Generation Z - Press Pack

Category: Press Pack

23 October 2024

Introduction

Produced by The Forge (Help, National Treasure, Kiri), and created by Ben Wheatley, Generation Z is a high octane and darkly comic series which is coming to Channel 4 on Sunday 27th October.

Set in the fictional town of Dambury, the kind of place with stark opportunities and not much to do, it’s the last place you’d expect the apocalypse to begin… But when an army convoy overturns outside a care home, a chemical leak starts to have an adverse effect on the residents there. The OAPs, led by Cecily and Frank, escape the grasp of the army looking to contain their angry, violent, insatiable hunger for raw flesh.

On the night of the outbreak, teenagers – Charlie, Kelly, Steff and Finn, are living normal teenage lives: tinnies, messy feelings, complex relationships and ignoring their A-Level prep. But the gang abruptly find themselves at the centre of the virus when Kelly’s nan Janine, becomes infected and attacks her.

However, just because it’s the end of the world, it doesn’t mean your home life and relationship problems come to a halt; battling with parents, friendship betrayals and old family secrets rearing their ugly heads. Life is just as complicated for the zombies, with the virus fuelling single-minded desires, bringing a whole new dimension to their zombie rampage. Finn worries for grandad-figure Morgan, when she comes to the realisation that there might be more behind the chemical spill. Just what exactly was being transported?

Generation Z is about intergeneration justice and community breakdown that boldly satirizes a world where truth is stranger than fiction, exploring not just the political fault lines in our society but also the very real issues facing teenagers today.

Episode Synopses

Episode 1
When an army truck crashes outside a care home and turns the residents there into something nasty, four friends have to deal with the deadly consequences…

Episode 2
Charlie and Kelly must deal with Kelly’s nan while Steff heads off on a dangerous side quest with Finn. Meanwhile the OAPs, led by Cecily, are hungry…

Episode 3
The army tighten their control over Dambury as Charlie, Kelly, Finn and Steff go on a rescue mission. Billy’s return ruffles feathers. Reunited, Frank and Cecily seek out others to recruit…

Episode 4
Relationship problems and exams aren’t the only life or death situation the gang encounters. A split breaks out across the OAPs as a newcomer turns Frank’s head away from Cecily…

Episode 5
Charlie and Steff’s friendship is tested. Billy sees an opportunity to take control. Gil is starting to realise that her task is more than meets the eye. The residents of Dambury decide that enough is enough…

Episode 6
Billy takes over and heartbreaking revelations come out that seeks to destroy the town and her family. Meanwhile residents race against the clock to escape Dambury, but the army have other plans in mind…

Cast & Crew Credits

SUE JOHNSTON - Cecily
ROBERT LINDSAY - Morgan
ANITA DOBSON - Janine
AVA HINDS-JONES – Billy
VIOLA PRETTEJOHN - Finn
BUKET KOMUR - Kelly
JAY LYCURGO – Charlie
LEWIS GRIBBEN - Steff
PAUL BENTALL - Frank
JOHNNY VEGAS - Jason
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER - Michael
SUZANNE AHMET - Lorraine
T'NIA MILLER - Karen
SOPHIE STONE - Wendy
CHRIS REILLY - Terry
D'ANGELOU OSEI KISSIEDU – Meki
ELLIE-MAE SIAME -Maisy
ROBIN HILL - Karl
GARETH TUNLEY - Jon
JOHN HOLLINGWORTH -Parrenster
MAANUV THIARA - Malcolm
REBECCA HUMPHRIES - Jane
ANDREW KAZAMIA - Joseph
GARRICK HAGON – Gabe
BEN WHEATLEY – Creator, writer, executive producer and director
BETH WILLIS – Executive producer for The Forge
ALEX KAZAMIA – Producer

Contacts

Registered users only

Press Pack

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Ben Wheatley (Creator, Writer, Executive Producer and Director)

How would you describe Generation Z? It's in that world of horror but also a disaster movie, setting up the characters and how they deal with the approaching catastrophe that's happened outside the town of Dambury. It's got echoes of Covid, echoes of the classic zombie genre, of The Crazies and

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Sue Johnston (Cecily)

What did you make of the script and were you familiar with Ben Wheatley’s work? I was a bit bewildered at first. It's not the kind of role I usually take, but that's what attracted me. It was so bizarre and so far away from anything I've done, and I found it great fun. I had heard of Ben but I had

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Robert Lindsay (Morgan)

Why did you want to get involved in Generation Z? It was the kind of thing I never really wanted to do until my kids, my own Generation Z, persuaded me because they're big fans of Ben Wheatley. I didn't know him, but I'm glad I did it because I really enjoyed working with him. He's quite a character

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Anita Dobson (Janine)

Janine presumably isn't the kind of role you're generally offered. What did you make of the script? I got a message from my agent saying that something exciting had just come in the inbox. I read it and thought: I’m not sure about this. So we had a little chat, then I spoke to Ben Wheatley, who was

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Ava Hinds-Jones (Billy)

Billy is your first screen role. How did you find playing her? It's funny because she is my age and the epitome of me. She's strong and fearless, but also a vulnerable 22-year-old trying to figure out her life. I originally auditioned for Kelly, but even when I was reading, I was like, Who is this

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Viola Prettejohn (Finn)

Interview with Viola Prettejohn (Finn) What were your first impressions of Generation Z? I got given four episodes and read them back-to-back on one flight. I came out of it thinking: What on earth did I just read? I was texting my friends, going, “This thing is bananas!” But I was excited. I knew

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Buket Komur (Kelly)

Why did Generation Z appeal? I was surprised by how insane it is – every page I turned, I was thinking: Are we going to be able to show this? It was really, really funny at the same time, and once we got to set I knew it was going to be a really good time. Aside from how wacky and ridiculous it is

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Jay Lycurgo (Charlie)

Were you a fan of the genre beforehand? Oh yeah. I like horror and zombies are really fun. I love the Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead… All the Deads! This reminds me of Shaun of the Dead in that it’s a dark comedy, although it keeps you surprised – even watching it, I was getting

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Lewis Gribben (Steff)

Why did you want to get involved with the project and were you a fan of Ben Wheatley? I really like Shaun of the Dead, and this has remnants of that. Misfits a little bit as well, because the teenagers didn't feel superficial, they felt like real young people with nonsense going on in their heads

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Paul Bentall (Frank)

Have you seen Generation Z? I have, and I was really impressed by it. It's an extraordinary, good piece of work. Scary, but quite accurate about the world at the moment. That sense of chaos and lack of control is in the back of everybody's minds, and it's quite a relief, in a peculiar way, to have

23 Oct 24 Press Pack Article

Interview with Johnny Vegas (Jason)

How is Jason’s family life? Jason, Lorraine (Suzanne Ahmet) and Kelly (Buket Komur) are basically a happy family, getting on and getting by. Like my own family growing up, there’s a lot of love but not a lot of cash. They're not destitute, but they're always counting the pennies and keeping as many