Primeval to get darker spin-off

ITV’s time-travel drama Primeval is set to get a ‘darker’ and more ‘adult’ spin-off.

The producers of Primeval, Impossible Pictures, have secured a deal with Canadian broadcaster Space to make a spin-off series. Primeval: New World will be ‘darker’ and more ‘adult’ than its parent series which is aimed more at the family audience. Under the deal 13 episodes will be produced by Impossible Pictures along with Canadian indie Omni Film. According to Broadcast the series will have a budget of $2.5 per episode. Primeval: New World will revolve around a North American team investigating the arrival of prehistoric and futuristic creatures. The move to produce a spin-off based in North America comes after BBC Worldwide and Starz produced a fourth series of Torchwood, titled Miracle Day but originally announced as The New World, based mostly in America.

UKTV are in talks, according to Broadcast, to co-produce the new spin-off. UKTV was crucial in the renewal of Primeval for a fourth and fifth series following ITV’s original decision to cancel the dinosaur drama. The fourth series of Primeval aired on ITV earlier this year with the fifth airing on Watch, part of the UKTV family of channels, over the Summer. The fifth season will air on ITV later this year or early next year. Beyond that the future of Primeval itself is unclear.