BBC to remake Survivors

[Susitcha]

I just thought I would post in case anyone is interested!

Julie Graham, Max Beesley, Nikki AmukaûBird and Paterson Joseph star in Survivors, Adrian HodgesÆs exciting new action adventure drama series for BBC One produced by BBC Drama Production...
...Survivors by Adrian Hodges is a re-imagining of the classic Seventies BBC drama series, and is based on the novel by Terry Nation.

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

[Belbo]

Wow - this actually sounds like it might be reasonably faithful (and good!).

When I first saw the racial breakdown of the cast I wondered if they were going to pursue Ian McCulloch's notorious 1990s attempt at a continuation (Britain reverse-colonised by an uninfected African nation), but this sounds like a genuine attempt at a remake. Great cast, too.

Speculation, with original series spoilers

So, is Shaun Dingwall only going to be in this for half an episode? That would be rather a waste ....

It's a shame that Clive Exton (who wrote the magnificent "Law and Order" in the original series 1) died last year (obituary) - he might have been good for Pete Hammond-style cameo script. OTOH, I'm pretty sure Carolyn Seymour, Dennis Lill and Tanya Ronder are still active on the acting side ....

[Shr'eshhhhhh]

The title sequence alone gave me nightmares, I wonder if the beeb would give some other classics the once over like "The Mad Death" and "The Changes"?

I can't imagine "Threads" being remade (unless they changed the background to the initial war).

[Belbo]

A couple of links for anyone curious about the original

Survivors - the best of the fan sites.
Survivors : Series 1 - Graham Nelson's marvelously literate review/synopsis of the eponymous DVD set. (PAL R2 only, I'm afraid).

It will be interesting to see how changes in technology (and attitudes to organic farming / self sufficiency) in the last 30 years will affect the survival "experience". Only this morning I was browsing in the local electronics store and couldn't help but notice the rows of solar-powered battery chargers, clockwork radios, home wind turbines and the like - together with the water purification kits you can get in any camping store it should add up to a rather less primitive lifestyle than would have been the case in the mid-70s. Plus there'll be no need to spend the rest of your life wearing flared trousers.

Oh, I forgot that Brian Blessed is still performing too. He was in fine voice on Have I Got News for You earlier this year.

[Dr Maturin]

(PAL R2 only, I'm afraid)

I've mentioned this here before, but several of my DVD players never had trouble playing PAL. I picked up one for about $30 back in '03, and it played PAL. I used to order some DVDs from amazon.co.uk.

[Belbo]

Bump for Premiere Date

Well, we'll soon find out if it's any good - the premiere is this Sunday (23rd) at 9pm on BBC1.

Official BBC Site

Looks like a 90min pilot, followed by 5 x 1 hour episodes. The trailer doesn't look too bad, so fingers crossed ....

[Joe Nazzaro]

There's a lengthy news piece I just wrote for Sci-Fi Wire that was posted today, that has some of the specifics about the show:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=62245

I get the sense from talking to Adrian Hodges that the BBC would like to have maybe another six episodes in the can before they bring it to America, as BBC America recently did with Primeval.

Personally, I was a huge fan of the original series, although it did go downhill somewhat after season one when series creator Terry Nation left after a dispute with the producer. Terry once told me that he had a long-range plan (some of which is in his novelization, which is actually what the BBC are remaking) but the producer was more concerned with getting the lights back on, which is really missing the whole point!

[Belbo]

You bastards!

Oh my God, they killed Jenny!

Just when Freema had managed to add a third facial expression to her repertoire as well. Still, the role appears to live on in Zoe Tapper's character, so perhaps it's for the best.

Overall I thought that was pretty good - Dingwall bit the dust on cue, Paterson Joseph and Julie Graham were reliably excellent and the pairing of Philip Rhys with young Najid was great. Standards of child acting have definitely improved in the last 30 years.

I'm less convinced by the Tom Price-as-Dexter-Morgan angle, but then you can't really replace Talfryn Thomas and it would have been a big mistake to even try. At least the actor does a reasonable (and smart) psycho, so there's definitely potential there if handled correctly. Oh, and a big thumbs-down (so far) to the "mad scientists destroy the world in order to save it" nonsense, if that's indeed what the last five minutes portend .....