Dead Set: Big Brother is Eating Your Brains

Fun fact: I’m stingy with my Netflix ratings. Few movies or TV shows get five stars; most get three or four. A quick review of my rating activity shows that this year I gave 0 movies and 3 tv shows top marks.* Over the weekend, I gave a fourth tv show five stars: 2008’s Dead Set.

Dead Set’s premise is simple: what would happen if the zombie apocalypse started on the set of a reality show? The show in question is the UK’s Big Brother. It’s Eviction Night, and Producer Patrick (Andy Nyman), PA Kelly (Jamie Winstone) and others are settling in for a normal night of telly. As the latest cast member, Pippa (Kathleen McDermott) is leaving the house, the waiting crowd is attacked by zombies. Patrick and Pippa manage to lock themselves in the green room, while Kelly finds safety in the Big Brother house. All must now find a way out, which is tough as Patrick is a coward, Pippa is afraid and Kelly must convince the rest of the Big Brother cast that everybody is, in fact, in danger.

No previous knowledge of Big Brother is required to enjoy Dead Set. If you’ve seen the show you’ll enjoy the Easter Eggs in the first episode, which features many previous house guests playing themselves. Real-life Big Brother presenter Davina McCall also plays herself. But the set is almost secondary. Dead Set at its core is about how a small group of people deal with the end of the world. I’m a big fan of this type of zombie movie, whether its Train to Busan or Pontypool. I prefer the small, tight, claustrophobic zombie thrillers. And Dead Set is certainly small, taking place in just three locations, mostly in the Big Brother house.

The characterization is also top-notch, and very female-focused. In an age where the roles men and women play in films, it’s important to note how strong and developed the female characters of Dead Set are. In this world, it’s the women who more often than not are out saving the day, while the men cower in a corner. It’s refreshing and very welcome.

In the tradition of tight plot lines with defined beginnings and endings, Dead Set is just five episodes long, 145 minutes altogether. The broken up nature is needed, as this series is quite tense. It’s the kind of series where you need a bit of a break in between episodes. Keep your kitten videos on hand for when the show’s over, too, because the ending is bleak.

Engrossing and binge-able, Dead Set is a perfect watch for the month of October. The show deserves every single acclaim it earned.

Dead Set tl;drs

Quick summary: The men and women living in the Big Brother house are blissfully unaware of what’s going on in the world outside. That’s all about to change when the zombie apocalypse comes crashing into their compound.

Too many writers? Nah, bruv; just Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror.

Recommended if you like: Smaller, more intimate zombie movies.

Better than I expected? The intensity of it all.

Should it be rebooted? While the tone couldn’t be replicated, I wonder if the plot can’t be translated to other reality shows. How would Howie Mandel react if zombies threatened America’s Got Talent?

Verdict: Tense, scary and binge-able in an evening; Dead Set is not to be missed.

Related Reading: Wiki article

*Those three shows (if you care) being Angel, Dollhouse, and Jessica Jones.