Dead Set (2008)

Dead Set is a compact, brutal five-part British mini‑series that mashes reality‑TV satire with visceral zombie horror. On the night of a Big Brother eviction, the outside world collapses into chaos as the dead begin to rise and attack the living. Trapped inside the show’s sealed, camera‑filled house, the contestants and production crew are initially clueless about the apocalypse beyond the walls — until a panicked crew member bursts in with the terrible truth. With contact cut off and supplies dwindling, the survivors must make terrified, often desperate choices about who to trust and how far they’ll go to stay alive. Watching Dead Set feels like being forced into the same claustrophobic, media‑saturated environment as the characters: tense, fast‑moving, and frequently shocking. The series alternates between sharp, darkly comic takes on celebrity culture and broadcasting ethics, and grisly, suspenseful sequences of siege and escape. Expect jump scares and graphic gore alongside biting satire and moments of raw human panic; the show uses the Big Brother format (constant cameras, public spectacle, manufactured drama) to amplify themes of voyeurism, moral cowardice and the collapse of normal social rules under extreme stress. Tone and pacing are relentless — episodes are lean and propulsive — and the writing foregrounds moral dilemmas and character conflicts as much as the monster threat. If you watch Dead Set you’ll get a lean thriller that shocks and amuses in equal measure: a social commentary wrapped in horror, with intense, often uncomfortable moments that linger after the credits roll. Content warning: strong violence, gore, and coarse language.

Actors: Paul 'Bubble' Ferguson, Liz May Brice, Brian Belo

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Horror

7.6 /10 7.6 /10