View Full Version : Primeval series 4 and 5 commissioned
Primeval has been recommissioned for two series under a new co-production deal between ITV and UKTV.
The arrangement, which also involves BBC America and German broadcaster Pro7, is for a seven-episode fourth series and a six-episode fifth.
ITV1 will premiere series four in early 2011, while Watch will have the first run of series five later that year. ITV1 will then broadcast series five.
Stars Andrew Lee Potts, Hannah Spearitt, Ben Miller and Jason Flemyng will all return for the new batch of episodes.
"I am thrilled that ITV has agreed to this new deal, which will allow us to produce another 13 episodes of Primeval," said Tim Haines, creative director of Impossible Pictures. "The confidence demonstrated in the programme's continued success here and abroad will help us bring more big screen action and a whole host of new creatures roaring back into people's living rooms."
The announcement comes three months after ITV axed the series.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a179623/primeval-recommissioned-for-two-series.html
:cheer: Brilliant news
freckleface
04-10-2009, 13:53
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
I AM SOOOOOOOO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY ITS INSANE!!
:D TIMES A MILLION!
RIGHT AFTER THE END OF SERIES THREE (AND I MEAN 5 MINUTES AFTER IT ENDED) I EMAILED ITV ASKING IF THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER SERIES AND THEY SAID THERE WOULD BE.
SO WHEN I HEARD THAT IT HAD BEEN AXED YOU UNDERSTAND HOW UPSET I WAS.
THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!
ONLY PROB IS IT AINT TILL 2011!! THATS TWO WHOLE YEARS!!
sorry, had to let it all out there :P
Juliet Aubrey has confirmed her interest in returning to Primeval next year.
Though her villainous character Helen Cutter appeared to be killed off in the series three finale, Aubrey told Wired that she would be surprised if viewers did not see the time traveller again.
The actress commented: "I don't think anyone can really 'die' in a world like [Primeval's]. I'm sure she'll return to the show as it moves forward. I hope so, because she was such a joy to play."
Asked if she has been approached by producers, she replied: "I've heard some rumours, but that's all. I'm waiting to see with all of the fans."
Primeval was recently granted a surprise renewal for two new series under a new co-production deal between ITV, UKTV and international broadcasters. The sci-fi hit had originally been axed in June.
Discussing the revoked decision to scrap the programme, Aubrey said: "It came as a huge surprise to all of us. Especially since the show was doing well and was so popular. I heard from so many fans who loved Primeval and loved Helen that they just couldn't understand [the cancellation].
"They really care about the show and [its characters]. I've been in television series in the past, but there's a level of excitement around Primeval that I haven't experienced before."
Filming on Primeval will resume next year ahead of a 2011 airdate.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s48/primeval/news/a181309/primeval-villain-eager-for-return.html
Remember earlier this year when Cutter was - rather unexpectedly - killed off in Primeval's third series? And then when ITV decided to axe the show altogether? Well, since ITV have done a bit of a U-turn and recommissioned the sci-fi show for two new series, we got to thinking that maybe Dougie Henshall could reprise his leading man role.
Recently, we hooked up with the man himself to get his thoughts on Primeval's cancellation, subsequent resurrection and the possibility of a Cutter comeback. Hit 'play' below to see what he had to say:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/tubetalk/a181974/is-cutter-making-a-primeval-return.html
Because I do not live in the UK, it won't let me watch it :crying:
Can anybody let me please know whether he makes a comeback? Thank you :bow: :angel:
Primeval star Andrew-Lee Potts has claimed that producers have "shocking" plots planned for the new series.
The 30-year-old actor will soon reprise his role as Connor Temple on the ITV1 sci-fi show, which was recently given a surprise recommission for 13 more episodes.
In an interview with IESB, Potts commented: "It's great coming back to play him. And then, also, I get to work with my fiancée Hannah Spearritt. When it was cancelled, it was such a shame because we enjoyed working with each other so much and we thought, 'We might never do that again'. That made us sad.
"But, we're going to be able to do that again. And we actually went out for dinner with all the producers the other day, and the storylines they've got and the stuff that's going to happen this time is going to be really good. It's very shocking as well."
Potts also said that he always had a "gut feeling" the show would come back and is "really pleased" that he turned out to be correct.
Filming for Primeval will begin in March ahead of a 2011 return.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s48/primeval/news/a190245/primeval-star-promises-shocking-plots.html
Awww this sounds good its just a shame about the LONG wait
The cast of Primeval have finished filming the upcoming fourth series.
The show was originally cancelled by ITV but was later revived when the channel teamed up with UKTV, BBC America and German broadcaster ProSieben.
Hannah Spearritt, Andrew Lee-Potts, Ben Miller, Jason Flemyng, Lucy Brown and Ben Mansfield have all returned to the show, while new cast members include Alexander Siddig, Ciarán McMenamin, Ruth Bradley, Jonathan Byrne, Anton Lesser and Ruth Kearney.
The programme's executive producer Tim Haines said: "The cast and crew have been brilliant and they have put in a huge effort over the past four months to deliver some amazing work. We have also been very lucky in that Dublin has afforded us some fantastic new locations and the fact that we've filmed in HD for the first time means that the production values are higher than ever.
"The rough cuts I've seen are very exciting and I think we are going to deliver a show that will really please and delight the fans."
The fourth series of Primeval will premiere on ITV1 next year before being broadcast on Watch. The cast are currently filming the fifth series.
:cheer:
Primeval star Andrew-Lee Potts has revealed details of the show's upcoming fourth series.
The programme was initially cancelled after the third run but was later recommissioned under a new coproduction deal between ITV and UKTV.
Potts - who plays Connor Temple - told Chicago Now: "[A] lot of things happened in the last series; I.E. losing our lead character. You've got to be a bit clever to survive in Primeval because they like killing people off quite a lot. But that's their way of keeping it really super fresh, and you actually never know. And nobody's really safe."
The actor praised the show's former star Douglas Henshall, who played Nick Cutter.
"People might not realise how much Dougie, I think, anchored the entire show, because it was his belief in it, his belief in coming from the serious actor side, and the professor side of the storyline. I think that made the show somewhat plausible in the ridiculousness of the Primeval world. I really respected that.
"I suppose, in a way, I am the character to carry that on now, so there are definitely going to be more nods toward Connor becoming more like Cutter."
Potts also attempted to explain the series' popularity with viewers.
"It's got a lot for everybody in there, and I think it doesn't patronise. We have a bit of fun. We don't take ourselves too seriously, but just seriously enough. I think the balance of things in the show, I think they always get right."
The fourth series of Primeval will premiere on ITV1 next year.
Actress Susie Amy has reportedly auditioned for a role in the upcoming fourth series of ITV's sci-fi drama Primeval.
According to Herald.ie, the former Footballers' Wives star was trying out for a "coveted part" on the show, which is currently filming in Ireland.
An unnamed source said: "Everyone was kind of surprised to see Susie there as she has never worked in Ireland before and has obviously worked on some really big shows like Footballers' Wives and so has a load of TV experience."
Amy would play a "geeky investigator" in the programme.
"The actresses were all asked to dress down and try to look like real geeks with nerdy clothes, big glasses and minimal make-up for the role," explained the insider.
Fellow Footballers' Wives actress Laila Rouass previously played Egyptologist Sarah Page in the show's third series. However, Rouass recently announced that she will not return for the new episodes.
The fourth series of Primeval will premiere on ITV1 next year.
Alexander Siddig has revealed that he enjoys playing roles in science-fiction shows.
The actor played Dr. Julian Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and will join the cast of Primeval for the show's upcoming fourth series.
He told UGO: "I will always have a soft spot, as long as I live, for doing crazy, geeky sci-fi shows. And I hope to goodness that people keep offering me them because I love them."
However, he admitted that he was initially keen to distance himself from the genre when Deep Space Nine ended in 1999.
"I got over the whole cool stage of trying to pretend I hadn’t [had] anything to do with it and acting like 'sci-fi sucks', which I immediately went to when I finished the show," he explained. "Because I was blasé, I needed to distance myself from it to get a career going."
Siddig - who has also appeared in films such as Syriana and Kingdom of Heaven - also revealed that his young son was excited by his new Primeval role.
"My son... just made a ton of friends at school because I’m doing that show," he said. "Everybody actually loves it."
The new of Primeval will premiere in January on ITV1.
Primeval producer Tim Bradley has dropped some hints about the new series.
Speaking to SFX, Bradley explained that the Anomaly Research Centre will be "under new management" when the show returns.
"The disappearance of key personnel has left Lester a bit stranded," he said. "So the old team is joined by new characters who deal with the situations that happened off camera between the two years."
Bradley also dropped some hints about Alexander Siddig's new character, venture capitalist Philip Burton.
"He's been brought in to finance the new ARC set-up," he explained. "One of his main areas of interest is investigating the science behind the anomalies. He's really filling what Cutter's demise left - a bit of a gap in the scientific journey."
Bradley added that the new series will be similar to previous episodes, saying: "The majority of episodes will give you what everybody seems to want, which is a sort of tubthumping crashing beast to terrorise you.
"That said, we are trying to make sure there are a few more adult beats for people, and we do perhaps want to push the creatures [into] being a little more visceral."
Primeval is expected to return for a new series in January on ITV1.
rimeval producer Tim Bradley has revealed details of the two new characters joining the show's regular cast.
He explained to SFX that field leader Matt Anderson (Ciaran McMenamin) would be "an animal expert".
"He's the sort of guy who's wrestled tigers in the jungle, but also understands the biology of them too," said Bradley. "He knows how to track a creature without killing it and like [former leader] Nick Cutter, he has the [knowledge of] science."
Bradley also described new recruit Jess (Ruth Kearny) as "very fun, down-to-earth and likeable".
"We very much wanted to make the ARC the centre of communications, so that when the team are out on the road, there would be someone watching everybody," he confirmed. "Jess really is very much the one who conducts the orchestra. She can run the ARC solo."
Primeval is expected to return for a new series in January on ITV1.
Primeval star Andrew-Lee Potts has revealed more details about the sci-fi drama's upcoming fourth series.
The actor told SFX that his character Connor and girlfriend Abby (Hannah Spearritt) will initially feel alienated upon their return from the past.
He explained: "When they come back, they feel let down by the ARC system, because it's a new regime, and with us being the only originals left, we feel pushed away."
Potts added that Connor will be "a lot braver" after his experiences in the Cretaceous period.
"Abby's been training him to defend himself," he confirmed. "It's something we talked about, that he wasn't completely defenceless all the time, and they work together as a team now."
He continued: "You want to keep what the audience likes about [the characters] but we are getting older and we have to develop our relationship. If Connor was still the underdog all the time I think it would get a bit tedious."
Primeval is expected to return for a new series in January on ITV1.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! !!
also, for those of you who were wondering, Adrian Hodges has confirmed that neither Abby or Connor will die in series 4. Which is good. :)
Only a few months away now, personally I've been watching the repeats on watch ( mon-thurs 8pm) as a recap, like spooks they always seem to end a series on a cliffy and series 3's was most definetly a cliffy. Glad to see a few spoilers from Andrew Lee Potts I don't know about anyone else but I've been waiting for three series for Connor and Abby to get together it seemed as tough they would towards the end of series 3, then getting stuck in the past trying to save the human race but all that time stuck in the past surely something must have happened between them. The new characters are easy to justify being there seeing as Stephen and Cutter were killed off and Abby and Connor were in the past. Those two should come back to the ARC and take charge, being the underdogs is just getting boring. By now with all their experience and work into the anomalies they should be able to come back and run it. The newbies should recoginise they know what their doing and accept them as the leaders
Saturday, 1 January 2011, 7:30PM - 8:30PM
Series four picks up approx 12 months after the end of series 3.
One year after the death of Johnson and the disappearance of three key ARC personnel (Danny, Connor and Abby), the government lost faith in Lester’s abilities to run such a dangerous and expensive operation on his own. They placed the ARC in the hands of a public/private partnership, part-owned by the government, and partly by entrepreneurial scientist Philip Burton (think Richard Branson with a microscope). The ARC now operates from the industrial complex which houses Philip’s scientific empire; an estate of buildings with all the hustle and bustle of a thriving scientific community. As with any public/private partnership, there’s tension over who’s really in charge; Lester still runs the day-to-day operation but begrudgingly, he realizes that Philip will want involvement in the operation when it suits him.
Following Connor, Abby and Danny’s departure, the ARC found new recruits to take their place: Matt, new field leader, now handles the incursions. He’s more than just an ex-soldier; he’s a zoologist, with an uncanny ability to understand animals. A private man, Matt carefully guards the secrets of his past - and the real reason he has joined the ARC team. Unconventional Jess now runs operations from the ARC Control Centre – highly efficient and organized, her work ethic is second to none, though she is human enough to nurse an unrequited crush on Captain Becker. Becker reigned from the military when the ARC was destroyed, and has lived with a sense of responsibility for the original team going missing. He now works as Head of Security for the ARC. They come complete with new uniforms, and most importantly to Matt, new taser guns which avoid killing the creatures.
During the year they spent stranded in the Cretaceous, Connor and Abby eeked out an existence by eating roots and grubs and learning when to run fast from the creatures that threaten their lives. It’s an experience that has brought them closer together, in every sense. But their time there has taken its toll…both emotionally and physically. Abby, always the most practical one of the two, has adapted to her new surroundings slightly better than Connor, who was always happier around technological comforts than out in the wild. But neither are prepared for the changes that have happened to the ARC since they left in search of Helen one year ago.
Sunday, 2 January 2011, 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Reunited with an old friend, Connor comes across a deadly Kaprosuchus terrorizing the docks. Working with new ARC leader Matt, they manage to stop the creature, but will Connor’s bravery earn him his place back on the team?
***
Abby and Connor begin to contemplate life without the ARC. But while Abby is offered a lowly position looking after the menagerie; Connor is left out in the cold. In an attempt to reconnect with his old life, he seeks out university friend Duncan (who we last saw in Series 1, Episode 4), and Duncan has become obsessed with creatures. He tells Connor of reports of a creature he is convinced is alive and has been seen around the docks. Despite there being no evidence of an anomaly, Connor can’t resist investigating, and the pair head off to find the creature.
Things soon turn sour as Connor realises just how true Duncan’s story is; he comes across a mangled dead body amongst the debris of the docks. Enlisting Abby’s help, Connor and Duncan track down the creature – a Kaprosuchus – as it escapes from its hiding place. Flushed down the drain as a baby, it made its home amongst the debris and rubbish of the docks, killing homeless people. With its home destroyed by building work, the Kaprosuchus is on the rampage. Connor calls on Abby to confirm his suspicions. She arrives and they have a dangerous encounter with the creature. Luckily, Matt, still intrigued by Abby’s actions, has followed her to the docks…
Saving them from the burning warehouse and the deadly Kaprosuchus, Matt helps them search for the creature on land, whilst Abby searches by boat. Little does she know the creature is stalking her from behind until it attacks, forcing a rescue from the land-based team.
Luring the creature onto a nearby cargo ship, they trap it in a giant container, slamming the doors to lock it inside. They think they’re safe, as the dock crane lifts the container trap high into the air, the creature thrashing against the sides. But its strength is just too much, and the crane loses grip, dropping the container from height into a labyrinth of a container park. Added to that, Duncan has disappeared, and Connor is beside himself. He can’t let another friend die…
Matt coordinates a plan to drive the creature out of the container maze using flares, whilst Connor goes in search of Duncan. And it works well, until the creature comes at Becker from above, and shooting it with the EMD, catapults it from the container, dead into the water. Connor has rescued Duncan, and the body of the creature is retrieved.
Connor returns to ARC to fight for his job, but is too late….Matt has already won him his place back on the team. But does he have ulterior motives in fighting for Connor?
omg I didnt know it would be back so soon! Im very excited :D
Saturday, 8 January 2011, 7:00PM - 8:00PM
A mysterious group come through an anomaly in a theatre, unknowingly followed by deadly tree creatures. In a frantic chase through the city, the creature is tracked down, only for the anomaly to close and one of the group to be stranded.
***
A group of mysterious strangers hide near an anomaly in a theatre. Ethan and Emily (played by Ruth Bradley) have bought a gravely ill Charlotte to the 21st century to look for medicine. But he’s too late, and Charlotte dies. Emily and Ethan are forced to flee as the ARC team investigate an anomaly. Emily escapes through the anomaly and Matt gives chase, assuming she’s about to be stranded in a different time. Matt eventually catches her when she gets knocked out by an attack from an arboreal dinosaur. With no clue as to Emily’s identity, Matt takes her to hospital. The ARC team lock the anomaly, but what they don’t realise is that two arboreal dinosaurs have come through and are still loose and in the present.
Back at the ARC, Connor has impressed Philip with his scientific know-how. Connor is obviously star struck by Philip’s charisma.
Emily escapes from hospital and Matt learns the truth about her – she’s not from this place or time. They realise a creature is loose and Emily agrees to help on condition Matt will let her back through the anomaly. Matt agrees. Whilst they track the creature through the high rise buildings of the city, Abby and Becker discover another creature is still at large in the theatre. They go head to head with their beast in the theatre’s foyer and eventually trap him and put him back through the anomaly.
Meanwhile, Emily and Matt are forced to confront the creature on the roof of the tallest building in the city. As they attempt to capture it, Matt is cornered by the creature, leaving Emily to save his life.
With both creatures taken care of and the anomaly closed, Matt realises he can’t take Emily back to the ARC – they’ll only start asking questions. After enlisting the help of a reluctant Abby, he promises her he’ll help her get back when the next anomaly opens. Until then she’ll stay secretly at his flat. Little do they know they’re being watched from the shadows by Ethan, now intent on revenge; he blames Emily for the death of his beloved Charlotte.
Ben Miller has claimed that he always knew Primeval would return to television.
The actor, who plays James Lester in the sci-fi drama, told SFX that the show's continued popularity meant that a revival was inevitable.
"I have to say I never really believed it was the end of it," he said. "It's got such a following around the world that someone was going to decide to step in and do something with it."
He suggested that the show's original cancellation was primarily caused by financial issues.
"The problems were so much not to do with the show and just to do with the banking crisis," he explained.
Miller also revealed details about the upcoming fourth series, explaining that new character Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig) would be "a thorn in Lester's side".
"It's horrible for Lester because before there was a fairly obvious hierarchy," he admitted. "He reported to a minister and everybody else reported to him, but now he has this slightly shadowy billionaire character to report to."
He continued: "Philip's agenda is very much to do with the anomalies and scientifically exploiting them. He's not really about protecting the public or worrying about what to do with all these creatures."
Primeval returns to ITV1 on January 1.
ITV has announced that a series of new Primeval webisodes will be released exclusively online.
Consisting of five 5-minute episodes, the series will launch on the ITV Primeval website on December 22.
Set in the period between the third and fourth series, the webisodes will introduce new characters Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig), Matt (Ciaran McMenamin) and Jess (Ruth Kearney), while giving fans their first glimpse at the new ARC facility.
Ben Freeman, senior editor for soaps and drama at ITV.com, said: "We are delighted to be working with Impossible Pictures to offer fans of the show this new strand of thrilling content that builds on the excitement in the show.”
The show's co-creator Tim Haines added: "We are delighted that ITV.com will be showing this unique content as it will not only help viewers connect the end of series three with the start of series four, but it will also give our loyal fans 15 minutes of thrilling new visual material that will whet their appetites in advance of the start of the new season of the series."
The new series of Primeval begins on January 1 on ITV1.
tammyy2j
29-12-2010, 17:32
Hannah Spearritt has claimed that the new series of Primeval is "more intricate" than its predecessors.
The actress, who plays Abby Maitland in the ITV drama, admitted that she is pleased that the show has been given a reprieve following its axing last year.
"I thought it was a shame, especially for storyline purposes," she told What's On TV. "Connor and Abby where literally trapped up a tree in the Cretaceous period!"
Speaking about returning to the role, she commented: "It's been lovely, both for personal reasons and for the fans. In a way, Primeval feels like a new show. Having a year away has given it a new lease of life and energy.
"There are lots of new characters. The only other familiar face apart from Abby and Connor is Lester, played by Ben Miller. Although a couple of other familiar faces make an appearance as the series progresses."
She added: "I think there's something for old fans and a new audience. The show's more intricate and could stand alone as a drama this time round."
Primeval co-creator Tim Haines has revealed details about the show's fifth series.
He told SFX that the show's next run will further explore the mysterious motives of millionaire scientist Phillip Burton (Alexander Siddig).
"At the end of [episode] seven, there is some serious stuff starting to happen with Connor and Phillip and that's sort of the cliffhanger over into the [fifth] series," he explained. "You realise there's a much bigger story beginning to brew [involving] the reason why Matt's there."
He continued: "Very much in the fifth series, we focus in on who's the baddy [and] who's going to be causing trouble, and that has an effect on our central characters."
Haines also confirmed that several monsters from the show's past will reappear in future episodes.
"There will be a return of the future predators at one point, in a slightly different guise," he said. "We got the biggest creature that we've ever had... and some old favourites like raptors [and] burrowing creatures."
The fifth series of Primeval will premiere on Watch this summer. ITV will also air the series at a later date.
Great news, love this show :)
Watch has confirmed that the fifth series of Primeval will premiere on May 24.
The sci-fi drama was originally recommissioned for two series in 2009 under a new co-production deal between ITV and Watch's parent company UKTV.
The 7-episode fourth series premiered on ITV1 earlier this year, while Watch has the exclusive first air rights to the fifth run.
New episodes will air on the digital channel throughout May and June, while ITV will air the series in early 2012.
The fourth series of Primeval will be repeated on Watch in the weeks leading up to the premiere, airing from April 3 at 7pm.
DS
Sci-Sci-fi drama Primeval is back on our screens tonight, with the show's fifth series premiering exclusively on digital channel Watch! In the first episode, the ARC team are forced to deal with a giant bug from the future that has taken up residence in London's underground, and Connor once again finds himself caught in the middle of the crisis. To celebrate the show's return, we got series stars Andrew-Lee Potts (Connor) and Hannah Spearritt (Abby) on the phone to chat about new monsters, old faces and the chances of a sixth series.
What teasers can you give about tonight's episode?
Hannah: "It's very exciting! Connor gets captured by a giant future bug."
Andrew: "What I quite like about this episode is that Connor consolidates his professional relationship with Philip Burton. He has to sign a confidentiality agreement, and while that's going on, you've got Abby catching Matt doing something that he shouldn't be in Connor's secret lab."
Hannah: "Abby works out that Matt is from the future tonight, with a bit of detective work, and another thing that happens by default. That gets her mind racing and she starts questioning lots of stuff. Then, throughout the episode, she works out where he's from. Also, on a comedic note, watch out for Lester and the little tie-clip!"
Will Connor and Abby continue to drift apart this series?
Andrew: "I think it's less drifting apart now, it's more like they're getting pulled in different directions, because of their beliefs about things. To cut to the chase, it definitely splits into two camps - Connor's more of the science world, and Abby's more of the natural world. We know that those two worlds don't always mix very well. But the scary thing about it is that we're both entirely convinced that we're doing the right thing, for the good of the people. We just can't see eye to eye, and it drives a stake right through the heart of us."
How is Connor's relationship with Phillip going to evolve?
Andrew: "There's a bit of manipulation, but Connor's not that stupid and he knows something's wrong. That's why [new lab assistant] April (Janice Byrne) is introduced, to keep feeding his ego and to keep tabs on him. Phillip doesn't entirely trust him. Connor deep down is a good person and wants to do the right thing, but he's also a little bit obsessed with carrying on Cutter's work. Cutter (Douglas Henshall) was his old mentor and Phillip seems like the new Cutter to him, but he only sees me as a very useful tool to achieve what he wants to achieve. It kind of puts Connor in the firing line and he starts to lose everything that he's built up throughout the past series, the most important thing obviously being Abby. He also starts to lose the respect and trust of his friends, which is quite a serious thing for Connor to be going through."
Is there a new villain this series to replace Ethan (Jonathan Byrne)?
Andrew: "I think the enemy is within."
Hannah: "At the end of series four, the audience now knows that our future looks pretty bleak. Everything's dying or dead, and there's a small clan of people managing to survive underground. We also now know that Matt's from the future and he's been sent back, because somebody has been interfering with the anomalies, which has caused the world to become like this. We know that Ethan wasn't the guy and that it's actually somebody within."
What creatures can we expect to see in the next six episodes?
Andrew: "Tonight we've got giant future bugs. Since Matt's from the future, he's the only one who knows what they're capable of and how to deal with them. We think at first that it's just one giant horrible bug, but that would be too simple for Primeval, so there's definitely not just one of them! There's quite a few and that's quite problematic when Connor gets dragged underground and separated from his friends!"
A few faces from the past popped up last series. Can we expect any more return appearances?
Andrew: "You might. Someone might [come back]. That's a hard question! I'm not going to answer that question!"
Hannah: "We don't want to give anything away!"
What else can viewers look forward to in the next few episodes?
Andrew: "In the second episode, we're in a nuclear submarine, which is pretty awesome! That was mad to film. In that episode, you see the two camps forming in the ARC and getting torn apart, and then they stick Connor and Abby in a submarine together, where they can't get away from each other! Then you see what used to be, and how they used to work together. The writers pull it around like that, which is quite cool. Also, towards the end, the future predators return."
Hannah: "We've also got a T-Rex in the city centre. The big thing now is that the secret's out, which is kind of cool, because it's about time. We've done pretty well if we've managed to keep it from the public for that amount of time!"
Andrew: "And the anomalies are no longer just in England."
Hannah: "They're opening up everywhere, and loads of them. They're becoming way more frequent."
The last two series have ended on cliffhangers - is there more resolution this year?
Hannah: "Completely. Massively so. It was tough, even for us, because at the end of series three, we were pretty sure that we'd be carrying on, and it was written that way. But at the end of this fifth series, I think the audience will be satisfied. The climax is pretty huge and there's a wicked little twist at the end."
Have you heard anything about a potential sixth series?
Andrew: "We've heard nothing at all, but we never do until they need to contact us! I know that [production company] Impossible Pictures definitely want to keep Primeval alive in one way or another. I think that people thought, 'If it does come back, it has to come back strong' and I think we did. If you consider how many cast members have changed, and also our shift to [filming in] Dublin, and the new ARC, and all the other changes in the show, I think we've done quite well, and established ourselves as a regenerated show. We kind of had to do that, because of the year off [between series three and four]. It definitely evolved. Primeval deserves to carry on, and I hope it does. As for mine and Hannah's involvement in that, we're not entirely sure."
So would you be interested in coming back for another series?
Hannah: "That's it, we're not entirely sure."
Andrew: "But we will say that Primeval is super-close to our hearts, and it always will be."
Hannah: "We've got a massive soft spot for Primeval. It's given us a lot."
The fifth series of Primeval premieres tonight at 8pm on Watch.
The fifth series of Primeval is to finally air on ITV1. :cheer:
The sci-fi drama's most recent run will premiere on June 16, producers Impossible Pictures have confirmed.
The show was renewed for two more series by ITV and digital channel Watch in 2009.
Under the joint agreement, ITV had first broadcast rights on Primeval's fourth series, with Watch then being able to air the episodes at a later date.
Watch would then air the fifth series first - which it did between May and June 2011 - with ITV having second run rights.
The six latest episodes - starring Andrew-Lee Potts, Hannah Spearritt and Ciarán McMenamin - will now air on ITV1 over a year after their first digital broadcast.
The future of the original Primeval is currently unclear with no further episodes being commissioned since the 2009 revival. However, in May 2011, Potts (Connor) told Digital Spy that he and co-star Spearritt (Abby) were unsure of their future with the programme.
"Primeval deserves to carry on, and I hope it does," he said. "As for mine and Hannah's involvement in that, we're not entirely sure."
A new Primeval spinoff - subtitled New World - was officially announced in February 2012. The "older, darker and scarier" series has filmed in Vancouver and will be broadcast on Watch in late 2012.
It is currently unclear if ITV will transmit Primeval: New World.
Primeval
Episode: 1 of 6
Saturday, 16 June 2012, 6:00PM - 7:00PM
Drama
SERIES OVERVIEW:
One year after the death of Johnson and the disappearance of three key ARC personnel (Danny, Connor and Abby), the government lost faith in Lester’s abilities to run such a dangerous and expensive operation on his own.
They placed the ARC in the hands of a public/private partnership, part-owned by the government, and partly by entrepreneurial scientist Philip Burton (think Richard Branson with a microscope).
The ARC operates from the industrial complex which houses Philip’s scientific empire; an estate of buildings with all the hustle and bustle of a thriving scientific community.
As with any public/private partnership, there’s tension over who’s really in charge; Lester still runs the day-to-day operation but begrudgingly, he realizes that Philip will want involvement in the operation when it suits him.
Following Connor, Abby and Danny’s departure, the ARC found new recruits to take their place: Matt, new field leader, now handles the incursions. He’s more than just an ex-soldier; he’s a zoologist, with an uncanny ability to understand animals. A private man, Matt carefully guards the secrets of his past - and the real reason he has joined the ARC team.
Unconventional Jess now runs operations from the ARC Control Centre – highly efficient and organized, her work ethic is second to none, though she is human enough to nurse an unrequited crush on Becker.
Becker reigned from the military when the ARC was destroyed, and has lived with a sense of responsibility for the original team going missing. He now works as Head of Security for the ARC. They came complete with new uniforms, and most importantly to Matt, new taser guns which avoid killing the creatures.
Since Abby and Connor returned from the Cretaceous, they’ve been sacked, re-hired, caught up with old friends, and lost them to new adventures.
Matt’s been forced to reveal his mission to Emily in order to persuade her to return to her own time. After the death of his father, Gideon, it’s now his own responsibility to carry the mission through, and he’s pretty sure he knows where to start.
Following Danny’s revelations on his return, Philip now has his suspicions raised and is keeping a careful watch on the team for anyone stepping out of line.
The tension is about to be ramped up tenfold as relationships are tested, anomalies become more dangerous, and secrets are revealed. Who will survive the apocalypse about to befall the world?
EPISODE ONE:
The team’s attention is raised when Lester reports some unusual behaviour on his journey into work – news is spreading that a man has been dragged into a massive hole in the ground. The team head out to investigate; venturing into the tunnel, finding clues of other victims, – until the structure begins to fall down around their ears and Matt is dragged in towards the darkness. Rescuing him just in time, Matt’s now determined to wipe this thing off the face of the earth – does he know more about this creature than he’s letting on?
Meanwhile, back at the ARC, Philip has provided Connor with a new lab assistant, April. She’s almost a female Connor – scientifically minded, and loyal to Philip. But is there more to April than meets the eye?
As the creature attacks again at a house nearby, Matt begins to guess, and accurately, about the creature’s movements. There’s likely to be a nest nearby, and it’ll pop up through soft ground where it can to make it’s attack. Lawnmower to hand, Matt sends vibrations through the earth hoping to prompt the creature into attacking, giving them a chance to fight back. But as the creature emerges, it takes Becker by surprise; too close for them to shoot without risking his life. Using him as bait, Matt finally manages to get a good shot, before the creature disappears down its hole again.
At the ARC, Lester is attempting to juggle supporting the team with a visit from a civil servant responsible for handing out knighthoods.
As the team wait for the creature to resurface, Connor runs towards them, the vibrations of his footsteps rousing the creature’s attention. Before the team can act, it appears, snatching Connor and sending Abby into apoplexy. Matt tells her the chances are the massive nest could be full of hibernating creatures down in the nest – if they go in after Connor they could all be in trouble. They decide their best chance is to release gas into the tunnel and blow the creatures up…but Connor needs to escape. As time ticks away, things are getting desperate as Connor passes out leaving it to Matt to rush in and save him, commanding Becker to set off a charge as they leap from the tunnel entrance.
Returning to the ARC, Abby confronts Matt about his reactions to the creature. She’s worked out his secret, and now she wants answers…
CREATURES:
Giant Burrowing Insect (Based on mole cricket)
The mole cricket is a thick-bodied insect with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing However, our burrower will be much larger – imagine the Silurian Scorpion with bigger legs, teeth and much, much stronger.
Episode: 2 of 6
Saturday, 23 June 2012, 5:45PM - 6:45PM
Drama
When a nuclear submarine encounters an anomaly and Liopleurodon in the sea, the team are called aboard to help. After a briefing, they board the sub, where they discover a creature resembling a raptor ancestor that has been brought on board by the crew. While Abby examines the creature, Connor plans a way to lock the anomaly, utilising the sub’s torpedo system to blast it closed. All seems to be going to plan, until the sub is rocked by a massive bang…
…The sub is under attack by Liopleurodons, knocking out the captain and leaving just one officer and the team to sail the sub to safety. The sub is sucked through the anomaly, knocking out the electrics.
Meanwhile at the ARC, Lester has to cope with the intervention of Navy bigwigs, threatening to nuke the sub if the team can’t fix the problem. The political fallout from any damage caused by the anomaly is too big to ignore. Jess and Lester are working against the clock as they attempt to distract the Admiral long enough for the team to do their stuff.
While Connor heads off to fix the electrics, Matt and Abby head out onto a mini-sub in an attempt to repair the external damage. But the constant threat of the liopleurodon is making their task even more difficult. Meanwhile, the freshly woken raptor-ancestor is stalking the corridors of the sub, having already taken out another guard.
Connor is still attempting to fix the internal damage when the creature attacks him. Connor struggles to fight back as he protects the ship from further damage. Matt and Abby turn up in the nick of time but not before a headlong collision between sub and liopleurodon allows the creature to escape and creates a massive leak, putting the team in further danger. Racing against the clock (and the leak) Connor and Abby eventually manage to take the creature down with a combination of wet floors and an EMD bolt. Then Matt has a brainwave – perhaps they can use the torpedo to kill two birds with one stone – forcing the creature out of the sub, and closing the anomaly in the process. Transferring it to the torpedo bay, Matt plans to flood the room and eject the creature out as a distraction for the liopleurodon, allowing them to escape. Little do they know, Lester is doing all he can to stop the Admiral firing a nuclear torpedo straight at them…
CREATURES
Liopleurodon
The Liopleurodon was a large, carnivorous marine reptile. It had four strong paddle-like limbs suggest that it was an extremely strong swimmer. Studies of the skull have shown that it could probably scan the water with its nostrils to ascertain the source of certain smells.
Raptor Ancestor
An early predecessor of the raptors we know and love, this creature would have been a similar design to later creatures, fast and nimble - bipedal with a stiffened tail and a large claw on second toe - but much smaller.
I can't wait for the new series of Primeval,it's one of the best programmes on ITV.Lets just hope it dosen't get pospoined due to the football,just like a lot of ITV programmes are being just now.
I can't wait for the new series of Primeval,it's one of the best programmes on ITV.Lets just hope it dosen't get pospoined due to the football,just like a lot of ITV programmes are being just now.
I love this programme too :D
Hannah Spearritt has cast doubt on the future of Primeval.
A fifth series of the sci-fi drama will debut on ITV1 on Saturday (June 16), a year after the episodes aired on digital channel Watch.
On the prospect of a sixth run, Spearritt told TV Choice: "There's been no mention of it to me. It's a difficult one. We've had five series and it would be lovely if it did carry on. [But] it's kind of tough though because I hope it hasn't lost momentum.
"If we made another one, by the time it's shown again, all the fans will have been waiting a couple of years and I don't know if that's entirely fair."
A new Primeval spinoff - subtitled New World - was officially announced in February 2012.
"I'm excited about seeing [the spinoff show], and it's nice that the concept carries on," said Spearritt. "I'm just intrigued really to see how they do it."
The "older, darker and scarier" series has filmed in Vancouver and will be broadcast on Watch in late 2012.
"It'll be interesting to see what they do with the locations," she added. "I suppose it will be strange, but I'm excited for it as well."
It is currently unclear if ITV will transmit Primeval: New World.
Saturday, 30 June 2012, 6:00PM - 7:00PM
Drama
A regular anomaly alert turns sour when the team realise they’ve accidently returned a raptor through to the wrong time. With the sense of responsibility weighing on their shoulders, Matt returns through the anomaly, asking Abby to find out what Connor’s been up to in his lab. He thinks it’s got something to do with whatever Philip’s been planning. Abby is reluctant to betray Connor’s trust, but shares his concerns about what he’s up to.
Realising the raptor is responsible for a number of gruesome murders, he soon manages to track down the creature to a fruit warehouse. He’s about to take it down when a mysterious cloaked figure distracts him, and leads him straight into the path of a raptor attack. The hood falls…Emily is back. Just as they struggle to come to terms with seeing each other again, two dark strangers grab Emily from behind and drag her away, leaving Matt unconscious…
Meanwhile, back at the ARC, Abby knows she has to try and reconnect with Connor; they’ve been spending too much time apart. But a nasty encounter with April on her way to his lab makes her wonder if Matt is right – Connor is up to something in his lab that she isn’t meant to know about. Before she was completely against it, but now she’s more convinced than ever that she needs to know the truth. She hatches a plan to infiltrate Connor’s lab…
Emily is attempting to escape her captors – who are revealed to be her husband, and a doctor from the Bethlem hospital – her absence and ‘strange’ behaviour have led to her husband to have her sectioned. As it seems all is lost, the raptor returns, attacking their coach, killing the doctor and allowing Emily to escape back to Matt and the warehouse. But not before a passer-by notices the carnage – and blames Emily for it. Mob mentality ensues as Matt and Emily become trapped in the warehouse with a raptor on the loose. With the mob building in numbers outside, Matt and Emily struggle to get control of the raptor, as the danger increases outside. Having found and stunned the raptor, the only option is for Matt and Emily to take it back through the anomaly. Emily takes some persuading; Matt’s time isn’t where she belongs. But as he points out, here, they think she’s a murderer. Just as it looks like she’s made a decision, her husband reappears, brandishing a pistol. Distracting him, they make a quick escape through the anomaly with the raptor.
Abby is hiding out in Connor’s lab, downloading his data to a portable hard drive. But little does she know a suspicious April in stalking around, looking for her. Just in time, she manages to finish before April can stumble across her; the secret’s safe.
Returning to 2011, Emily has to think hard about her future – return home 1868 as an accused murderer, or stay out of time with Matt. But there’s little time to argue as her husband bursts through the anomaly, shooting at the team. Eventually capturing and disarming him, it looks like he’ll go back through the anomaly willingly, but he has other plans – grabbing Emily as he attempts to go through… Things look bleak, until the raptor, freshly conscious, attacks and kills him. With nothing left to go back for, Emily decides to stay in the present.
Returning to the ARC, Abby and Connor are once again at odds – April has persuaded Connor that Abby is up to something, and Connor can’t help but wonder. Even news of Philip’s involvement with Helen does nothing to persuade him that Abby is on his side. Feeling further apart than ever, Abby decides she has just one option – and heads to Matt’s lab, to hand over the hard drive.
Meanwhile, working late in his lab, Connor has had a breakthrough that could change everything – and Philip is the first person he calls…
CREATURES:
Raptor
‘Raptors’ as a word was popularised by Jurassic Park and is slightly frowned upon by palaeontologists. It is a generic term to describe a group of agile dinosaur predators called the dromaeosaurids. This group were distinguished by their lightweight skeletons, long arms and the lethal sickle-shaped claw on their second toe. Although as a group they evolved in the Jurassic they thrived throughout the Cretaceous period.
Saturday, 7 July 2012, 6:00PM - 7:00PM
Drama
Philip and Connor secretly open an anomaly within the ARC, which connects to a time far in the future. Philip is excited; this is providing them with the best anomaly data yet, and even better, they created it themselves. But Matt is worried – an anomaly should be locked. Philip strongly refuses, and even posts a guard at the lab to prevent the team from interfering.
Matt expresses his concerns to Abby, who asks him to give her some time to try and persuade Connor to stop before Matt destroys the machine. As she does so, the guard is overwhelmed by vicious beetles, which strip him to the bone, too quickly for Abby and Connor to intervene.
Very soon the swarm of beetles are taking over Connor’s lab, chewing through everything in sight. The ARC bio-scan soon kicks the building into lockdown, isolating the creatures; Matt realises the beetles will be suffocated inside the room. But before long, the creatures are chewing through the wall and into the air ducts; quickly swarming through the building.
While the others track down the beetles through the air ducts, Matt sees his chance, and destroys Connor’s machine while he can.
The team work out a way to stop the creatures in their tracks, using their queen to lure them into the Ops area, and pesticides to take them down. But in the ensuing operation, Jess is bitten by a beetle and goes into anaphylactic shock. Becker, in his anger, shoots at the queen killing her, and as a result, loses control of the swarm; quickly the ARC becomes overrun with the nasty little creatures which are spreading throughout the building. As the outer boundaries of the ARC become threatened and Prospero comes under scrutiny, Philip has a solution; but it will destroy the ARC, taking the team with it.
As Becker, Abby and Emily attempt to find a way to treat Jess, Connor has an idea to try to redeem himself and his actions; he can harness the power of this future anomaly to create a shockwave that will wipe out the beetles. Problem is... Matt has destroyed the machine. It seems that all is lost. Until Matt produces from his pocket a hard drive, containing the data Abby downloaded from Connor’s machine. With time running out, the pair fix the machine, and fight their way back though the beetles with hosepipes to join the others in the menagerie. We see the building rock as the pulse created by the closing anomaly echoes through the ARC, shaking it to its very foundations…
Battered and bruised, the team emerge from the room, having defeated the creatures and closed the anomaly in one go. But as the massive ARC clean up begins, Connor is beginning to doubt Philip’s motivations; does he really have the best interests of the ARC at heart?
CREATURES:
Beetle
This creature will be bigger and meaner than the creature as it exists now. The idea is that these are creatures coming through the anomaly from a future time; they’ve evolved into something that can withstand the hostile environment that the earth’s surface has become.
The Devil’s Coach Horse beetle, which is part of the same family, is well known for its habit of raising its long and uncovered abdomen and opening its jaws, rather like a scorpion when threatened. Although it has no 'sting in its tail' it can give a painful bite with its strong pincer-like jaws. It also emits a foul smelling odour, as a defensive secretion, from a pair of white glands at the end of its abdomen.
Episode: 5 of 6
Saturday, 14 July 2012, 6:00PM - 7:00PM
Drama
The exhausted ARC team are struggling to cope as more anomalies are opening. As the whole team let Lester in on the secrets of Matt’s mission, they are interrupted by worrying news – anomalies are opening everywhere and there are reports of a T Rex loose on the streets! Matt knows this is something important – the time he’s been waiting for is now. His main aim now is to get to Philip’s machine and switch it off before it can create havoc. Asking Connor to distract Philip, Matt heads off to New Dawn, while the others go off into the field to deal with the multiple anomalies.
As he attempts to run interference and stop him leaving, Philip lets on to Connor about the coming climax of convergence – his work has contributed to a machine that will not only solve the world’s energy crisis, but close the anomalies and stop the threat of creatures from now on. Accompanying Philip to New Dawn to keep an eye on him, the pair are interrupted by a rogue Gorgonopsid forcing them into a major car accident, leaving Connor trapped, Philip just crawling to safety. Realising Philip is about to get away, Connor attempts to stop him, revealing the truth about Matt and the mission. When Philip is dismissive, its all Connor can do to pull his EMD on him; only to discover that a paranoid Philip has disabled it. As Philip escapes to New Dawn, the race is on to get there before he can turn on the machine.
While the rest of the team fight the creatures, Abby rushes to save Connor, where the pair reconcile over his recent behaviour. Matt and Emily race to New Dawn, fighting off a swarm of vicious Anurognathus, as Connor and Abby arrive to help. Finally they make it to Philip’s control room - before a stand off with Philip ensues. As Abby and Emily run interference to distract the creatures, Matt attempts to reason with Philip, while Connor climbs inside the machine to disable it. But as convergence reaches its climax, Philip moves to turn on the machine…harnessing the energy of the anomalies…. in the process, Connor falls into the newly created monster anomaly. Is he lost forever?
Episode: 6 of 6
Saturday, 21 July 2012, 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Drama
Last in series:
Short synopsis:
Faced with the greatest challenge of their lives, the team fight not only to save one of their own, but to prevent the destruction of the Earth. The stakes are high and lives are lost as the dangerous world of anomalies comes to its climax.
Long synopsis:
The team is at a loss. Connor has disappeared through Philip’s anomaly, and Matt thinks that his mission is over – Philip has won, and seemingly, nothing has gone wrong. Matt has a decision to make about what to do next – and jumps through the anomaly to save Connor…
…to find himself in a barren desert world, with Connor struggling in the immense heat and deadly sun’s rays. It’s a world we recognise from Matt’s dreams. Worse still, coming towards them are a group of disgustingly mutated future predators, intent on causing some damage. They’re facing a deadly attack with no defence, until an EMD shot rings out; Abby has followed them through the anomaly. Luckily, Matt seems to know his way around, and the group head for a bunker, protection from the threat of the heat and the predators. Beginning to recover, Connor’s guilt about his role in Philip’s project is overwhelming. It takes a whispered promise from Abby to give him the impetus to carry on, and get back to the ARC in one last attempt to save the world…
Back at New Dawn, Emily has been captured and questions Philip about what he’s done. But they’re distracted by the anomaly – which is increasing in size rapidly. The scientists are starting to abandon ship as the building begins to shake. But things are even worse at the ARC, where, though all the anomalies have closed, some kind of strange atmospheric changes are playing havoc with their comms.
Connor, Matt and Abby make their way back to the anomaly, shocked by its now-enormous size. They arrive back through to find an abandoned New Dawn. But Philip, shocked by the atmospheric changes taking place, watches from inside New Dawn as dark clouds gather and the Earth seems to be taking its revenge…Connor gives Philip an impassioned speech about what they’re seeing, about the effects his machine will have in the future. Philip knows there’s only one thing he can do – attempt to shut down the machine….alone. He knows this is suicide, but he has to do something to try and right his wrongs. New Dawn explodes under the pressure but, to the shock of the team, the anomaly still remains.
At the ARC, future predators have managed to infiltrate it via Connor’s small man made anomaly (which has reopened with Philip’s machine). Jess and Lester are facing a losing battle, as they run out of weapons and ammunition. As the team arrive back, they’re faced with Jess cradling a mortally injured Lester, they’re thrown into a fight to save the ARC and bring down the future predators. Suddenly Connor realises how they might be able to stop Philip’s anomaly expanding – but they need to utilise his stable, man-made version to do so.
They face a race against time to get Connor’s anomaly to New Dawn in time to stop it, but for it to work, Connor’s anomaly needs to go into the big one. Matt knows this is his time – he tells the team he’ll drive the anomaly into New Dawn’s anomaly. Emily and Matt have a tearful goodbye, as Matt drives into the anomaly – will he make it back, or is Matt gone forever?
CREATURES:
Future Predator Hybrid
This creature is obviously not based on any real animal but it is assumed that as long as the Earth’s climate remains as seasonal as it is then mammals will continue to be the dominant group of animals. If that is so than rats and bats are by far the most common groups of mammals (accounting for three quarters of all mammal species) and any large predator could well evolve from them.
The future predator was first encountered in the final episode of series one when the team first discovers that anomalies can open to future as well as the past. Genetic tests reveal the predator is a type of wingless bat with lightning fast reactions and the ability to stalk its prey using high-frequency sonar.
In ep13, the future predator, evolving through thousands of years of catastrophic change in the earth’s environment, is one of the last species left. But the atmosphere has taken its toll – and the future predator is now a deformed, sickly and malnourished creature struggling to survive. But still as vicious as ever…
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