Survivors: The Complete Original Series (1975 – 1977) + Survivors: Complete Seasons One & Two (New Series/2008 –
2010/BBC DVD Sets)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B/A Episodes: A+
Terry
Nation created a lot of memorable material in his long career as a writer for
the BBC (Blake 7 and Doctor Who's Daleks come immediately to
mind), but Survivors stands out among his efforts for its unflinching
exploration into human nature and mankind's struggle against death. From 1975 - 1977 Nation's Survivors enthralled and shocked BBC viewers. Over the course of three series (seasons) and
thirty-eight episodes, Nation's character's scratch and claw their way through
a world depopulated by a virus so virulent that less than a scant 10% of them
remain. Most of the action in this
original Survivors takes place in
the rural British countryside, where the lonely remains of the population try
to make a go of life after a worldwide catastrophe.
Although
slow to develop in the early episodes, Survivors
draws the viewer in by degrees on the strength of compelling stories and
brilliantly acted characters. Carolyn
Seymour's Abby Grant acts as the anchor for the show's core cast, interspersing
a desperate search for her missing son with leading the group to form a commune
of sorts. Ian McColloch gives a strong
performance as Greg Preston, Abby's right-hand man. Lucy Fleming's character states most
everyone's situation most succinctly when she says at one point, "I just
don't want to be alone." And
indeed, loneliness and isolation are recurring themes in the plots of these
wonderful episodes, which include some positively gut-wrenching moments. Special mention should also be made of
longtime Welsh character actor Talfryn Thomas' performance as scabrous survivor
Tom Price. You never quite know where
you stand with his character until he irrevocably crosses the line, proving
that even in the post-apocalypse, there will still be bastards.
The
characters from the original series go through so many trials, tribulations, and
setbacks, that the moments of triumph they do enjoy seem all the sweeter.
Rabid
fans of the old show might have viewed the announcement of the modern version
with some trepidation, but just as when the BBC resurrected Doctor Who with such care and consideration,
the same was done with Survivors. The new version bases its story and some of
its characters off of Terry Nation's great work of the 1970's, but with many
modern improvements. Most notably, the
cast is far more representative of the population of the world, and indeed, Great Britain's
multicultural mix of Africans, Asians, Arabs, and Caucasians.
Despite
its modernization, the show retains its bleak roots, and what good are cell
phones and computers when no infrastructure exists to see that they keep
working? In the end, the same conditions
of survival apply in the 2010's as did in the 1970's--food, warmth,
companionship, and safety are what all survivors seek. Many of the old characters return in this
version, and Julie Graham's Abby possesses all of the same inner strength and
drive to survive as Carolyn Grant's. Although similarities of character exist,
there are some differences too. Max
Beesley's Tom Price appears immediately more sinister than Talfryn Thomas's
bumbling bastard of a Welshman.
The older
series is 1.33 X 1 PAL analog video and looks really good, while the new show
is an HD shoot in anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 presentations that are among
the best such showings to date from BBC DVD.
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sounds good for its age on the older shows, while
we get Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo for the new show (and not 5.1 for whatever
reason) but it is very well recorded.
The latter may come to Blu-ray and it should be impressive if this set
is any implication.
Extras on
the 1970's box set include a documentary on the show's devoted fans and some
photo galleries. The new series offers a
bit more, with a "Making Of..." feature, character profiles, other
added content. What makes both of these
boxed sets desirable is not the packaging or the extras, but the episodes
themselves. The 1970's Survivors is gut-wrenching and
addicting television. Its successor
somehow manages to live up to the almost impossible legacy of the classic show.
It's obvious the writers stuck closely to
the spirit of Terry Nation's original work, but they went their own way where
and when they needed to.
These
shows make you think about what is valuable, about what really matters. They may even prompt you to buy a gun, or
stock up on some extra canned goods or kerosene. Both of these boxes ought to
come with some kind of addiction warning label.
That being said, you can't watch a full season in one go (you'll need a
break from the bleakness), but you'll come back for more until it's done. If you can survive watching television this
compelling, you may have learned a lot about human nature, and that should
alternately give you hope, and scare the hell out of you.
- Scott Pyle