What do you think?
Rate this book
Survivors #3
Survivors: Series Three Box Set
It begins with just a few people falling ill. Another flu virus that spreads around the globe. And then the reports begin that people are dying…
When most of the world's population is wiped out, a handful of survivors are left to pick up the pieces.
Cities become graveyards. Technology becomes largely obsolete. Mankind must start again…
1: Cabin Fever by Jonathan Morris
After weeks of searching for her son across a devastated Britain, Abby Grant and her allies head into London in pursuit of new leads. One of the party is quarantined, holed up with a fever. They remember the very first days of the Death, and the actions of a man called John Vincent…
2: Contact by Simon Clark
A lonely voice on the radio calls out across the ether. Maddie Price is a long way from home, but not yet ready to give up hope.
3: Rescue by Andrew Smith
When his friends' lives hang in the balance hundreds of feet above London, Jimmy Garland leads a daring rescue mission into the capital.
4: Leaving by Matt Fitton
Down on the coast, plans are being made to reach out across the world. It could mean a new beginning for some, and the long-awaited chance to return home for others.
NOTE: Survivors contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Cast
Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Richard Heffer (Jimmy Garland), Chase Masterson (Maddie Price), John Banks (Daniel Conner), Fiona Sheehan (Molly), Andrew French (Dalton Roberts), Paul Thornley (John Vincent), Damian Lynch (Marcus), Miranda Raison (Janet), Lisa Bowerman (Gloria), Christopher Hatherall (Tyler), James Joyce (Jonathon), Louisa Clein (Pam), John Voce (Walter)
When most of the world's population is wiped out, a handful of survivors are left to pick up the pieces.
Cities become graveyards. Technology becomes largely obsolete. Mankind must start again…
1: Cabin Fever by Jonathan Morris
After weeks of searching for her son across a devastated Britain, Abby Grant and her allies head into London in pursuit of new leads. One of the party is quarantined, holed up with a fever. They remember the very first days of the Death, and the actions of a man called John Vincent…
2: Contact by Simon Clark
A lonely voice on the radio calls out across the ether. Maddie Price is a long way from home, but not yet ready to give up hope.
3: Rescue by Andrew Smith
When his friends' lives hang in the balance hundreds of feet above London, Jimmy Garland leads a daring rescue mission into the capital.
4: Leaving by Matt Fitton
Down on the coast, plans are being made to reach out across the world. It could mean a new beginning for some, and the long-awaited chance to return home for others.
NOTE: Survivors contains adult material and is not suitable for younger listeners.
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Cast
Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant), Richard Heffer (Jimmy Garland), Chase Masterson (Maddie Price), John Banks (Daniel Conner), Fiona Sheehan (Molly), Andrew French (Dalton Roberts), Paul Thornley (John Vincent), Damian Lynch (Marcus), Miranda Raison (Janet), Lisa Bowerman (Gloria), Christopher Hatherall (Tyler), James Joyce (Jonathon), Louisa Clein (Pam), John Voce (Walter)
4 pages, Audio CD
First published November 1, 2015
About the author
Jonathan Morris
210 books72 followersJonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and popular writers of Doctor Who books, including the highly-regarded novels 'Festival of Death' and 'Touched by an Angel' and the recent guide to monsters, 'The Monster Vault'. He has also written numerous comic strips, most of which were collected in 'The Child of Time', and audios for BBC Audio and Big Finish, including the highly-regarded comedies 'Max Warp' and 'The Auntie Matter', as well as the adaptation of Russell T Davies’ 'Damaged Goods'.
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2018
I am really looking forward to listening to this audiobook as the others in the series have been brilliant.
Update. I have just finished listening to this audiobook and this is the third in the series for me.
It really makes you think what would happen if a virus was to just leave a handful of people to build a new civilisation. Considering about Ebola that killed so many people and how we are becoming immune to antibiotics, it is a small but frightening possibility.
Would it be a case of the strongest surviving during a period of looting and devastation.
No hospitals, doctors and a total lack of leadership apart from those who forcibly take charge.
Then you start to wonder if you would really want to be a part of this new world with your family no longer with you. It's a very bleak and frightening picture when you start to think about the possibilities you might encounter.
This audiobook was free from my local library website and I am hoping they might add another to the series.
The narration was absolutely brilliant with multiple narrator's that really made the listening enjoyment for me. Absolutely brilliant and deserves more than five stars.
Update. I have just finished listening to this audiobook and this is the third in the series for me.
It really makes you think what would happen if a virus was to just leave a handful of people to build a new civilisation. Considering about Ebola that killed so many people and how we are becoming immune to antibiotics, it is a small but frightening possibility.
Would it be a case of the strongest surviving during a period of looting and devastation.
No hospitals, doctors and a total lack of leadership apart from those who forcibly take charge.
Then you start to wonder if you would really want to be a part of this new world with your family no longer with you. It's a very bleak and frightening picture when you start to think about the possibilities you might encounter.
This audiobook was free from my local library website and I am hoping they might add another to the series.
The narration was absolutely brilliant with multiple narrator's that really made the listening enjoyment for me. Absolutely brilliant and deserves more than five stars.
June 21, 2016
I listened to this a year after it came out. I think I enjoyed it much more because I waited as the bad guy in this is exactly the worst of all the leave campaginers. It felt very timely with a man wanting to turn his back on Europe, anti-immigration, spouting racist bullshit. I think if I'd listened to it a year ago it would have seemed a bit far fetched. Now it seems more relevant than ever.
The stories in this were superb. A wonderful chilling recounting of the first days of the plague on a ferry boat which set up the main antagonist beautifully. Then two stories in the now of London, which had turned into a proper nightmare. Then the last story with people wanting to take a boat to America to escape.
Big finish are doing wonderful things with this series and I can't wait to listen to part four.
The stories in this were superb. A wonderful chilling recounting of the first days of the plague on a ferry boat which set up the main antagonist beautifully. Then two stories in the now of London, which had turned into a proper nightmare. Then the last story with people wanting to take a boat to America to escape.
Big finish are doing wonderful things with this series and I can't wait to listen to part four.
October 17, 2023
1: Cabin Fever by Jonathan Morris - 5/5 Stars
Great opening story that jumps back to the start of the Death and shows where Molly (previous sets new character) was during that time. The twist where the woman's dog that got killed where it wasn't a dog and was... something else was genuinely shocking.
2: Contact by Simon Clark - 5/5 Stars
3: Rescue by Andrew Smith - 4/5 Stars
4: Leaving by Matt Fitton - 4/5 Stars
The rest of the set is basically one 3 hour story where the villain from the first story returns months later as a leader of a group and is an oppressive force that drives the stakes up and up.
The reintroduction of Maddie, the American lady from the first set, and her story of her getting to go on a boat to go back to the US is thrilling. (Although I've looked ahead and it doesn't look like they've picked up that storyline again and I would love to see if Maddie actually made it to the US or not).
With Maddie going back to the US, each of the three stories has a male character say they'll go with her only to die horrifically in the story. In Contact and Rescue it's fine since those characters and new unique characters that are only in this set. However, in Leaving, Daniel says he'll go to America with Maddie. We've been following Daniel's story since the first story in the first set. And it was made pretty clear within the episode Rescue when they started revealing more personal stuff about Daniel as a character that he was going to be a casualty in this set. Leaving has him heroically take out the xenophobic villain of the set in an explosion.
Overall this set is the best one so far.
Great opening story that jumps back to the start of the Death and shows where Molly (previous sets new character) was during that time. The twist where the woman's dog that got killed where it wasn't a dog and was... something else was genuinely shocking.
2: Contact by Simon Clark - 5/5 Stars
3: Rescue by Andrew Smith - 4/5 Stars
4: Leaving by Matt Fitton - 4/5 Stars
The rest of the set is basically one 3 hour story where the villain from the first story returns months later as a leader of a group and is an oppressive force that drives the stakes up and up.
The reintroduction of Maddie, the American lady from the first set, and her story of her getting to go on a boat to go back to the US is thrilling. (Although I've looked ahead and it doesn't look like they've picked up that storyline again and I would love to see if Maddie actually made it to the US or not).
With Maddie going back to the US, each of the three stories has a male character say they'll go with her only to die horrifically in the story. In Contact and Rescue it's fine since those characters and new unique characters that are only in this set. However, in Leaving, Daniel says he'll go to America with Maddie. We've been following Daniel's story since the first story in the first set. And it was made pretty clear within the episode Rescue when they started revealing more personal stuff about Daniel as a character that he was going to be a casualty in this set. Leaving has him heroically take out the xenophobic villain of the set in an explosion.
Overall this set is the best one so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2026
2.4 out of 5 stars
In the original Survivors Terry Nation created one of the best and most thought-provoking dystopian worlds on television. Big Finish did a good job with Series 1, with a slight decay in Series 2. But both series still seemed believable extensions of the Terry Nation stories. It has to be hard work to take such a brilliant universe of stories and characters and manage to drag them down to mediocrity.
Unfortunately, series 3 of Survivors manages to do just that. How? By using the standard 21st century method -- employ de riqueur politically correct virtual signaling and box-checking. Setting up stereotypical straw men for use as bad guys -- in contrast to the complex variety of villains in the original TV series.
The result is a shadow of the original show. Not even classic characters Jimmy Garland and Abby Grant can save this series. As with most modern TV, film, and literature -- a previous time period is re-interpreted so that it now exists as modern narrow-minded prejudices think that it SHOULD have been, rather than what it actually was.
Overall, it is a middling effort.
In the original Survivors Terry Nation created one of the best and most thought-provoking dystopian worlds on television. Big Finish did a good job with Series 1, with a slight decay in Series 2. But both series still seemed believable extensions of the Terry Nation stories. It has to be hard work to take such a brilliant universe of stories and characters and manage to drag them down to mediocrity.
Unfortunately, series 3 of Survivors manages to do just that. How? By using the standard 21st century method -- employ de riqueur politically correct virtual signaling and box-checking. Setting up stereotypical straw men for use as bad guys -- in contrast to the complex variety of villains in the original TV series.
The result is a shadow of the original show. Not even classic characters Jimmy Garland and Abby Grant can save this series. As with most modern TV, film, and literature -- a previous time period is re-interpreted so that it now exists as modern narrow-minded prejudices think that it SHOULD have been, rather than what it actually was.
Overall, it is a middling effort.
June 4, 2021
The sound design on these releases is incredible. Big Finish are a class apart.
Survivors, when in came along in 1975, was the latest in a tradition of British post-apocalyptic fiction that began with War of the Worlds and continued through Day of the Triffids. Since then, the tradition continued to bring us Threads in 1984, The Last Train in 1999, 28 Days Later in 2002 and (in my opinion) the denouement piece - Children of Men in 2006. The intervening period between 1975 and now has had an influence of these Survivors audios. I can hear 28 Days Later in the characterisation and focus - the freneticism, the intensity, the depravity, even the post-modernity. While I can visualise Abby and Jimmy, and Greg and Jenny, perfectly as they were, complete with 70s hair and fashions, I 'see' them in mini-DV, not the original 16mm (location) and videotape (studio). Vinnie is closer to Mitchell from 28 Days, than he is George Baker from Survivors.
This series is just wonderful, and I'm obsessed with it.
Survivors, when in came along in 1975, was the latest in a tradition of British post-apocalyptic fiction that began with War of the Worlds and continued through Day of the Triffids. Since then, the tradition continued to bring us Threads in 1984, The Last Train in 1999, 28 Days Later in 2002 and (in my opinion) the denouement piece - Children of Men in 2006. The intervening period between 1975 and now has had an influence of these Survivors audios. I can hear 28 Days Later in the characterisation and focus - the freneticism, the intensity, the depravity, even the post-modernity. While I can visualise Abby and Jimmy, and Greg and Jenny, perfectly as they were, complete with 70s hair and fashions, I 'see' them in mini-DV, not the original 16mm (location) and videotape (studio). Vinnie is closer to Mitchell from 28 Days, than he is George Baker from Survivors.
This series is just wonderful, and I'm obsessed with it.
April 3, 2022
At times this is quite dark, but it's a really suspenseful set of stories.
December 4, 2022
Brilliant production .. hate Vinnie and I am sad for the people who died 😢
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews