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.
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.
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, written by Rich Cross and Andy Priestner, during the Survivors Q&A at the 2025 Romford Horror Festival
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.
IAN McCULLOCH WILL return to the Romford Horror Festival next month, to join a ‘Fulci trio’ of guests for a showing of Zombie Flesh Eaters, and – Survivors: A World Away can reveal – to answer questions from attendees following the screening of two episodes of Survivors.
McCulloch attended the 2024 Romford Horror Festival (aka Horrhiffic) and was interviewed about his role in three celebrated Italian horror films Zombi Holocaust, Contamination – and Zombie Flesh Eaters.
At the 2025 event, which takes place between 27 February and 2 March, McCulloch will be joined (on Saturday 1 March) by Silvia Collatina (best known for her role as Mae in The House by the Cemetery) and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua (who appeared alongside McCulloch in Zombie Flesh Eaters). Both films were directed by the acclaimed Italian horror director Lucio Fulci.
McCulloch will also discuss his work on Survivors (Sunday 2 March) following the screening of two episodes from the show.
After discussion with Ian McCulloch as to his preferences, the festival will screen episode nine from the first series of Survivors (often claimed to be the show’s finest fifty minutes) and episode ten from series three (the latter written by McCulloch himself).
Survivors
Law & Order – In celebration, the gang have a party. Not being used to the effects of alcohol, things get a little out of hand and the gang vote on a suitable punishment for those at fault.
The Last Laugh – Greg, travelling alone, has become paranoid and mistrustful of strangers. Will his fears ultimately be confirmed, and what secrets will he uncover as a result?
– Romford Horror Festival
Zombie Flesh Eaters
Strangers searching for a young woman’s missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately seeks the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.
At the end of the movie stars Ian McCulloch and Ottaviano Dell’Acqua will be part of a live Q&A session with the audience.
To see this movie please purchase a Saturday day pass or Full Festival Pass.
– Romford Horror Festival
Fulci trio
For 2025, fresh from last year’s visit, the legendary Ian McCulloch, star of Zombie Flesh Eaters, Zombie Holocaust, Survivors, Doctor Who and Colditz (to name just a few) is making an epic return!
Previous year’s guest Silvia Collatina, best known as Mae from The House by the Cemetery, is also making a return, and she’s bringing a very special guest with her.
Also starring in Zombie Flesh Eaters is Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, a phenomenal actor with a whopping 106 acting credits and 368 stuntman credits. Ottaviano has a huge cult following with fans of both Italian horror and Giallo. With an outstanding personality, he’s an absolute scream to be with and knows literally everyone in the business.
This trio also has an immense amount of experience working with controversial horror director Lucio Fulci.
Ian and Ottaviano will join us to regale us with stories from Zombie Flesh Eaters straight after a screening of the movie, while Silvia will talk about her life living both by the cemetery and after it.
All three guests will be signing autographs on Saturday 1st March between screenings of the two movies.
Romford Horror Festival. 27 February-2 March 2025. Lumiere Cinema, The Mercury Shopping Centre, Mercury Gardens, Romford RM1 3EE. Festival site | Advance tickets
IAN McCULLOCH’S APPEARANCE AT ROMFORD HORROR FESTIVAL 2025
Saturday 1 March 2025 – Zombie Flesh Eaters screening (1pm, Screen 1), followed by Q&A with Ian McCulloch and Ottaviano del’Aqua
Sunday 2 March 2025 – screening of Survivors episodes Law and Order and The Last Laugh (2pm, Screen 8) followed by a Q&A session with Ian McCulloch
To attend these session, you’ll need to purchase a festival Day Pass (for either the Saturday or the Sunday, or both) at £18.00 per day. A Full Festival Pass, giving you access to the entire festival can also be purchased for £50.00.
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/
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
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.
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
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
BIG FINISH HAVE released a short behind-the-scenes video interview with Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) and Lucy Fleming (Jenny Richards) reflecting on the legacy of Survivors and the pair’s work on the audio series.
Published today (1 October 2024 – Seymour’s 76th birthday), five days after the release of Survivors: New Dawn 4, the interview sees the two actors describe the impact of the original TV series and their pleasure at being able to revisit and continue on audio the storylines of characters they first played almost 50 years ago.
“It’s always fun working for Big Finish,” says Fleming. “It’s just a joy. We’re really lucky to be doing this.” Seymour agrees. “We have a wonderful team. We just love it. We have such a good time.”
Big Finish have made clear that the release of Survivors: New Dawn 4brings to an end the company’s work on the series – after nine boxsets inspired by the events of the original TV series, the four box set New Dawn imprint and three Survivors audio books.
IAN MCCULLOCH HAS today been confirmed as a guest at the Popcorn convention in Sheffield on 10 September 2023.
Ian McCulloch starred as Greg Preston in the BBC’s cult post apocalyptic 70’s TV series Survivors and most recently in Big Finish’s popular audio productions of the series. He had leading roles in the Italian horror films Zombie Flesh Eaters AKA Zombi II (1979) by Lucio Fulci, Zombie Holocaust (1980) by Marino Girolami, and Contamination (1980) by Luigi Cozzi. Zombie Flesh Eaters was originally banned in the UK as part of the 1980s campaign against “Video Nasties”. McCulloch has had supporting roles in studio films such as “Where Eagles Dare (1968) with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, and Cromwell (1970) with Alec Guinness and Richard Harris. In addition, he has appeared in successful independent films, most notably The Ghoul (1975) with Peter Cushing and John Hurt. Ian has also guest starred in many TV series, including: Colditz (1974), Return of the Saint (1978); Hammer House of Horror’s episode “Witching Time” with Patricia Quinn (1980); The Professionals (1980), episode “Mixed Doubles”, in which he played the physical fitness and close quarters combat instructor of Bodie and Doyle; and as Nilson in the Doctor Who, serial “Warriors of the Deep” with Peter Davison (1984).
Popcorn convention
Also confirmed as Popcorn guests are Sarah Sutton, Peter Davison, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham, Madeline Smith, Patricia Quinn and Michael Carter.
Autographs and photo opportunities can be purchased with all guests appearing on the day.
Popcorn describes itself as:
a pop culture festival that gets its geek on for the world of TV, Film, Comics, Literature, Sci-Fi, Horror, Cosplay & Art all under one roof! As well as Special Guests,Q & A panels, there will be autographs, selfies, costume groups, cosplay, a busy marketplace filled with memorabillia & merch! Meet fellow geeks!
Popcorn takes places at the Magna Science Adventure Centre, Magna Way, Templeborough, Sheffield S60 1FD on Sunday 10 September 2023.
Find out more and buy tickets from the Popcorncon.com site.
