Survivors
The first episode was very good. It was 1.5 hours and I think the whole think is a two parter, continued on Tuesday. I have no idea if they intend to make any more. Maybe it is being treated as a pilot.
The story followed along similar lines to the original episodes of the original series. Quite a few of the characters were kept as well. So far regulars Abi Grant, Greg Preston, Lucy and Tom Price from the original series have all made an appearance. It followed the original story close enough that I was able to guess which character they were before their names were given. Tom Price is played as more of a psycho this time, the original character was a bit more subtle, more a coward driven to extreme acts by his cowardice. Lucy is played by Freema Agyeman who was Martha Jones in Doctor Who. Most of the other actors are at least recognisable from BBC TV over the last few years. They have also added a few more characters, a rich playboy with a fast car and an eleven year old Muslim boy, the only child to have appeared as a Survivor so far.
So was I happy with it? I think so far my view is very positive. I had my doubts at first but they pulled it through. The original started with a smaller scope, the national and international situation seemed a lot more distant, the characters having to cope with a real lack of information. This one tries to give a glimpse of some of the central government collapse of control, which though only a tiny part of the programme was a bit too much like those docu-dramas they keep showing.
Fortunately the meat of this episode was nothing like that, which was my biggest fear. What it is is a really good re-invention of the original with a less provincial outlook, and they have done a great job. The next episode trail hinted at some more friction building up as the militia start making their land grab.
It's good that people who did not experience the original will find it easier to watch now. I don't think the cast in the new version quite matches that in the original, but that will have been hard to do anyway. It is good to see the BBC tackling some really good genre fiction, rather than taking the cheesy dismissive tone they did in the past. It's post watershed as well, so has no need to be toned down for a teatime audience. For instance, when the playboy offers the kid a lift, the kid asks whether he is a paedophile. So it has some dark humour to go along with the collapse of society.
The story followed along similar lines to the original episodes of the original series. Quite a few of the characters were kept as well. So far regulars Abi Grant, Greg Preston, Lucy and Tom Price from the original series have all made an appearance. It followed the original story close enough that I was able to guess which character they were before their names were given. Tom Price is played as more of a psycho this time, the original character was a bit more subtle, more a coward driven to extreme acts by his cowardice. Lucy is played by Freema Agyeman who was Martha Jones in Doctor Who. Most of the other actors are at least recognisable from BBC TV over the last few years. They have also added a few more characters, a rich playboy with a fast car and an eleven year old Muslim boy, the only child to have appeared as a Survivor so far.
So was I happy with it? I think so far my view is very positive. I had my doubts at first but they pulled it through. The original started with a smaller scope, the national and international situation seemed a lot more distant, the characters having to cope with a real lack of information. This one tries to give a glimpse of some of the central government collapse of control, which though only a tiny part of the programme was a bit too much like those docu-dramas they keep showing.
Fortunately the meat of this episode was nothing like that, which was my biggest fear. What it is is a really good re-invention of the original with a less provincial outlook, and they have done a great job. The next episode trail hinted at some more friction building up as the militia start making their land grab.
It's good that people who did not experience the original will find it easier to watch now. I don't think the cast in the new version quite matches that in the original, but that will have been hard to do anyway. It is good to see the BBC tackling some really good genre fiction, rather than taking the cheesy dismissive tone they did in the past. It's post watershed as well, so has no need to be toned down for a teatime audience. For instance, when the playboy offers the kid a lift, the kid asks whether he is a paedophile. So it has some dark humour to go along with the collapse of society.