"I Am A Partially Deceased Syndrome Sufferer & It Is Not My Fault"

WARNING: INCLUDES MILD SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW 'IN THE FLESH'

Hello readers, today I'd like to take the time to tell you about & recommend one of the most brilliant, captivating shows that has ever graced television- In The Flesh. In case you can't already tell by my choice of adjectives, this show is a favourite of mine & something I feel is quite underrated for how exceptional it is.

Poster for series 1, featuring protagonist Kieren Walker

Let's begin with a brief overview of what it's about:
In The Flesh is a BBC Three drama set after a zombie breakout, known within the series as 'The Rising'. In the series, the zombies (or Partially Deceased Syndrome sufferers, as they are known) have been rehabilitated so that they can be re-introduced into society. The first series follows a young man called Kieren Walker as he is re-introduced back to his family & life in the northern town of Roarton, a place with strong views against PDS sufferers & one of the first places to put into effect a Human Volunteer Force to protect against rabid PDS sufferers (or "rotters" as the townspeople put them). The second series continues to follow Kieran as well as focussing on other characters & follows the story of there being a possible second rising, with the pro-living party, Victus & the Undead Liberation Army both in search for the first risen & building prominent forces in Roarton.

After first reading about this series in the TV guide, I thought, "this looks good". I like zombies & as I was (& still am) reading Darren Shan's 'Zom-B' book series, which also focusses on the revived & thinking undead, thought that the ideas in this show seemed interesting- I liked what Shan had done with the undead so it would be good to see another spin in a similar direction. But me being me, plus having coursework & illness in the family, forgot about the series when it first began & wasn't reminded of it until a couple of weeks later whilst at home one afternoon having lunch, where I thought to myself- "what could I watch while I eat?", then remembered In The Flesh.

After one episode I was hooked. It was so excellent & engaging & I had so many questions as to what was happening, what was going to happen & why things were a certain way that I just had to watch the next episode, which was thankfully also on catch up! It was brilliant- I rarely felt this way about TV shows so I eagerly anticipated the finale, which happened to be on that Sunday (which was also Easter Sunday that year, although I found In The Flesh way more exciting!).

Needless to say I was glad that a second series was commissioned, which turned out to be just as good as the first- plus it was twice as long! Again, the series left me with questions & continued to build on the excellent characters & concept introduced in series 1. I loved it. Had to watch the first two episodes on my laptop at uni, but relished in the moment I could watch it as it aired once I came home. It became, as I put it to my Mum, the best & worst thing about the week- best because there would be a new episode, worst as I had to wait another week for the next!

But what makes this drama so amazing? What elements of the show allow it to be so gripping, to the point where I sacrificed an hour that could have been spent doing coursework (which meant a lot to me at that point in time) in order to see where the story was going. Well, allow me to explain:

• The concept

Typically, when someone says 'zombie drama', you think blood, guts, gore & plenty of people's heads being ripped open. Not in this series. It's seen briefly in flashbacks, but one of the things I really like about this series is the way in which the zombies/PDS sufferers are portrayed. In the series', a drug called 'Neurotriptyline' is used to artificially stimulate brain cells that PDS sufferers can no longer make, which enables them to act as they did when alive, although they can no longer feel things physically or perform functions such as eating. I think it's an original & realistic take on the zombie theme & really brings to mind how humans deal with death & what it must be like for someone who has died to be back with a family/friends that loved & mourned them- this is especially compelling in Kieren's case, I won't say why as I feel this is a key part that is better discovered by watching the show.

• Well written characters

If there's one thing that I love in a series, it's great character development & I personally feel that In The Flesh does this excellently. Let's start with Kieren- at first he seems like anyone else would in his situation- guilty about what he did in his "untreated state" & nervous about seeing his family again. As the first series progresses we learn there are deeper reasons for his feelings & actions & he develops even further as a character in series 2. His 'B.D.F.F' (Best Dead Friend Forever), Amy Dyer, is another excellent asset to the show, providing a positive outlook on having a second chance at life & having a sunny disposition that contrasts yet compliments the more sombre themes & atmosphere in the show. Another character that I feel progresses excellently is Philip- I won't give away too much but let's just say he doesn't turn out to be what you'd first expect! Admittedly, all the prominent characters have great depth which is delivered superbly across both the first & second series.

Amy, Kieren & Simon- image from series 2

• Implications & in general just being well written

One of the things that initially had me glued to In The Flesh was how well written it was & the way certain things are implied rather than being blatantly stated. Again, these are things I don't want to spoil about the show so I won't say too much, but for me it was these things that left me with questions that kept me watching the show. I'm not saying I wouldn't have watched it if things had been more blunt, as looking back I'm pretty sure I would, but I liked being able to question, guess & make judgements for myself. Overall, the series' are very well written & provides not only a fresh take on the zombie theme, but also on the themes of discrimination, love, death & acceptance.

I don't think I can recommend this show enough. It really is fantastic & feel everyone should, at the very least, give it a chance. Both series combined are 9 episodes long, so that's only 9 hours to spare, which can be done in whatever time scale you choose- one a night, one a week, or you could go all out & marathon the whole thing in one go! Currently only the second series is on iPlayer, but I'm sure if you Google it you can find the first series online.

So there we go, my show recommendation, I would say "of the week" but I really do recommend it all the time- it is amazing!

Thank you for reading, now enjoy In The Flesh! :D

DVD Cover- available from Amazon for £15 :)

Note: I take no credit for images used in this blog post.