bbc

Trailer for Survivors episode six

A trailer for the sixth and final episode of the first series of Survivors has been added to the BBC Survivors mini-site.

Cover artwork for Survivors DVD sleeve confirmed

The BBC Shop is displaying the finalised cover design for the three-disc Survivors DVD set. The sleeve is based on the original motorway-set promotional group shot, and features Abby, Greg and Tom as its principal characters (see below). The release date is set at 26 January 2008, with an RRP of £29.35 (fractionally down on the previously announced figure) – though several online retailers (including the BBC Shop) are discounting this for pre-orders.

Survivors DVD sleeve

Trailer for Survivors episode five

A 54-second trailer for the fifth (and penultimate) episode of the first series of Survivors has been added to the BBC Survivors mini-site.

Survivors episode three and four reviews round-up

Reviews of recent episodes of Survivors have been posted on the Digital Spy site (episode three and episode four); the Total SciFi site (episode three and episode four); and the Quiet Earth site (episode three and episode four).

Tota SciFi – Nikki Amuka-Bird interview

A new interview with Survivors actor Nikki Amuka-Bird (Samantha Willis) is available on the Total SciFi web site. In it she suggests:

In Survivors, you don’t know who to trust. The other survivors could be dangerous. Everything has now become a luxury, whether it’s food, water or shelter, and while you’d expect people to all come together and help each other, that’s not exactly how it happens. The whole thing has a thriller quality to it. It’s a little bit suspenseful, and you’re not sure where it’s going.

Audience picks up for Survivors fourth episode

The Brand Republic site reports that viewing figures for the fourth episode of Survivors appear to have reversed the downward trend experienced in previous weeks – albeit modestly. According to unofficial overnight figures, 4.8m viewers tuned in to watch the programme (a 20.7% audience share), comfortably outdoing the competition on ITV1 from Champion’s League coverage of a Chelsea match. This puts the programme back into the ‘average’ band expected for the 9pm Tuesday slot on BBC One.

Trailer for Survivors episode four

A 40-second trailer for episode four has been added to the BBC Survivors mini-site. A different trailer for the episode is currently being broadcast on the BBC’s terrestrial and digital channels.

BBC Four to repeat ‘Cult of… Survivors’ – 16 December 2008

The well-received 2006 BBC documentary on the original series The Cult of… Survivors is to be repeated on BBC Four at 10.00pm on 16 December 2008. The transmission will follow straight-on from the broadcast of the penultimate episode of the new series on BBC One.

As well as clips from across the three series, the documentary features interviews with Ian McCulloch (Greg), Carolyn Seymour (Abby), Lucy Fleming (Jenny), director Pennant Roberts and scriptwriter Martin Worth.

The documentary is also included as a special feature on the three-series DVD boxset released in November.

Julie Graham interview – Sunday People

In an article entitled ‘Apocalypse? Wow!’ in the Sunday People (7 December 2008), Jon Wise interviews Survivors actress Julie Graham, who describes her work on the show, along with her attitudes to family, relationships, children and the vagaries of the acting profession.

***SPOILER*** In the article, Graham reveals a plot development in an upcoming episode.

Richard and Judy – Watch TV – Survivors feature

Survivors actors Zoë Tapper and Nikki Amuka-Bird were interviewed on Watch TV’s Richard and Judy’s New Position on Friday 5 December, in a slot which featured clips from episodes one and two of the new series.

Original series actor Lucy Fleming (who played the role of Jenny Richards) was also briefly interviewed, alongside a clip from the series three episode Manhunt (featuring Jenny, Charles [Denis Lill] and Hubert [John Abineri]). Asked for her view on the new series, Fleming said:

I’m really enjoying it. I find it really difficult to judge, actually, because I know the characters a bit and I know the story a bit, but it’s all different. It’s brilliant for the modern generation to do it [like that], to make it real for them. Good luck to them.

Zoë Tapper, Nikki Amuka-Bird (left); Lucy Fleming (right)

Max Beesley interview – TV & Satellite Week

A one page interview with Survivors actor Max Beesley (Tom Price) appears in the new issue of TV & Satellite Week (6-12 December).

Asked about the likelihood of a second series for the show, says Beesley:

I hope so, and I’ll be surprised if there isn’t. The stories are interesting and people are really going to buy into the concept.

Ratings slip again for episode three – to just below average

Broadcast magazine reports that the ratings for the third episode of Survivors were down on the figures for episode two.

Survivors third episode attracted 4.6m viewers (18.2% audience share). The average figure for BBC shows in the 9pm Tuesday slot for the year is 4.8m (20.5%), so episode three came at just under that threshold.

The episode three figure was 1.3m down on episode two (which was itself 1.2m down on the first episode). Together this means that the programme has currently shed more than a quarter of its episode one audience.