TV Gold

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.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1816472,00.html

Regards the planned Survivors remake, I personally think it would be better to continue the series 30 years on, as you cannot fit 38 episodes into 6 new ones.Other than Ian Mcculloch, I also wrote some follow-up stories that recieved favourable response by those that read them, but in 1990 the BBC did not want to know about such things.Dave

Dear Vicky

Thank you for your e-mail regarding 'Survivors'.

I understand you would like to see this series return with the original cast wherever possible.

I am currently unaware of any concrete plans to revive this classic drama from the 1970s, although our database does suggest that some enquiries have been made to obtain the rights to the series from the estate of original creator Terry Nation.

We have no further information on this matter and I would recommend that you book mark the Press Office homepage as this is the most reliable source of up to date information on forthcoming BBC programmes. You can find it by following this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/

You may also find the following link to be of some interest:

http://catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/in ... /SURVIVORS

I hope that this goes some way in clarifying the situation; however I note that you may take a different view. Please be assured that your comments have been fully registered and will be made available to our programme makers as well as senior BBC management. Styles and policies are continually reassessed based on the feedback we receive from viewers.

Thank you once again for taking the trouble to contact the BBC.

Regards

James
BBC Information
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------------Original Message---------------
>{Date:} 30/08/2007

>{Title:} Ms
>{First Name:} Vicky
>{Last Name:} Raven
>{About:} TV
>{Network:} BBC1
>{Programme Name:} Survivors
>{Transmission Date:}16 - 04 - 75
>
>{Comments:}
>PLEASE bring Survivors back---using Ian McCulloch's script he wrote and prsented you. Or get him to re-do it, but still as if 30years on -with Greg having survived the smallpox of course.
>
>And get the old cast in while theyre still alive!
>:D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Or could it just refer to rights for DVD purposes....

I just posted this on the myspace group:

Interesting announcement from the BBC this morning. The BBC have given BBC Scotland an extra £50m in order to develop drama and programming for the UK. The idea is that they want BBC Scotland to emulate the success of BBC Wales who provide primetime dramas such as Doctor Who/Torchwood.

The money will not fund 'local' programming destined merely for residents of Scotland. Instead, the grant specifies that the money is strictly to provide UK wide network programming.

What with 3x their previous network production budget and a new state of the art production facility at BBC Scotland, perhaps it is time we started firing off some more emails in their specific direction?

Full story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7004263.stm

I think most people would like to see the original cast 30 years later but I 'm pessimistic about it. It would be really hysterical if, 30 years later, Jenny was still wearing that ratty, hairy purple coat.

Uneedus Weneedu wrote:I think most people would like to see the original cast 30 years later but I 'm pessimistic about it. It would be really hysterical if, 30 years later, Jenny was still wearing that ratty, hairy purple coat.

Although I believe, in one of the season three DVD commentaries, she said she does infact still have it!

This story concerns me a little but perhaps I should put a little context into why it concerns me. I first encountered Survivors in the mid 90s during it's showing on UK Gold. At the time the show was close to 20 years old but it had really stood the test of time well. It was relevent in the 90s and it's relevent now. But times have changed and, even though I think there would be an audience for Survivors, I'm not sure any UK networks would do it justice. This is thanks to the "Doctor Who Effect"(tm) which has virtually elimated serious sci-fi and fantasy shows from our vocabulary. Look at the two most recent fantasy-based shows of Robin Hood and Primeval, both light-weight, humour driven shows and the total opposite of what would be needed for Survivors. I do like all three of those shows, I'm just illustrating my point. I just can't see who would make it now. The US did make a show that shares many of the same themes as Survivors. It's called Jericho and it's pretty good. I'd love to think that Survivors could be made with the same production values.. I really would.

Looks like its back on !!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7107597.stm

Chris Herbert wrote:Looks like its back on !!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7107597.stm

Certainly the strongest indication yet that it may actually happen. I think its probably more linked with reality sci-fi 'Ashes To Ashes' (the 'Life On Mars' successor) than pure sci-fi like 'Doctor Who' so probably IMO won't be coming out of Cardiff.

More news of the remake of 'Survivors' has surfaced today...

Hotel Bablyon actor Max Beesley is to star in a reworking of the 1970s BBC action adventure series Survivors about a devastating virus which wipes out most of the world’s population.

Set in the present day, the show focuses on the aftermath of the deadly disease.

Starring alongside Beesley will be Julie Graham of William And Mary, Peep Show’s Peterson Joseph and Freema Agyeman of Doctor Who and Torchwood fame.

Launched in April 1975 on BBC1, Survivors, based on a Terry Nation novel, ran for 38 episodes over three series.

Sounds like good casting!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/30/survivors.shtml

I noticed in the ‘Beyond the TARDIS’ column (page eight) in the current Issue (398) of Doctor Who Magazine that indirectly the new series of ‘Survivors’ gets an mention when it says…

MARTHA SURVIVES
Freema Agyeman is shooting BBC One’s Survivors based on Terry Nation’s 1976 novel until September for autumn broadcast playing teacher Jenny Collins alongside Shaun Dingwall as David Grant, Paterson Joseph as Greg Preston and Torchwood’s Nikki Amuka-Bird as Samantha Willis.

So could we perhaps be thinking late October/early November to see being transmitted???