| Primeval | |
|---|---|
| Series 3 | |
 DVD box set cover art | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 28 March – 6 June 2009 |
| Series chronology | |
The third series of the British science fiction programme Primeval began on 28 March 2009 and concluded on 6 June 2009 after airing ten episodes. Primeval follows a team of scientists tasked with investigating the appearance of temporal anomalies across the United Kingdom through which prehistoric and futuristic creatures enter the present. The third series featured dramatic changes to the main cast, seeing the departure of lead actors Douglas Henshall, Lucy Brown and Juliet Aubrey and the introduction of several new lead characters, played by Jason Flemyng, Laila Rouass and Ben Mansfield.
During the production of the third series, the production team saw it as the most ambitious series of Primeval yet, owing to its greater length (the first and second series being six and seven episodes, respectively), its changes and surprises, and its more concentrated effort to have the featured creatures to be unique from what had been shown before and to serve story functions. The departure of Douglas Henshall, who played the main character Nick Cutter, forced extensive revisions to the intended storyline which left several plot threads ultimately unresolved. The visual effects of the third series were improved over the two preceding series owing to new techniques and technologies, as well as the effects team being granted more production time.
During its initial broadcast, the third series was accompanied with extensive online integration, including the online game Primeval Evolved wherein players could become active participants in the storyline. The series was watched by an average of around five million viewers, down from the over six million of the previous series but still considered a success. Critical reception of the third series was highly positive, with critics praising its more extensive characterisation, that the actions of characters had repercussions, and its greater focus on tension and suspense. Several reviewers considered the third series to be the strongest of Primeval yet and some favourably compared it to the Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who (1970–1974) on the basis of the suspenseful storylines and new team dynamic. Despite its success, Primeval was cancelled shortly after the broadcast of the third series for financial reasons, though it would ultimately be revived a few months later with a fourth series being broadcast in 2011.