Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Theta Sigma]

BBC Drama Productions has acquired the rights from the Terry Nation Estate to develop the Seventies drama series Survivors:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/11_november/22/survivors.shtml
"The cult series focussed on a post-apocalyptic world, in the aftermath of a devastating plague which wipes out over 99% of the world's population, and how a group of individuals grappled with the trials of day-to-day survival."

The original series ran for three seasons from 1975 to 1977. There were 38 episodes. After Survivors, Dalek creator Terry Nation created Blake's 7.

The new series which is set in the present day will be written by Primeval co-creator Adrian Hodges and the executive producer is Sue Hogg.

Personally I have not seen the original series. The original series have been released on DVD in the UK but not yet here in Australia. Hopefully this will be rectified soon.

Today's audiences will find the description of Survivors similiar to that of US TV series Jericho.

[Theta Sigma]

I have now seen all of the original series and I thought it had a very good premise. Of the three seasons the first was the best. The other two seasons were also enjoyable although I was somewhat unsure about the third season at first before getting used to the season's storyline.

Here are a couple of remarks at the Doctor Who Forum about the latest from the new series-
jangomac, March 2 2008:
"Just checked, in an interview with the producer Kate Harwood in SFX last month she stated Hodges was writing four of them."

PMount, March 9 2008:
"A feature in the recent issue of 'Death Ray' magazine states that 13 episodes have been commissioned."

[Theta Sigma]

By coincidence not long after I finished seeing all the episodes of the original series, this morning I saw the Survivors title sequence briefly in the Are Friends Electric documentary on the Doctor Who: Robot DVD.

Very good timing.

[Theta Sigma]

The following BBC Press release on Merlin includes mentioning the new series of Survivors as part of the BBC's autumn (in the UK) 2008 lineup:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/03_march/17/merlin.shtml

[Theta Sigma]

Received clarification about the new series which I now fully understand.

The new series of Survivors is actually a reimagining of Terry Nation's novelisation of season 1 rather than on the original TV series itself.

The following link includes details of what was in the book which may or may not make it in the new TV series (please note the book itself has long been out of print):
http://www.dwscifi.com/interviews/1783-survivors-surviving-the-21st-century

Adrian Hodges says that the novel is used as a starting point and the reason why it is not actually a remake of the TV series itself is because of complications with the rights situation.

Filming on the 90-minute pilot and the five succeeding episodes is expected to begin in May (rather than 13 episodes as was posted earlier on).

[Theta Sigma]

Just seen The Cult of Survivors, documentary on BBC4 in 2006 about the series. Focuses its attention mostly on season 1 with seasons 2 and 3 getting a brief summary although it did include an interview with season 2 and 3 writer Martin Worth.

Not bad.

[Theta Sigma]

www.terrynation.net has reported that Terry Nation's novelisation of Survivors which the new TV series is based on will be reprinted by Orion Books.

[Theta Sigma]

The cast for the new version of Survivors has been announced.

In alphabetical order they include the following (as I picked up at the Doctor Who Forum): Freema Agyeman as Jenny; Nikki Amuka–Bird as Samantha Willis; Max Beesley Tom Price; Shaun Dingwall as David; Julie Graham as Abby Grant; Paterson Joseph as Greg; Phillip Rhys as Al; Zoe Tapper as Anya and newcomer Chahak Patel as 11-year-old Najid.

Here is an article about it:
http://www.denofgeek.com/television/61889/freema_agyeman_in_new_survivors_in_bbc_reboot.html

[Theta Sigma]

Almost 24 hours after I first learnt that Julie Graham was going to be Abby in the new Survivors I saw her in the Afterlife episode Your Hand In Mine on UKTV. Her character here goes through a terrible illness just as Abby did.
In retrospect this could easily be the test piece for Julie becoming the new Abby. Remarkable timing.

[Theta Sigma]

Andrew Mercado in yesterday's Sydney Sunday Telegraph mentioned new episodes coming up for Jonathan Creek & Blake's 7 as well as Torchwood season 3.

Funnily enough he did not mentioned the Survivors remake considering the fact that casting for the series was announced shortly before it became known that Torchwood was getting a third season.