Playlist: Survivors (Series 1)

As with most things British, a little history is in order. Survivors is based on the 1976 novel by Terry Nation, which itself was based on the 1975 BBC series of the same name. So, it's not a remake in the traditional sense, though it really is. All three are about a band of people who, well, survive a massive global flu pandemic. 99% of the human race massive. Which still leaves almost 70 million people. 50,000 of which would proportionately be in England, which at approximately 242,000 sq. km would result in roughly 1 person every 5 km. All of which means nothing to me since I have no idea what a km is. However, I would like it noted that I did not look any of that up.

This is a realistic post-apocalypse, so no zombies or Thunderdomes. And that's a nice change of pace because, really, what would you do if you were left nearly alone in a world that was basically intact? No, really, what? It's a good question. Okay, I know you would resort to cannibalism eventually because of course you would, but what would you do at first? The main characters (all seemingly immune to the fatal disease) here choose the safety of others and form an alliance of companionship. There are only 6 episodes, but it's enough to discover that not everyone else who's still around shares their view (at least not the different groups they meet each show). Of course, there is an overarching conspiracy in play, perfect for the finale cliffhanger. Overall, though, I had trouble bonding with the characters. It took me halfway through the season to remember everyone's name, even my supposed favorite, Zoe Tapper's Anya. There's a good story here, but not necessarily told in a captivating way.

What this brought to mind was the 1983 TV movie, The Day After. I wasn't allowed to watch it when it first aired because there was this campaign to warn parents about emotionally scarring their kids. Remember, this was the height of Rambo Reagan's Red Scare. And while that sounds a lot like a marketing angle, it wasn't without merit. It was chilling even years later when I finally saw it. Truth may or may not be stranger than fiction, but it's usually scarier.