TV Gold

On my commenting on the recent release of Season Two of Blakes Seven, Chris yesterday asked if I was interested in Survivors.

Well yes indeed I am and I had a look back on documents I'd created on my computer and below I quote a comment I composed around October 2004 which I would now like to share with other Survivors fans using this website:

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Commenting on S U R V I V O R S
Season 2 ? episode 2 ? ?Greater Love?
written by Don Shaw and directed by Pennant Roberts

  In light of its recent DVD release and my subsequent recent acquisition of the second season of this classic 70?s sci-fi series I wanted to put some initial thoughts down in writing, primarily regarding the second episode, ?Greater Love?, with its easily identifiable ?one person sacrificing their life for another? theme.  The impact of this story is heightened all the more when viewed in its sequential position following the season opener ?Birth of a Hope?.
  This first episode presents a significantly altered situation, primarily due to the departure of Carolyn Seymour?s first season leading character of Abby Grant.  Therefore the main objectives of ?Birth of a Hope? are to illustrate a ?period of adjustment? using plot devices such as the Grange fire and Greg?s interaction with Charles Vaughan at his Whitecross settlement.  Pleasant enough as it is the subsequent amalgamation of Greg?s group, following the fire, with Charles community there wasn?t any real sense of drama as which usually typifies a season opener.  That is of course if you discount the seemingly slow building attempts to locate medical student Ruth due to the imminent birth of Jenny?s child, apparently the first since ?the death?.
  It is for this precise reason that ?Greater Love? had such a dramatic impression on me once more when I recently watched it again immediately after viewing ?Birth of a Hope?.  Once more we start with opening scenes showing the community going about their every day chores.  Greg and Jenny talk about their new child whilst, in a scene which is more pertinent to the ultimate conclusion of the story, we have Paul and Ruth chatting about potentially deepening their romance between them.
  The first indication of a dramatic development stems from Jenny saying she feels unwell.  Following Ruth?s examination she confirms her worst fears, that without, at this point going into detail, Jenny needs an operation with special surgical equipment and drugs that they currently do not have access to.  After a ?round the kitchen table? discussion, Paul volunteers to ride off the following morning to collect the items Ruth has written down.  It appears, at this point that Paul, like all of the characters in the community, seem to believe their ability to come through the initial ?death? gives them some degree of immunity to whatever disease they might find.  He gallops of on a suitably sturdy mount, carrying no form of protective clothing whatsoever.
  Now in the DVD release cast interview with Pennant Roberts (and at this point I would like to express my appreciation to invidulator Andy Priestner for raising the episode during the insightful discussion) seemed to believe that the flow of the story was rather slow.  Personally I thought it was appropriately paced in certain regards, primarily to show the passage of time that had elapsed during Paul?s lengthy trip away from the settlement.
  He returns, clearly unwell, with all the items that Ruth specified.  We now have two tense plot lines in the settlement running.  Ruth ministering to Jenny who expresses cautious optimism at the outcome of her ministrations.  Time will tell whether she is successful.  Time is also a factor for Paul whom on his return Ruth instructs to go into isolation in a hastily made up barn.  Now I recall the vitality that the character Paul gave to the series since he arrived in the season one story ?Spoil of War? so it was obviously quite disturbing to see such a popular character now reduced to a virtual ghost of his former self.  There are definitely some moving scenes involving Ruth standing over the prostrate figure of Paul, her emotions showing through towards her heroic fianc?e clearly wasting away before her eyes.  Certainly it is all credit to Celia Gregory who delivers her dramatic lines regarding Paul?s contracting ?bubonic plague? with an air of dispassionate professionalism to the assembled community members seated around the kitchen table.
  For me the main success of this particular story is to remind the viewer that this is not just some jolly domestic drama about some people enjoying the challenges of self-sufficiency.  It ably reinforces the potential threat that their surroundings now possess and provides, above all, a much needed ?kick in their complacency? regarding their ability to weather any diseases they may encounter.  It is because of Paul?s fatefully contracting a virulent strain of bubonic plague that the community members are forced to re-evaluate their safeguards against contact with possible disease carriers visiting the community.  Towards the end of the story their arrangements to set up a temporary ?quarantine? hut has an air of ?shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?.  It has taken the loss of a valued member of the community to bring this into operation.
  This episode, as with much of the series in general, makes excellent use of location filming of the English countryside coupled with enjoyable character interaction and engaging story telling.  The series has certainly produced many memorable and enjoyable episodes.  For Season One ?The Fourth Horseman?, ?Law and Order? and ?Something of Value? spring to mind whilst Season Three highlights include ?Law of the Jungle? (with a welcome performance by Brian Blessed), ?Mad Dog? and ?The Last Laugh?.  Although I have the greatest respect for the Season Two ?The Lights of London?  (the choice of its second episode for a recorded DVD commentary is certainly admirable and most welcome) which is indeed a fine story with many excellent moments, for me, in my opinion, it doesn?t quite match ?Greater Love? for dramatic tension, primarily due to its positioning in the transmission order.

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with best wishes

Sarah
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Interesting to note, fellow Survivors fans, that long running Cult magazine, TV Zone has finally got around to reviewing the second season, it's only taken them about six months! In the current issue (number 187) they've given it a score of nine out of ten which ain't bad considering how extremely difficult to please (IMHO) the reviewers of this magazine seem to be.

Now I wonder how long it will now take them to say something about season three of Secret Army?

caio

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<!--QuoteBegin-Sarah Tarrant+Mar 10 2005, 09:54 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sarah Tarrant @ Mar 10 2005, 09:54 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Interesting to note, fellow Survivors fans, that long running Cult magazine, TV Zone has finally got around to reviewing the second season, it's only taken them about six months!  In the current issue (number 187) they've given it a score of nine out of ten which ain't bad considering how extremely difficult to please (IMHO) the reviewers of this magazine seem to be.

Now I wonder how long it will now take them to say something about season three of Secret Army?

caio

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Sarah
TV Zone have already reviewed season 3 of Secret Army - Issue 181 has an article with interviews with Angela Richards and Juliet Hammond
Lucy

Excellent comment Sarah. I have very many of the series on VHS video from the Beeb. I think Terry Nation produced many excellent series. I too am a fan of Blakes Seven.

With best wishes

Tony <!--emo&:rolleyes:-->[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]<!--endemo-->