Survivors press screening, October 2009

With newspapers full of the renewed swine flu pandemic it was more than a little spooky to find ourselves at a press event for Survivors series 2. You’ll recall the first series, a re-imagining of the original Seventies show, began with a killer virus wiping out most of the population so the event, held in a hotel near Great Portland Street in London, couldn’t have been more apt!

There were a few sniffles among the guests but thankfully no face masks in evidence as we settled down to view a montage of clips from episode one. The last series ended on a cliff hanger with Greg (Paterson Joseph) critically ill with a gunshot wound and Abby (Julie Graham) abducted by a sinister helicopter. The action picks up where it left off and there are plenty of thrills in store with high-octane stunt sequences. While the original series focused on the everyday business of coping in a post apocalyptic world, Survivors has upped its game second time round with the emphasis on adventure and sinister storylines.

Unfortunately Max Beesley, who plays dangerous escaped prisoner Tom, was away working in Los Angeles so couldn’t make the interviews but Julie Graham, Paterson Joseph, Zoe Tapper (doctor Anya) and Robyn Addison (Sarah) all made appearances along with Nicholas Gleaves who plays Whittaker from the chilling Lab.

It soon transpired that much of the new series had been filmed in Birmingham, ironically an epicentre for the summer swine flu outbreak, and that the shoot had taken place throughout the panic. A case of life imitating art perhaps!

Series creator Adrian Hodges couldn’t have imagined his show, which won high acclaim and was one of the highest rating dramas of last year, could have been so prophetic, albeit on a lesser scale thankfully. Not surprisingly he’s already full of ideas for a third series if it wins another commission and series two is due to screen early next year.