I Will Survive...

The BBC's new science-fiction thriller Survivors kicked off last night with a double-length episode and continues on Tuesday.

For Rachel, wrapped up on the sofa with a hacking cough (that may well be the tail end of a week of flu), it was all a bit too real and bleak and I'm not sure she'll be joining me for the next episode.

Based on Terry 'I invented The Daleks and Blakes 7' Nation's original 1970s drama, this modern retelling follows the lives of a handful of survivors after a virulent flu-bug wipes out over 90 per cent of the Earth's population in a few days.

For the most part the characters took a very British/stiff-upper-lip approach to this germy apocalypse, not really freaking out but just trying to get on with their lives, convinced that the authorities would sort it all out soon.

Leading the cast is Julie Graham (fresh from the car crash television that was Bonekickers, and no doubt hoping to wipe that from peoples' memories), as Abby Grant, a mum looking for her son who was away on an outward bound adventure holiday when everything hit the fan.

Joining her is Greg Preston, who just wants to be on his own, played by Paterson Joseph, currently the hot favourite to be the new Doctor Who - so Who fans will have another reason to tune in besides the Terry Nation angle.

A couple of other cast members with Doctor Who connections are Shaun Dingwall (aka Pete Tyler, Rose's dad) who appears as Abby's husband and appeared to die in the first episode, and the fantastic Freema Agyeman (aka Martha Jones), as primary school teacher Jenny Collins, who also went MIA (presumed dead) part way through last night's story.

Max Beesley is on hand as sinister escaped convict Tom Price, who still has 20 years to serve on his sentence for some heinous - and as yet unrevealed - crime.

The majority of the characters had met up by the end of the episode and, although they had nothing in common, Abby has convinced them that they would be better off sticking together.

The series runs for five more episodes, but I'm asssuming the story won't be wrapped up in that time and the programme makers intend this to run and run. I'm certainly in for the duration; the show might have been a tad slow in places but it held my interest - especially with the teasing cameo by the "mysterious (and possibly evil) scientists" at the end.

(Video Clip Only Available In The UK)