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Axed: Survivors

The BBC decides not to renew its futuristic drama for a third season.

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The BBC has opted not renew its futuristic drama Survivors after two series.

The remake series, which recently aired in Australia on Nine, topped 6.5 million people for the first season but the second series, which finished last month, was less well received by some critics.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “The BBC is committed to making a broad range of varied and ambitious drama, but in order to achieve this we do have to move on from some pieces in order to allow new work to come through.

“After two series Survivors will not be returning.”

Ben Stephenson, the controller of BBC drama, had warned this year that some popular series will have to be cut if fresh and distinctive new dramas are to be given an airing. Just like The Bill on ITV….

The version that ran on Nine compressed episodes of the series into a shorter run.

It is yet to indicate if it will air the second season.

Source: Guardian

15 Responses

  1. I just found out from a friend that she had found out that there was a remake of the survivor series from 1970s I was thrilled as we all loved the 1st one and had always thought they should do a remake.
    i was so looking forward to watching it only to find its not on anymore. I really hope that it is reconsidered and put back on and not as has been mentioned with bits cut out of it. It is certainly a show that needs to be shown in its entirety to make sense Last time I believe it was shown on the ABC.
    It was a very thought provoking show that made you think about what it would be like if we no longer had access to things we take for granted.
    If they do put it back on I hope they do more promotion of it so I at least know it is on

  2. Some of the episodes were awful, it seemed to jump around between storylines without any flow so at least now I understand why.

    There has been much discussion on ABC forums about the “editing” of BBC programs such as Ashes to Ashes. The explanation given was that the BBC supplies an international version already shortened. Allowing for extra editing for the ads on Nine may explain some of the problems but not all.

    David, can you confirm about BBC international versions being quite different to what screens in the UK? Maybe I should just wait to get the 2nd season on dvd.

  3. Any chance of ABC2 rescuing this series like they did with Torchwood and Gavin and Stacey? It would go well with Being Human, new Torchwood etc.

    I did record the whole thing, but deleted it all after hearing about Nine’s editting/butchering. It’s a shame because I had waited so long for it too.

  4. I can imagine it’s an expensive series to produce. Quite a large regular cast, and whole swathes of cities having to be dressed to look abandoned and damaged, either through set dressing or vfx.

    A shame. I found it compelling.

  5. d@gp: “Each episode ran for 58 mins on BBC before 9 Butchered each of their 2 episode blocks down to 1 hour and 40 minutes”

    It was hardly a two episode block because I noticed with the last screening it actually consisted of the second half of episode 4 then followed by the last two episodes of the season.

    Very grateful to a friend of mine for giving me the first season DVD (UK) release last year as it had remove the necessity for me watching the butchered version on 9.

  8. @ Secret Squirrel, the second season was much better than the first, and was compelling viewing. What Nine did to the first season made it unwatchable and at time incomprehensible.

  9. @s@gp: Nine chopping out big chunks wouldn’t have helped but it was pretty darn ordinary anyway. The script was quite derivative, the conversation unnatural, and the acting was hyperbolic. The were big holes in the script, which is always a let down in a science-related drama, and it stretched credulity (mine anyway) too much for me to give it another look.

  10. Wow, this is very disappointing news. The second season ends with both a resolution and a cliffhanger, so they were clearly hedging their bets on a third season.

  12. The last episode 9 broadcast was a joke. Whole scenes missing and people chasing others for no apparant reason. I thought IQ was playing up again. That’s the last time I watch a series on 9, including Underwatsits.

  14. “Compressed” episodes? “Compressed”???
    Each episode ran for 58 mins on BBC before 9 Butchered each of their 2 episode blocks down to 1 hour and 40 minutes.
    That time included9’s 20 mins per hour of ads and promo content.
    100 mins – @ 30 mins = @ 70 mins. 70 mins from 116 mins = @ 45 mins AWOL.
    No wonder it didn’t get a following in Australia. It was slaughtered.

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