Generation Z on Channel 4 stars former EastEnders legend Anita Dobson (see the creepy first look picture above), The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston and Paul Benthall (The World’s End) as OAP zombies leading the apocalypse from a grey, forgotten town called Dambury.
Written by Ben Wheatley, the man behind Kill List and In The Earth, the horror series sees the dull town thrown into chaos when a chemical spill turns the residents of a care home into zombies with an insatiable hunger for raw flesh. The zombie hoard then spreads to Dambury’s teens, who alongside dealing with complex relationship issues, their looming A-levels and teenage angst, must now battle with their parents and grandparents just to stay alive.
“It’s been amazing working on Generation Z with The Forge and Channel 4,” says writer and creator Ben Wheatley. “It’s my first original series and a project very close to my heart. I hope everyone loves it as much as we do.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Channel 4 horror series Generation Z…
Generation Z release date
The six-part series Generation Z starts on Channel 4 on Sunday October 27 2024 at 9pm, with the second episode the next night on Monday October 28 at 9pm. The series goes out on Channel 4 as weekly double bills on Sundays and Mondays at the same time. Generation Z will be available as a box set on the Channel 4 streaming service.
Generation Z plot
The Generation Z action starts when an army convoy overturns outside a care home, resulting in a chemical spill that turns the residents into flesh-hungry zombies. On the night of the outbreak a group of teens are going about their normal lives, until one of their nans becomes infected and attacks. And as the gang find themselves pitted against the zombie army, they start to realise that just because you are fighting an apocalypse, it doesn’t mean your other problems disappear. However, they must work out what was behind the chemical spill just to have a chance at survival.
Generation Z cast — Sue Johnston and Paul Benthall as Cecily and Frank
In Generation Z Sue Johnston plays Cecily, a resident at the care home who is leading the zombie apocalypse, while Paul Benthall (The World’s End) is playing pensioner Frank, who leads the zombie apocalypse alongside Cecily. Even thought Frank is Cecily's current partner, she has a meaningful history with Morgan, played by Robert Lindsay.
Talking to WTW in a press interview, Sue reveals more about Cecily in Generation Z: "Cecily has a bit of a political past. She was an activist in her youth, which is when she met Morgan. Something happened between them, she drifted on, but continued to be an activist. Now she’s ended up in a residential home, has met Paul [The World’s End’s Paul Bentall], and found out that she’s suffering from terminal cancer
"When the virus strikes, Cecily becomes an activist again. All that she was seems to come back and she relishes it… at first!"
* Sue Johnston is best known for her role as Barbara in The Royle Family but has also starred in Downton Abbey, Hold The Sunset, Waking the Dead, Help and Jam and Jerusalem. Sue started her career as Sheila Grant in Brookside and went on to star in Coronation Street.
Robert Lindsay on playing Morgan
Robert Lindsay is grandad-figure Morgan in Generation Z. You might recognise him as Ben Harper in the series My Family. Robert has also starred in 1970s comedy Citizen Smith, Nightingales, Fierce Creatures, Hornblower and Plebs.
Speaking about his mysterious character - a retired teacher and a kindly drug dealer in the series - Robert explains: "Morgan is the grower and supplier of recreational drugs for the Generation Z kids! This meant I spent a lot of time filming in a cellar, or rather, an ancient abattoir in Newport, with our younger cast!
“It’s difficult to talk about my character, because he goes through a big transformation and he knows a lot more about the infection than anyone else. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but Morgan begins to realise what’s happening when he sees the love of his life, Cecily, become infected.”
Anita Dobson as Janine
Anita Dobson stars as Janine, a nan who attacks and infects her granddaughter Kelly in Generation Z. Take a look at our main picture above for Anita in her full zombie scariness!
Anita Dobson of course made her name playing Angie Watts in EastEnders (see pictured below) but has also appeared in The Worst Witch, Red Dwarf, Torvill and Dean, The Long Call and Casualty. In 2023, she starred in a memorable episode of Inside No9 and she'll be playing Mrs Blood in the new Doctor Who series. Anita is married to rock star Brian May from Queen.
Speaking to us about her role in Generation Z Anita says: “Janine’s a widow with a nice little nest egg, but rather than give it to her son Jay [played by Murder, They Hope’s Johnny Vegas] she’s decided to have some fun and, when you first meet her, she’s just come home from holiday. I think she feels her life never really took off because she got married, had children and lived in this little backwater.
"After she gets through the horror of being infected she suddenly feels the fearless desires she felt when she was younger and doesn’t want to change back. Janine feels society owes her something and she’s just going to eat the whole lot of them!”
Johnny Vegas
Johnny also stars in Generation Z in a currently unnamed role. He’s best known for his turns in Still Open All Hours, Murder, They Hope and Benidorm but has also starred in Grimsby, Murder on the Blackpool Express, Romantic Getaway and The Rubbish World of Dave Spud. Johnny also appears on Celebrity Gogglebox and QI and made TV series such as Johnny Vegas: Carry on Glamping and Johnny Vegas: 18 Stone of Idiot.
Generation Z — the teens
The Generation Z teenagers Charlie, Kelly, Stef and Finn are played by Jay Lycurgo (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), Buket Komur (Our House), Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy), and Viola Prettejohn (The Nevers).
Who else is starring in Generation Z?
The ensemble cast of Generation Z includes Robert James-Collier (The Inheritance, Downton Abbey), Suzanne Ahmet (Inside Man), T’Nia Miller (Years and Years), Sophie Stone (The Chelsea Detective), Chris Reilly (The Last Post), D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu (Rocks), Ellie-Mae Siame (His Dark Materials), Robin Hill (Kill List), Gareth Tunley (Kill List), John Hollingworth (The Queen's Gambit), Maanuv Thiara (DI Ray), Rebecca Humphries (The Crown), Ellora Torchia (The Gold), Andrew Kazamia (London’s Burning), Garrick Hagon (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), Mark Monero (EastEnders, see more below) and newcomer Ava Hinds-Jones .
Former EastEnders star Mark Monero plays Jim
Mark Monero starred in EastEnders from 1991 until 1996, playing chef Steve Elliot (pictured) who dated local Walford neighbour Hattie Tavernier (Michelle Gayle). Now he turns up in the fifth episode of Generation Z, playing neighbourhood watch leader Jim, a man with a plan as civilisation breaks down in Dambury. With the local senior citizens on a cannibalistic rampage, children and teenagers missing, plus looters running riot, Jim organises a posse of parents! Armed with garden tools and homemade shields they charge the army barricades surrounding the town under the cover of night. Is Jim leading them to their deaths..?
Is there a Generation Z trailer?
Channel 4 have released this extended trailer for Generation Z, which really brings the show's pensioner zombie characters to life.
Behind the scenes, locations and more on Generation Z
Generation Z was filmed in Wales in autumn 2023. The spoof horror series is produced by The Forge for Channel 4, in association with ZDF and All3media International. It has been commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. The series is written and directed by Ben Wheatley and is produced by Alex Kazamia and executive produced by Ben Wheatley, Mark Pybus, George Faber and Beth Willis. Filming took place in Wales in 2023.
Rebecca Holdsworth, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, says: “We are so excited that Ben Wheatley has chosen C4 as the place to make his first original TV drama. Generation Z promises to have all of the unique visual flair and mischievous spirit that characterises Ben’s film work; it is in turn wickedly funny, deftly political, and delivers on the kind of eye-popping shocks and thrills that mean this is shaping up to be a zombie drama like no other.”
