ITV Primeval Saved from the Axe

The science fiction, time travelling show Primeval has been saved from the commissioner’s axe after a new deal between ITV and the digital channel Watch has been concluded.  The show which features human actors battling prehistoric and future monsters which escape to present day Earth through time portals has had three series.  It was originally commissioned to run against the BBC’s  Doctor Who and at is peak attracted nearly 8 million viewers to ITV1 on Saturday evenings.

This is a turn around in the fortunes of this TV programme, in the spring we reported on talks between Impossible Pictures, the makers of the show and Warner Bros about a possible Primeval movie deal.

Primeval off to Hollywood: Primeval Movie Deal.

ITV and Watch will work together to make thirteen new episodes for television and BBC Worldwide will continue to distribute the show abroad.  The programme is already shown in forty-five countries.  The first few episodes, the start of series 4 will be shown in 2011 on ITV1.  Later episodes will be premiered on Watch.

Commenting on the new venture with Watch, ITV drama commissioning editor Laura Mackie stated:

“We’re delighted to have agreed this new deal to return Primeval to ITV1. The innovative nature of this partnership will allow the show to maintain its high production values”.

This is good news for fans of prehistoric animals, although the storyline was becoming a little jaded after three series and a number of stars of the show had left before the end of the last run.  Primeval featured dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, flying reptiles and huge invertebrates as well as speculating about the evolution of creatures from the future.  Perhaps the break of a year will provide writers to refresh the show and explore new angles in the time travelling series.

To pick up models and toys of some of the prehistoric animals featured in the television series, take a look at Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.