19 Fantastic British Sci-Fi Series You Can Binge Right Now

The survivors in “Survivors” . (Photo: BBC)

Survivors

This is basically a revival of the classic 1970s sci-fi series that was also called Survivors. (Not “remake”, per se, the BBC was very insistent on that point back when this aired in 2008.)

It follows the lives of a group of ordinary people who survive the aftermath of a devastating viral outbreak. Called the “European flu”, it kills most of the world’s population, save those who have a naturally immunity or who contract the disease and live through it. Those who remain behind have to battle terrible danger in a world that basically has no laws or government or real society left to speak of. Basically, this show is what would happen if The Walking Dead were only the parts about Alexandria or the Kingdom, without all the zombie bits thrown in.

That’s not to say it’s bad – far from it. Survivors has a lot of interesting things to say about humanity and the things we’re really willing to do to each other in order to survive. And, as much as this might depress us as a species, it’s probably a pretty realistic look at how fast society would devolve into street gangs and anarchy if something like this actually happened. The most interesting parts of Survivors though are the moments when people try and reimpose order on the mess of the world – from a woman who’s struggling to reform a government, to the scary folks doing experiments on people in an attempt to find a cure for the virus.

The show features a strong ensemble cast led by Julie Graham as group matriarch Abby Grant, but also includes Max Beesley, Paterson Joseph, Zoe Tapper, Phillip Rhys, Freema Agyeman and more.

Number of Seasons: 2

Where to Watch: Netflix