Survivors Series 2 (2010)   Starring: Julie Graham, Max Beesley and Paterson Joseph BBC DVD RRP: £24.99 BBCDVD3142 Certificate: 15 Available 22 February 2010

Following the outbreak of a mutant flu virus, 99 per cent of the world’s population have died leaving the remainder bewildered in a world they can no longer control. Following the death of her husband, Abby Grant searches for her son David, convinced that he is still alive, and along the way she meets other survivors. Soon they are together in a group but can they survive in a changed world...?

Survivors: Season Two (2010) is a reimagining of the 1975-1978 series. This current series has been released on a two DVD set. The first, very short, series detailed how Abby got to meet Tom, Greg, Anya, Al, Naj and Sarah. The first series also introduced another reoccurring character in the form of former cabinet minister Samantha Willis, who is trying to bring the order of law back into the country and in turn appears to be creating a society which leans heavily towards fascism.

I was a great fan of the original series and so was looking forward to its return, only to be disappointed. For a start they kept Abby’s search for her son in, an element which I always found annoying, even in the original. Having got the first series out of the way and it having received some critical acclaim series two was announced. Initially this sounded great, do a short first series, see how it goes down and if successful keep making them. So why is the second series also only six episodes.

One of the great things about the original series was the sense of desolation, the cities were full of the dead and the countryside was almost empty. In the new series the need to push the story on quickly means that the cities are full of enterprising survivors whilst in the countryside, people have time to think of government. Nobody seems to have trouble finding food or clean water and the threat of a country so quickly depopulated does not feel convincing.

When series one ended, the show had introduced yet another set of well nourished and organised survivors - scientist who were looking for a cure, a cure they believed they would find in Abby’s blood. With all this going on, and a large central cast, the show cracks on at such a pace that survival seems to be the last of anyone’s worries.

So the second series opens with Abby in the hands of the scientist, Greg has been shot in the chest, Anya and Al are trapped under a building and Naj is as annoying as in the first series. The group quickly sort out these problems and are once again reunited with Abby. There is a quick pass by of the governmental types and an unexpected death of a major character before the problem of the virus and Abby’s son is resolved... sort of. Well, there is the third series to think of.

It’s not that there is anything terribly wrong with the shows in the second series, apart from the lack of time that they afford to looking at what has happened to the world. In this sense the show is more about drama created by the characters interpersonal relationships than it is about what has happened to the world. The cast are pretty good but once again, with so many stories to get through, there is little room left to explore the survivors themselves.

The set contains all six episodes but nothing in the way of extras, which is odd considering the Doctor Who discs which are released. Hopefully, if the second series does well the BBC will extend the number of shows to create a more thoughtful show rather than a roller coaster ride.

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Charles Packer