things i've learnt watching BBC ‘Survivors’

There’s a new programme just started on BBC called ‘Survivors’, which is about a flu pandemic where most of the population of the world cops it. It's set in England though, and I thought it’d be quite interesting and a bit ‘Children of Men’ish.

Here are some things I’ve learnt from watching the first episode:


A thirty second rant by a hysterical woman can convince even a selfish rich guy and an ex con with a gun.

After said rant about the importance of staying together, she will leave behind a man with the knowledge to live without technology without even asking him to come with her.

An escaped prisoner will still value money, as will a rich guy with a penthouse. He’ll believe his 90 grand car is the best thing to have around in a crisis.

Prison guards have the strongest work ethic in the world, vowing to keep a prisoner locked up for his full term, but unfortunately is also willing to die futilely in the attempt.

People will blow up petrol stations for no reason at all.

Everyone is out for themselves, except apparently for one man who picks up girls in playgrounds.

Doctors will suddenly lose hope, try to take an overdose and take up smoking even though they are probably the most valuable people to have around. This sudden change is also despite the last thing her friend said to her was that it’s best to live.

A distraught housewife on discovery of her dead husband will instantly burn his body and then go on a wild goose chase to find her only potentially alive son.

Your own car will run out of petrol at the end of your street, but if you steal an Alfa Romeo (with only average m.p.g of 23) it will have enough petrol to drive you to Scotland and back.

The six or so survivors of a disaster will miraculously meet on the same motorway.

The government always does apocalyptic stuff on purpose.

People will lie dead in their cars on small, quiet, suburban back roads, but a major motorway will be empty for miles and miles.

Having a landrover makes you a farmer.

Some people will develop natural immunity to a virus, but somehow their children don’t… (ed. I don’t know whether this can happen, it just seems silly to me :P)

Only one person will get the disease and survive it.

With only a fraction of the population left, there will be a convenient smattering of ethnic races.

Two people of Asian background just happen to survive and bump into each other.

The one who doesn’t like kids finds a child who survived and has to look after him.

A government heath official would rather do a T.V. appearance saying basically ‘we’re screwed’ instead of spending time with her sick family.