Survivors is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Set in the present day, the series focuses on a group of bewildered survivors living in the aftermath of a devastating virus – referred to as "European Flu" – which wipes out 99% or more of the world's population. The series sees the characters struggling against terrible dangers in a world with no society, no police and no law and order led by the leader of the group, Abby Grant. According to the producers, the series is not a remake of the original BBC television series Survivors (1975–1977), created by Terry Nation, but is loosely based on the novel by the same name that Terry Nation wrote after the first series. Two series have so far been produced of the new series. Series 1 ran on BBC One and BBC HD in November-December 2008, and series 2 ran in January-February 2010, ending with a cliff-hanger. However, no confirmation of a third series has yet (28 February 2010) been announced by the BBC.
The series premiered in South Africa on BBC Entertainment in September 2009, in France on DTTV channel NRJ 12 on 12 January 2010[1], and on BBC America in the United States on 13 February 2010.[2]. In Australia, the series premiered on Channel Nine, March 21 2010.
Cast and Characters
- Main article: Characters
Episode List
- Main article: List of Episodes
Media
A web site was launched to tie in with the series, entitled "Survivors Interactive", which included interviews with actors, clips from the programme and original character pieces-to-camera. The interactive component was based on visitors selecting characters from the show and then answering either/or dilemma-based questions, which are then profiled by what type of survivor they would make as they travel through the post-plague environment.[24]
The first series was released by 2 Entertain Video on DVD on 26 January 2009, and includes special features such as an Easter Egg, A New World - The Making of Survivors documentary, character profiles and a Survivors Special Effects featurette.[25][26]
Differences from the source material
In the credits, the re-imagined series is said to be based on the 1976 novel by Terry Nation; however, there are a number of differences between the series and its source material. In the novel, Jenny Richards survives, whereas her counterpart in the 2008 series, Jenny Walsh, does not; this means that Greg Preston and Jenny cannot have a child as the years unfold. Abby Grant still falls in love with Jimmy Garland; however in the book, he eventually dies from septicaemia. There are no direct counterparts to Anya Raczynski, Najid Hanif and Al Sadiq in the book. Samantha Willis does not appear in the book. However, her characterisation incorporates and parallels some of the personality and leadership ambitions of Arthur Wormley, a "ruthless former trade union leader," who establishes a paramilitary organisation called the National Unity Force which is responsible for Abby's community's eventual decision to leave Britain for the Mediterranean in the latter chapters of the novelisation.
At the end of the book, Peter Grant, who has joined a nomadic gang of feral adolescents, accidentally shoots and kills Abby, whom he has not seen for the last four years. However, at the end of the current incarnation of Survivors Series 2, Abby is finally reunited with Peter, without her accidental death.
Sarah Bowyer is probably the closest character to her original portrayal in the original novelisation. Her original companion was named Vic, not Bob and in the original series, she was named Anne Tranter. Vic starved to death in the novelisation. In the remake, like his counterpart Vic in the first series of the original series, Bob survives his initial abandonment.[10][27][28]
In the original series, Anne (Sarah in the remake) leaves during Episode 11 but in the remake she dies from a mutated version of the virus.