[TV Review] Dead Set (2008)

Warning: This review contains spoilers for a series that came out in 2008. But let’s be honest, it’s a series about zombies, you can predict where it’s heading even with a slightly different spin on the genre…

Originally starting in the Netherlands in 1999, Big Brother is a hit reality show that derived its name from a character in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Throughout its run, Big Brother has spawned over 500 series across 62 countries to date. From 2000 to 2018, the UK bore witness to the chaos that was our own version of the show, catching the eye of many producers who have made mutant hybrids of the format over the years. But in 2008, Charlie Brooker,—before his days making the hit show Black Mirror— turned his gaze to this twisted reality and thought, “what would happen if the zombie apocalypse arrived at the door of the Big Brother house?”.

Set across five episodes, Dead Set showed how dramatized reality television and horror can go hand in hand. he story is told from the perspective of three main camps-those within the house, those  working on the show, and the outside world; all of them ultimately melting into a singular mixing pot of gore and terror.

Those who know me (or read my articles: Best 15 Zombie Horror Films), will be aware of my love of the zombie genre. Not just the blood and guts, but the subliminal themes that each piece of undead media represents – commercialism, herd mentality, the morality of the human condition. Dead Set certainly doesn’t shy away from any of these subjects, pointing its decayed finger at the viewers and screaming “this is what you did, you caused this ignorance, now watch the carnage”. These satirical accusations have become a staple point of Charlie Brooker’s work; you know it’s a Brooker project when the credits roll and the existential dread creeps in. 

The early 2000s saw an influx of excellent British zombie content, with 2002’s 28 Days Later and 2004’s Shaun of the Dead coming to mind instantly. Brooker pays homage to these quintessentially British films with his use of shaky cam and dry comedy, although nothing hits the mark like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost beating up the undead with snooker cues whilst Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now blasts loudly out of a jukebox. 

As is usual in narratives featuring zombies, there are some pretty terrible people in this show who we enjoy watching as they are ripped apart. One particularly nasty character is Patrick Goad, played impeccably by Andy Nyman (of Ghost Stories and Derren Brown fame). I’ve had the misfortune during my career in the television industry of knowing people like Patrick, a Big Brother producer who is too irritated about being bumped off air to care about the apocalypse unravelling around him, so watching him take a shit in a bin and eventually meeting his demise at the hands of the (zombie) people he screwed over on multiple occasions felt almost therapeutic to me.

The rest of the cast is just as delightfully awful, some for very different reasons, with many actual alumni Big Brother stars featuring in the series. Although most of them can’t act to save their life (excuse the pun), they are clearly having the best time when they don the zombie make up and run rampant, or in Eugene’s case, be a corpse for undead Davina to feast on.

Speaking of the original presenter, a true highlight for me is a zombified Davina McCall, who I completely forgot was turned in episode one until my rewatch. She is known in the UK as the face of Big Brother, presenting the show from its humble beginnings—up until it left Channel 4 in 2010— with consistent energy, warmth and mischief. Turning her zombified gaze to acting for this makes sense as Big Brother wouldn’t be the same without her fronting it, but it was truly surprising how effective and terrifying she was. The cast of contestants and staff behind the scenes also contains some incredible acting, with Jaime Winstone and Riz Ahmed to name just a couple of stand out performances.

Although it was released fourteen years ago, it’s plain to see that Dead Set holds up as one of the best examples of horror on the small screen. From its bonkers mashup of genres to its encapsulation of true British culture, this series has thrilled me on every rewatch, and successfully put a refreshing spin on the zombie narrative. Since its release, Dead Set has gained a Brazilian remake, Reality Z (2020). Whether or not I decide to watch this may depend on if I ever get sick of the Brooker original, but I’m putting my bets on sticking with the classic for now, as, to me, this is perfect television.

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