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Coming in 2025: new book revisits Survivors classic first series

Survivors - series one - new book coming in 2025 - cover design

SCHEDULED FOR PUBLICATION in 2025, to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the broadcast of the first series of Survivors on BBC1, a new book by the author of this site will provide a deep-dive into the show’s first thirteen episodes.

Survivors: the classic post-apocalyptic BBC series / Series one / 1975 will blend updated content by the author from the 2005 book The End of the World? The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Survivors with new and original material – based on an additional two decades of research and writing.

First broadcast in April 1975 on BBC1, Survivors presented viewers with the starkest premise imaginable: that only a tiny number of people had emerged unscathed from a deadly global pandemic, into a devastated, dangerous and unrecognisable world. Created by Terry Nation, the first thirteen episodes of Survivors explored how these few individuals band together to confront the daunting challenges of survival.

Featuring new interviews, original source material and previously unpublished photographs, this is a comprehensive, meticulous study of the first series of the exemplary post-apocalyptic BBC TV series from what’s now celebrated as a golden era of British genre television.

Rich Cross has published widely on the themes of science fiction, dystopian and genre television, and has written about Survivors for Action TV, Cultbox, Obverse Books, SciFiNow, Starburst and Telos.

Any and all profits from sales of the book will be donated to the international, independent medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (aka Doctors Without Borders) whose clinicians deliver vital, life-saving humanitarian aid in crisis situations and war zones across the globe.

More information about the book – including details about how to purchase a copy – will be shared on this site as the publication date approaches.

“It’s amazing to think that next year it will be fifty years since the first series of Survivors was broadcast,” says Cross. “It seems like the ideal moment to revisit the contemporary themes and issues that inspired creator Terry Nation; and the ground-breaking way that the first series of Survivors was made.”

“It’s also chance to to reflect afresh on the extraordinary characters that populate those first thirteen episodes, and the stories and situations that made that first series so compelling – alarming ‘what-if’ scenarios which still resonate with audiences some five decades later.”

If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with the latest news about the book Survivors: the classic post-apocalyptic BBC series / Series one / 1975, then get in touch with this site to be sure of being amongst the first to know!

Rich Cross’ most recent book on the series – Survivors: Mad Dog, published in 2022 – is available to buy (in both print and electronic formats) from the Obverse Books site.

His most recent magazine feature on Survivors, a four-page retrospective celebrating the series’ status as a ‘certified classic’, appeared in the May 2024 edition of Starburst.

Survivors feature in Starburst, May 2024
Survivors feature – Starburst magazine – May 2024
Cover of the Survivors: Mad Dog book by Rich Cross, published by Obverse Books in 2022
Survivors: Mad Dog – Obverse Books, The Silver Archive, #7

Ian McCulloch to appear at Chiller Theatre Expo, New Jersey, USA in October

Ian McCulloch, Chiller Theatre Convention, October 2024

IAN MCCULLOCH WILL be one of the guests at the Chiller Theatre convention in New Jersey, taking place between 25-27 October 2024.

Chiller Theatre is a ‘Toy, Model and Film Expo’ that has been running in different guises and with different names since 1990.

Rare appearance! Euro horror legend Ian McCulloch returns to Chiller Theatre for the 1st time in a decade!

Meet the star of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, and Euro-cult classics Zombie Holocaust, Contamination, The Ghoul and popular British TV shows Survivors and Doctor Who!

Chiller Theatre

Chiller Theatre
25-27 October 2024
Hilton Parsippany, One Hilton Court, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
USA
http://chillertheatre.com/

Strangers in Space podcast considers Peter Hill’s Survivors novels

THE LATEST EDITION of the Strangers in Space podcast turns its critical attention to Survivors: Genesis of a Hero and Survivors: Salvation – the two novels written (decades apart) by author Peter Hill under the pen-name John Eyers.

The episode also sets the scene by discussing Terry Nation’s Survivors novel – which Hill’s first novel is a direct sequel to.

The podcast had previously scrutinised the original Survivors television series.

We’ve talked about the original 1970s [Survivors] TV series and its shorter lived 2000s revival, but in this podcast we’re turning our attention to the stories that were too hot for TV – but spoiler warning, Terry Nation’s 1976 novelisation includes twists you might want to discover for yourself, that we can’t avoid bringing up before we discuss John Eyers’ two spin-off books Genesis of a Hero and Salvation. Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jim Cameron and Dylan Rees

Strangers in Space

Strangers in Space. 2024. Book Club 03 – Survivors. 19 June. https://strangersinspace.libsyn.com/tv-club-60-survivors-1975-77

Denis Lill to appear at London DWAS event, 30 June 2024

DENIS LILL (CHARLES Vaughan, Survivors) will join other Doctor Who cast and crew members at the Doctor Who Appreciation Society (DWAS) Projections in Time event in London on Sunday 30 June 2024.

Lill, who appeared as Dr. Fendelman in the Doctor Who story Image Of The Fendahl, will join Louise Jameson (Leela, and Big Finish’s audio Survivors), Adrienne Burgess (Veet, The Sun Makers), Hilary Ryan (Rodan, The Invasion Of Time), Mat Irvine (Visual Effects), and A J Mitchell (Electronic Effects).

There will be episode screenings of Image Of The Fendahl (Part One), The Sun Makers (Part Four), Underworld (Part One) and The Invasion Of Time (Part Six).

Cast and crew will reunite live on stage for a special Question & Answer session, and there will be autograph and photo studio sessions (for which additional charges apply).

Projections in Time: Season Sevateem
Sunday 30 June 2024, from 13:00
Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London W6 9BN
Tickets: £15, available to book from Riverside Studios

Big Finish reduces prices on Survivors audios – until end of 21 April 2024

Big Finish - Survivors - Series 2 - five days to go to release...

BIG FINISH ARE offering discounts of up to 80% on titles from the Survivors audio back catalogue, up until 23:59 on 21 April 2024.

Most of the early series’ boxsets are on offer for less than £10 (CD and download combos), while later sets in the range are significantly reduced in price.

Survivors audiobooks are also included – with the unabridged version of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, read by Carolyn Seymour, currently available for less than £5.00.

All these offers are accessible through the Big Finish website.

Comprehensive reviews of each and every release in Big Finish’s Survivors audio range are freely available to read elsewhere on the Survivors: A World Away website.

Chris Tranchell appearing at Fantom signing event, 27 April 2024

Chris Tranchell - Fantom - April Signing Spectacular - 27 April 2024

CHRIS TRANCHELL (PAUL Pitman, Survivors) will be one of the guests at Fantom Events ‘April Signing Spectacular’ being held in Chiswick on 27 April 2024.

Tranchell will appear alongside Hilary Ryan, Milton Johns and Tom Kelly, in a reunion of cast members from the 1978 Doctor Who serial The Invasion of Time.

Tickets for this popular event have already sold out, but there’s an option to join a waiting list in the hope of picking up any booking cancellations.

It is however still possible to order signed photographs from Tranchell (or to arrange the signing of other material, such as Survivors DVD or VHS sleeves, sent in by agreement). Contact Fantom Events to find out more.


Fantom Events – April Signing Spectacular
27 April 2024, doors open at 12:30
St Michael’s Centre, Elmwood Road, Chiswick, London W4 3DY
Fantom Event information

Big Finish podcast recalls third series Survivors audios

Cover of the third series of Survivors audios from Big Finish

BIG FINISH PODCAST host Nick Briggs and Benji Clifford recall the release of the third series of original Survivors audio dramas in November 2015 in the latest edition of their show.

The famous discounted title selector – the Randamoid Selectatron – chose Survivors series three as the beneficiary of this week’s 25% price discount deal deal (which expires on 7 April).


Nick Briggs: It’s the Randomoid Selectatron, where we randomly select a Big Finish release and offer you a 25% discount on it… And, as we’ve mentioned before, because the wonderful Jackie Emery is on very deserved leave, she asked me to select early, and yesterday I hit the Randomoid Selectatron button and got Survivors series three.

Benji Clifford: Great taste, great taste.

Nick Briggs: I think that’s one you particularly like, isn’t it?

Benji Clifford: One of my favourite… probably my favourite Big Finish I’ve ever worked on, I think. It means a lot… it means the most, to me, because it was a real test of my abilities as a sound designer. Like, really. I put it as one of my best bits of work, so… It’s just a great story. Great acting, great cast… I got to the exciting thing of getting to listen to your music score on its own… I was very excited about receiving that, genuinely was.

Nick Briggs: That’s because I was unable to actually compose for that one, wasn’t I?

Benji Clifford: Yeah, so I did all the editing in for that one. But it’s a ripping yarn. It’s really good, gritty, graphic… one of our darker releases at Big Finish. Just so good.

Nick Briggs: It’s Paul Thornley, isn’t it?

Benji Clifford: Yeah, who’s just really fantastic in the role [of Vinnie], and just… really gave it his all. It wasn’t an easy role to do by any means, especially in terms of the content and the subject matter… but he really was brilliant.

Nick Briggs: Great stuff. Well, as I mentioned earlier… it really is worth looking at the whole Survivors range. There’s been some new ones out recently, and they’ve been absolutely superb.


Big Finish Podcast. 2024-03-31 Gallifrey and Steel. 31 March 2024. https://www.bigfinish.com/podcasts/v/2024-03-31-gallifrey-and-steel

Big Finish podcast, 31 March 2024

Britbox drops Survivors from its TV series collection

Survivors on Britbox

BRITBOX, THE STREAMING archive television platform that, in September 2020, made all three series of Survivors available to watch online through its subscription service, has now withdrawn the programme from its collection.

The move follows the expiry of the licence to stream the series agreed with the BBC.

Both series of the 2008-2010 remake of Survivors, which were also previously available through Britbox, have now been withdrawn as well.

Britbox recently announced that in future it would be delivered through the ITVX Premium platform – which would become “the new home of BritBox”.

Romford Horror Festival shares video of audience with Ian McCulloch

Ian McCulloch on stage at the Romford Horror Festival 2024

THE ORGANISERS OF Romford Horror Festival have posted an official online recording of the audience with Ian McCulloch which took place on 2 March 2024.

In this session McCulloch plays his guitar and sings, discusses his early musical career, his work on stage and television and his appearance in three Italian horror films Zombie Flesh Eaters, Zombi Holocaust and Contamination.

Although the focus of the weekend was the horror genre, McCulloch does discuss (17ms-25ms) his role as Greg Preston in Survivors, his relationship with Terry Nation and producer Terry Dudley and the three episodes that he wrote for the series.

An audience with Ian McCulloch, Romford Horror Festival 2024
An audience with Ian McCulloch, Romford Horror Festival 2024 – Survivors section

Four-page Survivors appreciation in Starburst magazine

First two pages of a four page feature on Survivors in Starburst issue 485, written by site editor Rich Cross

FOLLOWING SURVIVORS MUCH deserved inclusion in a poll of the top 100 TV shows of all time, as voted for by the writers of Starburst, a four-page appreciation of the series appears in the new print edition of the magazine.

Written by the editor of this site, the feature celebrates the quality and distinctiveness of Survivors in the post-apocalyptic TV canon, delves into the show’s challenging and innovative production methods, and outlines the development of themes and storylines across all three series.

It’s intended to be both a recognition of the impact and the enduring legacy of the original TV series, and to be a useful introduction for those genre enthusiasts who have yet to connect with Survivors.

Starburst is available to buy from all good newsagents and through the magazine’s online shop.

Rich Cross. 2024. ‘Survivors’. Starburst, May, No 485, pp.48-51.

Front cover of issue 485 of Starburst magazine, 2024