Survivors (2008): Complete Seasons 1 and 2

A modern remake of the thrilling 1970's drama! Set in the present day, Survivors takes place in the aftermath of a devastating virus which wipes out most of the world's population. What would we do? How would any of us cope in a brave new world where all traditional 21st Century comforts - electricity, clean running water, advanced technology - have disappeared? These are the questions faced by the bewildered but resilient group of survivors at the center of the drama.

Series 1
Starting over in a brave new world...
Imagine being the only survivor of a disease that kills every member of your family; that kills friends, lovers, nearly everyone you have ever met... You are among the lonely few to live and now you must survive in a strange new world where things that were once safe are made disturbing and unsafe - it's our own world but recycled, reimagined and reused. Set in the present day, Survivors focuses on the world in the aftermath of a devastating virus which wipes out most of the world's population. What would we do? How would any of us cope in a brave new world where all traditional 21st century comforts - electricity, clean running water, advanced technology - have disappeared? These are the questions asked of the band of survivors in this thrilling new action adventure written by Adrian Hodges. It is a re-imagining of the classic seventies BBC drama series and is based on the novel by Terry Nation.

Series 2
Hope never dies
The BBC's thrilling flagship action series returns with even more explosive action, picking up from the dramatic cliff-hanger where Abby was captured by masked gunmen. Abby is now being held by Whittaker at the Lab. There she learns that the scientists are looking desperately for a vaccine which they believe her unique immune system alone will generate. Meanwhile, the group race to save Greg's life as he lies dying from a gunshot wound. Drawn into a burning hospital by their search for medical equipment, Al and Anya are caught in an avalanche of rubble as the building collapses around them. Tom is faced with the stark challenge of rescuing his friends from a seemingly insurmountable disaster with only Sarah and Naj to help him. But this is only the start. As the series unfolds and the tension mounts, the threat of danger, concealed secrets, lies and violence is eternally present, and the group is forced time and again to ask themselves: are they in it together, or is it each man for himself?

Directed by Jamie Payne, Andrew Gunn, Iain B. MacDonald
Written by Adrian Hodges, Terry Nation,
Produced by Hugh Warren
Executive Produced by Adrian Hodges, Susan Hogg
Original Music by Edmund Butt
Cinematography by Graham Frake, Nigel Willoughby
Film Editing by David Rees, David Barrett, Steve Singleton
Costume Design by John Krausa

Series 1
"... terrifying but utterly compelling ... nothing could equal the drama of not knowing who'd survive to the end credits. ... Who'd have thought the end of the world could be so much fun? But it's an increasingly dark and violent tale." Ben Felsenburg, London Lite

"...storytelling cues have clearly been taken from recent American successes ... This is slick, modern, sophisticated drama - homegrown produce to be proud of ... Leading the cast with a sturdy, gutsy performance is Julie Graham as Abby Grant ... there is an unexpected twist in the final moments that
will leave you eager for more. A welcome shot in the arm for the British fantasy renaissance." Richard Unwin, Observer

"...it was so gripping I had to stay up past my bedtime. Now part two is on Tuesday, when I'm busy, which means watching it on iPlayer in the freezing, uncomfortable office area, which is the same trick they played with Little Dorrit. But again I am prepared to suffer to see it through."
Michele Hanson, Guardian

"...what a great show, eh? I really love this sort of stuff." Mike Ward, Daily Star

"...a strong cast led by Julie Graham and Paterson Joseph head this gripping reworking of Terry
Nation's popular Seventies drama ... Don't miss." Gerard O'Donovan, Sunday Telegraph

"A strong small-screen cast ... The writer Adrian Hodges, of Primeval fame, works some nice Spooksstyle tricks by killing off big names just when you least expect it. He then sets everyone else at each other's throats, adds in a subplot about the cause of the disease and then cranks up the tensions in the ensemble." Stephen Armstrong, Sunday Times

"Far more realistically imagined than the horror film 28 Days Later ... TV does science-fiction justice with the perfect balance between the most extreme of ideas and credible execution. Make a date with the apocalypse." Mail on Sunday

"What keeps you watching, though, is the largely well-drawn cast of characters who make it through, led by Julie Graham's admirably determined Abby." Jonathan Wright, Guardian

"In a funny way this show is a bit like The Apprentice, because it makes us wonder how we'd cope ourselves with the cards they've been dealt (and can sit at home smugly thinking how we'd make a much better job of it)." Jane Simon, Daily Mirror

"...some genuinely chilling scenes..." Jill Foster, Daily Mail

"Neatly timed for the return of the flu season, BBC1's remake of the apocalyptic drama is nicely calculated to turn a minor twinge or an achy feeling into a harbinger of imminent doom and civilisational collapse. ... A final coda, revealing white-coated scientists who appeared to know much more about the origins of the pestilence than was respectable, suggested that the real fun will start next week." Thomas Sutcliffe, Independent

"...spellbinding ... a rattling good yarn ... a pretty convincing remake, too, an unsettling, haunting drama with a strong cast, a powerful story and a premise that's bleaker than a month of Mondays." Leicester Mercury

"... a powerful opening..." Andrea Mullaney, Scotsman

"As the first episode unfolded, and the body count rose, I started feeling feverish, and my neck rather stiff, as a pounding headache took hold. And I began, discreetly, to probe for swollen glands. I suspect I wasn't the only viewer so afflicted." Liz Hunt, Daily Telegraph

"...Survivors is marvellously silly and completely riveting..." Kathryn Flett, Observer

"...may well be the most invigorating new drama of the year." Mik Duffy, Scotland on Sunday

"...Max Beesley ... our favourite hunk..." Daily Star

"... [Paterson] Joseph was the main reason I'll be tuning in tomorrow night. That and the surprise ending - well, it surprised me." John Plunkett, Guardian

Series 2
"Another high-octane helping of post-apocalyptic drama" Mike Bradley, Observer

"Hugely entertaining" Jonathan Wright, Guardian

"Full of betrayals and double-crosses" Sophie Heath, Daily Mail

"Max's chiselled torso is just one reason to watch the second series of this brilliant post-apocalyptic fantasy" News of the World

"...it's come over all Lost, with mysterious numbered postcards popping up all over the shop and hints the sinister scientists ... may be some kind of dastardly aliens ... And it seems that underneath Greg's manly and heoic exterior there's a psychotic bruiser just itching to get out. Which, along with its madcap conspiracy theories, should see Survivors surviving quite nicely." Keith Watson, Metro

"Must-See TV ... a glossy young cast, some five-times-the-detail HD gore and the interactive whizzbang at bbc.co.uk/survivors..." The Times

"...the action is piled on with a trowel, disaster looms at every turn and sinister, lab-coat-wearing baddies start emerging from the woodwork..." Pete Naughton, Daily Telegraph

"Gripping" Sun

"[Sarah's] latest actions are surprising and make you see her in a whole new light" Lorraine Thurlow, Daily Mirror

"Thrilling" Charlotte Civil, Daily Express

Abby Grant (Julie Graham)
Abby is a mother and home-maker to her son Peter (11) and husband David (Shaun Dingwall). Before the virus struck, Peter had successfully defied a near-terminal illness. Peter is now better and Abby has reluctantly agreed to let him go on an adventure holiday. She plans to resume her career and re-ignite her faltering relationship with her loving but exhausted husband. But fate has decreed otherwise, and in the wake of the virus, Abby finds a strength within herself she never even knew she had. Refusing to give way to grief and despair, she channels her energy into trying to find her son, who may or may not have survived. Joining forces with some of the few other survivors, she becomes the leader of the group and a living symbol of the resilience of the human spirit.

Al Sadiq (Phillip Rhys)
A rich, good-looking playboy, Al has lived a life of privilege. In the aftermath of the virus, he finds himself responsible for Najid. Al has never seen himself as the paternal type and he initially proves to be a disaster as a father figure; he would rather find a softer life for himself in the post-disaster world. But strangely, this frightening new environment ultimately makes him a better man than he would ever have been if he had continued his old life.

Dr Anya Raczynski (Zoë Tapper)
Anya is a young doctor who does her best to save as many people as she can when the virus hits. But with no cure and no vaccine, all her skill ultimately proves fruitless. While she struggles with the enormity of it, she is forced to stand by helplessly as her friend Patricia is among those brought to the hospital in the grip of the illness. In the new world, Anya knows that her skills make her a valuable commodity, the kind of commodity people might kill for.

David Grant (Shaun Dingwall)
David is a self-employed builder, a loving family man who is competent, brave and determined. Abby and David's marriage is a solid and loving one, although they have been worn down by the illness of their beloved son Peter. But nothing in David's life has prepared him for the crisis which is about to sweep away everything he ever knew and loved.

Greg Preston (Paterson Joseph)
A former systems analyst for a big multi-national, Greg felt trapped and dreamed of a new life. But his wife, who had grown used to a wealthy and comfortable lifestyle, was appalled by his Utopian vision of a new, hard-scrabble future. Nursing bitter personal wounds, Greg is now a man who believes he can live without love, friendship or family, but human nature is not so easily denied.

Jenny Collins (Freema Agyeman)
Jenny is a bright and lively young teacher in a primary school. Overwhelmed by the chaos she sees all around her, she is determined to save the life of her dying flatmate Patricia. Nothing will stop her taking her friend to the hospital and saving her life. But fate intervenes to confront Jenny with choices beyond anything she could have imagined.

Najid (Chahak Patel)
Eleven-year-old Najid is a lively little boy with all the normal interests of kids of his age - football, his Gameboy, school. He is also a devout Muslim. On the night of the crisis he and his family go to the local mosque, but in the morning Najid is forced to grow up very fast when the virus causes a violent change in his circumstances and his life is transformed in ways he could never have anticipated. His relationship with Al is at times funny, at times poignant, but in the end Al and Najid need each other, no matter how much they try to deny it.

Samantha Willis (Nikki Amuka-Bird)
Samantha is a junior minister delegated to handle the press in the midst of the crisis. Dealing as best she can with an anxious media and her own stunned colleagues, at first Samantha has no idea how serious the crisis is becoming. Forced to put aside her love and concern for her own family, Samantha becomes the last contact between the Government and the people whom it can no longer protect. Her journey from innocence to a full knowledge of the truth is laced with bravery and horror.

Tom Price (Max Beesley)
In prison when the story starts, Tom Price is handsome, charming and capable, but also very dangerous. A man who will stop at nothing to achieve his own ends, Price finds himself locked in his cell while all around him are dying. As the long night of the virus wears on, survival and freedom become the only issues that matter...

Survivors by Adrian Hodges is a re-imagining of a classic BBC drama series, and is based on the novel by Terry Nation. The original Survivors was transmitted from April 1975 on BBC1 and ran for 38 episodes over three series.

BBC Drama Production acquired the rights to develop the drama series from the Terry Nation Estate in 2007. Terry Nation also created the Daleks, the popular mechanical monsters hell-bent on extermination in Doctor Who, and the cult BBC sci-fi series Blakes 7.

The 1970s series, which was filmed in Herefordshire and Shropshire, featured a cast including Brian Blessed, George Baker and Peter Bowles, plus before they were famous EastEnders' June Brown, Blue Peter's Peter Duncan and Only Fools And Horses/Vicar of Dibley's Roger Lloyd-Pack.