DVD Corner

Survivors- The Complete Series 1975-1977 DVD Review

“Survivors” has its fair share of flaws, but it’s still a thought-provoking television series.

Like the recent remake series, “Survivors” follows a group of characters (Abby, Jenny, Greg, Tom, Barney, Vic, Wendy to name a few) who are attempting to survive a world in which a deadly virus (unknowingly carried by a scientist) has been spread throughout the world. Episode plots involve establishing a community, scavenging and trading food and gas, pregnancy, other survivors, armed civilians, farming, murder, animals, trust, religion, medical research center, and electricity. This three season set contains all 38 episodes of the series.

At first glance, it’s obvious that “Survivors” is dated. The pacing is slow, the editing is almost non-existent, and the production values are cheap to say the least. If you can look past that, however, there is much to admire about this series.

First and foremost, this is a deep, serious series that really gives the viewer many points of views as to what it would be like to live in a post-apoc world. We see the effects it has on people, we get a glimpse of people’s mindsets during this period, we see how the world has adjusted and changed to the epidemic, and we see how people react to another while in this new world. Creator/writer Terry Nation does a commendable job in really developing the story and characters in the first season. Unfortunately, he wasn’t involved in seasons two and three and the show suffers as a result. The stories just weren’t up to par and contained too many repetitive ideas/themes when he left. That’s not to say seasons two and three are bad, but they just aren’t as compelling.

Another aspect of “Survivors” that impressed me was that the show took risks and wasn’t afraid to surprise and disturb viewers. Take the episode “Law and Order” for instance. This episode dealt with subjects of rape, lies, trust, law, punishment, and death. The episode really hit home the danger and the sense of distrust of living in this new world. You just wouldn’t see something this harsh, gutsy, and risky on most televison stations today.

Summary: Give the original “Survivors” a rent and skip the new series.

As I reviewed a screener copy, I cannot comment on the audio/video quality of the finished product. I have been told the picture and audio quality is first rate though.

The only extras are TV show trailers, photo galleries and a featurette titled “The Cult Of Survivors” which contains interviews with the cast and crew and discussions about the series.

June 6, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Survivors- The Complete Series 1975-1977 DVD Review