Survivors (new and old)

So, the new version of Survivors starts in a couple of weeks (90-minute opening episode on Sunday 23rd at 9pm, then five more episodes on Tuesdays at 9pm) - the BBC are plugging it quite heavily, with trailers all over the place. That, of course, isn't necessarily a mark of quality given that they did the same for Bonekickers, but advance word on the new series has been good and the trailers do look like they've captured some impressive scenes of emptiness and desolation.

There's supposed to be a teaser site here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/survivors but I keep getting no response. Good cast, too - Paterson Joseph, Julie Graham, Freema Agyeman, Max Beesley and others, so the BBC do seem to be hoping that this will take off.

I've been watching some of the original series recently and while it's good in parts it suffers from the same problem as other Terry Nation stories - he clearly lost interest after a few episodes and relied on others to take it forward in the direction of some sketchy notes he'd left. That leaves it veering about from episode to episode, never being that consistent, and with interesting possibilities introduced one week then forgotten about by the next. And where Blake's 7 had Chris Boucher to give it an overall direction across the four years, Survivors seems to change lead writer two or three times a season...

The trailer is there, but I am Geo-locked and can't be doing with being clever.

Bah. Humbug. Etc.

I wanna watch!

I'm looking forward to it too. More when I'm awake...unless I forget.

Dave Webb wrote:The trailer is there, but I am Geo-locked and can't be doing with being clever.

Bah. Humbug. Etc.

I wanna watch!

Ahem...
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Yicb-J8_NNU
You ain't seen me, right?

I have fond memories of the original series, and my fingers are firmly crossed for the new version.

My main memories of the original were the opening credits which were the second scariest credits in tv history. (Dr Who's were the first!) But was too young to really be interested in what followed. I wasn't going to bother with the remake, as I'm not actually a great fan of post apocalyptic dystopian dramas* (Planet of the apes excepted**), especially after the rather disappointing (and thematically similar) Last Train from a few years back, but have been impressed by the trailers. That said, I wonder whether it will be too depressing to flourish in the current economic climate- don't people prefer escapism in recessions (see the 30's and the heyday of the musical)?

Once again, cudos to Freema Agyeman for being the latest actress to break the 'companion curse' and have a career that flourishes outside Dr Who. She's great in Little Dorritt, and one of the draws for me with Survivors.

Lee Carey wrote:Once again, cudos to Freema Agyeman for being the latest actress to break the 'companion curse' and have a career that flourishes outside Dr Who. She's great in Little Dorritt, and one of the draws for me with Survivors.

Agreed about Freema - although its disheartening to see she's getting the short end of the stick yet again from the usual suspects over in the DWF "Little Dorrit" thread.

Freema is wonderful. She's the best thing in Little Dorrit. I'm sure she will be the best thing in Survivors.

Who is playing the Talfryn Thomas part? Rhys Ifans??

when I was a child, this was one of my mum's favourite programmes. Obviously I wasn't allowed to watch it, but I saw it all some years later in the late 80s courtesy of my then boyfriend (I think he got his copies from JNT). It was very good. Not as scary as The Changes, though, I feel........

I really liked The Last Train (well, until the disappointing last episode, anyway).

I adore the original series. Pant wettingly terrifying as a child. In the same league of fear as the opening titles of Thriller and Armchair Thriller!

The second series sort of lost it a bit and became too 'The Good Life' after the apocalypse...but series three regained its bleak edge.

I hope the new series has legs and develops some of the themes that were so memorable. The 'Law And Order' episode sticks out as a remarkable piece of television.

Thinking about it though, I'm wondering if I will be able to watch. If they have the same concept - Abby searching for her son and never ever finding him - I'm not sure I'll be able to watch that, now. It might be too upsetting.

I loved the opening credits of the original version. Such an elegant way of summing up what had happened.....

did anyone else watch the changes? Am I talking out of my arse drawing a comparison between the two?

saw the trailer last night- might be good, this

Yes, I remember being freaked by The Changes Sheri...The sinister electric pylons etc...
I sort of lumped it together in my memory with aspects of The Quatermass Conclusion. The broken society and youths roaming around in a trance...

But Survivors was scarier to me because it was a 'grown ups' programme and had that 'seriously - it might happen' aura.

Lee Mansfield wrote:Yes, I remember being freaked by The Changes Sheri...The sinister electric pylons etc...
I sort of lumped it together in my memory with aspects of The Quatermass Conclusion. The broken society and youths roaming around in a trance...

But Survivors was scarier to me because it was a 'grown ups' programme and had that 'seriously - it might happen' aura.

I bloody loved Survivors. A stunning first series, it suffered when Carolyn Seymour left and the second series did get a bit 'middle-class self sufficiency mad' but you're right, the third series is bleak and ends on a bitter-sweet note. There are some amazing episodes in that original run and the new version has a lot to live up to. I shall be watching with interest.

Poor Freema. She's effing brilliant in Little Dorrit and you still get numpties on DWF slagging her off. I despair.

Nick Barlow wrote: And where Blake's 7 had Chris Boucher to give it an overall direction across the four years, Survivors seems to change lead writer two or three times a season...

Going slightly off topic, it always annoys me that every where you turn these days the series is refered to as "Terry Nation's Blake's Seven", when Chris Boucher was by far and away the greatest creative influence over the series and he gets no credit what so ever. I suspect that although Terry Nation is credited with all the scripts from Series One, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't Chris Boucher who made them filmable.

The Browncoat Cat wrote:

Nick Barlow wrote: And where Blake's 7 had Chris Boucher to give it an overall direction across the four years, Survivors seems to change lead writer two or three times a season...

Going slightly off topic, it always annoys me that every where you turn these days the series is refered to as "Terry Nation's Blake's Seven", when Chris Boucher was by far and away the greatest creative influence over the series and he gets no credit what so ever. I suspect that although Terry Nation is credited with all the scripts from Series One, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't Chris Boucher who made them filmable.

It's Terry Nation's Blake's 7 because old Tel was a very canny businessman and basically incorporated himself following the first flush of Dalek success - hence anything remotely connected with him will always have his byline somewhere. And IIRC, series one of both Blake's and Survivors were all Nation's own work. He was a writer who, if he felt passionately about a subject, threw himself into it totally - but to balance that out he also had a very short attention span and bored easily. Hence the handover to Boucher when he grew tired of doing the writing chores himself.

I don't know anything about the series, but I'll be watching it, and am looking forward to it.

The Browncoat Cat wrote:Going slightly off topic, it always annoys me that every where you turn these days the series is refered to as "Terry Nation's Blake's Seven", when Chris Boucher was by far and away the greatest creative influence over the series and he gets no credit what so ever. I suspect that although Terry Nation is credited with all the scripts from Series One, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't Chris Boucher who made them filmable.

AIUI, Nation did write most of S1, though there were a couple of episodes that were short and Boucher had to add in subplots (Bounty was one, I think). After S1, Nation didn't have as much involvement and it became Boucher's series much more.

We should probably have a B7 thread, anyway...

One other bit of casting information: Joseph Millson (Alan Jackson from The Sarah Jane Adventures) is going to be in at least one of the later episodes...

Spoiler:

Fingers crossed this hits the spot. What with Top Gear at 8, I'll watch more TV tonight than I normally do in a week at the moment.

Agreed with you there C=O.

mmmmmm...

very depressing. but very well done. will be watching on tuesday

Brilliant. Shame that Freema died so early on. I'll be watching the next one too.

A more than worthy retake on the original. I'll be watching on Tuesday.

I wasn't very convinced by the virus outbreak and spread: some iffy dialogue and plotting there. But once nearly everyone was dead it picked up nicely, and the last 15 or 20 minutes were very good.

Highlight of the show had to be Shaun Dingwall's syrup!!

The Co=Ordinator wrote:I wasn't very convinced by the virus outbreak and spread: some iffy dialogue and plotting there. But once nearly everyone was dead it picked up nicely, and the last 15 or 20 minutes were very good.

Highlight of the show had to be Shaun Dingwall's syrup!!

I liked the off piste ending. Clearly they are abandoning uncle Terry's route map at least a bit. Which is good - I always felt the why and the how questions could have been at least as interesting as the 'how do we live without lecky ooooo I fancy you' storylines we ended up with in the original. So I for one welcome our mad scientist overlords.

I was sad Freema carked it though.