Want to know who’s who in Series 4 of Primeval? Here are details and pics on the characters old and new.

New Characters

MATT ANDERSON (Ciaran McMenamin)

Brave, good-looking though barely aware of it, confident, funny and something of a risk taker. He hates conformity and is indifferent to authority. He’s in the ARC operation for his own reasons, which will slowly become clear – though he is open and friendly, loyal and brave; there’s an air of mystery about him, as though he’s always holding back something about himself. His past is a murky one – it’s clear from his CV that he’s spent years pushing himself to the limits – in the wild, in the military. But nothing that gives any real hint of the man beneath.

A man seemingly detached from relationships, an outsider would think he had no family, no friends. It certainly seems that way at first. But as the series continues, and his past is slowly revealed, he might begin to open his heart to other people, and one in particular…

He is exuberant in the face of danger, has a really uncanny empathy with the creatures and is well versed in all the sciences. There is something attractively reckless about him, but not irresponsible; he will happily put his own life at risk, but not anyone else’s. He’ll break the rules to save lives, much to Becker’s displeasure. He cares passionately about the team and his job. His wit and calmness make him an attractive, heroic and romantic figure, but we sense there is something flawed in him, a secret that will show his complex personality in a new light.

JESS PARKER (Ruth Kearney)

Pretty, lively, funny madly self-absorbed, flighty at times, Jess is definitely not as daft as you might first imagine. In fact she’s a fiercely professional and highly competent administrator who likes to hide her skills under a light-hearted facade. When the chips are down Jess is plucky, resourceful and utterly unflappable in the face of danger. But the challenges she faces at the ARC are like nothing she’s ever faced before. It won’t be long before she’s staring death in the face.

Perhaps not quite as confident romantically as she likes to pretend, she nurses a fierce crush on Becker, though he seemingly remains oblivious despite her efforts. She’s an attractive, witty and impressive young woman, reliable, strong willed and determined to protect her team at all costs. In a crisis, it’s Jess you’d want at your side.

PHILIP BURTON (Alexander Siddig)

Handsome, charismatic, charming – Philip is a man who seems to have it all. As a young man, Philip Burton was a gifted and idealistic scientist; eager to make the world a better place. But as he started to make discoveries, and his reputation grew, so too did his desire to make money. Philip realised he was as good a business man as he was a scientist. He liked the celebrity status that came with his success. To the public he is intelligent, likeable, ambitious, always making the list of Britain’s most eligible bachelors. To his employees he’s tough but firm. He knows what he wants. He doesn’t suffer fools. But there’s another side to Philip that people don’t see – controlling and manipulative, ruthless in his desire to make his ambitions a reality. We will catch glimpses of this darker side in the first half of the series, but as the series build to its dramatic climax Philip’s true colours will be seen.

Returning Characters

ABBY / CONNOR (Hannah Spearritt / Andrew-Lee Potts)

When Connor and Abby were trapped in the Cretaceous they bonded in every sense of the word. We’ll never know the exact details – ‘what happened in the Cretaceous, stays in the Cretaceous’, but Abby and Connor return to the ARC a ‘proper’ couple. But Abby gets increasingly uncomfortable with their relationship as the series unfolds. As Connor’s priorities change, Abby feels increasingly sidelined, and is eventually forced to make a decision which could wreck their relationship forever. Will she choose Connor, or the ARC?

LESTER (Ben Miller)

Lester is still as dry and sarcastic as ever this series. He secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) begrudges dealing with Philip, but for all his flaws, Lester is committed to the ARC. Beneath his sardonic exterior he cares about the people working for him, even if he rarely shows it. Lester and Matt haven’t had the easiest of relationships, but they bond over their growing distrust of Philip. Why did he really take the job of helping to run the ARC?

BECKER (Ben Mansfield)

When the ARC was privatised, Becker resigned from the military and took up the position of ‘Head of Security’ (essentially doing the same job). He continues to maintain a security presence at incursions, and the team’s safety is still his priority. This series he adamantly opposes anyone going through anomalies, given what happened last series, and this is a source of conflict between him and Matt. In this series, Becker will find himself the centre of another team member’s romantic interest….maybe we’ll begin to see a whole new side to Becker away from his body armour and his guns…

DANNY (Jason Flemyng)

Yes, Danny will be back and so will another older character. We’ll have more details on that soon…