Survivors [BBC] - Season 2 begins January 12th

Just happened to watch Top Gear and discovered that the remake of the classic Terry Nation's show Survivors began tonight. Watching it atm and quite enjoying it, been awhile since I saw the original show but from the looks of things the remake is shaping up quite nicely.

mike65

I decided to pass on it, dunno why but I've prolly had enough End of Days/survival of the fittest TV/film drama for now.

Mike

anotherlostie

Freema Agyeman didn't last two long! I was impressed with her getting 'With Freema Agyeman' billing, given that she hasn't done much bar Who, but I guess it was because it was only for one ep.

Snake Plisken

kind of like these end of mankind type movies be they Dead set or this, like the nod to Stephen King with his Desperation novel in the Cell. Am I right in thinking the next episode is on Tuesday?

Snake Plisken

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Am I right in thinking the next episode is on Tuesday?

That's what the voice over at the end said, lucky I couldn't find the remote as I always skip the BBCs "On next Weeks" as they give away far too much, or I'd have tuned in next Sunday missing Tuesdays.

anotherlostie

Yep, the rest of the episodes are on Tuesday, presumably at 9pm after Holby City. Only 6 in total in this run.

lostexpectation

its terrible they havn't tried to contact anyone at all, the keep holding on beezley as if he knows something more then he letting on,why don't they go to dover or something, the government rep was terrible.

Basq

Balls..

Only realised this was on now. Will catch up before Tuesday night anyhoo!

cml387

Much anticipated but I was a bit disappointed.

Maybe we've had enough of this what with 28 dys/weeeks later, I am legend etc.

I was glued to the original, which dates me,

oxygen_old

cml387 wrote: »

Much anticipated but I was a bit disappointed.

Maybe we've had enough of this what with 28 dys/weeeks later, I am legend etc.

I was glued to the original, which dates me,

I liked it. It added a new edge to end of the world stuff, such as the mother distraut at having to check each body in the boys hospice looking for her son, or looking for him in a hospital of 100's of corpses. Also I liked the way they would need to ditch each car, and get a new one each 100 miles or so, ditching the bodies out of the car. I will be watching it tonight.

The scene at the end was very good, turns out to be man made disease, very lost

ejmaztec

oxygen wrote: »

I liked it. It added a new edge to end of the world stuff, such as the mother distraut at having to check each body in the boys hospice looking for her son, or looking for him in a hospital of 100's of corpses. Also I liked the way they would need to ditch each car, and get a new one each 100 miles or so, ditching the bodies out of the car. I will be watching it tonight.

The scene at the end was very good, turns out to be man made disease, very lost

I couldn't help but notice that the Abby character in particular, left the door of whatever vehicle she got out of, wide open. The habit of closing a car-door wouldn't have disappeared that quick, unless of course that's what she used to do before the disease, in which case, every car she ever had must have been nicked within a few hours of having it.

Snake Plisken

Excellent show, really enjoying it, its a pity its only 6 episodes, looks like our group of survivors need to toughen up!

ejmaztec

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Excellent show, really enjoying it, its a pity its only 6 episodes, looks like our group of survivors need to toughen up!

Might get a few hints on surviving the uber-recession.

BendiBus

I didn't realise this was a remake. I'm really enjoying it so far.

BlitzKrieg

Freema Agyeman didn't last two long! I was impressed with her getting 'With Freema Agyeman' billing, given that she hasn't done much bar Who, but I guess it was because it was only for one ep.

Through the whole episode I assumed she was like the lead because both characters were the only ones to point out having lumps under their arms.



made me sad, I like Freema

qwertplaywert

I assume she was given a lead cast billing was to surprise people when she well, you know...

anotherlostie

Continuing to like this show, and it's hard to believe they're half way through the series already. I'm not sure I'm liking the idea of Paterson Joseph as Doctor Who though.

Snake Plisken

Actually think its been a pretty excellent series so far, reminds me a bit of Lost, as in you get to care about the charecters, Tom Price (Max Beesley), is a bit of a mistery, one minute he's a hardman, next minute shows he's a decent guy example of which was how he dealt with the young girl tonight, interesting to see the surviving minister showing of power in her new Utopia, also looks like

out band of survivors join them next week.

sweetie

anotherlostie wrote: »

Continuing to like this show, and it's hard to believe they're half way through the series already. I'm not sure I'm liking the idea of Paterson Joseph as Doctor Who though.

ahh, now I remember - Johnson from peep show! good actor.

I'm enjoying it too but thought last nights ep was a bit unbelievable.. Surely a government minister wouldn't resort to such ends so early
into the 'aftermath' of the virus. I liked the storyline of the family who were in self imposed quarantine too. Quite sad. Looks like the bad guys plans aren't working out either.

cml387

Yes we-l-ll,

I thought the story about the man locking himself and his family away was good - but they copped out by having a happy ending.

Surely they are all going to die?

..and a minor niggle, obviously supplies of hair straigtener are available for the minister, her hair is still perfectly coiffured.

Scruff

doh! i forgot this was on last night? Will it be repeated at any stage?
Or is there anywhere else i can....watch it?

qwertplaywert

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Tom Price (Max Beesley), is a bit of a mistery, one minute he's a hardman, next minute shows he's a decent guy example of which was how he dealt with the young girl tonight

I'm pretty sure he is intended to be a character with flexible morals, eg. in episode 1 he gave the prison warden a chance to let him leave before he killed him.

sweetie

I acquired the first two episodes of the originl series and whilst slightly dated it's really very good. Storyline is very similar including the guy breaking his leg, main character looking for her son and the government using the death penalty. aparently there are three series of it too.

gerky

The sixth episode was on tonight, ended with a cliffhanger.
It was commissioned for a second series so we'll be waiting until next year to see how it turns out.

I had to laugh, just after it was over the bbc headlines started with a piece about how this year has been the biggest flu outbreak in nine years.

Zaph

Glad to hear there'll be a second series. I'd be rightly píssed off if it just ended like that.

Snake Plisken

yeah I thought it was an excellent series, delighted its been comissioned for a second series , our bunch of survivors really need Tom, don't get the whole tut tut when they think he's killed people, if it wasn't for him they would have been raped and killed a long time ago I hope

Greg survives as like him as a charecter

As I stated on another forum, reminds me to Lost in that you have our survivors who are like Jack and his group, the government lady and her group remind me of the "Others" and the boys in the labs doing the antidote are like the Dharma group

Basq

Suprised there hasn't been more discussion of this.. missed it when it aired and just caught up over the last few days.

Probably one of the best dramas I've seen on the BBC since 'Life on Mars'.. while the acting was patchy enough in parts, it was a exciting and well constructed (if oh so short) series.

Paterson Joseph (Greg) was an absolute revelation in it.. and a very different role after 'Peep Show' but he really shone. And might be the reason he's now being rumoured as being considered for the new Doctor Who.

If you never gave it a chance, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Snake Plisken

Spot on Basq, very enjoyable show glad its coming back for a second season.

SnoozySuzie

Anybody know when this will be starting back yet??

sweetie

SnoozySuzie wrote: »

Anybody know when this will be starting back yet??

well, the first series started in october, I think, so it will be a good few months yet.

I'm onto season 2 of the original series and it really is excellent too.

Basq

SnoozySuzie wrote: »

Anybody know when this will be starting back yet??

It's not even filming yet.. I'd say it's still in the process of being written.

Being optimistic would be the 2nd season airing the same time the 1st season aired last year.. November.

SnoozySuzie

sweetie wrote: »

I'm onto season 2 of the original series and it really is excellent too.

Thanks Sweetie.
Where did you get the original series?

Basq

Bump for this!

Was interested to see this when reading up on when the second season will be aired..

IT CHRONICLES the terrifying impact of a virus which sweeps the globe with devastating consequences for humanity. But a BBC drama could be a little too close to reality.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal that the cult BBC show Survivors could become a victim of the real-life swine flu crisis.

In the hit science-fiction show 90 per cent of the world's population is wiped out by an unprecedented outbreak of "European flu".

It comes as nine new cases of swine flu were confirmed in Britain yesterday, including one in Scotland, bringing the UK total to 47. The latest case in Scotland, a 19-year-old man from Greenock, brings the total number north of the Border to five.

TV chiefs are now considering shelving transmission of the second series to avoid accusations of poor taste and fear of causing unnecessary panic.

The first series, broadcast last year, showed the government and NHS failing miserably to cope with the pandemic, corpses piling up in hospitals and anarchy in the streets. The programme, which stars Scottish actress Julie Graham, was scheduled to return to screens in the coming months.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm a second series of Survivors was commissioned last year. We are monitoring developments with regard to swine flu and no transmission date has been set."

The show gained a healthy average of six million viewers, was a hit with critics and was sold to the US, Australia, Norway and New Zealand.

Its success resulted in it being heralded as part of a BBC sci-fi renaissance alongside Doctor Who, spin-off series Torchwood and the commissioning of a remake of the John Wyndham classic Day of the Triffids.

But Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, felt the uncertainty over Survivors was part of a wider over-reaction to swine flu.

He said: "What is very interesting is that people are starting to regard the possibility of causing offence as a very harmful phenomenon. Any good TV programme should offend some people, otherwise it would be without content or extremely mundane.

"It sends out the signal that people are so weak and pathetic they can't engage with the challenges of everyday life."

The academic believes the response to the real-life flu situation has been overblown.

He said: "Fearmongers now speculate about hundreds of thousands, millions or even billions of casualties. Even highly prestigious journals seem incapable of resisting the temptation to spread alarmist, high-casualty scenarios.

"However, there is no evidence that so-called swine flu, which has claimed a relatively small number of lives, will turn into a pandemic."

But there is a precedent for a show having an impact on public life. The 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds allegedly caused mass panic as people across America tuned in and thought the US was being invaded by Martians.

All a bit ridiculous to be honest!

Basq

Bump for this.. 'Survivors' returns for it's season season on the 12th (a week from Tuesday).

Have spoilered a fairly in-depth synopsis of the new season.

Survivors by Adrian Hodges returns to BBC One for a second series, from Tuesday 12 January 2010, picking up moments after the thrilling cliff-hanger to season one.

Abby (Julie Graham) and her mismatched family of Survivors are in disarray, now struggling not just with the difficulties of day-to-day life amidst the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also with the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab.

Series two opens with Abby now being held by Whitaker (Nicholas Gleaves) and Fiona (Geraldine Somerville) at the Lab.

There she learns that the scientists have avoided infection and are looking desperately for a vaccine which they believe her unique immune system alone will generate.

Meanwhile, the family race to save Greg's (Paterson Joseph) life as he lies dying from a gunshot wound.

Drawn into a burning hospital by their search for the necessary medical equipment, Al (Phillip Rhys) and Anya (Zoe Tapper) are caught in an avalanche of rubble as the building collapses around them.

Tom (Max Beesley) is faced with the stark challenge of rescuing his friends from a seemingly insurmountable disaster with only Sarah (Robyn Addison) and Naj (Chahak Patel) to help him.

Returning for this high-octane second series are Abby (Julie Graham), a devoted mother with a missing son; Greg (Paterson Joseph), a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya (Zoe Tapper), a doctor who has seen too much; Al (Phillip Rhys), a playboy who becomes surrogate father to young and headstrong Najid (Chahak Patel); Sarah (Robyn Addison), a hedonist used to getting her own way; Tom Price (Max Beesley), handsome, dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit; and Samantha Willis (Nikki Amuka–Bird), the last surviving member of the British Government.

Nicholas Gleaves plays Whitaker; the scientist in charge of the Lab, who – together with fellow scientists Fiona (Geraldine Somerville) and Sami Masood (Ronny Jhutti) – continues to search for a vaccine.

Patrick Malahide features as Landrey, a mysterious figure linked to the Lab.

Witten by Adrian Hodges (Ruby In The Smoke, Shadow In The North, Charles II and Primeval), the producer is Hugh Warren (Frankenstein; The Chase), the directors are Jamie Payne (Primeval), David Evans (Unforgiven, Wild At Heart, Shameless) and Farren Blackburn (Holby, Doctors). The executive producers are Susan Hogg (Lark Rise To Candleford; Waking The Dead) and Adrian Hodges.

Survivors was recommissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.

Looking forward to it - this and 'Being Human' back in the same month!

Superb!

sioda

Happy days first series was excellent can't wait for this and just after misfits finishes have to say quality english made series this year

Snake Plisken

Cool can't wait and with lost in a little over a month that will make the winter easier to get through

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Just watched the first series in the last two days... Missed it when it was on last year... Excellent stuff... It really reminds me a lot of The Tribe, a kids show from New Zealand, about 10 years ago...
Very glad I don't have to wait long until season 2 begins...

I must check out Being Human as well, saw an ad for season 2 on BBC this evening and it looks good.

Basq

CaptainNegative wrote: »

I must check out Being Human as well, saw an ad for season 2 on BBC this evening and it looks good.

Yep.. it was fantastic!

Along with 'Misfits', it was my favourite British series last year.

anotherlostie

Looking forward to this, although having just watched the first part of The Day of the Triffids, I feel as if I am back watching it already, as there were so many parallels between the shows (not least of all the music, which I would swear was the same score!).

indough

that triffids remake was muck

Quality

I am really looking forward to this...


Telly is soooo good this month!!

anotherlostie

So was anyone watching tonight? I thought it was a great opener between the Abby bits and the disaster.

I didn't like the dialogue between Al and Anya but I really thought they were killing him off, so it was a surprise when he survived. I guess it sets up a Tom/Anya/Al love triangle, a plot so beloved of modern day dramas.

The scientist bits were good - infecting Abby, playing happy families, nasty pharma, and wtf was the postcard bit about? Is Greg's wife's lover in on the whole thing or was it something else? A touch of Lost about it with the flashbacks. And it took at least half an hour before Abby asked about Peterrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And poor Sarah - she got raped for a jack. Couldn't they have just opened a couple of car boots and used two or three car jacks for the same effect? I recognised the guy helping them at the hospital as a one time DS in The Bill, back in the day when it too was a drama series.

Pity now that the rescheduled football means there is no episode next week. It might have made more sense to defer starting coverage until then, but I guess the BBC schedulers know best...

don ramo

just got around to watch episode 1, very good, the show is really growing legs and working brilliantly, TBH i would say its probably fairly accurate to what would most likely happen (if such a thing did happen), i dont really want to much conspiracy, but as i said if this happened there would deffinately be someone that would do anything for the cure,

the show really reminds me of jericho, which was also a great show, i was quiet surprised that such a great show was on BBC and equally surprised some american network hasnt talked about developing an american version (hopefully not, english shows dont translate well to the americna language), i dont generally watch any english tv, there are a few shows like being human, misfits, skins and the inbetweeners that i wanna watch, i just havent got around to it,

anyway season 2 is off to a great start hopefully well have a season 3 with hopefully more epeisodes, season 2 (like season 1) is only 6 eps long, thats the only issue i have with the show, that and the 14 month wait between seasons

sweetie

have enjoyed the first three eps - looks like an interesting development -

slavery

which is an obvious storyline when you think about with the amount of survivors left on the planet

sioda

Yup really enjoying it myself great to see Trigger as a trucker :P

Ruthie_

Absolutely love this show!! Hate waiting a week for the next episode. Really wish the series were longer though, the first and second series are just 6 episodes long.

LOVE Max Beesleys character, yes he's a violent "thug" per say but theres something endearing about him and you can see he actually cares about the gang and is a great protector. I'd defo want him around if I were in that situation

Basq

Ruthie_ wrote: »

LOVE Max Beesleys character, yes he's a violent "thug" per say but theres something endearing about him and you can see he actually cares about the gang and is a great protector. I'd defo want him around if I were in that situation

He could find you a job too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kariNz188Q

I'm not enjoying this season as much as the first.. but it's still very good!

Ruthie_

basquille wrote: »

He could find you a job too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kariNz188Q

I'm not enjoying this season as much as the first.. but it's still very good!

Oh god, thats hilarious!!

I know what you mean bout the first series being the best, I think so too. The initial illnesses and not knowing whats going on. I HATE the lady Samantha that is "the government" but I suppose your meant to! This is most likely my favorite show on tv at the moment!!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

I agree that this season isn't as good as the first... I think the slavery storyline will be interesting enough though - wasn't a fan of the vaccine storyline that dominated the first two episodes, but I did actually like the justice system and how Samantha is basically a dictator, but I wanted to see some sort of Coup d'État, rather than people just accepting her decision...

anotherlostie

I enjoyed the first two eps, but I was bored during the last one - I actually starting web surfing, a sure sign of boredom. The trial was ridiculous.

Cris Jones

Ruthie_ wrote: »

Absolutely love this show!! Hate waiting a week for the next episode. Really wish the series were longer though, the first and second series are just 6 episodes long

I agree, it is a great series, both series 1 and 2 but too short at only 6 episodes per series. Shows how good it is though if that is what we think.