What happens when 5G is introduced to the UK? Apparently an extremely contagious and aggressive inducing virus creates, you guessed it, zombies. Jumping on the living dead bandwagon, I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse is a new reality show airing on BBC3 where ‘survivors’ have to endure seven dead-filled days to be rescued by the military. The slightest touch will convert them to the flesh eating hoard. From The Walking Dead to The Last of Us, from I Am Legend to Shaun of the Dead, I have spent my whole life imagining and hoping that there will be a short-lived, curable outbreak of zombies just so I could see how I would fare against the biters. Needless to say I had high and quite frankly unrealistic expectations for methodical application and realism of the apocalyptic scenario.
Set six months after the outbreak, the first episode introduces the ten contestants with unusual personalities and unique traits, the core foundation of any good reality TV show. Expect in the following episodes to see some backstabbing and, if we’re lucky, a murder or two. Unfortunately, the survivors have worked together and completed several tasks to ensure safety, shelter and food from the walking dead just outside the safe zone. Although there were several attempts to create tension and fear, I was never particularly worried for any of the survivors, and this is by far the programme’s biggest flaw. I am not sure if my sadistic desires are worryingly telling of my psychological wellbeing or the show really is just boring.
I am clearly not the show’s target market. I let it slide that 5G caused the outbreak in the first place, as I saw it as a poorly executed technique to stay current and incite fear in the population. Coupled with the show’s obtrusive comedy elements, such as the questionable function of Greg James, the show’s presenter, I Survived the Zombie Apocalypse is nothing more than another reality show.
As far as the apocalyptic scenarios go, it’s a waste. If there is one rule that I have learned from years of imagining my plan of action if the world turned in to a zombified mess, it’s that it isn’t the zombies you have to worry about, it’s the people. As the days go by, it will be interesting to see how the survivors treat one another as food stocks diminish. Perhaps this is an unrealistic hope for a realistic scenario, but this is what we want to see and why reality TV is so popular.
The show is based on a good concept but an alternative and more gripping set up would have been to start the contestants off in different locations and split the £100,000 prize money between the remaining survivors at the end of the week. This slight tweak would unite zombie and reality TV show fans together under one cruel spectating roof. Based on the first episode, I couldn’t really care less if they made it to day seven without being eaten by zombie. If there was some tactically induced zombie eating however, I’d bite.
Lauren Emina-Bougaard