RIP Primeval – Series 4 Cancelled
Sep 2009 Update: Primeval Back From The Dead
ITV has cancelled one of its most successful drama series – Primeval. The explanation for this bizarre move appears to be money. Although hugely popular, Primeval was also extremely expensive to make with lots of model work and CGI. ITV has been busily slashing budgets and Primeval has caught the axe.
According to the official itvprimeval Twitter account:
Thanks for your questions about Primeval. I’ve checked and can confirm that there are no plans at the present time for it to return to ITV.
The cancellation came as a surprise to those involved on the show, hence the cliff-hanger ending to series three. James Moran, one of the Primeval writers, said on Twitter:
They didn’t intend to leave them loose, it was looking good for a 4th series. Took everyone by surprise
and:
My thoughts on Primeval cancellation: ITV kills popular show that sells all around the world? That makes LOTS of sense.
There had previously been reports of series four becoming a co-production, hopefully the powers that be will continue to explore that avenue.
Update: Primeval Back From The Dead
Possibly related posts:
•Primeval Back From The Dead
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primeval should carry on because it ended very stupidly
Comment by alina | June 22, 2009
It was wrong to leave primeval at that cliffhanger
it should have a 4th series.
Comment by craig keogh | June 24, 2009
They shouldn’t leave it on a cliff hanger. And why don’t they axe one of the programs that arn’t doing so well. Because Primeval has good ratings and loads of people watch it.You have to at least do a one-off if you definatly can’t get it back on because it’s not good to leave it on a cliffhanger. If not it’s going to leave hunndreds of primeval fans heartbroken ( including me ).
Comment by Ellesha | June 30, 2009
A one-off special to tie up some loose ends would be a great idea. Perhaps they could do a Christmas special?
Comment by trevor | June 30, 2009
I just came across this show the other day, and since then I have watched all the episodes, and now just to find out that its been cancelled. its quite sadening actually…
Comment by ben | June 30, 2009
Maybe itv will do as the BBC did with doctor who. leave it for 12 months but may have a number of specials. But how can itv say they have no money when there making stupid shows like the royal and heartbeat, we pay the tv licence so we want to see PRIMEVAL 4 ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by steve | July 1, 2009
i think you are daft leaving it at a clift hanger there should be a series four
Comment by joshua lloyd | July 4, 2009
We just watched Primeval on DVD in Ireland, sceries 3 was fantastic! Why cancel it! Please, Please give it another sceries. We know Helen isn’t dead as she probably cloned herself just in case. Oh come on
Comment by Kate | July 6, 2009
Why Why Why!!!. Dont cancel another great show, Just like Surface another creature series watched it all the way through started to get great then what.They canceled. Why dont they ask the viewers oppions before they cancel these things.
Comment by Neil Hamer | July 14, 2009
I think it is stupid to axe primeval. Why leave it on a cliff hanger..?
God.
I hate it when programmes do this.
I shall not be watching anymore ITV dramas in the future, if this happens.
Me and my partner are dissappointed with how the ITV has dealt with things, and shall not be watching many ITV things again.
ITV IS STUPID IF IT CANCELS A PROGRAMME WHICH IS SO POPULAR.
Comment by Chloe | July 15, 2009
This is absolutely RIDICULOUS!!!!!
Why cancel a show that is one of ITV’s BIGGEST shows while you can cancel shows that are not doing so well.
Make a series 4 or there will be a lot of heartbroken people in this world!!!!!
Comment by Neil Oliver | July 16, 2009
Exactly primeval is fantastic, seen all series on tv and even have them on dvd. Now their cancelling it im so dissapointed, bloody riddiculous.
Comment by Gareth Mason | July 18, 2009
I really hope that they bring Primeval back, because my mum was just starting to watch it. Anyway, how are Connor, Abby and Danny going to get back? Because Helen dropped the transmitter thing. If they don’t bring Primeval back, I will cancel ITV on my freeview box.
Comment by Tommy Powell | July 18, 2009
Why cancel the show a load of people love it and iam realy miffed off i hope they bring it back or atleast put it on another channel say channel 4. Primeval is just so popular why cancel it itv is just pathetic.
Comment by Lewis street | July 19, 2009
agree – you cannot leave it on such a cliffhanger!!
however there are rumours of a film….
Comment by Kieram Lewis | July 25, 2009
I’m afraid I’m not surprised. Once ITV syndicated it to SyFy, its future was in jeopardy. That was between series 2 & 3 and, true to the nature of SyFy, all the characters in series 3 appear to lobotomized versions of themselves. The episode with the cabin in the woods was where it really jumped the shark. (I should review the writing credits to see if there were major changes during the series 2-3 hiatus.) With a dearth of quality SF on TV, it’s easy to see how SyFy survives by pandering to adolescent gamers, but it does a great disservice to the rest of us. Although there have been a few bright spots (e.g. Eureka), SyFy’s history is a litany of lame made-for-TV movies and strip mining of once great franchises (e.g. Babylon 5).
Comment by Bob in Houston, Texas | July 26, 2009
I completely agree. It feels like ITV doesn’t care about the growing audience of Primeval fans worldwide. We, as well as the production team and cast, deserve to have the questions answered from the 3rd season finale. As an American viewer I can only hope this show gets those answers in some form. But to be honest, if there is a new cast I don’t think the audience it has acquired will appreciate different people protraying the beloved characters. I for one won’t. Hopefully someone will defend us, the audience
Comment by Tiffany | July 26, 2009
Why!! Why!! Why!! If they cancel then they are just gettin themselves into deeper water. Think of all the complaints. One of them coming from me. Primeval is my number one! And maybe they should scrap one of the other TV prgrams on the channel. Ones with very low ratings and no one watches them. Primeval, millions of people watch it. Sure if you want to make loads of people very vry upset then cancel it. You are doing wrong thing. Then you just like makin people upset. you’re just a big bully.
Comment by xXcharlieXx | July 26, 2009
i have to completely agree, they dont care about what the audience think, all they care about is money which is really sad. my son loves the programmes and has watched every single one and now we find out there are not going to be anymore because of money. Even if they do a couple more just to finish it and not leave it on a cliff hanger would be better. get rid of some of the other programmes which are a waste of money for starters the royal, a waste of time and money, bring back primeval….
Comment by lia | July 26, 2009
This is typical. In UK being successful is no guarantee of respect and fair treatment, this being a perfect example. How cutting back on profitable shows saves money is beyond me. Unless ITV hope to replace Primeval with some piece of junk that they hope will have the same number of viewers. Can the bosses , not profitable shows.
Comment by Gorbals | August 2, 2009
no series 4!have itv lost the plot!?it was a fantastic show-pure escapism which we need in these times.i won’t mind if they dump corrie to fund it -honest!
Comment by dee | August 9, 2009
now i’m over the shock about no series 4 i wonder if the itv bosses considered the facts that aswell as been a great show it was a perfect show to sit and watch as a family-how many shows are there that you can say that about?i truly hope another channel continues with it and that we will be watching series 10 in the future while itv bosses rue the day they canned a FANTASTIC FAMILY SHOW.
Comment by dee | August 9, 2009
Me and a load of my friends want it to return. If they canncelled some other shows they might have a bigger budget to make another series of primeval!!!!!
Comment by Beth | August 14, 2009
i am primevals number 1 fan! i have series 1,2 and 3 on dvd and they have to make a series 4 (and about 50 more)!!! if this carrys on it will be as famous as doctor who!!!
Comment by naomi | August 14, 2009
What the hell? Im sorry but this is absolutley bloody ridiculous!! They have all these crap shows on that nobody watches (the royal, heartbeat) and go and axe a show with milions of viewers. I think that they should just put out a poll to the world asking them which shows they actually watch and the ones that have a very little amount of viewers should be scraped, not my beloved primeval! We have to know what happens to danny and conner and abby. I really hope that itv realise their HUGE mistake and bring back Primeval coz otherwise they r gonna have a lot of unhappy viewers. It may sound sad but i cant live without primeval, i love it way too much.BRING IT BACK!!
Comment by rosie HUGE PRIMEVAL FAN | August 17, 2009
if you stop paying the big bosses at itv so much money and giving them pay rises every year you might beable to save alot of money and then you can put primeval back on our screens
Comment by steven walsh | August 24, 2009
I watch very little commercial TV and if there are any programmes I’m interested in I wait for them to go to DVD.
Primeval however, I became hooked on and watched all 3 series despite the commercials and still bought the DVDs as they came out.
Not to have a forth series or least some form of a conclusion is commercial insanity in my opinion.
If they are strapped for cash they should get rid of the cost cutting advisors and use common sense.
Comment by Bill | August 25, 2009
i am so angrey at itv right now they made a brilliant third searies and the money they made from the viwers shouled be enough to start a new searies BRING IT BACK!
Comment by tom | August 31, 2009
Im very sorry that i have nothing but it’s axed i know im shocked i know i wanted there be a sereis 4 but maybe they will be on dvd but what i heard its axed im sad to
Comment by ben walter | September 2, 2009
Primeval was one of the few programmes worth watching on ITV. If this incredibly popular series is gone for good then ITV had better prepare themselves for millions of disappointed fans ditching ITV permanently. How can they justify retaining so much tripe but abandoning one of the BEST programmes of modern times? How can they act so irresponsibly towards their viewers? Let’s hope someone has the savvy to recognize the disastrous consequences of pulling the plug on their investment and steps in to save what will inevitably be one of the all-time greatest productions. If not, ITV’s penny pinching tinkering will go down in history as an outrageous act of betrayal.
Comment by Primeval Fan No. 10,846,271 | September 5, 2009
I have written to both the production Company and to ITV. May be I am an old fashioned pensioner but I did not even get the courtesy of an acknowledgement – perhaps I should have included an s.a.e – how to win friends and influence people? I don’t think so. ITV have those wretched soaps on every single night. They could cancel one and use the money for another series of Primeval. To treat the public in this manner is unacceptable but I am afraid they are so far removed from any sense of what the viewing public wants by way of entertainment there is no chance of any of them listening and certainly no chance of the over endowed publicity/programming Department of ITV even acknowledging that they might be somewhat out of touch with the viewing public.
Comment by Miss J E Harris | September 6, 2009
I’m an American who watched Primeval on BBC America. We get BBC shows six months to a year after they air in the UK. Why can’t the Primeval producers see if BBC will pick up the show in the UK? Then, we’ll eventually see it here in America.
Comment by Jim Silberman | September 10, 2009
Oh my god! I am a really big fan of Primveal! I recently got given all three series for my brithday and I absolutely love it! The way series three ended was brilliant – such a good cliffhanger! However, I realy would like to know how things would get resolved. For example, whether people get back to their own time. ITV please reconsider your decision! So many people love this programme and if a fourth series came out, a lot of people would be overwhelmed with joy!
Comment by Aaron Endersby | September 11, 2009
Comment by sadface | September 26, 2009
They are bringing it back. BBC have bought it
Not sure when it will be made though but they are making two more series.
Comment by Emma | September 30, 2009
More details on the revival:
http://www.offworldtv.com/bbc/896-primeval-back-from-the-dead/
Comment by trevor | September 30, 2009
yeah
#appapntly itv and impossible pics are going to do a 13 episode series
it starts in 2011
TWO YEARS!!!
Comment by rosie HUGE PRIMEVAL FAN | October 5, 2009