BBC HD begins repeat showing of Survivors series one

The opening episode of the first series of Survivors will be broadcast at 23:50 on Monday 20 July 2009 on the BBC HD Channel.

This will be the first installment of a six-part reshowing of the entire of the first series, which continues with episode two the following week.

Many thanks to Adrian H for alerting the blog to this news.

Survivors – all six series one episodes available on iTunes

All six episodes of the first series of the new Survivors are now available for digital download from the iTunes shop.

Individual episodes cost £1.89 to download, or £11.34 for all six. (To use the service, you will need to download the free iTunes client and register an iTunes account).

Survivors - available for purchase on iTunes

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(2 January update: Although all Survivors episodes have now been withdrawn from the main iPlayer, episode six is still available from the BBC Survivors mini-site until 5 January.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).

New series DVD – new release date and special features listed

The release date for the three-disc DVD of the first series of the new Survivors (which was previously announced as 5 January) has now been confirmed as 26 January 2009.

The release is listed for pre-order on Amazon; the BBC shop, and on other online retailers. The listed price is £29.99, though several retailers are discounting this to less than £18.00 (for pre-order).

The (unconfirmed) list of ’special features’ on the release are as follows:

• Making of Survivors
• Character Profiles
• Survivors Special Effects Featurette
• Easter Egg

Pennant Roberts, original series director, rates the new Survivors

*** EXCLUSIVE *** Pennant Roberts, who directed numerous episodes of the first and second series of the original Survivors – including the classic opening episode The Fourth Horseman – shares with this blog his initial reaction to viewing the first two episodes of the remake:

“on the whole I enjoyed watching the first episode. Remakes often have a chequered history, but writer Adrian Hodges never permitted his audience to lose the plot. Terry Nation’s storyline was faithfully reproduced, even some of his actual lines recycled. The timing of the remake appears perfect. We find ourselves challenging ‘difficult times’ once more, as Gordon Brown is so fond of saying. What a relief! Things could be far, far worse for us all.

I didn’t enjoy the second episode as much, because it contained more of Terry Nation’s bish-bash-bosh philosophising, which thankfully I was able to avoid first time around. Nevertheless, I’ll be watching the new series to the bittersweet end.”

Pennant Roberts, 28 November 2008

Viewing figures down for Survivors second episode – but still solid

Viewing figures for the second episode of Survivors are reported to have been around 5.3 million (a 22% audience share) – down on the 6.5 million audience (a 26% share) for the pilot episode according to “unofficial, overnight” figures. The strong showing for the opening episode was recognised as an “excellent performance” by viewing figures service Attentional; and such a fall-off in numbers (although not welcome) is far from atypical for drama series of all kinds.

This dip still left Survivors as the most popular programme for the 21:00 slot; and saw the show hold its own against significant competition from live football on ITV.

More reviews of Survivors episodes one and two

More reviews of (one or both of) the first two episodes of Survivors have been published: Den of Geek – episode one and two site; Quiet Earth – episode one; Quiet Earth – episode two; Digital Spy – episode two; Dreamwatch – Total SciFi – episode one; Dreamwatch – Total SciFi – episode two.

Comment on episode two was also published in Guardian (25 November); and Guardian (28 November).

Episode one script available from BBC Writers’ Room

As reported yesterday Adrian Hodges’ script for the first episode of Survivors (dated 05.06.08) has today been made available for download from the BBC’s Writers Room.

Episode one: 6.5m tune in to Survivors

Broadcast magazine reports that 6.5m viewers tuned in to the first episode of Survivors on BBC One on Sunday 23 November – a good showing, but one that – predictably – could not hold its own against ITV’s I’m a Celebrity.

BBC1’s new apocalyptic drama Survivors got off to a fine start last night at 9pm with a strong 6.5m viewers (25.4%) but the show was no match for ITV1’s I’m a Celebrity. The opening 90-minute episode began with 7.1m (26.5%) but saw its audience steadily decline to 6.3m (27.5%) in the final quarter of an hour.

The drama, featuring Julie Graham and Max Beesley, was up by 35.4% on the channel’s slot average for the year so far of 4.8m (20.5%).

Despite the strong showing for the terrestrial channel it was still below its commercial rival ITV1 at the time by 1.1m.

The latest goings on in the Australian jungle appealed to a sizeable 7.6m (29.7%). The 90-minute edition of reality series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! was up by 40.7% on the channel’s slot average of 5.4m (22.9%).

Broadcast, 24 November 2008

Early viewing figures are also reported on the Digital Spy web site and Media Guardian.

BBC adds video content to Survivors web site

New video content has been added to the BBC Survivors web site, including:

1. Episode one extract: ‘Abby searches for son Peter in the aftermath of the deadly viral attack’
2. Interview: ‘Actor Chanak Patel tells us why Najid’s faith is important to him
3. Context feature: ‘Ecologist Joaquin Hortal gives us expert advice on how to survive a disaster’

First episode of Survivors available on iPlayer

The first ninety-minute episode of Survivors is now available on the BBC’s iPlayer service (and was loaded within 20mins of the episode’s broadcast).

The episode will be available until the transmission of the the sixth and final episode of the first series has been added to the iPlayer for seven days – under the Series Stacker service.

First episode review posted

A review of the first episode of Survivors has now been added to the blog.

BBC YouTube channel Survivors preview

The BBC has added a Survivors preview video to its YouTube Channel.

The clip features an exchange between government minister Samantha Willis (played by Nikki Amuka–Bird) and a colleague, discussing the spread and seriousness of the virus, and ends with an image of the contagion at work in a victim’s bloodstream.

BBC Breakfast news Survivors feature

A 2min-20sec news-story on Survivors was broadcast several times during today’s morning news programme BBC Breakfast on BBC One.

The story featured interviews with cast members including Philip Rhys (Al), Julie Graham (Abby Grant) and Paterson Joseph (Greg Preston); clips from the main BBC promotional trailer; and a brief extract from the opening episode of the original series The Fourth Horseman, focusing on the original Abby Grant – Carolyn Seymour.

Julie Graham, BBC Breakfast, 19 November 2008

TV guides promote Sunday’s first episode of Survivors

All of the main (and most of the minor) highstreet TV listings magazines (which are published today) feature promotional materials on Survivors ahead of the transmission of the first two episodes of the new series next week.

The features on offer include:

• Radio Times: ‘Fight to Survive’, (pp.20-24)
• Total TV Guide: ‘Grave new world’, (pp.4-5)
• TV & Satellite Week: ‘Survival of the fittest’, (pp.12-13)
• TV Choice: ‘Survival of the Fittest’, (pp.6-7)
• TV Easy: ‘Deadly drama!’, (p.5)
• TV Quick: ‘It’s the end of the world’, (pp.16-17)
• TV Times: ‘Life after death’, (pp.16-17)
• What’s On TV: ‘Killer Virus’, (p.15)

Total TV Guide is the only magazine to feature Survivors as its main cover photo.

Total TV Guide, 22-28 November 2008

Radio Times – Survivors features, but not as the cover shot

The new Radio Times (for week beginning 22 November) includes an illustrated feature on the new Survivors – although the programme has lost out as the main cover feature to the David Tennant-starring Einstein and Eddington drama.

Radio Times, 22 November 2008

DeathRay – episode one review

The Winter 2008 edition of DeathRay includes a two-page review of episode one of the new series of Survivors, by Guy Haley (awarding it four-stars – which is a rating of ‘Excellent’).

***SPOILERS*** Inevitably, this review (which is only available in print in the magazine) reveals numerous plot and character details.

Please note: Although the editor of this blog attended the press screening of episode one, a review will not be posted on this blog until after the first episode has been shown on BBC One.

A review of each episode will be added to this blog once it has been broadcast. There will also be a poll asking visitors to rate each episode and – of course – the opportunity for all viewers to add comments and opinions of their own about the show.