70's series Survivors

[Pervert]

They showed a clip on one of those interminable list shows recently, and it hasn't aged well. What the BBC's miniscule budget could just about get away with in the late 60s/early 70s now looks comical.

There's a theme here, though (he said, donning his anorak): Doomwatch created by Gerry Davis and Kit Pedlar, responsible for the Cybermen on Doctor Who (shamelessly ripped off as the Borg by Star Trek; Paramount owe those writers in my opinion), and Terry Nation of course the father of the Daleks.

[mart]

The Second series has now been released on DVD. I know its winging its way to me as a Xmas present but will I be able to wait?

Mart

[muswell]

Hi
I remember this as being a series about a virus that wipes out the working class so the Middle class can go and live in a cottage in Wales make yogurt and drive steam trains. In short typical facist wish fulfillment from a bunch of BBC tossers.

[steve56]

there was a bbc play similar called strongher than the sun;tom bell;francesca annis starred.

[Pervert]

Erm, that play was about Annis smuggling some plutonium/uranium out of a nuclear plant, as far as I can recall, and nothing to do with tractors or yoghurt. In fact, didn't she hide the material in her body? I'm pretty sure it predated Silkwood.


As for Muswell's point, it's not the Beeb's fault. It (and Survivors creator) was just following in the John Wyndham "cosy English catastrophe" tradition.

[The Last Word]

Nice acute summary, Muswell - and what forsesight Survivors had, eh?. That virus that wiped out the working class was elected into office only a few years after transmission.

[neil]

Yep good series terry (dalek) nation wrote that one , i caught the later seasons on uk gold i think the guy who played greg starred in a lot of thoses dodgy horror flicks of the time ?

[Cate]

I remember seeing Survivors, so long ago, Always prefered Quatermass with John Mills, something about it used to really make me feel uneasy, as did Sapphire And Steel.

Cate.

[Pervert]

Quatermass writer Nigel Kneale is a genius. The fact that his series have survived in the public consciousness, in spite of the early ones being done on live broadcast with almost no budget. Even the bigger budget films, and the cash influx from ITV for the one with John Mills, couldn't come close to capturing his visions.

If you thought Quatermass was disturbing, does anyone remember as series of dramas he wrote which were broadcast by ITV in the late 1970s---Beasts?

[Cate]

I dont remeber this show but hear is a link to it.