The Long Awaited Return...

Primeval
Season 4
(2011)

4 Stars

Having been away for so very long, it seemed fitting to bounce back with the welcome return of another cult classic that somewhat disappeared unexpectedly and for no apparent reason; ITV’s prehistoric sci-fi extravaganza, Primeval.

Over the course of its first two seasons, Primeval introduced us to the world of Professor Nick Cutter and his team of lovable misfits as they tracked down creatures from past, present and future through the streets of London and thereabouts. Great fun all round, with some spanking special effects, delightfully convoluted plot twists, and the occasional much-appreciated shot of Hannah Spearitt walking around in her underpants. Awesomesauce.

Unfortunately, season three saw the series take a bizarre turn for the worse; killing off three of the main characters within as many episodes, crow-barring in awkward new characters and leaving almost every potentially great plotline utterly unresolved. Hence, a somewhat unfortunate cancellation for one of the best sci-fi dramas to come out of Britain in… Well, ever.

And so, two years on, upon my all too brief return to the UK over Christmas, I was delighted to find that the long-rumoured fourth season had finally come to fruition. And, much to my relief, the show had finally taken the darker, more paranoid tone that it had much needed after the death of Professor Cutter. Rather than trying to cram in a new group leader, the writers have done what should have happened in the first place, and brought the grieving Connor Temple and Abby Maitland (the always wonderful Andrew Lee Potts and real-life beau S-Club’s Hannah Spearitt), back from the Palaeolithic and into the show’s forefront.

New cast members Ciaran McMenamin and Alexander Siddig bring delightful new conspiracies and suspicions to the show’s mythology, whilst at the same time, looking to finally resolve some of the first few seasons’ storylines. A plethora of new beasties, as well as the welcome returns of a few old ones also spice up proceedings.

After a rocky era, it looks like the Primeval team are back on track, bringing to the present the former glories of its past. With season five set to start in the autumn, I shall be waiting to see what the team has dug up for the future.