Audio – Page 11 – Survivors: A World Away

Starburst preview of series five of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures

An illustrated two-page preview of series five of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures appears in the new issue of Starburst magazine (No 430, November 2016). Written by the author of this web site, the features includes commentary from stars Carolyn Seymour, Ian McCulloch and Lucy Fleming, producer David Richardson and script editor Matt Fitton.

Due for release in November 2016, series five of Survivors audios is available for pre-order on the Big Finish web site; where digital download and CD copies of the previous four series, and the audio-rook reading of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, are also available for purchase.

Rich Cross. 2016. ‘The Fourth Horseman Returns’, Starburst, No 430, November, pp.60-61.

The Night of the Triffids on BBC Radio Four Extra

BBC Radio Four Extra is currently broadcasting Simon Clark’s impressive audio adaptation of his 2001 The Night of the Triffids novel, the sequel to John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids, produced by Big Finish in 2014.

Split into five episodes, the final installment will be transmitted on 6 July with all episodes available on the iPlayer (in the UK) until 29 July.

Back in July 2014, Simon spoke to the S:AWA site about his work on the new audio version of his book. Since then, he has written his first script for the Big Finish Survivors range, penning the episode Contact for series two.

Now, why would BBC Radio Four Extra not want to consider broadcasting the very wonderful first few series of Survivors audio adventures too…

Individual episode reviews for Survivors Big Finish series four published

Individual episode reviews for each installment of series four of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures have now been added to our Survivors: Big Finish mini-site. There you’ll find in-depth plot summaries and reviews of:

“The Old Ways” – Ken Bentley
“For the Good of the Cause” – Louise Jameson
“Collision” – Christopher Hatherall
“Forgive and Forget” – Matt Fitton

Lucy Fleming appears in Eastenders and The Archers

Lucy Fleming appeared as Judge Evelyn Heap in BBC One soap Eastenders (31 May 2015), an episode viewable (in the UK) on the BBC iPlayer until 30 June 2016.

In May, Fleming also appeared (alongside her husband Simon Williams) in and episode of BBC Radio 4’s The Archers (6 May 2016) playing Miranda Elliott (while Williams voiced Justin Elliott).

Starburst review of Big Finish Survivors series four

My review of series four of Big Finish’s Survivors audio adventures appears in the online edition of Starburst magazine. It concludes:

Intelligent, literate and superbly scripted and performed, this is post-apocalyptic drama of the highest possible calibre. Determined to avoid the predictable tropes of that genre, it invites its listeners to navigate a moral minefield in a way that few other dramas of this type would attempt. This comes recommended without reservation.

Big Finish commit to series six and seven of Survivors audio dramas

Audio-drama specialists Big Finish have announced a commitment to produce a further two series of original Survivors audio adventures, based in the time and place of Terry Nation’s original 1970s TV show.

Series six will be released in June 2017, with series seven following in November 2017.

The announcements follows the release, earlier this month, of the critically-acclaimed fourth series of Survivors audios. Recording of series five has already completed, and is scheduled for release in November 2016.

All four series released to date, along with the audio-book version of Terry Nation’s 1976 Survivors novel, are available to buy from the Big Finish site. Series five, series six and series seven are available for pre-order.

Big Finish Survivors series four audios released today!

Big Finish have today (9 June 2016) released the fourth series of original Survivors audio dramas. Series four serves up four new stories from writers Ken Bentley, Louise Jameson, Christopher Hatherall and Matt Fitton, and features, amongst a full cast, Ian McCulloch (Greg Preston), Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards), Louise Jameson (Jackie Burchall), Zoë Tapper (Evelyn Piper) and Ramon Tikaram (Theo).

Listen to the series four trailer:

Survivors series four audios – Vortex 88 feature

The imminent release of the fourth series of original Big Finish Survivors audio adventures is covered in a four-page, full-colour feature in the latest issue of the free-to-download Vortex magazine (No 88). In the article, script editor and script writer Matt Fitton reflects:

Survivors is one of the hardest things to do, because it is rooted in the real world and deals with tough issues. You get to ask very moral questions. At the same time, it’s also one of the most rewarding series to work on. It’s always a thrill to go back to the world of Survivors

Kenny Smith. 2016. ‘Begin Again’, Vortex, No 88, pp.12-15. https://www.bigfinish.com/vortex/v/88

Big Finish – Survivors series five – cover art released

Big Finish have published the slipcase cover artwork for the fifth series of Survivors audio adventures, which will be released (in CD and digital download formats) in November 2016.

As well as images of Jenny Richards (Lucy Fleming), Greg Preston (Ian McCulloch) and new character Carol Baker (Neve McIntosh), the series five cover will be the first to feature Abby Grant (Carolyn Seymour).

Series five of Survivors audios can be pre-ordered from the Big Finish site. Series four of Survivors audio adventures will be released later this month, and remains available for pre-order (alongside the previous three series and the Survivors audio-book).

BBC Radio 4 – Dangerous Visions season – dystopia, utopia, post-apocalypse and more…

Following the success of its first run, a new season of original dramas (and selected repeats) begins on BBC Radio 4 today (22 May 2016) on the theme of Dangerous Visions: ‘uneasy reflections of the future’. The season, which run until mid-June, includes dramas with dystopian, utopian and post-apocalyptic settings.

Original highlights include: a new version of John Wyndham’s The Kraken Awakes, a contemporary reimagining of William Morris’ utopian classic News from Nowhere, a two-part adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s chilling dystopian vision Brave New World, and a set of four new short dramas under the title Dark Vignettes.

Dramas being repeated under the Dangerous Visions rubric include: Jane Rogers’ The Testament of Jessie Lamb, Graham White’s adaptation of J G Ballard’s The Drowned World, and Nick Perry’s London Bridge.

See the BBC Radio 4 website for full details of all programmes in the Dangerous Visions season; where there’s also the chance to play the Am I Living in a Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Hinterland? quiz.