Published today – Survivors: Mad Dog (Silver Archive)

Obverse Books - Silver Imprint - Mad Dog - front cover (complete with title typo, corrected in the final version)

A NEW BOOK, offering an in-depth study of the classic third series Survivors episode Mad Dog, is published by Obverse Books today (17 February 2022).

Written by Survivors: A World Away site editor Rich Cross, this latest entry in Obverse Books’ Silver Archive imprint, turns a critical and analytical spotlight on one of the best remembered episodes from the show’s third and final series.


Silver Archive – Survivors: Mad Dog

“Saliva only has to make contact with the skin. Rabies doesn’t even need a scratch. If it’s in the bloodstream, it’s too late.”

Mad Dog (1977) is a standout instalment of the third and final series of the BBC’s post-apocalyptic series Survivors. A touchstone in the series’ switch to a tougher, bleaker sensibility, the episode is rightly remembered for its portrayal of rabies and its gripping chase sequences. But it’s also a story offering fascinating insights into the wider human predicament, which dramatise the tension between optimism and cynicism and between altruism and self-interest. Above all, it’s a story that foregrounds the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world in a fictional post-pandemic Britain.

Rich Cross has published widely about science fiction and genre TV and retains a singular fascination with post-apocalyptic and dystopian television drama.


In an exclusive interview for this site, Rich Cross explains:

“For long-standing, knowledgeable fans of Survivors, I’m sure that there will still be a great deal of new, and hopefully insightful, analysis about one of the best regarded episodes in the show’s entire run. And I’m confident that there is a wealth of new reflections which situates the story of Survivors and of Mad Dog in the cultural, political and social times in which it was made.”

“Even for those able to recite sections of dialogue from the script, and who know each and every location in which the episode was recorded, I’m hopeful that they’ll enjoy discussions about themes and ideas in the drama of Mad Dog that they may not have considered before. That’s something that should enhance their appreciation of the work of writer Don Shaw, director Tristan de Vere Cole, and their talented cast and crew, the next time they rewatch the episode.”

“There’s certainly no requirement to be a ‘Survivors expert’ to enjoy the book, and there’s a great deal in the book that should intrigue fans of 1970s genre television, as well as cultural and political historians of the UK in the 1970s.”


The Obverse Books’ Silver Archive entry Survivors: Mad Dog is available to buy direct from the Obverse Books site – in both print and electronic formats (and in a p&e combo).

Rich Cross. 2022. Survivors: Mad Dog. Obverse Books (Silver Archive), ISBN: 9781913456221, pp.168. https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/sa07-survivors-mad-dog/

Survivors: New Dawn 2 audio box set released today

Survivors: New Dawn 2

BIG FINISH HAVE today (10 February 2022) released new and original Survivors audio box set New Dawn 2.

The press release announcing the release is reproduced below:

The Survivors are Divided!

The horror continues in the post-apocalyptic audio drama, Survivors: New Dawn 2, released today by Big Finish Productions.

Survivors began as a BBC TV series which ran from 1975-77 and followed a community of people fighting for their lives amid a global pandemic known as the Death. Big Finish has produced the official audio continuation since 2014, with original series actors Carolyn Seymour and Lucy Fleming reprising the roles of Abby Grant and Jenny Richards respectively.

This powerful box set picks up from last year’s New Dawn 1, taking place a generation after the outbreak. Abby and Jenny are reunited and determined to track down Dominic Crayle (Gareth Armstrong), the Governor responsible for enslaving Abby.

A hostile divide has formed between those who lived through the Death and those born into the dystopian world. With the addition of a sibling rivalry among opposing leaders Helen Maxwell (Sheena Bhattessa) and Emma Maxwell (Sheetal Kapoor), tension soars.

Survivors: New Dawn 2 is now available to pre-order as a CD box set + download (for just £19.99) or a digital download only (£16.99), exclusively from the Big Finish website.

The world has ended. The Death 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

It’s been twenty years since the Death. Britain has a fledgling government based in Cambridge, and some transport and communications infrastructure has been re-established. International links are being forged, and people are looking to the future with hope. But this new order is more fragile than it appears.

The worst of human nature has survived along with the best. Abby Grant and Jenny Richards have been reunited after fifteen years. They’ve survived tragedy and loss, and now ride north to confront Governor Dominic Crayle with evidence of his crimes.

The three compelling stories in this box set include:

Bad Blood by Lizbeth Myles 

Abby and Jenny are heading north when they’re thrown into the middle of a conflict between two rival factions. Learning someone has tried to assassinate the local Governor, is there anything they can do to prevent further violence and bloodshed? 

When First We Practise to Deceive by Andrew Smith 

Abby and Jenny reach the Zone controlled by Governor Dominic Crayle. He has serious questions to answer, but Crayle will go to any lengths to protect his secrets.

Last Stand by Roland Moore

In the overgrown remains of an abandoned city, a new friend helps Abby and Jenny make a last stand against a determined enemy. 

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

The box set also features new characters, including Helen’s ex-fiance and Emma’s right-hand man Sean Douglas (Sam Stafford), Captain of the Rangers Vanessa Walker (Yasmin Mwanza), Crayle’s worker Perry ‘Pyro’ Bennett (Joshua Riley), and grieving widower Akhil Sarkar (Paul Bazely).

Producer Emma Haigh said: “I’ve really enjoyed working on this box set and seeing the resolution between Abby, Jenny and Dominic Crayle come to life. Survivors often tells dark stories but, in this box set we meet some brave and inspiring characters whose actions open up the stories to a new future.”

Lucy Fleming added: “It’s a good old rollicking adventure! [Jenny and Abby] set off to find out what Dominic Crayle is actually doing which proves to be quite difficult. He is a very good and strong character, played brilliantly by Gareth Armstrong. It makes you realise how wicked people can be.”

Carolyn Seymour said: “Being taken as a slave was incredibly traumatic for Abby and she wants [Crayle] brought to justice so she has to find as much proof as she can.”

Gareth Armstrong added: “When we meet DominicCrayle, we think he’s a good guy who’s going to help our heroines but in fact he’s deeply corrupt and as the story goes on you discover he’s also violent, dangerous, and a thoroughly bad guy. “It was a cracking part! It’s always good to play the bad guy, especially as he pretends to be a good guy as you get the chance to be doubly devious. I enjoyed it hugely.”

Survivors: New Dawn 2is now available to pre-order for just £19.99 (as a CD box set + download) or £16.99 (on download only), exclusively from the Big Finish website. Big Finish listeners can save money by pre-ordering the Survivors: New Dawn 1-2 together in a bundle at £38 (CD + download) or £33 (download only).

Praise for Survivors: New Dawn 1:

“Standards of writing, performance and sound design are as high as ever. This is a strong release in a consistently strong series, and very much recommended.” —We Made This Network

“There’s plenty to enjoy here and by the end of the set, a mission established for the second volume too. Roll on February!” —Indie Mac User

“An introduction to the Survivors ‘new dawn’ that is as enticing as it is unexpected.” —Survivors: Mad Dog

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release. Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule.

The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, butallpurchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.

Big Finish podcast previews Survivors: New Dawn 2

Survivors: New Dawn 2

TODAY’S (6 FEBRUARY 2022) Big Finish podcast previewed the new audio boxset Survivors: New Dawn 2, the concluding part of the New Dawn series due for release later this week.

Sound designer Benji Clifford provides a pithy summary of the premise of Survivors (for those who’ve not encountered the series before now) and, together with co-presenter Nick Briggs, previews some of the behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew that accompany the release.

Survivors: New Dawn 2 is available for pre-order right up to its release date. Survivors: New Dawn 1 is still available in both CD and digital download formats. Both releases can also be ordered as part of a Big Finish bundle.

Big Finish podcast. 2022. 'Annihilated Survivors', 6 February

Big Finish podcast. 2022. ‘Annihilated Survivors’, 6 February. https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/big-finish-podcast-2022-02-06-annihilated-survivors-2630

Big Finish release cover and trailer for New Dawn 2 boxset

Big Finish - Survivors - New Dawn 2 - cover

BIG FINISH HAVE revealed the cover design for the forthcoming Survivors audio boxset New Dawn 2, and released the first audio trailer.

The cover features the characters of Abby Grant (Carolyn Seymour) and Jenny Richards (Lucy Fleming) along with images of new protagonists that will join the second part of the New Dawn series. New Dawn 2 is comprised of three connected stories:

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.

Abby Grant and Jenny Richards face a renewed fight for survival…

2.1 Bad Blood by Lizbeth Myles

Abby and Jenny are heading north when they’re thrown into the middle of a conflict between two rival factions. Learning someone has tried to assassinate the local Governor, is there anything they can do to prevent further violence and bloodshed?

2.2 When First We Practise to Deceive by Andrew Smith

Abby and Jenny reach the Zone controlled by Governor Dominic Crayle. He has serious questions to answer, but Crayle will go to any lengths to protect his secrets.

2.3 Last Stand by Roland Moore

In the overgrown remains of an abandoned city, a new friend helps Abby and Jenny make a last stand against a determined enemy.

Survivors: New Dawn 2 will be released later in February 2022 and is available for pre-order. Survivors: New Dawn 1 is also available in both CD and digital download formats. Both releases can also be ordered as part of a Big Finish bundle.

Survivors: Ghosts & Demons, a new audiobook set in the timeline of the original 1975 TV series, was released as a digital download in November 2021, and is available to purchase from the Big Finish site.

As Roland Moore, the writer of New Dawn 2‘s concluding episode “Last Stand”, observed today on Twitter in response to the New Dawn 2 teasers: “Fabulous cover – and a trailer hinting at a few shocks!”