Severn Valley Railway launches £1.5m ‘survival fund’ appeal

Severn Valley Railway - Survival Appeal - April 2023

THE SEVERN VALLEY heritage railway service has launched a one-and-a-half-million pound ‘survival fund’ to secure the immediate future of the line which runs between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth.

For fans of Survivors, the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is significant as one of the iconic filming locations used on the third series. In 1977, BBC Outside Broadcast cameras filmed sequences for the episodes Law of the Jungle, Mad Dog, Bridgehead and Power at the Highley and Hampton Loade stations and in the surrounding areas on and close to the line.

The most recent organised Survivors fan visit to the SVR took place in May 2019, during the Mad Dog 2019 event.

Falling visitor numbers – rising costs

The SVR has been hit hard financially by the impact of the Covid pandemic, by the soaring costs of coal and electricity, and by the experience common to many leisure and tourist attractions in the UK: that visitor numbers have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with a resulting loss of revenue.

“Last year, passenger numbers were almost one third lower than pre-Covid,” the SVR confirms. “In 2022 alone, we saw a drop in expected income of £1.5 million. Other heritage railways and local attractions had exactly the same experience. It became obvious that the cost-of-living crisis was really starting to bite.”

In response to the depletion in funding, the SVR announced in February that as many as 18 members of staff would be made redundant, that the early-season timetable would be restricted to fewer operational days, and that other cost savings would be found.

As bank reserves were depleted, overheads have still had to be met. “Our forecast for the coming year and into 2024 shows that we will not have any reserve in the bank,” the company says. “This means we won’t be able to lift ourselves out of the financial difficulties that we currently face.” Hence the need for the ‘survival fund’ appeal.

An Urgent need

“We urgently need to raise £1.5 million to enable the SVR to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future,” Managing Director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster explains.

Dunster emphasises that the financial situation that the SVR is wrestling with is acute, and that the success of the ‘survival fund’ is essential. “Without this help, the SVR may not survive into next year,” he warns.

To find out more about the SVR’s plans to address the financial crisis, and stabilise the heritage railway for the future – and to donate to the SVR ‘Survival Fund’, visit the dedicated section of the SVR web site.

Another obvious way to help put cash in the SVR coffers is to arrange a visit to either end of the line and to purchase a ticket to travel to Highley or Hampton Loade stations or to the Country Park Halt.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 audio – trailer and cover released

Survivors - New Dawn 3 audio drama boxset cover

THE COVER ART for the upcoming Survivors: New Dawn 3 audio boxset has just been released by Big Finish, along with the striking cover art.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 will be released later this month and is still available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Survivors audios in Big Finish’s Spring Clearance Sale

Big Finish - Spring Clearance Sale - March 2023 - Survivors boxsets

DISCOUNTS OF UP to two-thirds are available on boxsets in Big Finish’s Survivors audio range until 23:59 (UK time) today (31 March 2023) as part of the company’s Spring Clearance Sale.

Series two, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine, and the audiobook of Terry Nation’s Survivors novelisation, are included in the offer – which combines the CD boxset with a digital download.

The CD boxsets of series one and three are now out-of-print, but still available as digital downloads.

Details of the offers are all available on the Big Finish website’s Warehouse Offers page.

Big Finish confirm full cast details for New Dawn 3 audio

BIG FINISH HAVE confirmed the full cast details for the upcoming Survivors: New Dawn 3 audio boxset, due for release next month.

The cast for the three episodes in the set is as follows:

  • Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant)
  • Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards)
  • Tom Alexander (Former-Ranger / Cleric)
  • Daisy Badger (Debra Adams)
  • Sean Connolly (Mike Ferguson / Groom)
  • Mark Elstob (Andrew / Terry Matthews)
  • Jonathan Keeble (Mark Osborne)
  • Belinda Lang (Celia Tate)
  • Hannah Raymond-Cox (Boo / Judy Lawson)
  • Enzo Squillino Jnr (Phil Harris)
  • Sam Stafford (Robin Page)

Survivors: New Dawn 3 will be released in April 2023 and is still available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Survivors New Dawn 2 features in Big Finish podcast reviews round-up

Survivors: New Dawn 2

THE ‘GOOD REVIEW Guide’ in today’s (26 February 2023) Big Finish podcast turned its attention to the Survivors: New Dawn 2 boxset.

The ‘Lost Wild Ice’ edition of the podcast featured audio extracts and reviews of Survivors: New Dawn 2 from We Made This Network, Indie Mac User, the Survivors: Mad Dog site, Warped Factor and SciFi Bulletin.

Hosts Nick Briggs and Benji Clifford also confirmed that they are both continuing to work on the next instalment in the series.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 will be released in April 2023 and is still available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Big Finish podcast - 26 February 2023

Big Finish Podcast, ‘Lost Wild Ice’, Big Finish, 26 February 2023, https://www.bigfinish.com/podcasts/v/2023-02-26-lost-wild-ice

Vortex magazine previews Survivors New Dawn 3 audio boxset

Big Finish - Vortex - Survivors: New Dawn 3 preview

THE UPCOMING RELEASE of New Dawn 3, the latest Survivors full-cast audio boxset, is previewed in January’s edition of Big Finish’s house magazine Vortex.

In the feature ‘Keep on Surviving’, writer and director Ken Bentley reflects on his experience of working on Big Finish’s Survivors audios since the first series back in 2014, and hints at the decisive drama to come in the next two installments of the New Dawn series.

I’ve been deeply involved in this series for so long now that I feel a genuine responsibility to the characters and their journey. It’s been a privilege to write for them again.

I’m really grateful to David for inviting me to write for Survivors in the first place, and to Emma for giving Matt and I the opportunity to return to this story world as we begin Abby and Jenny’s final journey. It won’t be easy listening, but then Survivors never has been.

Ken Bentley in ‘Keep on Surviving’, Vortex, Issue 167

Survivors: New Dawn 3 will be released in April 2023 and is available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Vortex 167 can be downloaded as a free PDF from the Big Finish site.

Big Finish. 2023. ‘Keep on Surviving’, Vortex, No 167, January, pp. 20-21.

Story synopses for Survivors: New Dawn 3 confirmed

BIG FINISH HAVE published (31 December 2022) brief synopses for the three stories in the Survivors: New Dawn 3 audio boxset.

Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards) star in this latest full-cast Survivors audio drama. The New Dawn series is set more than 15 years on from The Death, in a country in which government, society and industry is slowly re-emerging. But the post-Death UK remains a place where political power and the control of resources remain are still contested, and where democracy’s roots remain shallow. For the survivors who’ve come this far, so much remains to be settled and the risks they face remain acute.

The implication of the story synopses below, is that opening story The Turning Part 1 will focus on challenges facing Jenny, that The Turning Part 2 will switch attention to the dilemmas confronting Abby, and that the closing story Samaritans will see the two friends reunited and in peril together once more.

The world has ended. The pandemic crossed continents, sparing only a fraction of the global population. The survivors are now trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild society to create a new future. But with only a handful of towns and cities starting to rise from the ashes, and governance and law-making in a fragile, fledgling state, everyone must start over. And the worst of human nature has survived along with the best.

Food shortages threaten the stability of the New Federal Government. Prime Minister Celia Tate clings to power and Robin Page – once a thorn in her side and now a minister – becomes involved in an uprising to depose her.

Once again, the world is changing and the best Abby and Jenny can hope for is to survive.

3.1 The Turning Part 1
Caught between an increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister and activists determined to bring down the New Federal Government, Jenny struggles to prevent the collapse of everything they’ve worked so hard to build.

3.2 The Turning Part 2
Answering her friend’s desperate call for help, Abby returns to find Cambridge in chaos, and Jenny is surrounded by danger and betrayal as a new regime desperately try to restore order.

3.3 Samaritans
Escaping Cambridge, Abby and Jenny save the life of an elderly man they find living alone in the woods and gratefully accept his offer of warmth and shelter. But as the cold and dark close in it’s not only the animals that come out at night…

Big Finish, 31 December 2022

The release dates for New Dawn 3 and New Dawn 4 have also been revised.

New Dawn 3 is now scheduled for release in April 2023 (this had previously been listed for February 2023) and New Dawn 4 for September 2023 (this had previously been confirmed for June 2023).

Survivors: New Dawn 3 is available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Survivors: New Dawn 4 is also available for pre-order as a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only.

The best value for those able to pre-order comes from purchasing a bundle of both New Dawn 3 and New Dawn 4.

Big Finish announce release of ‘New Dawn 3’ Survivors audio boxset

Big Finish - Survivors - 2023

BIG FINISH HAVE today (9 December) announced that a new full-cast Survivors audio boxset – the third in the ‘New Dawn’ series – will be released in February 2023.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 will again star Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards). All three episodes in the new boxset have been written by acclaimed Big Finish director Ken Bentley – who has directed all of Big Finish’s Survivors releases and who previously wrote the audio series two episode Dark Rain.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 is available to pre-order, as both a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only, from the Big Finish site.

Although the news was somewhat hidden within the lengthy Big Finish press release, it was also revealed that a fourth boxset in the New Dawn series has been commissioned.

Survivors: New Dawn 4 is scheduled for release in June 2023. Carolyn Seymour and Lucy Fleming are confirmed as cast members, and Ken Bentley is credited as the director, but there is as yet no information on writers or episode titles.

Survivors: New Dawn 4 is also available for pre-order as a collector’s edition three-disc CD and digital download combo or as a digital download only.

The best value for those able to pre-order comes from purchasing a bundle of both New Dawn 3 and New Dawn 4.


A New Age Has Dawned for the Survivors!

The Survivors: New Dawn saga continues with a brand-new box set of atmospheric full-cast audio dramas based on the Terry Nation BBC TV series, due for release in February 2023.

Survivors originally aired from 1975-77, following a community of survivors in the aftermath of a world-wide plague known as the Death. Since 2014, Big Finish has continued the post-apocalyptic tale on audio starring the original series actors Carolyn Seymour (as Abby Grant) and Lucy Fleming (as Jenny Richards).

In three dystopian adventures, set two decades after the original outbreak, conflict between the survivors intensifies as power struggles, political tension, and a generational clash threatens the society they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Survivors: New Dawn 3 is now available to pre-order as a collector’s edition 3-disc CD box set (+ download for just £19.99) or as a digital download only (for just £16.99), exclusively here.

The three stories, all written by Ken Bentley, are as follows:

  • The Turning Part One
  • The Turning Part Two
  • Samaritans

NOTE: Survivors contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.

Producer Emma Haigh said: “I’m so pleased we can learn more about Abby and Jenny again and the continuing lives of the survivors. This series is a fascinating exploration of what can happen when society is seriously challenged by a warming environment and dwindling natural resources. But also shows the true kindness of human beings to one another.”

Director Ken Bentley added: “Some of the first writing I did for Big Finish was on Survivors and it was a privilege to help establish the style and voice of the series, including an episode that was shortlisted for the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2016.

“Eight or nine years ago when David Richardson, Matt Fitton, and I first started work on the series we knew we wanted to be true to Terry Nation’s original vision for Survivors. We also had a clear idea of where we wanted the story to go, we just never knew when we might get there.

“I’m really grateful to Emma for giving Matt and me the opportunity to team up once again as we begin Abby and Jenny’s final journey. It won’t be entirely easy listening, but then Survivors never has been.”

Praise for Survivors: New Dawn 2:

New Dawn 2 is another definite hit. The tension builds relentlessly, leading to a nail-biting conclusion. The stories are well-written, the supporting cast strong and the sound design and music impeccable.”

We Made This Network

Carolyn Seymour and Lucy Fleming sparkle in their roles as these formidable survivors… an incredibly rewarding listen and perhaps one of the best things Big Finish has created.”

Indie Mac User

“… it will leave you nodding your head in approval.”

Warped Factor

Survivors: New Dawn 3 is now available to pre-order for just £19.99 (collector’s edition 3-disc CD box set + download) £16.99 (download only).

Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering Survivors: New Dawn 3 and 4 together in a bundle for just £38 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) £33 (download only).

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release. From November 2022, new prices will apply.

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mailout of collector’s edition CDs will be delayed, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/a-new-age-has-dawned-for-the-survivors

Big Finish offer time-limited discount on New Dawn audios

Survivors: New Dawn 2

BIG FINISH HAVE announced a time-limited discount on the CD and digital download versions of both of the Survivors: New Dawn audio boxsets.

Survivors: New Dawn 1 and Survivors: New Dawn 2 are available for £19.99 (CD + download) or £16.99 (download only).

The two-part series, which stars Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards) is set many years on from the events of ninth audio series, and explores developments in post-Death England as the return of civilisation gathers pace – events that give rise to new challenges which could threaten the survival of this tentative new world.

The price reductions are available from the Big Finish site, when the discount code (provided on the Big Finish web page) is entered.

These box sets are now available to purchase at discounted prices until 23:59 (UK time) on 30 November 2022.

You can read reviews of the three episodes of New Dawn 1 and New Dawn 2 elsewhere on the Survivors: A World Away site.

Survivors: New Dawn 1 - cover

Big Finish podcast confirms again that more Survivors audios are planned

THE LATEST BIG Finish podcast includes further confirmation that the company is planning new Survivors audio dramas – following on from the release of nine full-cast boxsets, three audiobooks and the six story New Dawn series.

In the ‘Listeners Emails’ section of the 13 November 2022 Big Finish podcast, co-hosts Nick Briggs and Benji Clifford discuss the past and future of the company’s Survivors audios, revisiting in particular the New Dawn collections.

“I could wax lyrical about why I love Survivors all day long,” says sound designer Benji Clifford. “But if you like something that’s a little bit different to normal Big Finish offerings, go check it out.”

Asked if more Survivors audios will be commissioned, Big Finish executive producer Nicholas Briggs replies: “Yes, there will be more Survivors.”

News that more Survivors audios would be produced was first confirmed in a ‘Survivors Special‘ edition of the Big Finish podcast, back in May – but, as plans in all creative industries can change over time, it’s encouraging to have this commitment reconfirmed.

Big Finish Podcast. 2022. ‘2022-11-13 UNIT Cops’, 13 November, https://www.bigfinish.com/podcasts/v/2022-11-13-unit-cops.