The zombie-themed BBC mini-series "In The Flesh" aired in the UK back in March to some pretty good reviews. Recently BBC America had announced that they had scheduled the series to air in August, but probably came to the realization that we Yanks aren't the patient type and have now bumped up the US premiere to early June. Details below!
IN THE FLESH is set four years after the Rising when the government starts to rehabilitate the Undead back into the society including teenager Kieren Walker, who returns home to his small Lancashire village to face a hostile reception as well as his own demons.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
BBC America’s co-production "In the Flesh" tells a very human story… about the undead. The mini-series springs to life with a special broadcast event, premiering over three consecutive nights.
Zombie teenager Kieren Walker isn’t comfortable in his ‘undead’ state. He didn’t want to come back – he wanted to be dead. After his suicide four years ago, his friends and family thought they’d never see him again. But then, shortly after his funeral, thousands rose from the dead. After months of rehabilitation and medication, the zombies, now known as PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers, are gradually being returned to their homes. When Kieran returns, he is forced to confront his family, the community that rejected him, and the haunting flashbacks of what he did in his untreated state.
BBC America’s special three-night premiere event of "In the Flesh" begins Thursday, June 6, 10:00pm ET/PT.
"In the Flesh" explores a post-zombie-uprising – from the zombie’s perspective. The series follows 18-year-old Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry; Anna Karenina, Quartet), a PDS sufferer who, now treated with the medication Neurolax, is deemed ready to return to his parents’ home in the small village of Roarton. Since the passing of the PDS Protection act, the government has set an agenda of acceptance and tolerance, one that is at odds with the communities abandoned at the time of The Rising and the bloody battle between zombies and humans that ensued. A cauldron of brutal anti-zombie sentiment boils in Roarton, the home of the ‘rotter’ hating Human Volunteer Force (HVF). Can Kieren’s neighbors forgive him for what he did in his untreated state? More importantly, can Kieren forgive himself?
"In the Flesh" takes a fresh approach to the zombie genre, using it to tell a story that tackles real family and domestic issues. It’s about feeling ‘other,’ exploring how chaos is born, and the destructive effects it can have on both the individual and the community.
Creator and writer Dominic Mitchell says of the series: “What’s great about using the zombie genre was I could talk about all those issues, talk about feeling ‘other’ and feeling different and feeling like you can’t come out to your parents… but under the guise of ‘I’m a zombie and my parents don’t recognize me as a zombie.’”
Emily Bevan ("The Thick of It"), Steve Evets ("Shameless"), Kenneth Cranham ("Upstairs Downstairs"), Ricky Tomlinson ("The Royle Family"), David Walmsley ("Doctors"), and Harriet Cains (Human Beings) also star in this thought-provoking series about redemption, forgiveness, and the battle against prejudice. The three-part series, created and written by Dominic Mitchell, is directed by Jonny Campbell, with Ann Harrison-Baxter serving as producer and Hilary Martin as executive producer.
Part One premieres Thursday, June 6, 10:00pm ET/PT: Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferer Kieren Walker returns home to the cauldron of Roarton but doesn’t receive a warm welcome. His parents, Steve and Sue, are undoubtedly pleased to see him, but his sister, Jem, isn’t so ready to pick up where they left off when Kieren died back in 2009. Meanwhile, the zombie-hating Human Volunteer Force, led by the violent Bill Macy, is ready to take action against any PDS sufferer reintegrated on their patch.
Part Two premieres Friday, June 7, 10:00pm ET/PT: Feeling trapped at home, Kieren escapes to his grave, where he is reunited with his old hunting partner, Amy Dyer, who persuades him to take a dangerous day trip. Kieren discovers that Rick, his former best mate who died in Afghanistan, is back in town. Amy convinces Kieren to go and see him at The Legion. After an awkward reunion, Kieren finds himself on an HVF hunting mission in the woods, where the night patrol has reported live rabid zombies roaming free.
Part Three premieres Saturday, June 8, 10:00pm ET/PT: After visiting the supermarket where he used to hunt with Amy, Kieren remembers that Jem once spared his life. Together, brother and sister confront the demons in their pasts and visit Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster (the parents of the girl from Kieren’s flashbacks, who fell victim to Kieren and Amy in the supermarket). Kieren feels momentarily better but then has to say goodbye to Amy, who is leaving Roarton in search of The Prophet. Will Kieren and Rick be able to find peace and acceptance as PDS sufferers in this highly-charged new world?