Monday, July 10, 2006

Who. Torchwood. Survivors next?

According to The Guardian newspaper's media website, the BBC is negotiating with the estate of Dalek creator Terry Nation to revive his 1970s TV series Survivors:
The BBC has confirmed it is in talks with the estate of Mr Nation about buying the rights to his 1975 series centred on a post-apocalyptic world peopled by survivors from a devastating plague.

The BBC is understood to be hoping to make a new series of six 60-minute episodes.

The project is being overseen by inhouse BBC executive producer Sue Hogg and is one of a handful of Doctor Who-related dramas being planned by the corporation.

One imminent drama is Torchwood, based on the fictional alien research centre in Doctor Who, which is currently being filmed.

I'm not sure how The Guardian can claim Survivors is Doctor Who-related beyond the Terry Nation connection, but that's neither here nor there in the great scheme of things. I can't recall ever enjoying Survivors beyond its creepy title sequence. The reality of the show seemed to revolve around depressed people in beards and Arran jumpers wondering where their next candle was coming from. Not unlike the dull bit at the end of The Day fo the Triffids novel. The coming of the apocalypse, who lives and who dies, that's the interesting bit. Glum people fretting? Not so much.

Come to think of it, only the male characters in Survivors had beards. If only a travelling party of circus freaks had joined the cast, I might have stuck with the programme. What other Terry Nation creations are in the offing? Can that Blake's 7 revival be far away? Grud, I hope so - the further, the better...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Survivors" is close to so many current public concerns and interests--avian flu, terrorist biochemicals, Korean/Iranian weapons development, ... I can see why the BBC may be interested.

I seem to remember a rather good SJS audio of yours about nerve gas, too!