What to say about In The Flesh? Let's start off with my expectations. When I discovered that there was going to be a zombie show on the BBC I was really excited. I mean, they are monster of the moment so the more the merrier and it's good that the BBC are jumping on my favourite bandwagon.
Here's the basic set-up in case you haven't seen it (as always, I promise no spoilers). The series is set after a zombie outbreak. Scientists in white lab-coats have discovered some kind of treatment to rejuvenate brain cells and control the rapid, flesh eating zombies that we know and love so that they can return to their families. The story centres on Kieren, who is returning to a village where people are not so keen on the dead coming back and where the Human Volunteer Force are determined to keep the area zombie free.
Basically this story could have been made about twenty-five years ago about the Aids virus, or fifty-something years ago about black people. Not that I have anything against horror being used as a metaphor for issues that exist in the real world, it's just that when George Romero does it, he has a bit of excitement and some gore to help make the point, and hoards of zombies to boot.
I love zombies. I can't get enough zombies. So maybe that brings us to my first problem... The lack of zombies. You see some flash backs of Kieren's last kill, but that's it. what we mainly get is sufferers of Partially Deceased Syndrome moping about. No gory fun, here, this is typical serious/miserable British sci-fi. Lot's of people shouting, other people looking anxious.
So, that's the moan. I'm feeling a little let down by the whole thing. It was a little obvious and lacking a lightness of touch which I enjoy. Anyway, the clips from next week looked a bit more exciting and zombie-filled, and it's only three episodes, so I'm sticking with it, but so far it's getting about five skulls out of ten, because at least all the performances were really good.
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