Adventure series Primeval returns to ITV1 in January for a fourth series, starring Hannah Spearritt as Abby Maitland.

> Order the Series 4 DVD on Amazon.

The last time we saw Abby, she was up a tree with Connor, surrounded by various creatures scenting blood. How does Series 4 start for your character?

“She’s still in the Cretaceous period, but not up a tree. We come in roughly a year on, and we find Abby on her own and under potential threat while she’s searching for food for survival. She’s been eating roots and bulbs for the past year!”

How has being stranded together for a year affected her and Connor’s relationship?

“Abby and Connor finally get it together. Being stranded in a place like that for year with no home comforts, no mod cons, that sort of thing, but not forgetting the odd velociraptor or T-Rex trying to eat you, meant that the love Abby has always had for Connor found a voice. She’s always loved Connor, and it was good for her to finally be honest about those feelings. Luckily Connor felt the same way!”

That experience away must have greatly affected her. What kind of person is Abby when she finally does return?

“Connor and Abby are very different people, but they became a very strong unit while they were away and a mean team. Abby passes on some of her kickboxing skills, and Connor returns the favour by broadening her knowledge of the dinosaurs. But in their heads they couldn’t be in more different places, in terms of hope for getting home. Connor is very optimistic and believes and wants to get home, and although Abby does too, she’s beginning to lose faith. But that combination was the key to their survival, and the contrast between them was crucial. Connor’s naivety and Abby’s practicality were a good balance.”

What does Abby think when she gets back to the ARC?

“She’s really proud of what Connor and her have achieved, and with a new sense of inner strength and purpose. But it’s all a bit surreal when they return. But before they can show off their holiday snaps, a dinosaur comes through the anomaly with them and they feel a bit responsible for that. When they first come back it’s all okay and it’s great to see old friends again. We catch up with all the news and Abby is surprised to hear Danny is trapped back in time because she thought he’d be able to get back and she’s gutted. The ARC has had a facelift and a complete refit, and is no longer a government concern.”

How does Abby react to the new members of the team?

“She’s wary. It is a lot to take in. When they’re told there’s no place for them in the ARC any more she feels totally betrayed. But she’s very protective over Connor because she knows how important it is to him to finish Cutter’s work. So they’re basically homeless, with nowhere to stay. But Jess, who’s so sweet, let’s them stay at her place. Abby’s happy to be back but it’s all one day at a time because things aren’t as they were.”

How do Series 4’s creatures compare to other series?

“This series was filmed in HD for the first time and I think the creatures really benefit from that because they look so much better. The Mill are doing the CGI for us this year, and what I’ve seen it’s the best we’ve had. We’ve got loads of crossover beasts this year. Stuff that we’ve seen before like the future predators, T-Rex, raptors and Dracorex. But we’ve got some really new cool new creatures – Kaprosuchus which is like a dog but looks like an alligator. But my favourite is the Arboreal Raptor, otherwise known as the Tree Creeper. That’s really human-like. It moves like a monkey but looks like a raptor.”