HAVING RELOCATED TO the USA, in the early 1990s Survivors’ creator Terry Nation considered devising a new American version of the show — which would retell the story of The Death and its aftermath on the other side of the Atlantic. His idea never came close to fruition.

A revival of the show, which was to have been penned and produced by Survivors star and script-writer Ian McCulloch for BBC Scotland, would have been the catalyst for a huge resurgence of interest in the programme, but despite two approaches to the BBC in the mid-1990s the project stalled, and plans for a new series, rejoining the story some twenty years on, were cancelled.

 BBC remake

In August 2006, the Media Guardian web site reported that the BBC was in negotiation with the estate of Terry Nation to produce a new series of Survivors, with the intention of creating a new series of six one hour episodes. On 22 November 2007, the BBC confirmed that Survivors would be returning to BBC One screens late in 2008 or early in 2009.

The first 90-minute episode of the new version of Survivors was transmitted on BBC One at 21:00 on Sunday 23 November 2008; with the second 60-minute episode shown at 21:00 on Tuesday 25 November. The remaining four episodes of the first series were then shown on Tuesday evenings at 21:00 up to and including 23 December 2008.

Prior to the showing of the sixth and final episode of the new Survivors, it was confirmed that a second series had been commissioned and that the programme would return to BBC One screens in 2009.

A second series of Survivors was shown on BBC One and BBC HD in January and February 2010.

On Monday 3 April 2010, the BBC confirmed that the corporation had declined to commission a third series of the new Survivors, bringing the revival of the show to an end after twelve episodes.

Find out more on the unofficial new series blog.

Related pages on this site: More on the 2008-2010 remake of Survivors.

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