DAY OF THE DEAD

GEORGE ROMERO’S 1985 ZOMBIE MOVIE HAS INSPIRED A DAY OF THE DEAD TV SERIES – BUT IT HAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLOT. WHAT THE HELL?! SHOWRUNNERS JED ELINOFF AND SCOTT THOMAS EXPLAIN WHY

WORDS: IAN BERRIMAN

NO CONNOISSEUR OF THE undead needs to be told about Day Of The Dead. George Romero’s third zombie movie is also his bleakest; set months on from the initial outbreak, it centres on a bunker where a small group of scientists and military personnel (led by the unhinged Captain Rhodes) are at one another’s throats. It’s beloved for its gory set-pieces – most notably one where Rhodes gets his comeuppance – and Bub, a zombie “tamed” by a scientist.

So on hearing of the advent of a Day Of The Dead TV series, your thoughts initially head in this direction: will they open out the world?

Won’t all that bickering get tiresome stretched over 10 episodes? Irrelevant questions, as it turns out, since this new Day tells a very different tale.

For starters, it’s an outbreak story. It takes place in a small town, Mawinhaken, not underground. Some characters have familiar surnames, but are otherwise reinvented – like Rhodes (now the foreman of a fracking operation), or McDermott and Bowman (no longer an alcoholic radio operator/a female scientist, but a pair of young guys). And it all unfolds over 24 hours.

Hardcore Romero cognoscenti can be forgiven for rolling their eyes. With the rights not under the control of the late director’s estate, the title Day Of The Dead has been attached to some dire efforts over the years, from 2005’s Day Of The Dead 2: Contagium to 2013’s Day Of The Dead: Bloodline. Will this TV version be just another kick in the teeth for fans?