Paterson Joseph – Greg Preston
According to Paterson Joseph, Greg is ready to turn his back on what little is left of society when he meets fellow survivor Abby (Julie Graham).
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Disillusioned with his career as a systems analyst, he had yearned to swap his comfortable, corporate lifestyle for something more challenging, but his wife did not share his vision.
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"The best way for Greg to forget his past would have been to do what he was doing when he meets Abby on the road, which is get away by himself, find a farm, grow some vegetables and keep a few animals," says Paterson.
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"Before the virus, he wanted to pare down his family's life but his wife wanted none of it, so he became estranged from her and their children.
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"He feels he's been let down, but also that he made a mistake, so he doesn't really crave human contact or any of this community stuff.
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"But he's drawn into it, mainly because he's drawn to Abby, and that leads him to realise that maybe he's not the loner he thought he was.
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"Greg is struck by Abby's passion and her optimism that what's left of humankind will basically be drawn together to form new communities and make things work.
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"He wants to drive away and almost does, but he takes her along, and that first step leads to another and eventually into this small community of survivors."
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An acclaimed theatre actor, with a host of TV and film credits also under his belt, Paterson admires the way that Greg adapts to the challenges of the post-virus world.
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"He's very practical and logical, and I like that. There's also not too much spiel about his heartache, but every now and then, when he's talking to the right character, a little bit about his past will come out."
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The emphasis of Survivors, says Paterson, is not on what people were but what they can be in a world stripped of rules, authority and the comforts we all take for granted.
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"I think it will make the audience wonder what sort of person they'd become. You might think, for instance, you'd be like Abby, but how would you really cope with no family, no-one to turn to? Would you be strong or crumble?"
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Playing Greg certainly made Paterson realise how out of touch with our practical sides most of us have become in the early 21st century.
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"When I arrived on set and saw Greg's Land Rover packed with all this stuff I didn't know what to do with, it really made me think about the skills we've lost," he recalls.
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"So I looked at the survival guide I was given and started learning about how to tie knots, make a fire, build a shelter, make a bed from twigs and grass, purify water.
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"I've since made a rope ladder for my son, who's five, and some hammocky things in our garden which he loves playing with.
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"I'm pretty sure most our dads knew all this stuff, people who were in the Scouts knew it, and our grandfathers certainly knew it.
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"I love Ray Mears now – I challenge you to watch one episode of his shows and not be fascinated! He'd be my kind of survivor.
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"I really fancy going out to the countryside and doing one of those courses where you spend a day with ex-SAS soldiers learning survival techniques – and then go home and have a nice bath..."
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On a more serious note, Paterson believes that Survivors brings home the point that we are, as he says, "on the edge of chaos".
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"If we did suddenly lose all those resources that we simply take for granted, what would do?" he asks.
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"If I got to a petrol station and there was no electricity to pump the petrol into my car, how would I get around that? Some people would know, but I'd have no idea.
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"If you've got a supply of water, how do you protect it? Do you share it or do you lash out at anyone who tries to take it?
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"Are we all violent deep down? I don't think I am, but if I was protecting my son, I'd fight to the death.
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"In a way, protecting Najid [Chahak Patel] becomes the group's main priority, making sure he's all right, and protecting each other because that's how they're going to survive."
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But to do that they have to adapt to the dangers of a raw new world.
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"Some people would simply become feral, while even those trying to do the right thing would have to become wily and ready to be more aggressive," says Paterson.
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"If you find a supermarket controlled by someone with an Alsatian and a shotgun, would you be willing to attack him to get what you need?
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"There are some really great dilemmas which are thrown up by the series."
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