(BBC/Madman)

Riding out the apocalypse with a stiff upper lip

When it comes to doomy, apocalyptic dramas about world-ending catastrophes, Survivors – the classic BBC series from 1975 – proves that they really don’t make ‘em like they used to. The show deals with the after-effects of a plague that wipes out most of the population of Britain and, presumably, the world. A select few people have a natural immunity, and the show’s first season focuses on several of these people – housewife Abby (the gorgeous Carolyn Seymour), young professional Jenny (Lucy Fleming) and engineer Greg (Ian McCullouch) – as they find their way through the devastation, forming the beginnings a new community on an abandoned farm. Without flashy special effects, the show relies on creeping psychological terror, contrasted with the drab realities of life in ‘70s Britain, to build the tension. In the early stages of the plague, even as the streets are jammed with traffic, doctors and patients alike are dropping like flies in the hospitals and sketchy second-hand accounts of the plague – ‘they say a million people are already dead in China’ – are rife, everyone is unfailingly polite and helpful. The bulk of the series juxtaposes the characters’ personal story arcs, like Abby’s search for her lost son, with broader notions like re-establishing law and order in a post-plague world. This box set collects all three series of Survivors, so if you’re in the mood for some vintage ‘70s chills and thrills, check it out.

****

ALASDAIR DUNCAN