As a science fiction fan, I must say this is truly one of the best TV productions ever made. There are issues with it, some ropey acting/production in places, a heavy middle class bias to protagonist characters and it has aged, a younger audience would probably struggle with it, however, if you can stick with it you will be richly rewarded.
This is Sci-Fi made as realistic as possible, and, given the CoVid19 pandemic we are still in the midst of (believe me folks it is not over yet) amazingly prophetic. Yes thankfully CoVid19 has not been anywhere as deadly as the virus in this show, but it's sketchy origins, it's rapid spread and the utterly ineffective response to it are all here, writ large way back in the mid 70s.
This is also a call for a return to a simpler way of life, living close and harmoniously with nature, living in small intimately connected communities; things that resonate even more in our modern environ, with mobile phones and social media. The backdrop is always though, that human cruelty and selfishness will often ruin the best laid plans.
The two central pillars that hold up this series are the two excellent characters of Greg Preston (a blunt and forcefully practical engineer type, played with wonderful gusto by Ian McCulloch) and Abby Grant (played with a deep intelligence, resilience and resolve by Caroyln Seymour) the supposed third pillar, Jenny (overacted by Lucy Flemming) is meant to be the true heart and emotional centre of the show, however, compared to the other two her part is underwritten and the actor playing her struggles to convey the same depth as the other two protagonists.
Unfortunately the quality of the show decreases as they made the bizarre decisions to get rid of the Abby character from the second series, and it gets a little bogged down in the domestic drama of running an effective farming community. However, it is worth watching all the way to its conclusion as there are always very good episodes that elevate the series far above normal.
This show poses and answers with great effect the age old mythical and sci-fi question, what would happen if we had to start society again, right from scratch?
Personally, of all post-apocalyptic shows, for me, it provides the deepest and most satisfying exploration of this idea, perhaps because this scenario is so much more realistic than zombies, aliens or slowly walking plants...
I would, and do, recommend this series to anyone, but especially anyone with more than a passing interest in science fiction, philosophy or human nature.
This is Sci-Fi made as realistic as possible, and, given the CoVid19 pandemic we are still in the midst of (believe me folks it is not over yet) amazingly prophetic. Yes thankfully CoVid19 has not been anywhere as deadly as the virus in this show, but it's sketchy origins, it's rapid spread and the utterly ineffective response to it are all here, writ large way back in the mid 70s.
This is also a call for a return to a simpler way of life, living close and harmoniously with nature, living in small intimately connected communities; things that resonate even more in our modern environ, with mobile phones and social media. The backdrop is always though, that human cruelty and selfishness will often ruin the best laid plans.
The two central pillars that hold up this series are the two excellent characters of Greg Preston (a blunt and forcefully practical engineer type, played with wonderful gusto by Ian McCulloch) and Abby Grant (played with a deep intelligence, resilience and resolve by Caroyln Seymour) the supposed third pillar, Jenny (overacted by Lucy Flemming) is meant to be the true heart and emotional centre of the show, however, compared to the other two her part is underwritten and the actor playing her struggles to convey the same depth as the other two protagonists.
Unfortunately the quality of the show decreases as they made the bizarre decisions to get rid of the Abby character from the second series, and it gets a little bogged down in the domestic drama of running an effective farming community. However, it is worth watching all the way to its conclusion as there are always very good episodes that elevate the series far above normal.
This show poses and answers with great effect the age old mythical and sci-fi question, what would happen if we had to start society again, right from scratch?
Personally, of all post-apocalyptic shows, for me, it provides the deepest and most satisfying exploration of this idea, perhaps because this scenario is so much more realistic than zombies, aliens or slowly walking plants...
I would, and do, recommend this series to anyone, but especially anyone with more than a passing interest in science fiction, philosophy or human nature.