NEW -Survivors (1975) Episode Guide

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70's BBC apocalyptic series, 95% of the world population is wiped out by a virus accidentally let loose from.a laboratory. The survivors in England struggle to rebuild society.
Series 1- 1. THE FOURTH HORSEMAN
A virulent flu bug is spreading through the country like wildfire. Abby Grant (Carolyn Seymour) and her husband David (Peter Bowles) are aware that the flu has reportedly claimed millions of people's lives in China, but they don't think that could happen in England. Abby becomes ill and takes to her bed. Meanwhile Jenny Richards (Lucy Fleming) learns from a doctor that this is no flu bug and that hundreds are now dying. Acting on his advice she flees London for the countryside. Abby wakes days later and fears that she may be the only one left alive...

"Please God, don't let me be the only one" - Abby

 

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2. GENESIS
Survivor Greg Preston, who has just returned from mainland Europe and knows the virus has wiped out the population there, arrives home to find that his wife, Jeanie, has died from the plague. Greg is driving through the countryside when he meets Anne, who begs him to come and help the man she is staying with, Vic, who has been injured. Greg goes with her to the quarry where she has been staying and finds that Vic's legs have been crushed under a fallen tractor. Greg helps the best he can. Meanwhile, Abby arrives at a settlement run by a former Trade Union President, Arthur Wormley, and learns that he has some inside knowledge of the catastrophe from his contacts in the Government. He has set up a small community where he has appointed himself the man in charge of the entire area. At first interested at their intentions, Abby is later appalled when a man branded as a threat to Wormley's group is taken out and shot. Abby flees the house. Greg has driven to the nearest town to get medicine. While there he meets Jenny and takes her into his car after she collapses. En route back to the quarry, they encounter Anne, who tells Greg that Vic is dead, and after initially travelling with them, she leaves. Greg and Jenny see smoke and aim for it. It leads them to Abby, who has now set herself up in an abandoned church with the aim of starting a self-sufficient community.

 

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3. GONE AWAY
Abby, Jenny and Greg drive to the nearest large supermarket to stock up on food. While there, they come up against some armed men who are working on Wormley's behalf. The men threaten to shoot them if they take the food and insist they sign up at the community. Abby refuses, and her group manages to overcome the men and escape. Arriving back at the church they find a tramp, Tom Price, has taken shelter at their house. He agrees to join them and help. He tells them of a young boy he encountered who Abby hopes may be her son. Abby, Greg and Jenny go to find him but discover he is dead, but is not Abby's son. While away, Wormley's men have discovered their base and wait for their return. Tom agrees to join their settlement, and they begin trashing Abby's group's possessions. Abby, Jenny, and Greg return, but one of Wormley's men warns them not to enter the church, so the trio waits in the dark until the gang leaves. Fearing for their safety they leave the area the next day, with Abby vowing to continue searching for her son.

 

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4. CORN DOLLY
Abby, Jenny and Greg are driving towards Abby's home town of Brimpsfield, looking for her son. At a petrol station they find posters for a nearby settlement. They run across settlement members, Charles and Loraine, who themselves have just found a young boy, Mick. Greg, Abby, and Jenny decide to accompany them to Maredell before deciding whether to join forces. On arrival, they discover that many in the settlement have become mortally ill from poisoned fish. They soon learn that Charles is obsessed with repopulating the earth and is trying to impregnate as many women as possible to achieve this goal. His intentions now turn to Abby, who is horrified. The trio leaves the following day

 

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5. GONE TO THE ANGELS
While Abby goes to her son's school, Jenny and Greg run across two small children, John and Lizzie, who have been living in the home of John's dead grandmother. When they all go up to the school to meet Abby, the children tell them about a bus full of school children who have gone up to Derbyshire, "where the angels are". They all take off to the area and find a house to stay in, but Greg is accidentally shot by a man who took shelter there, Lincoln, who's given Greg a minor flesh wound. The man tells the group that armed men calling themselves "The British Government" recently came, taking many of his supplies. Abby leaves on her own and finds the "angels," three religious men who have isolated themselves in the hills. Later, when Jenny, Greg, and the children set out to follow Abby, Lincoln takes Lizzie hostage, but she is saved by her dog. The group leaves Lincoln behind and rejoins Abby at the "angels'" cabin. However, the men quickly become ill, and they realise Abby has brought the plague with her and infected them. The five travellers leave after the three men have died.

 

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6. GARLAND'S WAR
Abby becomes separated from Jenny and Greg and rescues a man called Jimmy Garland (Richard Heffer) who is waging his own personal war against a man called Knox (Peter Jeffrey). Garland is heir to the Waterhouse estate that Knox has taken over and he wants it back so he can lead the community that has started there. Abby is captured by Knox and he tries to convince her that Garland has aggravated the situation and that he is willing to co-operate...

 

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7. STARVATION
A young woman called Wendy (Julie Neubert) and an old woman called Emma (Hana Maria Pravda) have foraged since 'the death' but are now going hungry. Wendy meets Tom Price (Talfryn Thomas) and steals his food. Abby meanwhile rescues Emma from a pack of wild dogs, whilst Greg, Jenny and the children draw them off in their minibus. Tom wants his revenge on Wendy but doesn't reckon on Abby's presence. Meanwhile Greg and the others arrive at a deserted country grange, which may be just the place they need...

 

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8. SPOIL OF WAR
With a community now numbering nine people, Abby, Jenny and Greg begin working the land in an attempt to begin growing crops, while the others take on various chores around the manor. A man, Paul Pitman, arrives and tells them he knows about farming and tells them their methods are futile, but he can help. They need seeds and tractor parts. Greg remembers that Vic Thatcher, whom he had helped earlier, had a working tractor. Greg, Tom, Barney and Paul go to Vic's quarry to see what they can get there. On arriving they are repeatedly shot at but manage to get through to find that Vic is still alive, although his legs are completely crushed. Vic tries to kill Greg for abandoning him and taking away his woman, until Greg explains what really happened. Vic agrees to let them take the equipment and food he has stored, and he accompanies them back to the manor. Meanwhile, two more people, Arthur and Charmian, have joined the community.

9. LAW AND ORDER
It's May Day, and Abby decides that the community should celebrate with a party, including alcohol. During the party, Tom gets very drunk and later attempts to sexually assault Wendy, chasing her up the stairs and into her room. During a struggle, he stabs and kills her. Shocked at the discovery of Wendy's body the next morning, the others notice that Barney is acting strangely, and put Barney on trial. The nine other adults in the community hold a vote on whether Barney is guilty or not guilty of killing Wendy. They come to the conclusion by six votes to three that Barney is guilty (Abby, Greg, Paul, Vic, Arthur and Charmian vote for guilty, while Jenny, Emma and Tom vote for not guilty). After the guilty verdict, they then hold another vote on whether Barney should be banished from the community or executed. They vote by 5 votes to 4 that Barney be executed (Abby, Greg, Paul, Vic and Arthur vote for execution, while Jenny, Emma, Tom and Charmian vote for banishment). Greg pulls the short straw, and Greg takes Barney outside and shoots him dead.

 

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10. THE FUTURE HOUR
A pregnant young woman called Laura arrives at the grange, seeking shelter from her partner, a man called Huxley, who wants her back but doesn't want her unborn child. Abby and Greg argue as to whether she should be allowed to stay. When John and Lizzie unknowingly give away the fact that Laura is staying at the grange, Huxley embarks on a series of reprisals until the community agrees to give up Laura to him...

 

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11. REVENGE
After Vic attempts suicide, the others discuss how depressed he has become and set about finding useful tasks to give him a sense of purpose, such as teaching the children. Additionally, Greg and Paul go to a nearby town and find Vic a proper wheelchair. Two people turn up at the manor driving a tanker full of petrol. One is a young man, Donny, the other is Anne - the woman who had left Vic to die. Vic tells the others what she did, and Abby decides that Donny can stay but Anne must leave in the morning. That night, Anne attempts to kill Vic, who in turn also tries to kill her in anger.

12. SOMETHING OF VALUE
A man, Robert Lawson, arrives at the manor for shelter and the group agree he can stay. During the night he looks around and soon finds the tanker of petrol. After a heavy downpour, the others find that the crops have been washed out and the store of food in the cellar has been flooded and destroyed. They decide that the petrol is very valuable and decide to trade it to a nearby community for food and seed. Meanwhile, Lawson has met up with two friends and tells them of the tanker. They return to the manor to get it, but Greg has already left with it. They follow, but after a failure of the brakes, Greg has parked it in a barn. The three men find him, steal the tanker, and drive away, speeding down a hill.

 

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13. A BEGINNING
The group are becoming irritable with each other after trading their petrol for some seed which turns out to be bad, and a fox has killed their chickens. Abby, tired of her role as the leader, retreats and talks it over with Jenny, who reveals she is pregnant with Greg's child. A wandering group arrives and requests shelter for a sick woman they are carrying. The group says they were driven from their land by a large band of thieves roaming the area. Greg and the others in his group agree to contact other settlements so they can band together and form an alliance against similar attacks. Abby meanwhile, needing some peace, leaves the settlement to seek out Jimmy Garland, and stays with him in his house. Back at the settlement, the sick girl, Ruth, recovers and tells them she was a medical student; she mentions that she was staying on a barge with some other people, one of whom was a boy named Peter Grant. Abby returns the next day with Jimmy. Jenny rushes out to tell her the news that her son is still alive.

 

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Series 2. 1. BIRTH OF A HOPE
It is deep midwinter, and Abby has gone to reunite with her son. The manor burns down, and several of the group are killed. The survivors move on to a new settlement led by Charles Vaughan. Jenny is about to have Greg's baby, and he goes in search of Ruth to help with the delivery. Meanwhile, Charles and Greg talk about furthering their community for the future and working to become completely self-sufficient. Ruth is found as Jenny goes into labour.

2. GREATER LOVE
Jenny has had a baby boy, whom she is naming David. However, she falls ill. Ruth examines her and makes a list of needed medical supplies. Paul agrees to go to the nearest big-city hospital (in Birmingham) to collect it. He returns with the items but is feeling feverish. Ruth isolates him and realises he has contracted the bubonic plague. To prevent the disease from spreading through the community she gives him a lethal injection and burns down the barn he was held in. Jenny, whose health has improved, decides to rename her baby Paul.

 

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3. LIGHTS OF LONDON part 1
Ruth is tricked into traveling to a nearby settlement by 2 visitors who tell her Abby is sick, when she arrives she is informed she has been chosen by a hard pressed doctor to assist in running a hospital in London. When she arrives, the city is suffering from a disease called the 'London sickness' and is also plagued by aggressive rats. Ruth is taken to the hospital where she helps to nurse to victims. The doctor plans to move the population of the city to the Isle of Wight, but the site leader Emmanuel (Manny) is keeping something secret.

4. LIGHTS OF LONDON part 2
Greg and Charles are rescued and taken to the community. They find Ruth, who explains that the 500 are planning to move to the Isle of Wight to set up a new life in a clean environment. They soon discover, however, that Manny has no intention of moving them and wants to stay in London as the ruler. He tells Greg and Charles to go, but Ruth must stay. Ruth decides to return to the country with Greg and Charles, and they try to make an escape with Manny in close pursuit. Manny is shot by one of his enemies and Greg, Charles and Ruth leave London.

 

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5. FACE OF THE TIGER
Tensions among the group are rising as the workload increases. A seemingly gentle man, Alistair, arrives and joins the group. Hubert, meanwhile, is feeling hard-done by and insists on better living accommodations until he discovers that Alistair is a convicted child killer named Andrew. The others question "Alistair," who admits his crime and says that he has been rehabilitated. Hubert, however, spreads panic among the others and Alistair volunteers to leave.

6. THE WITCH
The sometimes-eccentric Mina lives on the edge of the Whitecross community, and is often considered something of an odd character. When several misfortunes affect the settlement, long-dormant superstitions revive and Mina find herself accused as a 'witch', and the apparent cause of the community's new ills. Events escalate as a jilted Hubert makes further accusations. Matters reach a fever pitch, and Mina is confronted by hysterical accusers, before common sense and rationality are finally restored at Whitecross.

 

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7. A FRIEND IN NEED
Charles and Greg hold a meeting at Whitecross with leaders of nearby settlements to try to come to some co-operative agreements. The event is interrupted by the news that the wife of one of the leaders has been shot and killed by a sniper. It is soon learned that the sniper targets young women and seems to be traveling towards Whitecross. Jenny bravely volunteers to act as bait to bring the sniper out into the open.

8. BY BREAD ALONE
One of the community members, Lewis, reveals himself to be a parson and he is interested in starting Sunday services. Many other community members, including Jenny, express opposition to this, with the view that religion is a waste of time now. However, despite their workload, the group gradually comes round to the idea and attends the first service.

 

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9. THE CHOSEN
Returning home from a trip to retrieve salt, Pet and Charles encounter two young and vulnerable travellers. When both fall seriously ill, the pair call at a local settlement for assistance, but encounter a reluctant reception. Eventually given hospitality in return for badly-needed salt, Charles and Pet learn discover that this is a deeply ideological community run according to strict social and political codes. When Charles tries to win over the community, a long-planned putsch is put into effect, and the ruling Kershaw is deposed by his deputy. A chastened Charles and Pet head back to Whitecross.

 

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10. PARASITES
Mina encounters the personable bargee John Millen, and an immediate mutual attraction is evident. But when the barge arrives at Whitecross, is it being piloted by a gruff pair of young men, Grice and Kane (a prisoner and a prison warder) who adopt an increasingly threatening manner. As suspicions grow, Mina discovers the murdered corpse of Millen and confronts the pair with the truth. Grice and Kane take John and Lizzie hostage and flee in the barge, but they fall victim to wood-alcohol poisoning and, shortly after the children escape, the barge explodes.

11. NEW ARRIVALS
Ruth brings to Whitecross a small group of young people, who've escaped the effects of an aggressive strain of flu that has devastated their own community. Their leader, Mark, has an agricultural degree and much experience in farming, and offers them advice, some of which can help the community improve their farming methods. The flu bug soon breaks out at Whitecross, killing Arthur, and infecting Mina and Peggy. It soon becomes apparent that Mark is an overbearing leader and aims to take over the farming aspect of the community completely. A debate is organised and Charles and Mark differ on their leadership skills.The others vote against Mark, and he leaves.

 

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12. OVER THE HILLS
When Sally falls pregnant, Charles is delighted at the news and determined to convince her that she is a role model for the other young women of Whitecross. Sally longs for a settled domestic partnership with the father, but both he and her compatriots try to dissuade such thinking as outmoded and out of place. As Charles plans a midsummer party to celebrate the impending birth, Sally begins to doubt the wisdom of being a young mother in the post-Death world. Charles is appalled to learn that Ruth has been working on new methods of contraception, and that Melanie has been encouraging the other young women to rely on the rhythm method to avoid pregrancy. For Charles, these women have a duty to the human race to give birth. After the party, Sally forces herself to miscarry and loses the baby. A despondent Charles is forced to acknowledge that the issues of who controls a woman's fertility and her reproductive rights have not simply been set aside by the need to re-populate the world anew.

 

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13. NEW WORLD
A hot air balloon crash lands at the community. The pilot is killed, while his daughter wanders about in a nearby forest. Greg and the others go to investigate. The girl, Agnes, is found and explains that they have come from Norway. There, they have a working factory, manufacturing tools, and equipment, but little food. Much to Jenny's distress, Greg is keen to investigate and trade with them. After getting the balloon back in working order he accompanies Agnes on her return to Norway.

 

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Series 3. 1. MANHUNT
Having received a message from Greg, Charles and Jenny go to his last known location. Arriving there, they find a military-run community which appears hostile. Believing Greg is being held captive, they search for him but are locked up. Jenny escapes and shoots a guard, while Charles learns that it is actually a medical research centre, and the military aspect is a facade to ward off looters. They leave with an agreement to trade food for medicine.

2. A LITTLE LEARNING

Greg and Agnes meet the redoubtable figure of Mrs Butterworth, who tells them of a nearby raiding party of Red Indians. When Greg investigates he discovers that the raiders are a community of children, who live completely independent of adults. Initially held captive, Greg is later released by the community's young leader Eagle, who reveals that the community is suffering from a devastating illness. Jenny meanwhile has fallen into company with traders Millar and Mackintosh, who it transpires have inadvertently sold the children infected rye. When Greg pieces together thecause of the children's illness, he compels Millar and Mackintosh to make amends to the settlement and to continue to respect its independence. The penitent traders agree, but they continue to withhold information from Jenny about Greg's whereabouts in the hope that she might agree to stay with them. Jenny and Greg narrowly miss meeting up for a second time.