Ian McCulloch in 1979 Xmas TV ad for Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry

An archive off-air recording of Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) appearing in a 1979 Xmas TV ad for Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry has been unearthed on YouTube by Adrian H.

Uploaded to YouTube from a 30-plus-year-old VHS recording, the advert (which also features Christopher Neame [Colditz, Secret Army]) does briefly break-up at 2m28s, but is otherwise in reasonable shape sound-and-vision wise.

Also featuring in the same advert break are Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal (The Good Life) promoting the then state-of-the-art Polaroid ‘instant’ camera (not something the low-tech embracing, consumerism-rejecting Goods might have had much time for…)

Big Finish confirm return of Carolyn Seymour, Ian McCulloch and Lucy Fleming in new Survivors audio adventures

Big Finish have confirmed (6 November 2013) that Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards) are all joining the cast of the first series of the new Survivors audio adventures, scheduled for release in June 2014.

The Big Finish update also confirms the titles of the four hour-long installments of series one:

  • Revelation   written by Matt Fitton
  • Exodus   written by Jonathan Morris
  • Judges   written by Andrew Smith
  • Esther   written by John Dorney

The full announcement from Big Finish explains:

The lead cast members of Terry Nation’s Survivors are returning to play their roles on audio, for a run of new episodes from Big Finish Productions.

The series originally ran for three seasons on BBC1 between 1975-77 and told the story of a small group of people who survive a plague that wipes out most of the world’s population.

Lucy Fleming plays Jenny Richards, Ian McCulloch is Greg Preston, while Carolyn Seymour is Abby Grant, the leader of a community starting a new life in rural England.

“We’re thrilled to have Lucy, Ian and Carolyn on board,” says producer David Richardson. “Our initial episodes will introduce a new set of characters that will encounter Jenny and Greg as they search for supplies. Abby Grant will make cameo appearances, before taking on a major role in later stories.”

Survivors – Volume 1 will be released in June 2014; the box set will comprise four hour-long full cast audio dramas – Revelation by Matt Fitton, Exodus by Jonathan Morris, Judges by Andrew Smith and Esther by John Dorney.

The all-star cast also includes John Banks, Louise Jameson, Sinead Keenan, Caroline Langrishe, Adrian Lukis, Chase Masterson, Terry Molloy, Phil Mulryne and Camilla Power.

Lucy Fleming and Ian McCulloch
Lucy Fleming and Ian McCulloch

Big Finish reveal cover design for first series of new Survivors audio adventures

Big Finish have updated the listing for the first series of new Survivors audio adventures with the front cover design; which features the character of Daniel Connor (John Banks) alone amidst a scene of desolation, death and fire in front of the Houses of Parliament.

Big Finish - Survivors - series one - cover design