Survivors: A World Away – news – The classic 1975-1977 post-apocalyptic BBC TV series Survivors

Morris Perry talks ‘bollards’ to the BBC – in 1976 Nationwide segment

A still of Morris Perry appearing on the BBC Nationwide show in 1976, discussing the rising number of street bollards being deployed in Islington, London

NEWLY RELEASED ARCHIVAL footage of the hugely respected British character actor Morris Perry–who memorably appears as the misanthrope Doctor Richard Fenton in the third series Survivors episode Mad Dog–shows him as a representative of Islington council in London, persuasively making the case for the widespread introduction of parking ‘bollards’ on the borough’s streets.

The segment, shot on location on 16mm film in the Spring or Summer of 1976, was recorded as a news feature for the weeknight BBC early evening current affairs show Nationwide (1969-83).

It became viewable online earlier this week–for the first time since its transmission–as part of the project to release more material from the BBC’s archives onto the corporation’s official BBC Archive YouTube channel.

The installation of ‘bollards’ of various designs across Islington–to prevent drivers from parking their vehicles half-on-the-road and half-on-the-pavement on already busy streets–had proved a controversial local party political issue in the mid-1970s, despite the benefits it brought to pedestrians.

Debates in the Islington press about the development proved sufficient to attract the interest of Nationwide‘s news editors–who contacted the council.

So what’s the connection between a Survivors actor and ‘bollards’ being installed on the streets of London?

In addition to his prolific and varied stage and screen career, Morris Perry was also a political actor. Elected as a Labour councillor in Islington in the 1970s, he was soon a natural fit to chair the borough’s Arts & Recreation Committee.

The limited council records available online also suggest that Perry became chairman of Islington’s Planning Committee for a time. He would, of course, have been entirely unfazed at the idea of representing the council on camera, when the borough was looking for an effective public face.

The short Nationwide feature mixes ‘vox pops’ with local residents with the opinions of two local council officials.

In contrast to the unfocused complaints of the (poorly prepared) opposition councillor, Perry is an articulate and unruffled defender of the bollards’ utility.

While Perry’s natural fluency is instantly recognisable, for fans of his acting career, this news segment is an unexpected context in which to find him.

Within months of this Nationwide appearance, Perry would travel to the Derbyshire Peak District to record the classic Survivors episode Mad Dog, alongside Denis Lill (Charles Vaughan).

BBC Archive. 2025. ‘1976: Nevermind the Bollards’. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRzFrD543Z8.

It’s also clear from the BBC reporter’s snarky tone how impressed he was with being given this particular assignment...

Work on the new series one Survivors book progressing at pace

WORK ON THE new series one Survivors book is progressing well, now that author Rich Cross is again able to devote the necessary time to complete this exciting project.

“Since the start of the year, I’ve been ridiculously busy,” Cross admits. “And the demands of multiple different work deadlines have unavoidably pulled my attention away from the book.”

“I’ve been involved with two major collaborative publishing projects–neither of them connected to Survivors–right throughout 2025, which have only recently reached a conclusion.”

“I’ve also taken on more writing responsibilities at Starburst magazine, including more reviews of big-screen and small-screen releases, and a new regular TV column for the print edition, that have also called on my inevitably limited writing time!”

“It’s meant that I’ve not published news stories and updates on the S:AWA site as regularly as I would have wanted to since the Spring, which I’ve found really frustrating!”

“That story, of my lack of available time, is not meant as an excuse, just an explanation!”

“But in the last few weeks, I’ve been able to return to work on the series one Survivors book in a more consistent way, and have made a lot of progress.”

Cross’ hopes to be able to publish the book before the end of the year might now be out of reach.

“It might just be too tight!” he acknowledges. “But I’m hanging on to the mantra ‘better late than not at all’!”

“If things end up slipping into 2026, then that won’t be ‘the end of the world’–to coin a phrase.”

“I’m grateful to everyone who’s already expressed in an interest in the book–and I’m especially thankful for their patience in waiting for news.”

“I can certainly commit to more regular, pro-active updates about the book from now onwards,” says Cross.

“Of course, I’m probably biased,” he concedes. “But I do think the book will be worth the wait in the end.”

Doctor Who Magazine ‘Legends’ special edition celebrates Terry Nation

Doctor Who Legends - A Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition - Terry Nation

A NEWLY PUBLISHED special edition in Doctor Who Magazine‘s just-launched Legends series celebrates the work of Survivors creator Terry Nation.

As would be expected, the principal thread of the 84-page, full-colour magazine is on Terry Nation’s contributions to the world of Doctor Who.

However, there are some interesting snippets along the way for the Survivors aficionado.

As well as a few familiar BBC publicity shots and screencaptures, Nation’s work on Survivors is discussed briefly in extracts from a previously unpublished interview with him by Simon Shaw from 1991.

There is also a short discussion of Nation’s work as the Survivors show creator and series one script writer as part of a broader appraisal of his work across the 1970s.

Especially interesting is a new interview with Nation’s daughter Rebecca and son Joel, who reflect on the experience of growing up with their scriptwriting father.

Rebecca recalls their home life at Lynsted Park in the early 1970s, when Terry Nation was taken with the idea of testing out the pleasures and pitfalls of self-sufficiency. A process that reflected his growing preoccupation with the themes of survival and human adaptability that would culminate in his work on Survivors.

This experiment in low-tech husbandry and hands-on animal care was not one that his wife Kate particularly warmed to, but it was clearly an opportunity that their children took some pleasure from.

But it is the world of Doctor Who that this first issue of DWM‘s ‘Legends’ principally focuses upon.

“Terry Nation is the first member of what is essentially Doctor Who Magazine‘s hall of fame,” DWM editor Marcus Hearn explains. “We think a tribute to Nation is long overdue, because he’s probably the show’s most influential and underrated writer. Everyone knows he gave us the Daleks, but he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being the first person to unleash the full potential of Doctor Who.”

“He devised the format for the most successful stories, and it’s still the blueprint, more than 60 years later,” Hearn says.

Doctor Who: Legends – Terry Nation is available to buy in-store and online for £9.99, and will be available in digital format from pocketmags.

Prentis Hancock (McIntosh, A Little Learning) dies aged 83

Prentis Hancock (McIntosh, A Little Learning) - Survivors series three

PRENTIS HANCOCK, WHO appeared as the rogue trader McIntosh in the third series Survivors episode A Little Learning has died at the age of 83.

Hancock appeared alongside Sean Caffrey (who played fellow trader Millar) – a pair who sell infected rye to Eagle’s community of children, and who withhold information from Jenny about Greg’s whereabouts.

A Little Learning was written by Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) and directed by George Spenton-Foster.

Hancock had a long and varied career in genre television, becoming especially well known for his role as Deputy Commander Paul Morrow in the first series of Space 1999 and for his appearances in Doctor Who.

He appeared in different roles in Planet of the Daleks and Spearhead from Space, alongside Jon Pertwee, and in The Ribos Operation and Planet of Evil alongside Tom Baker.

Hancock also had roles in Z-Cars, Warship, Return of the Saint, The New Avengers, The Professionals, Secret Army, Danger UXB, Chocky’s Children, Chocky’s Challenge and Outlander.

His film appearances include the 1976 film version of The Thirty-Nine Steps, the 1981 horror-comedy The Monster Club, the 1985 political thriller Defence of the Realm and the 1990 TV movie Jekyll & Hyde.

Prentis Hancock – 14 May 1942-30 May 2025

Big Finish offer discounts on Survivors audio to mark fiftieth anniversary of first TV series

BIG FINISH IS offering price discounts on all the titles in its original Survivors audio range – to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the broadcast of the first ever episode of the TV series in April 1975.

The discounts, which are available through the Big Finish online store, will be available until 23:59 (UK time) on 22 April 2025.

For reviews of all episodes in Big Finish’s Survivors audio range, check out our comprehensive online guide.

Ian McCulloch to appear at the Weekend of Horrors convention, Germany, August 2025

IAN McCULLOCH (GREG Preston, Survivors) will be one of the guests at the Weekend of Horrors convention being held in Cologne on 2-3 August 2025.

McCulloch will be available for both photoshoots with fans and autographs, which can be purchased in advance. (Tickets for the event must be purchased separately.)

Also appearing at the event are Michael Ironside (Total Recall), Brett Wagner (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Ottaviano Dell’Acqua (Zombi 2), Kenneth Cranham (Hellbound: Hellraiser II), Clare Higgins (Hellraiser) amongst many others – some of which are still to be confirmed.

In 1979, Ian played Dr. Peter Chandler in Marino Girolami’s Zombies Among Cannibals.

Ian McCulloch can be seen in three zombie splatter cult classics!

In 1980 things got even better: Lucio Fulci’s splatterfest Woodoo – The Horror Island of the Zombies followed.

Also released in 1980 was Luigi Cozzi’s Contamination / Astaron – Brood of Terror starring Ian McCulloch!

We are very happy to have Ian McCulloch as our guest again!

— Weekend of Horrors

Weekend of Horrors
2-3 August 2025
The Hall Gate 2, Girlitzweg 30, 50829 Cologne, Germany
Advance tickets | Event website

Unflinching 1984 nuclear drama Threads to be remade by Sheffield based Warp Films

WARP FILMS, THE Sheffield-based production company behind the acclaimed Netflix drama Adolescence, has announced plans to produce a modern-day remake of the unflinching 1984 nuclear TV film Threads.

Acclaimed at the time for its “groundbreaking portrayal of a fictional apocalypse,” the BBC drama Threads presented a “harrowing depiction of life in nuclear war-era Britain,” following a nuclear strike on the United Kingdom, centering its story on the city of Sheffield.

Written by Barry Hines and directed by Mick Jackson, the apocalyptic drama starred Karen Meagher and Reece Dinsdale, and had an enormous impact on the millions of viewers who saw it when it was first broadcast – at the height of the 1980s nuclear Cold War stand-off between Russia and the United States.

Forty years after it was first shown, Threads is still widely recognised as the exemplar of contemporary nuclear dystopian TV drama.

“The original film’s chilling account immerses viewers in the struggles of ordinary people facing unimaginable hardship,” Warp Films says. “This adaptation will explore prescient issues through rich, character-driven storytelling.”

Mark Herbert, the CEO of Warp Films, says: “Threads was, and remains, an unflinchingly honest drama that imagines the devastating effects of nuclear conflict on ordinary people. This story aligns perfectly with our ethos of telling powerful, grounded narratives that deeply connect with audiences.”

Reimagining this classic drama will give Warp Films “a unique opportunity to explore its modern relevance,” Herbert adds.

The planned production is not licensed to a particular broadcaster or TV platform, but reports suggest that production on the Threads remake will begin later in 2025, and be scheduled for broadcast in late 2026 or early 2027 – although this will depend on which TV network or service contracts the new series.

Hampton Court Castle interiors close to visitors as venue focuses on weddings

The stone staircase in Hampton Court Castle, seen in multiple episodes of the first series of Survivors

THE INTERIORS OF Hampton Court Castle in Herefordshire, the principal recording location used on the second half of the first series of Survivors, will no longer be accessible to visitors, as its owners pivot to focus exclusively on their wedding venue business.

For many years, Survivors fans have enjoyed the option to join a guided tour of the ground floor (and selected first floor locations) as day visitors to the Castle – by purchasing a combined garden and castle ticket.

When Hampton Court Castle closed for the winter break in 2024, there was no indication that it would not re-open as normal for its spring and summer season in 2025.

The timing of the change is particularly unfortunate as many fans are preparing to visit Survivors locations in Herefordshire this year – the fiftieth anniversary of the broadcast of the show’s first series back in 1975.

The location’s previous website has now been split in two, to create Hampton Castle (the wedding venue) and Hampton Gardens (the still-accessible gardens and grounds).

It is not yet clear what the change will mean for the plans – first announced in 2021 – to open ‘luxury holiday cottages’ in the castle grounds.

The gardens will open to visitors on 12 April 2025 and remain open daily (10:30-17:00) until 28 September 2025.

The Orangery Cafe will still be open for refreshments, and the established trails through the gardens and grounds appear to be unchanged.

This site offers a fully-illustrated guide to the interior locations at Hampton Court used to record episodes of Survivors‘ first series – which are now no longer accessible to visitors.

Ian McCulloch to appear at The Shed of Hell convention, Rushden – 6 July 2025

IAN McCULLOCH WILL be appearing at day two of The Shed of Hell horror and sci-fi convention being held in Rushden on 5-6 July 2025.

Sponsored by The Dark Side magazine, The Shed of Hell event promises “a spine-chilling weekend filled with iconic horror characters, creepy memorabilia, and everything macabre.”

The second day of the event will offer “Sunday horror with a sprinkling of sci-fi”. As well as McCulloch, other confirmed day two guests include James Taylor (Star Wars, MCU) and Ross Sambridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story).

Also appearing at the event is Tony Mardon, the director of the upcoming film The Witches of the Sands in which McCulloch appears.

Ian McCulloch has achieved fame in several cult television and film productions. He first became a household name via his central performance as Greg Preston in Terry Nation’s popular BBC television series Survivors, about a genetically engineered germ plague that nearly wipes out the entire population of the earth.

He then starred in several notoriously violent Italian made horror films of the early 1980s that were part of the “video nasty” controversy within the UK. McCulloch was the male lead in the Romero inspired Zombie Flesh Eaters aka “Zombi 2” directed by Lucio Fulci, he was back battling more living dead in Zombie Holocaust aka “Dr Butcher MD” directed by Marino Girolami, and then McCulloch took on interplanetary invaders in the Alien rip-off Contamination, directed by Luigi Cozzi.

McCulloch returned to BBC television, which included playing a villain in Warriors of the Deep: Part One, another role he is well-remembered for by cult television fans as well as a role in Doctor Who.

– Screaming Skull

Ian McCculloch - Zombie Flesh Eaters - Screaming Skulls 2025

THE SHED OF HELL, Rushden Historical Transport Society & Goods Shed, Station Approach, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 0AW
5-6 July 2025 | 11:00-18:00
https://www.screamingskull24.co.uk/the-shed-of-hell

Ian McCulloch’s Survivors Q&A from Romford Horror Festival 2025

Ian McCulloch - Romford Horror Festival 2025 - Survivors Q&A session

THE ORGANISERS OF the 2025 Romford Horror Festival have posted the video recording of Ian McCulloch’s Survivors question-and-answer session, which followed the screening of two episodes of the show.

McCulloch, who also appeared at last year’s festival, featured in two sessions of this year’s event – joining a Q&A after the screening of the Italian horror Zombie Flesh Eaters, and a Survivors Q&A after the audience had watched Law and Order (series one) and the McCulloch-scripted The Last Laugh (series three).

In his Survivors Q&A, which was chaired by Spencer Hawken, McCulloch discusses his work as an actor and script writer on the series, his relationship with show creator Terry Nation and producer Terry Dudley, professional and person dynamics amongst cast, his decision to reduce his involvement in the third series, and much more besides.

Ian McCulloch holds up a copy of The End of the World? Survivors book by Rich Cross and Andy Priestner during the Survivors Q&A at the 2025 Romford Horror Festival

Ian McCulloch holds up a copy of The End of the World? Survivors book, written by Rich Cross and Andy Priestner, during the Survivors Q&A at the 2025 Romford Horror Festival

Ian McCulloch and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, at the Zombie Flesh Eaters Q&A session at the Romford Horror Festival 2025

UPDATE (11 March 2025): A recording of the Zombie Flesh Eaters Q&A serssion featuring Ian McCulloch and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, from the Romford Horror Festival 2025, is also now available online.