[go: up one dir, main page]
Wikipedia

Survivors (2008 TV series): Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
MOS:DATEUNIFY, refine ref details
Line 2:
{{Short description|British 2008–2010 television series}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=MayMarch 20112020}}
{{Infobox television
| show_name = Survivors
Line 44:
'''''Survivors''''' is a British [[science fiction on television|science fiction television]] series produced by the [[BBC]]. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent unknown strain of [[influenza]] which has wiped out most of the human species. According to the producers, the series is not a remake of the 1970s BBC television series ''[[Survivors (1975 TV series)|Survivors]]'' (1975–1977), created by [[Terry Nation]], but rather is loosely based on the novel of the same name that Nation wrote following the first series of the 1970s programme. Two series were produced of the new show: series 1 ran on [[BBC One]] and [[BBC HD]] in November–December 2008, and series 2 ran in January–February 2010, ending with a [[cliffhanger]]. The BBC announced on 13 April 2010 that due to poor viewing figures ''Survivors'' had been cancelled.<ref>{{Cite news
|url= http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Survivors-Scifi-series-axed-by.6223285.jp
|title=Survivors: Sci-fi series axed by BBC – |work=Yorkshire Evening Post
|work=Yorkshire Evening Post
|first=
|accessdate=13 April 2010
}}</ref>
 
The series premiered in South Africa on BBC Entertainment, in September 2009, in France on [[DTTV]] channel [[NRJ 12]] on 12 January 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metrofrance.com/culture/nrj-12-s-offre-une-serie-a-succes/pjak!szmT4G@H4@AC5vEYos@vhA/ |title=NRJ 12 s'offre une série à succès |publisher=www.metrofrance.com |date=12 January 2010 |language=french |trans-title=NRJ 12 pays for a successful TV series}}</ref> on [[BBC America]] in the United States on 13 February 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20091221bbca01 |title=U.S. PREMIERE OF SURVIVORS – FEBRUARY&nbsp;13, BBC AMERICA |publisher=www.thefutoncritic.com |date=21 December 2009 |accessdate=22 December 2009}}</ref> and in Australia on Channel Nine, on 21 March 2010.
 
==Synopsis==
 
Set in the [[noughties]], the series focuses on a group of ordinary people who survive the aftermath of a devastating viral [[pandemic]] – referred to as "European flu" – which kills most of the world's population by causing [[cytokine storm]]s in the body's immune system.<ref>{{cite journal|date=22 November 2008|title=Survivors|journal=[[Radio Times]]|publisher=[[BBC Magazines]]|page=21}}</ref> The series sees the characters struggling against terrible dangers in a world with no society, no police, and no law,<ref name="BBCpressrelease">{{cite web|title= Julie Graham, Max Beesley, Nikki Amuka-Bird & Paterson Joseph star in Survivors for BBC One|publisher=BBC |date= 30 May 2008|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/30/survivors.shtml|accessdate=7 July 2008}}</ref> led by the de facto matriarch of the group, Abby Grant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.sky.com/survivors-interview-julie-graham |title=Julie Graham Interview |publisher=Sky TV |access-date=4 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925120016/http://tv.sky.com/survivors-interview-julie-graham |archive-date=25 September 2009 |df= }}</ref>
 
==Production==
 
Sue Hogg, an executive producer at the BBC, was inspired to remake ''Survivors'' following the recent increase in concerns about [[Influenza pandemic#Influenza|future pandemics]] and diseases such as [[Severe acute respiratory syndrome|SARS]].<ref name="broadcastnow">{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/technology/onlocation/2008/11/on_location_survivors.html |title=On location: Survivors |work=[[Broadcast (magazine)|Broadcast]] | date = 19 November 2008 | last = Warren | first = Hugh |accessdate=4 December 2008}}</ref> It was decided that the show would be a re-imagining of the 1970s material made by BBC Productions rather than an external production company.<ref name="BBCpressrelease" /> The BBC pursued the rights for ''Survivors'' from Terry Nation's estate so that the series could be revived.<ref name="mediaguardian">{{cite news|url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1816472,00.html|title=BBC set to revive 70s sci-fi show|last=Dowell|first=Ben|date=10 July 2006|work=The Guardian |location=UK |accessdate=17 January 2009 }}</ref> The agreement, which was signed in 2007, took months of negotiations.<ref name="BBCpressrelease" /><ref name="TheStageNews">{{cite web|last= Hemley|first= Matthew|title= BBC to remake seventies cult drama Survivors|publisher=[[The Stage]]|date= 22 November 2007|url= http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/18928/bbc-to-remake-seventies-cult-drama-survivors|accessdate=7 July 2008}}</ref> For legal reasons, the new series is billed as being based on Nation's novelisation of material from his episodes of the 1970s series.
 
In remaking the series, [[Adrian Hodges]] worked to avoid criticisms of the 1970s series, and he felt it was "important that a new version had a cultural and class mix that really represented the country as it is now";<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/adrian_hodges.shtml |title=Writersroom – Adrian Hodges |publisher=BBC |accessdate=4 December 2008}}</ref> to meet their needs, they created two new characters, Al and Najid.<ref name="totalscifi">{{cite web|url=http://www.dwscifi.com/interviews/2896-adrian-hodges-you-ll-see-more-of-the-world-collapsing |title=Adrian Hodges: "You'll see more of the world collapsing" |publisher=Total SciFi |access-date=17 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321210327/http://www.dwscifi.com/interviews/2896-adrian-hodges-you-ll-see-more-of-the-world-collapsing |archive-date=21 March 2009 |df= }}</ref> The writers claimed that the new series retained the "spirit" of the 1970s show,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/gaby_chiappe_2.shtml |title=Writersroom – Gabby Chiappe |publisher=BBC |accessdate=4 December 2008}}</ref> but Hodges concentrated on the hope and the humanity in what was said to be an attempt to make it "less depressing" to watch.<ref name="DigitalSpyJG">{{cite web|last= Wilkes|first= Neil|title= Julie Graham Talks Survivors|work=Digital Spy |location=UK|date= 1 August 2008|url= http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a117932/julie-graham-talks-survivors.html|accessdate=25 August 2008}}</ref>
 
The city scenes in the first series were filmed in [[Manchester]],<ref name="BBCpressrelease" /> while city scenes in the second series were filmed in [[Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Survivors moving to Birmingham |publisher=Broadcast Now|accessdate=19 March 2009 |url= http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/terrestrial/2009/03/survivors_moving_to_birmingham.html}}</ref>
Line 71 ⟶ 69:
 
The second season of Survivors was delayed because of the real-life [[swine flu]] epidemic in 2009 and thus was broadcast in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/5251334/real-life-plague-may-delay-the-second-season-of-bbcs-survivors |title=
Real-Life Plague May Delay The Second Season Ofof BBC's Survivors |publisher=Gizmodo |accessdate=11 May 2016}}</ref>
 
==Cast and characters==
Line 179 ⟶ 177:
The cliffhanger is quickly resolved, while the story of the lab plays through Series Two, telling more about the backstory of the virus and the lab's direct connection with that. The production team's intention was to spend more time exploring the details of survival in the post-virus world and how the various characters cope.<ref name="totalscifi" />
 
Filming took place in various locations around Birmingham including [[Baskerville House]] (exterior) and the former [[Alpha Tower|ITV Central studios]] (interior) standing in for a fictional hospital.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=155675&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=9&MENU_ID=276 |archive-url=https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20090318150145/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=155675&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=9&MENU_ID=276 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 March 2009 |title=Survivors boost for Film Birmingham |publisher=Birmingham.gov.uk |date=16 March 2009 |access-date=11 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Anna Blackaby |url=http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/creative-industries-news/2009/08/02/filming-of-survivors-in-birmingham-highlights-city-s-screen-potential-65233-24299937/ |title=Business – Business News – Creative industries – Filming of Survivors in Birmingham highlights city's screen potential |publisherwork=Birmingham Post |date=2 August 2009 |accessdate=11 August 2009}}</ref>
 
{{Episode table |background=#B0C4DE |overall=5 |series=5 |title=25 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=15 |viewers=10 |viewersR=<ref name="Audience"/> |episodes=
Line 273 ⟶ 271:
[[File:Survivors-orion-book.jpg|thumb|100px|right|Cover of re-released edition of ''Survivors'' novel]]
 
To tie in with the broadcast of the series Terry Nation's 1976 novelisation was released as a new edition by Orion Books.<ref name="orionbooks">{{cite web|url=http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/MP-44453/Survivors.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219203337/http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/MP-44453/Survivors.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 December 2008 |title=Orion Books' Survivors |publisher=Orion Publishing Group |access-date=4 December 2008 |df= }}</ref> The 2008 series is credited as being based on this novel.
 
[[File:SurvivorsInteractive.jpg|thumb|left|Screenshot of BBC Survivors Interactive website]]
Line 299 ⟶ 297:
 
== References ==
{{Reflist|2reflist}}
 
==Further reading==
*{{cite web|website=Anorak Zone|url=http://www.anorakzone.com/watching|title=Study: Themes of Survivors|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215180711/http://www.anorakzone.com/watching/|archive-date=15 February 2010|df=dmy-all}}
*{{cite web|website=AV Club|title=Survivors – 'Episode 1'|author= VanDerWerff, Todd|date=February 13, February 2010 |url=http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/isurvivorsi-episode-1-38200|accessdate=December 10, December 2015}}
 
== External links ==
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivors_(2008_TV_series)"