Julie GrahamThe classic 70s series Survivors has been re-imagined and updated for a contemporary audience.

We caught up with Julie Graham to find out more about life in a post-apocalyptic Britain.

Julie stars as Abby Grant, a wife and mother who wakes up after a night in her sick bed to a global crisis. A flu virus has killed 99 per cent of the world's population, and she's one of the few survivors.

Tell us a bit about the series, what attracted you to it?
I just thought the scripts were great, I liked the characters, I liked the fact it was an ensemble piece, I thought it was very strong, contemporary and relevant. Kind of what modern drama should be.

Do you remember the original series?
I was about eight or nine when it came out so it wasn't really the kind of thing I was watching.

There's a big following - do you think this update can live up to expectations?
It's not so much a remake of the old series as a new adaptation of the book. There are similar plots but it's got a very different feel. I think the only people that will have expectations are fans of the old series, we've made it for a new audience and we can't really do anything about whether they like it or not.

What changes have been made?
I think everybody's characters are different - some characters have changed sex, there are new characters. It's a very mixed cast where the original was quite white and middle class - but that was just TV at the time.

Tell us about Abby...
She's an ordinary person who finds herself in an extraordinary situation. She's very caring and passionate. She thinks that her son has survived the virus and she's trying to find him, and it probably gives her a focus that the other characters don't have.

What's her relationship with the other characters?
She's the de-facto mother of the group. She's the glue that keeps them all together.

Has she dealt with the horror of what's happened?
No, I don't think she has. But when you're in that situation I think you probably can't. I think that was one of the challenges for all of the actors, trying to imagine how you really would feel. They've tried to focus on hope rather than despair, so it's about how people come together and help each other.

There's a threat for the group in Tom, Max Beesley's character...
Yeah, he's the fox in the chicken coop. The group push a lot of their doubts about him to the back of their minds, because they realise that one day they might need him.

Is he a danger to them?
Ooh... You'll have to wait and see, I can't give anything away.

Can there possibly be a happy ending for any of the survivors?
Nothing in the series is resolved - it's very much an ongoing story, it's left on a cliffhanger. I wouldn't say there are any happy endings just yet.

Do you think this is a realistic portrayal of life if a crisis like this happened?
I think there's a bit of artistic license taken. Whether people will believe it or not is up to them, but certainly when I read it I was intrigued. As for the actuality of it - we're not making a documentary, but all the things that happen are very plausible.

Will your other BBC show, Bonekickers, be returning for a second series?
No. There was an element of the press who started a big campaign against it so they'll be pleased to know it worked. I'm very disappointed that it didn't work out. I think if it would've been allowed to continue it would have found it's voice. People either loved it or hated it.

Find out when Survivors is showing on TV.