
BAFTA winning zombie series In The Flesh has just concluded its second season, with the first two seasons recently released on DVD. Like supernatural hit before it Being Human, In The Flesh is gradually taking television by storm, both in the UK and on BBC America, and is one of the key programmes fuelling the “Save BBC Three” campaign. With the future of BBC Three hanging in the balance, In The Flesh may find a home for itself online for season three, or moved to BBC Two, but before all that, why should you be catching up with this show?

Setting the series after the war has been fought sets it apart from other zombie fiction, but what takes it further is the protagonist, Kieren Walker, played by the phenomenal Luke Newberry. Kieren is a PDS sufferer, and while human characters like his HVF sister Jem receive a lot of focus, it means our story is from the perspective of the undead. Bisexual writer Mitchell has also given us that rare representation of sexuality, as Kieren is pansexual. Kieren’s relationships, platonic or otherwise, are a driving force for the show: his deep feeling for best friend Rick, a soldier killed in Afghanistan leading to Kieren’s own suicide before the Rising drives much of the first season, while his flirtatious friendship with Amy Dyer is a delight, and newcomer Simon bringing a whole new dynamic in season two.

Emily Bevan, as Amy Dyer, injects some much-needed humour and heart to a show that can often become very dark, very quickly. In season two, Emmett Scanlan (who some may recognise as moustachioed gay gangster Brendan Brady in Hollyoaks) gives a charismatic and effective performance as Simon Monroe, with the episode detailing his back-story one of the most stunning of the whole series. Scanlan has a screen presence that is captivating and elevates season two to a whole new level. But in terms of performance, a great deal of praise needs to be given to Harriet Cains’ Jem Walker. Cains has the most difficult job of all the leading characters, as she is the most complex. We see her do reprehensible things, killing PDS sufferers who we now know to be safe, or engaging in a relationship with the absolutely awful Gary, but Cains imbues Jem with a vulnerability and heart that makes Jem remain so likable. Jem is a young girl shattered by the suicide and return of her brother, a girl who has had to kill people she knew to survive, and who is manipulated by others because of her own fear. Cains is absolutely stunning at portraying this and will have a long career ahead of her.
So as we wait for a new season to be announced, whether on TV or online (and those BAFTA wins should go some way to convincing commissioners), the In The Flesh DVD box-set is a perfect way to tide fans over. And for people new to the show, it’s nine hours of unique, beautifully crafted and enthralling television for you to enjoy.