SciFiAndTvTalk

Primeval ' s Andrew-Lee Potts - Boy Genius

[caption id="attachment_4096" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Andrew-Lee Potts as Primeval's boy genius, Connor Temple. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] Unless you're a psychic or have some other way of seeing into the future, you have no idea what it may hold, and that is especially true for actors. A few years ago, Andrew-Lee Potts was experiencing a bit of a lull in acting work, and in-between auditions was pouring all his energy into making a short film of his own as well as developing a feature film project with a friend. "It was about vampires living on a council estate, and way before Twilight and all that sort of stuff," says the actor. "I should have gone ahead and done it; it could have been a big hit." The actor spent an entire weekend shooting his short film, and on the following Monday morning he had an audition for the role of Connor Temple in a brand new TV series called Primeval. "I went in and shot out words at about a thousand miles an hour," he recalls. "I told loads of jokes and was just excited about my film, so much so that I wasn't even really paying attention to what audition I was doing. In the character breakdown, Connor was described as being a real geek, but he's a genius, too. I thought, 'They're not going to buy that from me. I don't sound like a genius.' "So I kind of figured it wouldn't work out, but apparently my excitement for my film and the energy to do what I was talking about impressed them. They [the producers] got in touch after the audition and said, 'We really liked Andrew's energy and enthusiasm, but we didn't believe a word he said about the dinosaurs.' I couldn't even pronounce any of the dinosaurs' names. I hadn't done any research because I didn't think I'd get the part. [caption id="attachment_4098" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Just another day on the job for Connor. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "Thank God I was energetic on that audition because that's why they brought me back. Obviously, once I knew they were interested in me, I knuckled down, did my homework and learnt how to properly pronounce the names of the dinosaurs. I went back for a second audition and got the job. At the time, though, we had no idea how big the series was going to be. I didn't even know it was for primetime Saturday night. They didn't tell us that. So I was reading the first script and thinking, 'They can't pull these effects off on British TV.' Doctor Who had just come out and they were trying their [visual] effects, but nothing like this. "Then, however, we found out that Primeval was being made by the same people who did [the BBC documentary miniseries] Walking With Dinosaurs and all the CGI [computer-generated image] dinosaurs. We [the cast] were then taken to Framestore, the company that does the visual effects for the Harry Potter films. They showed us a rough video of what our show was going to look like, and the five of us came out of there so excited and saying, 'This is going to be wicked!'" In Primeval, evolutionary zoologist Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) is recruited by the British government to investigate the appearance of anomalies, rips in time that are allowing creatures from the past as well as future to roam in our modern world. Operating out of the ARC (Anomaly Research Centre), his team consists of Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt), a zoologist and reptile expert, Stephen Hart (James Murray), Cutter's lab technician and "bodyguard," and Connor Temple, one of Cutter's paleontology students at Central Metropolitan University. Besides locating these anomalies and trying to figure out how to close them down, Cutter's team must also contain any creatures that come through into our world. Despite being experts in their respective fields, wrangling dinosaurs took some getting used to, and the same was true for the show's cast. [caption id="attachment_4099" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The season one Primeval team (l to r) - Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt), Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee Potts), Dr. Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall), Claudia Brown (Lucy Brown), Stephen Hart (James Murray) and Captain Ryan (Mark Wakeling). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "None of us had ever done CGI before, so we all felt a little bit out of our depth," explains Potts. "We thought, 'What if we're laughed off the screen? What if people hate us?' At first, we were all looking in different directions when it came to doing the CGI. The thing is, though, even though the [visual effects] guys had done CGI before, they had only done documentaries. They hadn't done stuff with actors mixing with the CGI, so it was new to them as well. We were all learning together, and starting out, we had a traffic cone on a stick with a face drawn on it and someone yelling, 'Roar!' That was supposed to represent our dinosaur or whatever. Of course, we were all laughing and thought, 'This is ridiculous.' "Over time, though, this became second nature to us. We didn't realize just how comfortable we were getting with it, and when we came back for our second season, there were new actors who came onto the show and were petrified. They didn't know what to do, whereas it had become natural to all of us. In the season two opener, these Raptors [Deinonuchus] are running loose in a shopping centre, and there's a scene with me, James Murray and Douglas Henshall where we corner one of these creatures. It starts coming towards us and I shoot it with a tranquilizer gun. "We had no eye-line whatsoever with this thing, and if you saw the episode you might remember that the Raptor kind of wobbles and falls down. Of course, none of that actually happened, but if you watch all three of our faces, we all have the same expression. Again, it became quite instinctive. Although we didn't have that eye-line, we knew what was going on. We began to trust the CGI guys and they began to trust us as well, and as the series went on, everyone got braver and braver. When we first started, we weren't allowed any physical contact with the CGI creatures. We could 'hit' them with things, but that was it. However, in later episodes, the were grabbing us and vice versa. Again, the type of CGI stuff we were doing was getting braver and braver. [caption id="attachment_4101" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Abby, Connor, Nick and Stephen attract some unwanted attention. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "I'm still excited about it now," enthuses the actor. "I'm a fan of the show and always have been. I guess that comes from being involved with something from the very beginning. When Doctor Who came back, that was something that had been revived. It had worked before, so it already had that going for it. Primeval, on the other hand, was completely made up from scratch, and I'm so proud of everyone because we pulled it off." When it comes to favorite moments in seasons one and two of Primeval, Potts especially likes his character's relationships with both Abby and Cutter. "My [real-life] fiancee is Hannah Spearritt, and I always enjoyed doing scenes with her," he says. "The thing is, Abby and Connor were never supposed to get together. When we started the series, it was going to be Abby and Stephen, and Connor was always meant to be in the background. Something happened, though, when they put Abby and Connor together in episode two of season one. Hannah and I didn't even read together during the audition process, but the onscreen banter between us was just so natural. They [the writers] then began having fun with Abby and Connor, and Hannah and I did, too. Each season they gave us an Abby/Connor episode, including the one in year two where Abby is dragged into the future by these big seal creatures [Mar], and Connor goes through the anomaly to save her. That was a cool one to do. "I also loved working with Douglas Henshall because he's such a brilliant actor," continues Potts. "Our relationship onscreen was very similar to the one we had off-screen. There was a great deal of respect there. Dougie was 'boss' and I didn't mess around with that. There are plenty of things that worked about the show, but I think the big one was the fact that they didn't go with your cliche leading man. Instead, they went with someone who you could actually buy and whose character knew what he was talking about and was obsessed with Darwin and all that sort of stuff. A lot of the show's elements are so fantastical and you have to really use your imagination to go, 'OK, I have to try to buy that.' It's Dougie's solid performance that anchored the series and made it believable. Hannah and I always said, 'If Dougie believes it, we believe it.' If he's chasing a future predator with a gun and looking like it's the last thing he's going to do, then we'll be right behind him doing the same thing. So we all stuck together like that." [caption id="attachment_4102" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connor and Abby check for signs of any unwelcome "visitors" that may have come through an anomaly. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] Early on in Primeval's third season, Nick Cutter's estranged wife Helen (Juliet Aubrey) uses a clone of Nick that she has created to infiltrate the ARC, allowing her and a small army of Cleaner Replica troops to take over the facility. She believes that her husband's work with the ARC is what leads to the eventual rise of future predators and, ultimately, the fall of humankind. Helen detonates an explosive device that destroys the ARC, but she is caught in the blast. When Nick tries to rescue her, Helen shoots him, making sure he cannot carry on with his work. Connor discovers a dying Nick in the rubble and carries his body out of what remains of the ARC. "I was really nervous about that scene because I wanted to do it right, and I really wanted to do it right for Dougie," notes Potts. "I was so sad that he was leaving the show as well. During the cast read-through for this episode, we got to this particular scene and I got such a lump in my throat that when we finished the read-through I just left without talking to anyone. I didn't want to show people that I was upset. I was really going to miss Dougie, both personally and for the show as well. "On the day we shot that scene, I told Dougie how nervous I was, but we had such a good relationship and he had so much belief and trust in me as well, which was brilliant. I don't think there are very many people who Douglas Henshall would let carry him like a baby. He's not that kind of man, so the fact that he agreed to that was a big deal. Dougie thought it was very fitting that they chose to put Connor and Cutter together for his last conversation, and when I got the script and read it, I was honored that they chose me to be with him. I suppose it showed the growth in the relationship between our two characters, even though from day one, Cutter looked at Connor as if my character was a complete idiot," jokes the actor. "So in this episode he passes the baton on to me, and I'm so glad I was given that opportunity." [caption id="attachment_4103" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A somber Connor carries Nick Cutter's body from what remains of the ARC. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] With Cutter's death, ex-police officer Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng), whose brother was killed years earlier by a camouflaging creature, is appointed as the team's new leader. Season three of Primeval also sees the addition to the team of Dr. Sarah Page (Laila Rouass), an Egyptologist, whose job is to investigate ancient myths and legends involving creatures to see if any can be linked to anomalies. Also making his debut in year three is Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield), a Special Forces agent who is assigned to protect the team from potential danger. "I'm really pleased that they brought the military back into it," says Potts. "After we lost Captain Ryan [Mark Wakeling] and the SAS [at the end of season one], I think the program became a little less believable because our characters weren't escorted to places. At the end of the day, they're just a bunch of scientists, you know? We hardly had any military presence in season two at all, so I'm glad that they brought the Becker character in. "Also, with the handsome one, Stephen, gone [he sacrificed himself to save the team at the end of season two], they needed someone for the ladies. I thought they could have used me, but apparently not," he says with a chuckle. "I remember meeting Ben Mansfield for the first time and couldn't believe how massive he is. He's huge, and four or so years younger than me. I [jokingly] said to him, 'Dude, you're like Superman. I hate you.' Ben is such a nice guy, though. He was straight out of drama school and booked one of the coolest jobs ever on TV. Ben was so excited to be doing this. You can probably see by the way that he handles a gun that he loves being the action man. [caption id="attachment_4107" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connor and Dr. Sarah Page (Laila Rouass) try to decipher symbols on a strange artifact. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "Bringing Laila in as well was a great idea. They [the producers/writers] knew when Dougie was leaving that they had to switch things up and they put a lot more of the technical aspects of the stories onto Connor. I needed support with that, and I think that's why Sarah Page was brought in, so that she and Connor could work together as a team. And the Danny Quinn character was more of a renegade in that he liked to act first and think later. He was very different from Cutter, but that was the plan. I thought the dynamic in year three was wonderful. We got to do more action sequences, too. Some people like that side of Primeval, while others like the theoretical and science side of it, and to me it's important to play both because that's what the show is. "Of course, they were planning season four as well. They were going to introduce another new character that was supposed to kind of finish off the team dynamic. As you know, though, we never got to do that because the program wasn't renewed for a fourth season. At least it wasn't because of ratings, but because of finances as it's quite an expensive show to make. It's still sad, though, especially as all our characters were lost in time at the end of season three. That's how much we thought we were going to be carrying on, but at least Abby and Connor are together, otherwise it would have been really sad. All I know is that they're trying to keep Primeval alive in other ways, so never say never." Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Potts has been a professional actor since the age of seven. Having started out doing a variety of small TV roles, he booked his first series in 1995, The Biz, which was set in an English drama school and advertised as the Fame of the 90s. "I was a terrible actor when I was younger," he jokingly admits. "I wasn't one of those wonder kids who could do it straightaway. I definitely learnt on the job, and you learn pretty quickly because your mistakes are right there in front of you on TV or film, and you think, 'I'm not doing that again.' [caption id="attachment_4108" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) and Connor have an uneasy first meeting. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "One of the reasons I was cast in this particular show is that I play the drums in real life and they needed an actor/drummer for this part. It was my first time traveling to London and being away from home and having a bit of freedom from my parents. That's when I began to realize, 'Hang on, I could turn this [acting] into a proper job.' "I never went to drama school, but I was very, very lucky. I met Pete Postlethwaite and he was doing his own stage production of Macbeth. Being a fellow Northerner and a down-to-earth guy, we really got on, and he cast me in his tour of Macbeth as one of the witches. I played the part as a male witch, or more like a child psychopath. That was the first time anyone had shown massive belief in my and that I could play something totally different from myself. "We toured all around Britain, including Ireland, and the production went down really well. And because of Pete Postlethwaite, a lot of casting people came to see the show, and they saw me playing the psychopath. Suddenly, I fell into a pattern of playing really young psychotic characters and other very serious roles. I was 18 when I did my first movie, New Year's Day, which went to the Sundance Film Festival. We shot it right after I did  Macbeth and I played a guy who makes a suicide pact with his best mate and at the end of the film he tries to kill himself. Following that I did a movie [The Bunker] playing a Hitler youth, and then I did Band of Brothers as well as a lot of other TV and film dramas. [caption id="attachment_4109" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connor and Abby. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures."][/caption] "It wasn't until I was cast in an independent U.S. film called Caffeine with Katherine Heigl that I played a comedic role. I had never done anything like that before, so I was really nervous, but I enjoyed it so much. Then I came back to England and all of a sudden I began getting all these comedy auditions. I did a TV series called Ideal, which is full of comedians, and then Primeval, which allowed me to play another lighter character. So my career kind of turned on its head, really, when I found I could do something new and have fun doing it. Don't get me wrong, I've since played some serious roles, but I also enjoy the ones with a bit of humor. You can keep things light and lively on-set as opposed to playing a serious character where you often have to go quite deep inside yourself, concentrate and maintain a certain mindset." When he is not in front of the camera, Potts continues to pursue his passion for directing. "I've directed five short films so far, and because of those films, I actually got to shoot The Making of Primeval for the show's producers after the second season," says the actor. "Directing is always something that's fascinated me. In fact, every set I'm on, I always end up sticking close to the director, like a little shadow, trying to pick up as much as I can because everyone has their own particular style. I've got a small production company called Keystone Productions that I work with very closely to do my short films. We're not really answerable to anyone but ourselves, so you can have a lot more fun and creative freedom." A few months back, Potts finished filming the Syfy Channel miniseries Alice, in which he plays Hatter. It was also recently announced that an international financing deal has brought Primeval back from the TV graveyard. Main cast members, including Potts, Hannah Spearritt and Jason Flemyng, will soon be shooting season four in Ireland for broadcast in 2011. With many more years and roles hopefully still ahead of him, Potts is on the right track with his career and intends on keeping his nose to the proverbial grindstone. [caption id="attachment_4110" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connor finds himself in yet another tight spot. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] "As actors, we get paid to dress up and pretend to be someone else, travel the world and see fantastic things, which I think a lot of people would appreciate," he says. "Sure, there are some acting jobs I regret doing, but I've tried to do my best throughout my career. I want to keep developing myself as an actor and never stop learning. It's important to come away from each job thinking, 'I feel like a more well-rounded actor now.' "I'm grateful for all of this. I'm this guy from a small town in England who's being given these gifts of characters to play, so I'm going to keep working hard and never take that for granted." Keep your eyes peeled for a second brand-new interview with Andrew and his work on Alice that will be posted around December 6th, which is when the miniseries is scheduled to air over two nights on the Syfy Channel. Steve Eramo As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Primeval - 07 - 25 - 09

SPOILER ALERT!! - Helen Cutter decides the only way to stop the destruction of life on Earth is to stop humans from ever evolving. So she goes back in time to the Pliocene period, intent on poisoning the very first humans that evolved in the Rift Valley in Africa. The team is determined to go back to the future and stop her before she can hurt anyone else. Moments before they are about to head through the anomaly, however, their hand-held detectors go off. The team splits - half will battle three vicious Megopterans (which first appeared in episode eight) that have come through another anomaly, and the rest will head to the future to take on their human nemesis, Helen. One of the team will also come face-to-face with the earliest humans, Hominids, in an encounter that will change their life forever. The deranged Helen succeeds in killing one Hominid family, but soon receives a very unpleasant surprise. Episode ten of season three airs Saturday, July 25th at the special time of 8 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America. [caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Primeval team - Abby (Hannah Spearritt), Connor, (Andrew Lee-Potts), Sarah (Laila Rouass), Danny (Jason Flemyng) and Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2186" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Helen Cutter (Juliet Aubrey) attempts to manipulate the future by destroying past events in Primevals's season/series finale. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] THE CREATURES OF PRIMEVAL - Hominids, the ape man depicted in this episode is based on the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, which was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 and famously called Lucy, after the Beatles' song Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. The episode mentions site 333, which was discovered in the same year and contains the remains of 13 individuals, all of whom seem to have died at the same time and not from predators. As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Primeval-A-Thon

[caption id="attachment_1356" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The cast of Primeval - Hannah Spearritt (Abby), Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts), Lucy Brown (Jenny Lewis), Douglas Henshall (Nick Cutter), Ben Mansfield (Captain Becker) and Laila Rouass (Sarah Page). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1357" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Jason Flemyng's character of Danny Quinn joins the team early on in the show's third season. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1363" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Juliet Aubrey plays Helen Cutter, a proverbial thorn in the team's side. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] MONSTER hit Primeval brings more dinosaurs, anomalies and time travel to BBC America with the Primeval marathon. The team known for traveling back to the prehistoric past and forward to the distant future may finally run out of time. Danny (Jason Flemyng), Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts, Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and the rest of Professor Nick Cutter's (Douglas Henshall) team have a huge challenge to stop Helen Cutter (Juliet Aubrey) and save humankind. Will the team succeed and defeat Helen for good? The explosive third season finale of Primeval follows the marathon. The Primeval marathon airs Saturday, July 25th starting @ 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST on BBC America. As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

This Week On Primeval - 07 - 18 - 09

SPOILER ALERT!! - The team tries to tame a herd of Embolotherium when it comes through an anomaly, but these seven -ton rhinoceros-type beasts from the Eocene era don't budge easily. To make matters worse, Abby realizes someone is trapped in a tent and for some reason one of the Embolotherium seems intent on trampling it. Abby and Sarah try to rescue the trapped civilian, while Connor attempts to lure the lumbering creatures back into the anomaly without causing a stampede or being crushed in the process. Danny finally arrives, late. With him is Eve, a mysterious woman from the future. Things get out of control when the anomaly suddenly snaps shut and the herd starts to stampede. Episode nine of season three airs Saturday, July 18th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America. [caption id="attachment_2009" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Danny (Jason Flemyng, center) arrives on the scene to lend Connor (Andrew Lee-Potts) and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) a hand. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2010" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Eve (Kate Magowan), the mystery woman from the future is, not surprisingly, not who she appears to be. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] THE CREATURES OF PRIMEVAL - Embolotherium (meaning "battering-ram beast" or "wedge beast") is an extinct genus of Bronthothere that lived in Mongolia during the late Eocene period. It's most easily recognized by a large bony protuberance emanating from the anterior (front) end of the skull. The animal is known from about 12 remaining skulls, several jaws, and a variety of other skeletal elements from the Ulan Gochu formation of Inner Mongolia and the Irgilin Dzo of Outer Mongolia. Although they may look like modern rhinos, Embolotherium are not related and were somewhat larger, at 2 tons. As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

This Week On Primeval - 07 - 11 - 09

SPOILER ALERT!! - When an anomaly opens at a race car test-track, the team must draw on all its skills to capture a lethal Megopteran, a giant carnivorous insect from the future. As they attempt to send it back home and lock the anomaly, they are unaware that there are two creatures on the loose, and one is still at the track when they leave. Meanwhile, at Abby's apartment, her brother Jack steals her hand-held detector and sets out to uncover the truth about his sister's job. As a result, he comes under attack at the test track from the remaining Megopteran. Trying to escape from the creature, Jack enters the anomaly and the team have to go after him in the slim chance that they can rescue him. Episode eight of season three airs Saturday, July 11th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America. [caption id="attachment_1900" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Just another day at the office for Abby (Hannah Spearritt), Connor (Andrew Lee-Potts) and Danny (Jason Flemyng). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption]   [caption id="attachment_1905" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Abby and Connor sense that something is not quite right. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1906" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Megopteran has our heroes cornered! Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] THE CREATURES OF PRIMEVAL - Giant Insect (Megopteran) was created by a Primeval fan. Here's how the creator, Carim Nahaboo, describes his design: "This monster is a highly adapted predator which has evolved from carnivorous beetles, such as the tiger beetle. It grows to around six foot tall, and uses large compound eyes to detect prey in future jungles. When it has found suitable prey, it uses its large mantis-like legs to catch birds or other giant insects, whilst the razor-sharp jaws make short work of the meal. This monster is also a very fast runner, and uses its speed to hunt prey over large distances, although it can only use its wings to fly short distances." As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

This Week On Primeval - 06 - 20 - 09

SPOILER ALERT!! - When the military invades the A.R.C. in search of a mysterious artifact, the team escapes to a mysterious old hut in the woods. They think they're safe, until an anomaly opens nearby and 10-foot killer birds from the Pliocene era attack them. Phorusrhacids may look like armored ostriches, but they are infinitely more dangerous. The team has to use all its ingenuity to keep the rapacious birds at bay - especially since, for once, they have no technology at their disposal. They have to rely on nothing more than their bare hands and whatever they can find in the hut in the woods, which has not been used until the 1930s. Episode six of season three airs Saturday, June 20th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America [caption id="attachment_1473" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sir James Lester (Ben Miller) and Christine Johnson (Belinda Stewart-Wilson) exchange more barbs. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1475" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Always at the ready - Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1476" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts) and Sarah Page (Laila Rouass) try to decipher the meaning behind the mysterious "artifact." Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1477" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="All dressed up and walking into danger - Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and Sarah (Laila Rouass). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1478" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) tries to fight off the unwanted advances of a pair of Phorusrhacids. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] THE CREATURES OF PRIMEVAL - Terror birds (Phorusrhacids) - The creature is a fairly accurate representation of an extraordinary group of animals that took over as top predators in South America after the dinosaurs died out. Titanis walleri , one of the largest species, has been found in North America, making it one of the comparatively rare examples of animals that evolved in South America but which managed to spread North after the Isthmus of Panama land-bridge formed. Their wings had evolved into meat hook-like structures that likely could be outstretched like arms to perform a hacking motion, which theoretically was helpful in bringing down prey. Most of the smaller and some of the larger species are believed to have been fast runners. As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

This Week On Primeval - 06 - 13 - 09

SPOILER ALERT!! - A transient anomaly opens and a deadly flesh-eating fungus emerges. It's the team's most unusual and lethal threat yet. The incredibly aggressive, fast-growing fungus first invades and then kills its human host before reanimating the body to seek out new hosts. Once it "eats" its victim it retains a vaguely human shape, making it both sinister and frighteningly dangerous. When all attempts to destroy the creature fail, the team faces the possibility that it will spread across Great Britain, absorbing everyone it encounters, becoming bigger and more dangerous in the process. Episode five of season three airs on Saturday, June 13th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.

[caption id="attachment_1384" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) is appointed the new leader of the A.R.C. team. L-R - Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield), Sarah Page (Laila Rouass), Danny Quinn, Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee Potts) and Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt). Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1385" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Abby and Connor check out the latest anomaly. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1386" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Not the most of desirable positions for poor Jenny Lewis (Lucy Brown) to be in. Photo copyright of Impossible Pictures"][/caption] THE CREATURES OF PRIMEVAL - Killer fungus creature is a completely fictional organism, supposedly from the future. Although there are parasitic organisms such as fungus that, while invading their host, can alter the host's behavior to maximize their changes of reproducing, none at present can reanimate a dead host. Neither can they grow with the speed indicated in the episode. As noted above, all photos copyright of Impossible Pictures, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

Creature Feature

[caption id="attachment_536" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dealing with all things prehistoric, cuddly as well as deadly, is the cast of Primeval. Left to right: Hannah Spearritt (as Abby Maitland), Andrew Lee Potts (as Connor Temple), Lucy Brown (as Jenny Lewis), Douglas Henshall (as Prof. Nick Cutter), Ben Mansfield (as Captain Becker) and Laila Rouass (as Sarah Page). Photo courtesy of BBC America and copyright Impossible Pictures Limited 2008"][/caption] When was the last time you arrived at work and had to deal with, let's say, a gigantic aquatic creature with a huge appetite, a family of raptors who have made the local shopping mall their new home sweet home, or a sabertooth tiger getting his kicks at an amusement park. All this and more is just another day on the job for Primeval's Professor Nick Cutter and his team of  experts who are recruited by the British government to handle threats by prehistoric creatures that are appearing through rifts, or anomalies, in time. On May 16 @ 9:00pm EST/PST, season three of Primeval makes its U.S. debut on the BBC America. According to the network, fans can look forward to new cast members, horrifying monsters, stunning special effects and a rare location shoot in London's British Museum as well as a U.S. feature film in the works for 2010. Joining the regular cast are Jason Flemying (Doctor Finlay, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as D.C. Danny Vernon and Laila Rouass (Hollyoaks, Footballers Wives) as archeologist Sarah Page. The season also brings to the small screen an unusual new monster designed entirely by a Primeval fan. [caption id="attachment_542" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Jason Flemying as D.C. Danny Vernon. Photo courtesy of BBC America and copyright Impossible Pictures Limited 2008"][/caption] As season three opens, Nick Cutter is still trying to cope with the death of his former colleague Stephen Hart (James Murray) and the aftermath of his wife Helen's (Juliet Aubrey) betrayal. At the same time, he must continue to work with his team as more and more anomalies pave the way for prehistoric creatures, as well as those from the future, to come into our present-day world. Among the more dangerous predators that our heroes face is the Giganotosarus, or G-Rex,  which is even bigger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a deadly flesh-eating fungus, and a Megopteran, a giant carnivorous insect.  Other creatures linked to ancient folklore also begin to appear through the anomalies, including a Pristichampus, which bares a striking resemblance to the ancient Egyptian crocodile demon Ammut, and a Dracorex, which is being hunted by a deranged Knight who is convinced that it is a dragon he must slay. As Cutter and his people continue to risk their lives to protect the world from such dangers, their work is threatened by a growing conspiracy that could mean the end of the team, not to mention the human race. [caption id="attachment_549" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) on the hunt for yet another dangerous creature. Photo courtesy of BBC America and copyright Impossible Pictures Limited 2008"][/caption] Created by the same talented individuals behind the riveting documentary-style TV series Walking With Dinosaurs and its sequels, Walking With Beasts and Walking With Monsters, season three of Primeval continues to boast big screen-quality CGI (computer-generated image) effects that have become a hallmark of the series. "It's always been our ambition on Primeval to deliver an exciting, character-driven, action-adventure show that feels in every way like a mini-feature film each week," notes series co-creator/executive produce/writer Adrian Hodges in a recent BBC America press release. "We truly believe this third season matches that ambition as never before. "This is the biggest and most thrilling series we've done, and Tim [Haines, co-creator/executive producer/writer] and I are convinced that there are many more stories to tell yet. Primeval is still growing and our goal each time is to surprise ourselves by what we can come up with. If we can do that, the audience will be surprised and gripped as well." Keep checking back with this blog for more Primeval coverage. As noted above, all photos courtesy of BBC America and copyright of Impossible Pictures Limited 2008, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!