Filming has begun on the second season of the zombie drama In the Flesh. Critically acclaimed creator, Dominic Mitchell, reignites the world of teenager Kieren Walker, a PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferer who continues in his struggle to find acceptance. The six-part thriller (6x60), a BBC America co-production with BBC Drama Production North, is set to return to the channel in 2014 as part of Supernatural Saturday.
In the cauldron of Roarton, where the living and the undead have reached a fragile peace, Kieren is desperately keeping his head down and squirreling money into his 'escape fund'. But in the wider world, fear is in the air. The radical Pro-Living Party, Victus, is gaining government seats with a resulting spate of PDS Terrorism linked to the Undead Liberation Army (ULA). With the arrival of new and explosive characters from both Victus and the ULA, Kieren's plans are thrown into disarray as both set their sights on him. He'll find himself caught in the emotional crossfire, making his desire for a quiet life an unavailable option.
"The first season of
In The Flesh introduced a twist to the zombie genre that compelled us to see the mind of the "undead" in a different way, making it a seamless fit for BBC AMERICA'S
Supernatural Saturday programming block" says Richard DeCroce, SVP Programming, BBC AMERICA. "We can't wait to see what lies ahead in the second season as we dig deeper into the thrilling town of Roarton.
"With its uniquely naturalistic take on the zombie genre, told as much from the point of view of the Zombies, or PDS Sufferers themselves as that of the locals forced to live alongside them,
In The Flesh is original, dramatic, funny, politically engaged and never less than 100% emotionally truthful" says Jim O'Hanlon, Director. "It's rare to find a series that is so exciting, entertaining and humorous, yet has so much to say about the world we live in today. The characters have genuine verve, wit, color and depth and I can't wait to get started on bringing them to life."
Dominic Mitchell, Creator adds, "Returning to Roarton village has been a real joy, revisiting old characters and inventing new ones, entangling their lives and their loves. My hope is that
In The Flesh season two will have something for everyone: with high octane genre thrills running alongside emotional, hard hitting domestic drama, with plenty of black humor to boot."
Set in the fictional village of Roarton,
In The Flesh started filming in October and is shot around the North West of England. Luke Newberry (Hercules, The Legend Begins) reprises his role as Kieren Walker and leads the cast together with Emily Bevan (The Thick of It) as Amy Driver, his up-beat friend and fellow medicated zombie, Harriet Cains (Doctors) as Jem Walker, Kieren's feisty sister and Stephen Thompson (Doctors) as Philip Wilson, an aspirational Parish counselor.
Also returning is Kenneth Cranham (Maleficent) as Vicar Oddie, Kevin Sutton (Shameless) as Gary, Steve Cooper as Steve Walker, Marie Critchley as Sue Walker, Sandra Hugget as Shirley Wilson, Gerard Thompson and Dean and Gillian Waugh as Pearl Pinder.
They are joined by new cast members, Wunmi Mosaku (Dancing on the Edge, I am Slave) playing local Member of Parliament, Maxine Martin, and in a departure from his more familiar bad boy roles, Emmett J Scanlan (The Fall, Hollyoaks) who plays charismatic disciple of the Undead Prophet, Simon.
In the Flesh is a BBC Drama Production, co-produced by BBC AMERICA. The series, created by Dominic Mitchell, is directed by Jim O'Hanlon, produced by John Rushton and executive produced by Hilary Martin, Katie McAleese and Ann Harrison Baxter.
BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC,
BBC America has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and eleven Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 80.4 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with ble On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.
