| Survival | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Anglia_Survival_titlescreen.jpg) Titlescreen circa 1990 | |
| Also known as | The World of Survival |
| Genre | Nature documentary |
| Narrated by | Various |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 900+ |
| Production | |
| Producer | Various |
| Running time | 30–60 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 1961 – 2001 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Survival is one of television's longest-running and most successful nature documentary series. Originally produced by Anglia Television for ITV in the United Kingdom, it was created by Aubrey Buxton (later Baron Buxton of Alsa), a founder director of Anglia TV, and first broadcast in 1961.[1][2][3] Survival films and film-makers won more than 250 awards worldwide, including four Emmy Awards[4][5][6] and a BAFTA.[7]
The original series ran for 40 years during which nearly 1,000 shows were produced. It was one of the UK's most lucrative television exports, with sales to 112 countries; the highest overseas sales of any British documentary programme.[4][8] It became the first British programme sold to China (1979), the first to be broadcast simultaneously across the continent of North America (1987)[9] and its camera teams were the first to shoot a major wildlife series in the former Soviet Union (1989–91).[10] It gained a Queen's Awards for Export Achievement in 1974.
Early programmes were all half-hours, but the one-hour Survival Special became ITV's flagship wildlife documentary for three decades, often attracting audiences of more than 10 million.[3] Series were also made for Channel 4, for CITV and for regional transmission. Survival achieved great popularity in the US, where a syndicated half-hour series, The World of Survival (narrated by John Forsythe), ran for 12 years,[11] and numerous one-hour films were aired by broadcasters including NBC, CBS and PBS.
The production unit was disbanded in 2001 and the title disappeared from British TV screens.[12] However, the Survival name returned to ITV with the launch of Survival with Ray Mears in 2010.[13] The Survival name was then subsequently used again with a series entitled Survival - Tales from the Wild.
- ^ Willock, pp10-14
- ^ Walshe, Bevan, Sealy, Phillipson p88
- ^ a b Asthana, Anushka; Sherman, Jill (7 September 2009). "Lord Buxton of Alsa created the TV nature programme Survival". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010.
- ^ a b Walshe, Bevan, Sealy, Phillipson p82
- ^ WildFilmHistory – Des and Jen Bartlett
- ^ Deeble and Stone Nature Programmes
- ^ Walshe, Bevan, Sealy, Phillipson p173
- ^ Buxton, Aubrey (9 April 2005). "Colin Willock". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Walshe, Bevan, Sealy, Phillipson p172
- ^ Walshe, Bevan, Sealy, Phillipson p94
- ^ Willock, p194
- ^ Hodgson, Jessica (30 January 2001). "Survival Anglia closes". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (2 April 2009). "Survival of the fittest as ITV wildlife show returns". The Guardian. London.