Andd here's the ITV Press Release

Saturday, 1 January 2011, 7:30PM - 8:30PM

Episode:
1 of 7
Production house:
Impossible Pictures
Press contacts:
Tim West
tim.west@itv.comPicture contacts:
Patrick Smith
patrick.smith@itv.comResources:
Primeval home page on itv.com

Series four picks up approx 12 months after the end of series 3.

One year after the death of Johnson and the disappearance of three key ARC personnel (Danny, Connor and Abby), the government lost faith in Lester’s abilities to run such a dangerous and expensive operation on his own. They placed the ARC in the hands of a public/private partnership, part-owned by the government, and partly by entrepreneurial scientist Philip Burton (think Richard Branson with a microscope). The ARC now operates from the industrial complex which houses Philip’s scientific empire; an estate of buildings with all the hustle and bustle of a thriving scientific community. As with any public/private partnership, there’s tension over who’s really in charge; Lester still runs the day-to-day operation but begrudgingly, he realizes that Philip will want involvement in the operation when it suits him.

Following Connor, Abby and Danny’s departure, the ARC found new recruits to take their place: Matt, new field leader, now handles the incursions. He’s more than just an ex-soldier; he’s a zoologist, with an uncanny ability to understand animals. A private man, Matt carefully guards the secrets of his past - and the real reason he has joined the ARC team. Unconventional Jess now runs operations from the ARC Control Centre – highly efficient and organized, her work ethic is second to none, though she is human enough to nurse an unrequited crush on Captain Becker. Becker reigned from the military when the ARC was destroyed, and has lived with a sense of responsibility for the original team going missing. He now works as Head of Security for the ARC. They come complete with new uniforms, and most importantly to Matt, new taser guns which avoid killing the creatures.

During the year they spent stranded in the Cretaceous, Connor and Abby eeked out an existence by eating roots and grubs and learning when to run fast from the creatures that threaten their lives. It’s an experience that has brought them closer together, in every sense. But their time there has taken its toll…both emotionally and physically. Abby, always the most practical one of the two, has adapted to her new surroundings slightly better than Connor, who was always happier around technological comforts than out in the wild. But neither are prepared for the changes that have happened to the ARC since they left in search of Helen one year ago.