You know, the apocalypse gets a bad rap. In real life people spend their entire lives preparing for and/or desperately trying to avoid the end of the world, but every time it actually comes to pass the world seems better off for it. Oh sure, scarcity is an issue… not to mention lack of basic amenities, running water, electricity and proper medical care… but hey, it sure solves the population problem. (Of course, can it really be an “apocalypse” if there are any survivors?) Plus, the survivors of the apocalypse are inevitably really interesting and generally attractive people who finally get to free themselves from the shackles of 21st Century living and discover what really matters: Food, water, procreation and conspiracies.
Yes, “Survivors” is another series in the grand “Lost” tradition that isolates an unlikely group of heroes (a prisoner, a survivalist, a doctor and a character who just wants to take care of their son amongst them) and gradually introduces an overarching narrative to their daily woes of foraging for resources and fighting off savages. Of course, “Survivors” as a concept predates “Lost” by several decades – the original novel and television series by Terry Nation premiered in the mid-1970’s – and even beat the obviously-similar-but-infinitely-more-popular The Stand to stores by several years. It’s a familiar tale of a world ravaged by a horrifying virus and the very small percent of the population that is miraculously immune to the disease and struggling to give birth to a new society based on either chaos or order.
“Survivors,” as produced by such individuals as Adrian Hodges (“Primeval”) is, despite the distinct sense of déjà vu, a surprisingly engaging bit of science fiction brouhaha. After a strong pilot episode depicting the end of the world (as we know it, at least), the first season gets a little mired in such goings-on as scavenging, pondering such issues as the nature of man, and so forth. It’s not until the vastly-superior Season 2 – also included in the new DVD box set from the BBC – the plot really gets going and the series delves into more interesting multi-part story arcs about the seeds of corruption in the remnants of Britain’s government, and of course a big corporate conspiracy at the heart of everything. And the strong ensemble cast is indeed up to the task, including standout roles for the likes of Max Beesley (“Hotel Babylon”), Phillip Rhys (“Nip/Tuck”) and Julie Graham (“Bonekickers”).
Like “Lost” before it, “Survivors” has trouble integrating stand-alone episodes – like a particularly trite tale about a religious cult that comes to stay at our heroes’ villa – with more compelling storylines that affect every character, and indeed the fate of the world, in equal measure. There are also consistency issues, with plot points revolving around the scarcity of food, water and other supplies arising out of the needs of a specific scene or episode rather than proving a genuine fact of life. But for every nitpick or glossed over plot point there are ideas that elevate “Survivors” to a genuine recommendation, like a genuinely sympathetic character who uses her sexuality for survival and the various psychological repercussions that follow from that choice.
Though not the finest series ever crafted, “Survivors” survives based on the quality of the cast and the gradually increasing quality of the overarching plot. The DVD set contains some special features but mostly boasts a compelling – if very, very familiar – post-apocalyptic storyline that should please most television audiences looking for a new experience now that so many of the new American sci-fi series, like “V” or “Flash Forward” have failed to make much of an impression. Highly recommended, albeit dispassionately.
Long live “Survivors”… I guess…
Crave Online Rating: 8 out of 10
