Survivors (1975 TV series)
Survivors is a British post-apocalyptic fiction drama television series created by Terry Nation and produced by Terence Dudley at the BBC, that broadcast from 1975 to 1977. It concerns the plight of a group of people who have survived an apocalyptic plague pandemic, which was accidentally released by a Chinese scientist and quickly spread across the world via air travel. Referred to as "The Death", the plague kills approximately 4,999 out of every 5,000 human beings on the planet within a matter of weeks of being released.
| Survivors | |
|---|---|
 The main title caption seen throughout the series | |
| Created by | Terry Nation |
| Starring | Ian McCulloch Lucy Fleming Carolyn Seymour Denis Lill John Abineri Celia Gregory Lorna Lewis |
| Theme music composer | Anthony Isaac |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 38 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Terence Dudley |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 16 April 1975 – 8 June 1977 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Survivors (2008) |
Production
History
The programme ran for three series and 38 episodes (series 1 and 2 comprised 13 episodes each, the third series just 12; budget cuts and technical problems reduced the planned last double episode to a single, as some scenes were lost during shooting). All series were broadcast on Wednesday evenings on BBC 1, from April 1975 to June 1977. Popular writer Terry Nation (whose work included many scripts for Doctor Who) created the series, but he left the show after the first series due to disputes with producer Terence Dudley.
The series' main actors included Carolyn Seymour (Abby), Lucy Fleming (Jenny), Ian McCulloch (Greg), and Denis Lill (Charles). The child actor Stephen Dudley (John) was given his part by his father, the show's producer Terence Dudley; while the child actress Tanya Ronder (who in series 1 and 2 played Lizzie) is the daughter of Jack Ronder, who wrote eight episodes of Survivors. In addition, the few appearances of Greg and Jenny's baby son Paul on Survivors saw Lucy Fleming's real-life son Diggory appear as Paul, although uncredited. Notable guest stars in the series included Patrick Troughton, Peter Jeffrey, Brian Blessed, George Baker, Philip Madoc, Bryan Pringle, Iain Cuthbertson, and Peter Bowles. Appearing in the series before becoming famous were Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean), Robert Fyfe (Last of the Summer Wine), Denis Lawson (Star Wars), David Neilson (Coronation Street), Peter Duncan (Blue Peter), June Brown (EastEnders), David Troughton, and Roger Lloyd-Pack (Only Fools and Horses and The Vicar of Dibley).
In a High Court case in the mid-1970s, which was abandoned by both sides due to escalating costs, writer Brian Clemens claimed that he had told Terry Nation the concept for the series in the late 1960s and had registered the idea with the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in 1965.[1] Nation strenuously denied this.
A BBC Four documentary, entitled The Cult of... Survivors, featuring interviews with actors Lucy Fleming, Ian McCulloch, and Carolyn Seymour, director Pennant Roberts, and scriptwriter Martin Worth, was broadcast on 5 December 2006, as part of the channel's Science Fiction Britannia series.[2] The Cult of... series also included documentaries on Blake's 7 (another series devised by Terry Nation) and Doomwatch (produced by Terence Dudley).
Locations
The majority of the locations for all three series of Survivors were in the Welsh Marches, the counties of Monmouthshire, Shropshire, Powys, and, for the first two series, the characters most often seen in Herefordshire. The first episode of series 1 ("The Fourth Horseman") featured several locations in Worcestershire, including Great Malvern railway station. Much of episode 2 Genesis, was filmed around the village of Rose, Cornwall. Later episodes had the characters move around Herefordshire, from places like Ross-on-Wye to Welsh Newton Common. Llanarth Court in Monmouthshire was also featured. Brockhampton Court near How Caple, Herefordshire was used as "Waterhouse" in the episode "Garland's War". Towards the end of the first series, the action moved to a more permanent base at Hampton Court, again in Herefordshire. (This was the property referred to as "The Grange" by the characters.)[3]
For the beginning of series 2 the focus moved to a new location, at Callow Hill Farm, near Monmouth (but again just within Herefordshire), as "Whitecross". The Lights of London episodes featured Hanwell railway station, The Oval, and other locations in London, while the Waterloo & City line and the Camden Town deep-level shelter were used to represent parts of the London Underground. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and village of Skenfrith also made appearances.
During series 3, production occasionally moved further afield to Suffolk, Derbyshire, and Wiltshire, with the last episode filmed in the Scottish Highlands. Extensive use was made of the Severn Valley Railway.
There are a great number of technical and continuity errors visible as the series was shot quickly on early video cameras, which did not work well in the gloomy conditions in which much of the programme was shot. Two cameras were used, but one of them had a recurrent fault, which shows as multiple reflections on the left hand side of pictures in many scenes, particularly visible in series 3. Primitive equipment meant that many shots suffered from a green tint. Due to audience complaints about this, the production crew replaced the cameras.
2008 version
In 2008, the BBC began airing a new version of Survivors, with Adrian Hodges as the main writer. In the credits, this version is said to be based on Terry Nation's novel Survivors (1976), rather than the previous series. This statement was made to avoid copyright problems, as the rights to the television series were vested with a different legal entity from the rights to the book.
The principal characters of Abby, Greg, Jenny and Tom Price were retained, but new elements were introduced, including a subplot about the origins of the virus and a stronger focus on action. The show took pains to make sure these characters represented a broader spread of racial and social backgrounds. The show received mixed reviews, but initial viewing figures were strong.[4]
The 2008 series ran for two seasons, and the BBC announced in April 2010 that there would be no third series.[5]
Audio drama version
In June 2014, Big Finish Productions released the first four-episode volume of an audio drama expansion of Survivors, with Seymour, McCulloch, and Fleming reprising their screen roles. The second and third volumes were released in 2015, and the fourth and fifth in 2016, with sixth and seventh volumes scheduled for 2017.[6][7] On 21 December 2016, Big Finish announced an eighth and ninth volume to be released in 2018.[8]
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series premiere | Series finale | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| 1 | 13 | 16 April 1975 | 16 July 1975 | 27 April 2010 | 6 October 2003 | 7 October 2009 | |
| 2 | 13 | 31 March 1976 | 23 June 1976 | 27 April 2010 | 4 October 2004 | 7 October 2009 | |
| 3 | 12 | 16 March 1977 | 8 June 1977 | 27 April 2010 | 14 November 2005 | 7 October 2009 | |
Episodes
Series 1 (1975)
As the world's population is almost annihilated by a mysterious pandemic, accidentally unleashed by an unnamed Chinese scientist, the crisis is first seen through the eyes of two characters—Jenny Richards, a young working woman in London who is naturally immune to the disease, and Abby Grant, a middle-class corporate wife living a comfortable existence in a suburban commuter village who caught the virus but barely recovered, while her husband died. As Abby goes in search of her son Peter, who was away at boarding school when the pandemic occurred, Jenny wanders aimlessly through the countryside.
Other major characters introduced in the first few episodes are the resourceful engineer Greg Preston, the shifty Welshman Tom Price, and two children, John Millon and Lizzie Willoughby. Abby, Jenny, and Greg eventually come together and realise they must start again from scratch now that the civilisation they once knew has been destroyed. After several adventures on the road, they find a property called The Grange which they can use as a base and, joined by other survivors, they form a potted community of disparate individuals all united by a shared purpose; to relearn the old skills of farming and tool-making, and to try to live in this new world.
Regular cast
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Guest cast
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Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Designed by | Original airdate | |
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| 1.01 | "The Fourth Horseman" | Pennant Roberts | Terry Nation | Austin Ruddy & Val Warrender | 16 April 1975 | |
| In modern-day Britain, a young woman named Jenny visits her friend, a physician who is working in a city hospital, to ask him to come see a mutual friend who has become ill. The hospital clientele has suffered a number of deaths from a mysterious disease, but the Home Secretary has instructed the hospital staff to keep it quiet. Soon, civilization begins to collapse as the deaths increase, mass absenteeism affects public services, and amenities and the electronic media go off air. Eventually the electricity shuts off, and all public services falter, then eventually cease entirely. Another young woman, Abby Grant, becomes ill with the sickness and wakes after several days to find seemingly everyone (including her husband) has died. Abby goes in search of her son who was at boarding school. There she meets the sole remaining staff member at the school, Dr. Bronson. He tells her that the healthy boys were taken camping by another teacher in the hope of escaping the epidemic. Dr. Bronson believes that those who survive the epidemic will need to re-learn old skills that have been lost in modern society, if they are to survive long-term. While Abby proposes that there will be stockpiles of energy sources and preserved food, he explains that every product used in contemporary society relies on the complex interworking of thousands of people in different regions, each having specialised knowledge and a constant supply of materials – all of which have suddenly vanished. Despondent, Abby drives home and decides to move on in search of other survivors. She cuts her hair short, packs some essentials, then burns down her house, which contains her husband's body, and drives away. | ||||||
| 1.02 | "Genesis" | Gerald Blake | Terry Nation | Ray London | 23 April 1975 | |
| Survivor Greg Preston, who has just returned from mainland Europe and knows the virus has wiped out the population there, arrives home to find that his wife, Jeanie, has died from the plague. Greg is driving through the countryside when he meets Anne, who begs him to come and help the man she is staying with, Vic, who has been injured. Greg goes with her to the quarry where she has been staying and finds that Vic's legs have been crushed under a fallen tractor. Greg helps the best he can. Meanwhile, Abby arrives at a settlement run by a former trade union president, Arthur Wormley, and learns that he has some inside knowledge of the catastrophe from his contacts in the government. He has set up a small community where he has appointed himself the man in charge of the entire area. At first interested at their intentions, Abby is later appalled when a man branded as a threat to Wormley's group is taken out and shot. Abby flees the house. Greg has driven to the nearest town to get medicine. While there he meets Jenny and takes her into his car after she collapses. En route back to the quarry, they encounter Anne, who tells Greg that Vic is dead, and after initially travelling with them, she leaves. Greg and Jenny see smoke and aim for it. It leads them to Abby, who has now set herself up in an abandoned church with the aim of starting a self-sufficient community. | ||||||
| 1.03 | "Gone Away" | Terence Williams | Terry Nation | Richard Morris | 30 April 1975 | |
| Abby, Jenny and Greg drive to the nearest large supermarket to stock up on food. While there, they come up against some armed men who are working on Wormley's behalf. The men threaten to shoot them if they take the food and insist they sign up at the community. Abby refuses, and her group manages to overcome the men and escape. Arriving back at the church they find a tramp, Tom Price, has taken shelter at their house. He agrees to join them and help. He tells them of a young boy he encountered who Abby hopes may be her son. Abby, Greg, and Jenny go to find him but discover he is dead, but is not Abby's son. While away, Wormley's men have discovered their base and wait for their return. Tom agrees to join their settlement, and they begin trashing Abby's group's possessions. Abby, Jenny, and Greg return, but one of Wormley's men warns them not to enter the church, so the trio waits in the dark until the gang leaves. Fearing for their safety they leave the area the next day, with Abby vowing to continue searching for her son. | ||||||
| 1.04 | "Corn Dolly" | Pennant Roberts | Jack Ronder | Austin Ruddy | 7 May 1975 | |
| Abby, Jenny and Greg are driving towards Abby's home town of Brimpsfield, looking for her son. At a petrol station they find posters for a nearby settlement. They run across settlement members, Charles and Loraine, who themselves have just found a young boy, Mick. Greg, Abby, and Jenny decide to accompany them to Maredell before deciding whether to join forces. On arrival, they discover that many in the settlement have become mortally ill from poisoned fish. They soon learn that Charles is obsessed with repopulating the earth and is trying to impregnate as many women as possible to achieve this goal. His intentions now turn to Abby, who is horrified. The trio leaves the following day. | ||||||
| 1.05 | "Gone to the Angels" | Gerald Blake | Jack Ronder | Ray London | 14 May 1975 | |
| While Abby goes to her son's school, Jenny and Greg run across two small children, John and Lizzie, who have been living in the home of John's dead grandmother. When they all go up to the school to meet Abby, the children tell them about a bus full of school children who have gone up to Derbyshire, "where the angels are". They all take off to the area and find a house to stay in, but Greg is accidentally shot by a man who took shelter there, Lincoln, who's given Greg a minor flesh wound. The man tells the group that armed men calling themselves "The British Government" recently came, taking many of his supplies. Abby leaves on her own and finds the "angels", three religious men who have isolated themselves in the hills. Later, when Jenny, Greg, and the children set out to follow Abby, Lincoln takes Lizzie hostage, but she is saved by her dog. The group leaves Lincoln behind and rejoins Abby at the "angels'" cabin. However, the men quickly become ill, and they realise Abby has brought the plague with her and infected them. The five travellers leave after the three men have died. | ||||||
| 1.06 | "Garland's War" | Terence Williams | Terry Nation | Richard Morris | 21 May 1975 | |
| Abby accidentally gets involved in a local war when she picks up a wounded man being chased by a group of armed men. They shoot one of Abby's tyres as she escapes. The man, Jimmy Garland, takes Abby to the cave where he has been staying: there is instant chemistry between the pair. He is the rightful owner of the Waterhouse manor but has been evicted by a larger group, led by Knox. While Jimmy is finding another vehicle for Abby she is captured by Knox, who convinces her his intentions for Garland's estate are reasonable and honourable, and she agrees to find Jimmy and play mediator between them. Jimmy, however, has kidnapped one of Knox's women as collateral for Abby. Abby brings Jimmy to Knox, but his men attack and restrain him. Abby leaves, and finds Greg, Jenny and the children looking for her. Back at the manor, Knox is torturing Jimmy to reveal the whereabouts of the girl. As the men go to the hut to retrieve the girl, they are surprised as Greg bursts through the door with a shotgun, demanding that Knox's men let Jimmy go. They make the exchange and escape, though Jimmy insists he must stay to continue fighting his "war". | ||||||
| 1.07 | "Starvation" | Pennant Roberts | Jack Ronder | Robert Berk | 4 June 1975 | |
| Wendy, a young woman living with an older woman, Emma, leaves their house in search of food. She comes across Tom Price, who offers her food in return for favours. Uneasy about him, she steals his fish and runs away. Meanwhile, Abby rescues Emma from a pack of roaming, savage dogs. Tom turns up at the house looking for Wendy. After he threatens Abby, she locks him in the back of his van. The others have found a large manor house with plenty of land for grazing nearby sheep and growing vegetables. They settle there and meet Barney, a simple-minded and scared young man. Abby brings Emma and Wendy in Tom's van to the manor, and there they release Tom, who agrees, once again, to help them. | ||||||
| 1.08 | "Spoil of War" | Gerald Blake | Clive Exton (as M.K. Jeeves) | Richard Morris | 11 June 1975 | |
| With a community now numbering nine people, Abby, Jenny and Greg begin working the land in an attempt to begin growing crops, while the others take on various chores around the manor. A man, Paul Pitman, arrives and tells them he knows about farming and tells them their methods are futile, but he can help. They need seeds and tractor parts. Greg remembers that Vic Thatcher, whom he had helped earlier, had a working tractor. Greg, Tom, Barney and Paul go to Vic's quarry to see what they can get there. On arriving they are repeatedly shot at but manage to get through to find that Vic is still alive, although his legs are completely crushed. Vic tries to kill Greg for abandoning him and taking away his woman, until Greg explains what really happened. Vic agrees to let them take the equipment and food he has stored, and he accompanies them back to the manor. Meanwhile, two more people, Arthur and Charmian, have joined the community. | ||||||
| 1.09 | "Law and Order" | Pennant Roberts | Clive Exton (as M.K. Jeeves) | Richard Morris | 18 June 1975 | |
| It's May Day, and Abby decides that the community should celebrate with a party, including alcohol. During the party, Tom gets very drunk and later attempts to sexually assault Wendy, chasing her up the stairs and into her room. During a struggle, he stabs and kills her. Shocked at the discovery of Wendy's body the next morning, the others notice that Barney is acting strangely, and put Barney on trial. The nine other adults in the community hold a vote on whether Barney is guilty or not guilty of killing Wendy. They come to the conclusion by six votes to three that Barney is guilty (Abby, Greg, Paul, Vic, Arthur and Charmian vote for guilty, while Jenny, Emma and Tom vote for not guilty). After the guilty verdict, they then hold another vote on whether Barney should be banished from the community or executed. They vote by 5 votes to 4 that Barney be executed (Abby, Greg, Paul, Vic and Arthur vote for execution, while Jenny, Emma, Tom and Charmian vote for banishment). Greg pulls the short straw, and Greg takes Barney outside and shoots him dead. Wracked with guilt, Tom confesses to Abby and Greg that it was he who killed Wendy. Furious, but logical, Greg reasons that Tom's crime should not be revealed to others, and Tom should be kept within the community, as his poaching skills are essential. Greg also warns Abby that he will challenge her leadership if she tells the others the truth. Despite Abby's disgust, she agrees with Greg. | ||||||
| 1.10 | "The Future Hour" | Terence Williams | Terry Nation | Richard Morris | 25 June 1975 | |
| Greg and Paul arrive at a temporary settlement packed with provisions. It is led by Huxley, who travels around different communities offering food and other items in exchange for gold. Meanwhile, a man and woman, named Norman and Laura, have arrived at the manor seeking shelter. Laura is pregnant, and the group is on the run from Huxley, who has taken Laura as his woman but insists on her getting rid of the baby. Abby and the others agree to hide them at the settlement. Huxley tracks down Laura and Norman, and wages war on the manor. Laura has the baby and agrees to return to the settlement along with Norman, but entrusts her baby girl to the community where she will be safe, but not before Tom and Huxley are both killed in a final showdown. | ||||||
| 1.11 | "Revenge" | Gerald Blake | Jack Ronder | Richard Morris | 2 July 1975 | |
| After Vic attempts suicide, the others discuss how depressed he has become and set about finding useful tasks to give him a sense of purpose, such as teaching the children. Additionally, Greg and Paul go to a nearby town and find Vic a proper wheelchair. Two people turn up at the manor driving a tanker full of petrol. One is a young man, Donny, the other is Anne – the woman who had left Vic to die. Vic tells the others what she did, and Abby decides that Donny can stay but Anne must leave in the morning. That night, Anne attempts to kill Vic, who in turn also tries to kill her in anger. After both break down in tears, they talk. The following morning, a seemingly more positive Anne leaves the house, watched by Vic. | ||||||
| 1.12 | "Something of Value" | Terence Williams | Terry Nation | Richard Morris | 9 July 1975 | |
| A man, Robert Lawson, arrives at the manor for shelter and the group agree he can stay. During the night he looks around and soon finds the tanker of petrol. After a heavy downpour, the others find that the crops have been washed out and the store of food in the cellar has been flooded and destroyed. They decide that the petrol is very valuable and decide to trade it to a nearby community for food and seed. Meanwhile, Lawson has met up with two friends and tells them of the tanker. They return to the manor to get it, but Greg has already left with it. They follow, but after a failure of the brakes, Greg has parked it in a barn. The three men find him, steal the tanker, and drive away, speeding down a hill. The truck's brakes fail to work and two of the men are killed. The third opens the fuel tank, allowing the petrol to spill onto the ground and states his intention to spill all of it, and Greg shoots him dead. Members of Greg's group drive up, and they retrieve their petrol. | ||||||
| 1.13 | "A Beginning" | Pennant Roberts | Terry Nation | Richard Morris | 16 July 1975 | |
| The group are becoming irritable with each other after trading their petrol for some seed which turns out to be bad, and a fox has killed their chickens. Abby, tired of her role as the leader, retreats and talks it over with Jenny, who reveals she is pregnant with Greg's child. A wandering group arrives and requests shelter for a sick woman they are carrying. The group says they were driven from their land by a large band of thieves roaming the area. Greg and the others in his group agree to contact other settlements so they can band together and form an alliance against similar attacks. Abby meanwhile, needing some peace, leaves the settlement to seek out Jimmy Garland, and stays with him in his house. Back at the settlement, the sick girl, Ruth, recovers and tells them she was a medical student; she mentions that she was staying on a barge with some other people, one of whom was a boy named Peter Grant. Abby returns the next day with Jimmy. Jenny rushes out to tell her the news that her son is still alive. | ||||||
Series 2 (1976)
Having received word that her son is still alive, Abby has left the Grange to resume her search. Meanwhile, the community is devastated by a fire that kills many, including Emma, Charmian and Vic. The survivors join another community, Whitecross, run by Charles Vaughan, and become once more focused on the everyday practicalities of post-Death life. New major characters comprising the Whitecross band are Charles' partner Pet Simpson, travelling doctor Ruth Anderson and farmyard labourer Hubert Goss. Frequent visitors to Whitecross, both friendly and hostile, act as catalysts for various dramatic situations. Finally, the arrival of Norwegian survivors brings the possibility of re-establishing worldwide contact and technology. To achieve this, Greg departs Whitecross in a hot air balloon bound for Norway.
Regular cast
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Guest cast
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Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Designed by | Original airdate | |
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| 2.01 | "Birth of a Hope" | Eric Hills | Jack Ronder | Ian Watson | 31 March 1976 | |
| It is deep midwinter, and Abby has gone to reunite with her son. The manor burns down, and several of the group are killed. The survivors move on to a new settlement led by Charles Vaughan. Jenny is about to have Greg's baby, and he goes in search of Ruth to help with the delivery. Meanwhile, Charles and Greg talk about furthering their community for the future and working to become completely self-sufficient. Ruth is found as Jenny goes into labour. | ||||||
| 2.02 | "Greater Love" | Pennant Roberts | Don Shaw | Ian Watson | 7 April 1976 | |
| Jenny has had a baby boy, whom she is naming David. However, she falls ill. Ruth examines her and makes a list of needed medical supplies. Paul agrees to go to the nearest big-city hospital (in Birmingham) to collect it. He returns with the items but is feeling feverish. Ruth isolates him and realises he has contracted the bubonic plague. To prevent the disease from spreading through the community she gives him a lethal injection and burns down the barn he was held in. Jenny, whose health has improved, decides to rename her baby Paul. | ||||||
| 2.03 | "Lights of London – Part 1" | Terence Williams | Jack Ronder | Peter Kindred & Geoffrey Winslow | 14 April 1976 | |
| Ruth has been duped into going to London, where a community of 500 is living. They need her because of her medical training, as many people are falling ill, owing to rats and a mysterious, deadly "London sickness". The group is led by a duplicitous, manipulative operations manager named Manny, and a physician who informs Ruth that only a group numbering 500 or more can survive; a smaller community would become extinct within several generations. This argument and the clear need for another doctor tempt Ruth to stay, and she enjoys the settlement's electricity and running water. Greg and Charles learn that Ruth has been taken to London and go to rescue her. On arrival they are attacked by a pack of rats. | ||||||
| 2.04 | "Lights of London – Part 2" | Pennant Roberts | Jack Ronder | Paul Allen | 21 April 1976 | |
| Greg and Charles are rescued and taken to the community. They find Ruth, who explains that the 500 are planning to move to the Isle of Wight to set up a new life in a clean environment. They soon discover, however, that Manny has no intention of moving them and wants to stay in London as the ruler. He tells Greg and Charles to go, but Ruth must stay. Ruth decides to return to the country with Greg and Charles, and they try to make an escape with Manny in close pursuit. Manny is shot by one of his enemies, and Greg, Charles, and Ruth leave London. | ||||||
| 2.05 | "The Face of the Tiger" | Terence Williams | Don Shaw | Ian Watson | 28 April 1976 | |
| Tensions among the group are rising as the workload increases. A seemingly gentle man, Alistair, arrives and joins the group. Hubert, meanwhile, is feeling hard-done by and insists on better living accommodations until he discovers that Alistair is a convicted child killer named Andrew. The others question "Alistair", who admits his crime and says that he has been rehabilitated. Hubert, however, spreads panic among the others, and Alistair volunteers to leave. | ||||||
| 2.06 | "The Witch" | Terence Williams | Jack Ronder | Ian Watson | 5 May 1976 | |
| One of the women in the community, Mina, is receiving much unwanted attention from Hubert, who has taken a liking to her. She shuts herself away with her baby, and Hubert begins to spread a rumour that she is a witch. A number of community members begin to believe this, and Mina decides to leave. Greg and Charles go looking for her and bring her back, assuring her that everyone regrets their suspicions. Hubert is tasked with grinding wheat. | ||||||
| 2.07 | "A Friend in Need" | Eric Hills | Ian McCulloch | Ian Watson | 12 May 1976 | |
| Greg and Charles call a meeting with representatives from local communities with a view to the groups' helping each other out and providing protection from attack if needed. A sniper is going round other areas and shooting women. Greg realises they are the next target and calls on a nearby community for help. While waiting in ambush, Jenny is placed as bait for the sniper. Greg tries to strangle the sniper, who is shot in the struggle. The sniper is revealed to be a woman. | ||||||
| 2.08 | "By Bread Alone" | Pennant Roberts | Martin Worth | Ian Watson | 19 May 1976 | |
| One of the community members, Lewis, reveals himself to be a parson, and he is interested in starting Sunday services. Many other community members, including Jenny, express opposition to this, with the view that religion is a waste of time now. However, despite their workload, the group gradually comes round to the idea and attends the first service. | ||||||
| 2.09 | "The Chosen" | Eric Hills | Roger Parkes | Ian Watson | 26 May 1976 | |
| On their return trip from harvesting salt, Charles and Pet meet a sick couple whom they bring to the nearest community for help. There they find a military-like operation run by Max and Joy. The sick woman dies, and the sick man is shot. Charles complains of their domineering approach, though he proposes they conduct trade and form a federation. Joy invites Charles to present his proposal to the group, but Max tells them to leave, for their own safety. Tipped off by Joy that Max plans to have them shot during the night, as he fears for his leadership, the couple stays, and Charles gets to address the community, during which time Max is shouted down and deposed by Joy. | ||||||
| 2.10 | "Parasites" | Terence Williams | Roger Marshall | Ian Watson | 2 June 1976 | |
| Mina becomes fond of John, a man she meets on a river barge, and agrees to meet him later, to serve him lunch in exchange for Wellington boots for the community. However, when the boat returns, two other men have taken residence, and John is nowhere to be found, though one of the men is wearing John's hat. The pair are brought to Whitecross but appear quite aggressive. Pet recognises one of them as a convicted criminal, and when Mina finds John's murdered corpse and confronts the pair, they take the children hostage. In an attempt to reason with them, Lewis goes to talk to them but is shot dead. Greg and Charles meet the men's demands and let them go, and the pair escape on the boat. However, they begin to suffer the effects of the wood alcohol they've been drinking and die. | ||||||
| 2.11 | "New Arrivals" | Pennant Roberts | Roger Parkes | Ian Watson | 9 June 1976 | |
| Ruth brings to Whitecross a small group of young people, who've escaped the effects of an aggressive strain of flu that has devastated their own community. Their leader, Mark, has an agricultural degree and much experience in farming, and offers them advice. The flu bug soon breaks out at Whitecross, killing Arthur, and infecting Mina and Peggy. It soon becomes apparent that Mark is an overbearing leader and aims to take over the farming aspect of the community completely. The others vote against him, and he leaves. | ||||||
| 2.12 | "Over the Hills" | Eric Hills | Martin Worth | Ian Watson | 16 June 1976 | |
| One of the new girls, Sally, is pregnant. Charles is delighted and re-ignites his interest in more of the community having children. There is much opposition to this from the women, including Sally, who forces herself to miscarry. | ||||||
| 2.13 | "New World" | Terence Williams | Martin Worth | Ian Watson | 23 June 1976 | |
| A hot air balloon crash lands at the community. The flier is killed, while his daughter wanders about in a nearby forest. Greg and the others go to investigate. The girl, Agnes, is found and explains that they have come from Norway. There, they have a working factory, manufacturing tools, and equipment, but little food. Much to Jenny's distress, Greg is keen to investigate and trade with them. After getting the balloon back in working order he accompanies Agnes on her return to Norway. | ||||||
Series 3 (1977)
Having received word that Greg has returned to England from Norway and is injured, Charles and Jenny set out on horseback to find him. Warned by Jack that Charles and Jenny should turn back as they're heading into danger, Hubert sets out on horseback after Charles and Jenny. The trio's journey will take them right across what is left of the United Kingdom as their search leads them to various dead ends. However, they meet a broad spectrum of other survivors along the way, and the series continues to explore alternative reactions to the Death and what it takes to survive. The third series juxtaposes the personal story arc of the search for Greg with a wider narrative of society appearing to re-establish itself, with federated communities, market bartering and rudimentary railway travel, based on using the steam locomotives preserved on heritage railways. This culminates in the tentative return of law and order, and the quest to restore power through hydroelectricity.
Regular cast
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Guest cast
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Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Designed by | Original airdate | |
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| 3.01 | "Manhunt" | Peter Jefferies | Terence Dudley | Geoff Powell | 16 March 1977 | |
| Having received a message from Greg, Charles and Jenny go to Greg's last known location. Arriving there, they find a military-run community which appears hostile. Believing Greg is being held captive, they search for him but are locked up. Jenny escapes and shoots a guard, while Charles learns that it is actually a medical research centre, and the military aspect is a facade to ward off looters. They leave with an agreement to trade food for medicine. | ||||||
| 3.02 | "A Little Learning" | George Spenton-Foster | Ian McCulloch | Geoff Powel | 23 March 1977 | |
| Travelling with Agnes, Greg arrives at a community run by children. He discovers the children are being attacked by a disease which is killing a number of them. He soon discovers that it is caused by the rye bread they are eating, which is infected by a fungus. The children's leader tells Greg they got the rye from two traveling traders. Greg fetches the traders, and the children force the traders to work for them as penance. Nearby, Jenny is searching for Greg, but misses him. | ||||||
| 3.03 | "Law of the Jungle" | Peter Jefferies | Martin Worth | Geoff Powell | 30 March 1977 | |
| Charles and Hubert catch up with Jenny, who has been travelling for days. They trio meets up with Agnes, and they take shelter at a community run by a man named Brod. They discover that many community members are there against their will due to Brod's bullying tactics. Brod also forces Charles and the others to stay, promising protection against the wild dogs, which now outnumber people. Brod threatens Charles' life, and to ensure Charles and his group are able to leave safely, Hubert kills Brod, which also allows the other people to return to their farm. | ||||||
| 3.04 | "Mad Dog" | Tristan de Vere Cole | Don Shaw | Geoff Powell | 6 April 1977 | |
| Charles meets a man named Richard Fenton, who saves him from a pack of wild dogs. Charles spends the night at Richard's halfway house, but soon realises the man has rabies. After Fenton attacks Charles and the two neighbours from whom Charles has sought help, the neighbours shoot Fenton dead. The men believe Charles also has rabies and try to kill him, too. However, Charles escapes on foot. After being helped by a woman whose house he passes, and then escaping nearly being gunned down again by the men chasing him, Charles eventually escapes by hiding in an old steam train. The train is operational, and a group of people are running it on coal with an eye to setting up a nationwide train service. | ||||||
| 3.05 | "Bridgehead" | George Spenton-Foster | Martin Worth | Geoff Powell | 13 April 1977 | |
| Charles returns to the farm, which has been re-settled by Brod's former captives. He meets up with Jenny, Agnes, and Hubert there. Hubert is helping out with the cows, which he believes have brucellosis. Charles and Jenny go in search of a nearby homeopathic specialist. On meeting him, Charles learns that there are a number of people dotted around the nearby areas, and he is keen to have them all meet once a week to trade their various wares. He arranges a meeting at the train station, at which various people reveal they are producing beef, chicken, pork, cheese, and honey, which they agree to trade with each other. | ||||||
| 3.06 | "Reunion" | Terence Dudley | Don Shaw | Geoff Powell | 20 April 1977 | |
| Upon arriving at the house of one of Hubert's friends, Hubert, Jenny, and Charles discover the man has broken his leg. The man directs them to take him to the house of a nearby veterinarian, named Janet. Charles talks to her and her partner about their lives there, which are very comfortable, and decides that his community could move here, where there are more facilities and people nearby. To Jenny's surprise, she discovers that John, the boy she has been looking after, is Janet's son. The mother and son are reunited for the first time in two years. | ||||||
| 3.07 | "The Peacemaker" | George Spenton-Foster | Roger Parkes | Geoff Powell | 27 April 1977 | |
| Charles, Jenny, and Hubert arrive at a religious settlement, where no violence or guns are allowed. They stay there for the night and discover the settlement has a fully functional windmill, which they allow local people to use in trade. One of the settlement's leaders, Frank, asks to go with Charles, Jenny, and Hubert, as he is fitted with a pacemaker, which is nearing the end of its life. They leave in search of an power station engineer, who is reportedly nearby. | ||||||
| 3.08 | "Sparks" | Tristan de Vere Cole | Roger Parkes | Geoff Powell | 4 May 1977 | |
| In search of the power station specialist, Alec, the group arrives at his settlement. He is extremely hostile, however, and claims to have no more interest in his former career. However, the group discovers that Alec is haunted by the memory of his dead wife. They encourage him to face his fears, which brings him to a breaking point. He attempts suicide but is saved by Charles. Coming to his senses, Alec agrees to help and goes with them. | ||||||
| 3.09 | "The Enemy" | Peter Jefferies | Roger Parkes | Geoff Powell | 11 May 1977 | |
| The travellers arrive at a large community, which has its own brewery and mine. They stay the night due to Frank's now weakened condition. Charles is unsure of Alec's willingness to work with them, and during a night of heavy drinking tries to persuade Jenny to sleep with Alec. She is furious, but Alec has decided to stay anyway and helps the men work on their generator. Another man, Sam, opposes turning the electricity back on and is determined to stop them. With Frank now dead, the others move on, accompanied by Sam. | ||||||
| 3.10 | "The Last Laugh" | Peter Jefferies | Ian McCulloch | Geoff Powell | 18 May 1977 | |
| In his travels, Greg meets a group of men who gain his confidence as he talks about his trip to Norway. They seize his map, notes, boots, clothes, and horse, however, and leave him for dead. On realising the notes and map notations are written in Norwegian, the men go to the community to capture Agnes, to translate for them. Greg makes it to a nearby settlement, where he meets a doctor who is dying of smallpox. Greg contracts the disease but summons the strength to rescue the community from the bandits by appearing to join the brigands. He says goodbye and informs Agnes in Norwegian that he is dying, before moving off with the brigands – intentionally infecting them all. | ||||||
| 3.11 | "Long Live the King" | Tristan de Vere Cole | Martin Worth | Geoff Powell | 1 June 1977 | |
| Charles gets an urgent message to meet Greg. Arriving at an old army camp, Charles discovers that credit notes bearing Greg's name are being issued in return for petrol. Agnes tells Charles that they have a million gallons stored there. Jenny arrives and inquires about Greg's whereabouts. Agnes reveals that he is dead, and that they don't have the petrol they claim. The intention, however, is to set up a government enforcing proper law and order. Initially reluctant, Charles comes round to the idea after the camp is infiltrated by two bandits, and the group locks up the bandits rather than shooting them. | ||||||
| 3.12 | "Power" | George Spenton-Foster | Martin Worth | Geoff Powell | 8 June 1977 | |
| Travelling to a hydro-electric power station in Scotland, Charles, Jenny, and Hubert meet a local laird, who tells them that in the Highlands more than 150,000 people have survived the plague, making it the most densely populated part of Britain. Charles informs him that they are there to switch the electricity back on, which Alec and Sam are now working on. At the power station, Alec is making preparations, but Sam is sabotaging Alec's work. The others arrive there to find Alec unconscious, while Sam has disappeared, intent on wrecking the whole system. During a struggle, Sam is killed. Before the supply is restored, the Laird argues with Charles that the power belongs to Scotland, but Alec insists that he is the only one able to switch it back on. After they reach an agreement that Alec will control the supply, Alec switches it on. | ||||||
Audio drama episodes
Series 1 (June 2014):[6]
- "Revelation" by Matt Fitton
- "Exodus" by Jonathan Morris
- "Judges" by Andrew Smith
- "Esther" by John Dorney
"Revelation" and "Exodus" depict events happening in parallel with the early episodes of the first TV series, as the Death first takes hold and wipes out much of the UK's population. "Judges" and "Esther" take place after the Grange's cellar storeroom is flooded ("Something of Value").
Series 2 (June 2015):[6]
- "Dark Rain" by Ken Bentley
- "Mother's Courage" by Louise Jameson
- "The Hunted" by Ken Bentley
- "Savages" by Matt Fitton
Events in this series take place after "Something of Value".
Series 3 (November 2015)[6]
- "Cabin Fever" by Jonathan Morris
- "Contact" by Simon Clark
- "Rescue" by Andrew Smith
- "Leaving" by Matt Fitton
Events in this box-set take place between Series 1 and Series 2 of the TV series.
Series 4 (June 2016)[6]
- "The Old Ways" by Ken Bentley
- "For the Good of the Cause" by Louise Jameson
- "Collision" by Christopher Hatherall
- "Forgive and Forget" by Matt Fitton
Events in this box-set take place between the episodes of the second TV series.
Series 5 (November 2016)[6]
- "The Second Coming" by Andrew Smith
- "New Blood" by Christopher Hatherall
- "Angel of Death" by Simon Clark
- "Come the Horsemen" by Andrew Smith
Events in this box-set happen between the episodes of the second TV series.
Series 6 (June 2017)[6]
- "Beating the Bounds" by Ian Potter
- "The Trapping Pit" by Christopher Hatherall
- "Revenge of Heaven" by Simon Clark
- "Lockup" by Andrew Smith
Events in this box-set happen between the second and third TV series and in parallel with early episodes of the third.
Series 7 (November 2017)[6]
- "Journey's End" by Roland Moore
- "Legacy" by Simon Clark
- "Old Friends" by Matt Fitton
- "Reconnection" by Christopher Hatherall
Events in this box-set happen after the end of the third TV series.
Series 8 (November 2018)[9]
- "Bandit Train" by Christopher Hatherall
- "Robert" by Jane Slavin
- "The Lost Boys" by Lisa McMullin
- "Village of Dust" by Roland Moore
Events in this box-set happen after the end of the third TV series.
Series 9 (June 2019)[6]
- "The Farm" by Jane Slavin
- "Hearts and Mines" by Christopher Hatherall
- "Fade Out" by Roland Moore
- "Conflict" by Andrew Smith
Books
Two novels related to series one have been published:
- Nation, Terry. Survivors. An adaptation of certain of his own series one episodes, with a radically different ending
- Eyers, John. Genesis of a Hero. A direct sequel to Nation's book; it bears no relation to events in series two and three
Two factual books about the series have been published:
- Marshall, Kevin P (Editor) (1995). The Making of Terry Nation's Survivors. Fourth Horseman Publications.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- Cross, Rich & Priestner, Andy (December 2005). The End of the World? The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Survivors. Telos Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1845830014.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
Home releases
Each of the three series of Survivors were originally released on DVD annually from 2003–2005 by DD Home Entertainment. Each series set included a colour booklet written and researched by Survivors fan Andy Priestner chronicling the making of each series, plus the following extra features:
| # | DVD release date | Special features |
|---|---|---|
| Series One | 6 October 2003 |
|
| Series Two | 4 October 2004 |
|
| Series Three | 14 November 2005 |
|
On 24 November 2008, the BBC company 2 Entertain released all three series of Survivors together in a boxset, with the BBC4 documentary The Cult of Survivors from 2006 included as an extra. Also included on the 2008 DVD boxset were English language subtitles for the hard-of-hearing, which weren't included on previous DVD releases. However, the audio commentaries, on-camera interviews, Denis Lill's photo collection and New World Rising documentary from previous DVD releases were not included on the 2008 DVD boxset.
See also
- Jeremiah (TV series), another post-plague series, set 15 years after a plague killed off the adults, with similarities to both The Tribe and Survivors
- The Tribe, a post-plague series focusing on teenagers, right after a plague kills off all adults
- Jericho (2006 TV series), a post-nuclear holocaust series
- The Changes (TV series), a series set in a Britain that is suddenly plunged into a pre-industrial age
- The Last Train (TV series), a series following a group of train passengers who survive an apocalyptic meteor strike
- The Stand (1994 miniseries), a post-plague television series set in the United States, based on Stephen King's 1978 novel of the same name
References
- Bignell, Jonathan & O'Day, Andrew (2004). Terry Nation. Manchester University Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-7190-6547-X.
- "Science Fiction Britannia".
- "Hampton Court: interior locations".
- Haley, Guy (2014). Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy's Greatest Science Fiction. Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy's Greatest Science Fiction. p. 306. ISBN 1781313598.
The principle [sic] characters of Abby, Greg, Jenny and Tom Price was [sic] retained, but new elements, including a subplot about the origins of the virus and a stronger focus on action, were introduced. The show took pains to make sure these characters were from a broader spread of racial and social backgrounds, but neglected to include a broad age range: all the characters were in their 20s and 30s. It received mixed reviews but initially viewing figures were strong.
- "Survivors sci-fi series axed by BBC".
- Survivors. Big Finish. June 2014.
- "Survivors - Ranges - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- "2017-19 PRE-ORDERS - AND SPECIAL BUNDLES". Big Finish. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- "Survivors Series 8 - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com.