Primeval returns from the dead!

: 30 September 2009; Gerard Wood

Three months ago, following severe financial losses, British television broadcaster ITV announced that it was axing science fiction series Primeval after three successful seasons. This came as a shock to most as the series had continued to rate highly in the UK and had acquired a very strong following internationally, especially in the US where it was aired by BBC America. Yesterday Variety reported that a ground breaking deal to share costs had been hammered out between ITV, BBC America and pay channel operator UKTV which would see this superb series return to our screens. Under the new funding arrangements BBC Worldwide will replace ITV as the prime investor, and BBC America and Germany's ProSieben will become co-production partners.

Impossible Pictures, which launched the show for ITV back in 2007, is now promising a run of 13 episodes across two seasons (Season 1 and 2 had a run of 6 and 7 episodes respectively, although Season 3 ran for 10 episodes). The production company's Managing Director Jonathan Drake observed that, "The dramatic changes in the business of broadcasting in the last 12 months have meant we have had to completely rethink how we put the funding together for a top-end series like Primeval. The fact that the series is so well established and loved in the UK and overseas has meant that everyone has been willing to do their best to give us the backing we needed."

It's not often a show gets a reprieve like this, and I for one am delighted, particularly as we only just finished lamenting the loss of Primeval in our review of Season 3! If you don't know much about the show, check out the review (although be warned that there are a few spoilers if you haven't watched the first two seasons). Now if only Warner Bros. would resurrect that other superb science fiction series axed this year, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles...

The new episodes of Primeval will be ready for broadcast in 2011.

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