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

SciFiNow – original and new series features

The four-page full-colour guide to the original Survivors (authored by the editor of this blog) which first appeared in the April 2008 of SciFiNow, has been republished in Volume One of the SciFiNow – Timewarp collection, which is now available in newsagents. The 256-page ’special’ [ISBN: 978-1-906078-19-5] retails for £9.99.

The five-page feature on the the new series, which appears in the current issue of SciFiNow (Issue 21) (also written by this blog’s editor), will be available in shops until 27 November (cover price, £4.00).

SciFi Now - 21 and Timewarp Collection Vol 1

TV Zone reports new Survivors cast details

In its news section, issue 230 of TV Zone magazine reports on the BBC’s announcement of the main cast for the new series of Survivors. The piece is illustrated with individual publicity shots of each cast member (though not in their new series roles) overlayed (in five cases) with thumbnails of the same character from the original series.

The piece also includes a one line quotation from Julie Graham, picked up at the press conference for the BBC’s Bonekickers – a series which The Guardian described as “mind-bogglingly dreadful… Makes Scooby Do look like State of Play.”

In the quotation, Graham reveals that she has no memories of watching the original Survivors, but acknowledges that its premise was “prescient” and that she is “excited” about the upcoming remake.

TV Zone, Issue 230, Survivors cast details

‘Survivors Returns. Probably’ – SFX publicises remake news

Following the publication of the announcement in the Media Guardian on 10 July 2006 of the forthcoming revival of Survivors by the BBC, the story was picked up by SFX magazine No. 147, dated September 2006

The full text of the story was as follows:

Survivors Returns. Probably.

The BBC is in talks to resurrect another ’70s SF show, Survivors. The brainchild of Terry Nation, Survivors lasted three series from 1975 and focused on a post apocalyptic world peopled by survivors of a devastating plague.

It is understood that the BBC wants to make a new series of six hour-long episodes. The project’s being overseen by Beeb producer Sue Hogg. But a deal has yet to be finalised and the BBC is still in negotiations with Nation’s estate.

Although Nation owns the rights to the series, he left after season one, going on to create Blake’s 7.


SFX, No. 147, September 2006.

The Media Guardian story was also covered in Dreamwatch magazine.

‘Survivors Emerge?’ – Dreamwatch publicises remake news

Following the publication of the announcement in the Media Guardian on 10 July 2006 of the forthcoming revival of Survivors by the BBC, the story was picked up by Dreamwatch magazine No. 144, dated September 2006.

The full text of the story was as follows:

Survivors Emerge? Terry Nation’s post-apocalyptic drama eyed for revival by BBC

Cult 1970s’ science fiction show Survivors may be poised to return to TV, with the BBC confirming that it has plans to revive the post-apocalyptic drama.

Survivors was devised by Doctor Who writer Terry Nation, who would later create the BBC space opera Blake’s 7. Running for 38 episodes from 1975 to 1977 the BBC production saw a genetically engineered virus kill 95 per cent of the world’s population. Lucy Fleming, Carolyn Seymour and Ian McCulloch starred as some of the remaining survivors, struggling to maintain humanity.

Creator Terry Nation died from emphysema in 1997. The BBC has now confirmed that it is in talks with his his estate about the possibility of buying the rights to Survivors. This follows the BBC’s successful negotiations with the Nation estate for the use of his villainous creations the Daleks in its hit Doctor Who revival.

The new Survivors project is being developed within the BBC, with the proposed six-episode serial overseen by The Last Train and My Family and Other Animals producer Sue Hogg.


Dreamwatch, No. 144, September 2006

The Media Guardian story was also covered in SFX magazine.

Survivors revival – the original Media Guardian announcement

Confirmation that a new series of Survivors was to be made by the BBC came in a story published in Media Guardian on 10 July 2006.

The full-text of the story was as follows:

BBC set to revive 70s sci-fi show

First came Doctor Who, now the BBC is considering reviving another cult science fiction show from the man who invented the Daleks: Terry Nation’s Survivors.

The BBC has confirmed it is in talks with the estate of Mr Nation, a co-creator of Doctor Who, about buying the rights to his 1975 series centred on a post-apocalyptic world peopled by survivors from a devastating plague.

The BBC is understood to be hoping to make a new series of six 60- minute episodes.

The project is being overseen by inhouse BBC executive producer Sue Hogg and is one of a handful of Doctor Who-related dramas being planned by the corporation.

One imminent drama is Torchwood, based on the fictional alien research centre in Doctor Who, which is currently being filmed.

The BBC is not yet at the casting stage for the Survivors series, which would be dependent on the agreement of the Terry Nation estate.

The original drama was seen through the eyes of two characters – Jenny Richards, a young working woman, and Abby Grant, a middle-class corporate wife living a privileged existence in a nearby commuter village. The women were played by Lucy Fleming and Carolyn Seymour respectively.

The original programme ran for three series and 38 episodes, although Mr Nation left after the first series.

He followed up Survivors with his next BBC sci-fi creation, Blake’s 7, about a ragtag group of criminals on the run from the sinister Terran Federation in a stolen alien spaceship.

Mr Nation, who also invented the Daleks, is regarded as one of the creators of Doctor Who in the early 60s alongside then BBC head of drama Sydney Newman.

The estate of Mr Nation, who died from emphysema in 1997, also jointly owns the copyright to the likeness and characters of the Daleks with the BBC.


A screengrab of the original online story, 10 July 2006

The news was quickly picked up by the sci-fi genre press, including Dreamwatch and SFX.