Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8474 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-26
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 4
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 643 minutes

Synopsis
A conical flask smashes in a laboratory and a deadly virus escapes into the atmosphere. A number of survivors, seemingly immune to the disease, search each other out. Complete episodes from series one.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant characters, compelling scripts, a winner!
Comforting to know that six months after the apocalypse, the middle classes will still be able to have their highlights done. Right, Abby? This emotional rollercoaster ride was one of the most memorable series of the seventies, alongside I, Claudius and Henry VIII, and has yet to be bettered. It's a dillema whether or not to leave the classics to memory, but I enjoyed it. Some much needed levity is introduced in episodes 7 & 8, the 'favours' scene being a particular favourite. The writers are just softening you up for the harrowing episode 9, though. Tom Price is the best character, I think. Talfryn Thomas's performance in said episode was stunning. Special mention also to Myra Francis for her incendiary performance as Anne.

There are too many directional flourishes to mention, but one striking moment is Anne listening to the sound of the scythe. The outcome is the opposite of the suggestion. Minor quibbles include the statistical unlikelyhood of Charmaine and Arthur, the ducking of the toilet issue when Gregg discovers Vic again, and the mysterious disappearence of Norman and Donnie. Also, the loss of Terry Scully almost cheats Vic out of his revenge. However, his replacement does a creditable job and the tension you can cut with a knife. The quarry seige may be slow by today's standards but overall, Survivors has dated in a positive way.

Special Features:
Interviewer Priestner I took to be a fan of the series and he questions well. There's little guessing his favourite actor. Down, sir, she's a married women. I've got the Abby habit, myself.
Interviewee Ian McCulloch doesn't say much about Gregg which is a pity. Gregg's opening line is enigmatically bitter and amusingly Abby seems to be a continuation of his marrital relationship. There's much humour in the way he evolves from a loner into a family man, against his original intentions. Loved the little touch of putting the little girl on the pony back to front. He's also very grumpy!
Talented Goddess Caroline Seymour still seems to sport the same hairstyle, if dyed. Her objections to episode 9 are puzzling, seeing as it appears to have an anti-capitol punishment message.

There's a nice booklet. Love the picture of Gregg and Jenny in their flares. Play a drinking game as to how many people strike this pose during the entire series.
If you don't mind historical series and have never seen Survivors then plunge in. It's a masterpiece. Arguably, there was no need for another, especially with the exclusion of Caroline Seymour.

The Survivors - revisit it!!!!!
Well! As (only just) 40 year olds, we had frequently said "Do you remember...?" and one of those topics was the TV series "The Survivors"....it seemed to play a significant part of our pre-teens memories - maybe we were just reaching the age of thinking about our mortality in the event of a world disaster(?). We often asked why had series never been repeated on TV, so, when I saw that the DVD was available I just had to buy it, and - YES - watching the DVD was JUST as good as the first time around - OK, it is clearly 1970's ....but the plot and the relationships are so true to life - even for the 21st Century - Lets have Series 2 released as soon as possible!!

More please!
I've bought quite a few DVD's of 70's British television series and in most cases they seem horribly dated and not as good as I remember, but Survivors has aged remarkably well thanks to a combination of good writing and a superb cast.

If Survivors had been made today, the BBC would have probably produced a couple of 90-minute films with either Robson Jerome or Ross Kemp in the lead role and each scene would be accompanied by a slick, orchestral soundtrack. That is the reality of modern television drama. In the 70's the BBC was different. It was committed to making the best drama it possibly could and didn't have to worry about foreign sales or competing with satellite channels. As a result, it could produce drama series that slowly unfolded over a season, giving the characters room to grow. The Survivors is a classic example of the golden age of BBC drama and still has the power to shock. I would warmly recommend it to anyone.

I hope that the second series will be released.