News in Time and Space - In The Flesh series two filming starts

Tuesday, 15 October 2013 - Reported by John Bowman

Kieren Walker, played by Luke Newberry. Picture: BBC

Filming on the extended second series of BBC Three zombie drama In The Flesh has started, it was announced today.

The first series, which aired in March this year, ran for three episodes, but the new series is double that length.

Creator Dominic Mitchell reignites the world of teenager Kieren Walker, a PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferer, who continues in his struggle to find acceptance in the fictional village of Roarton.

The living and the undead have reached a fragile peace, with Kieren desperately keeping his head down, squirrelling money into his "escape fund". But in the wider world, fear is in the air. The radical Pro-Living Party, Victus, is gaining government seats, with a resulting spate of PDS terrorism linked to the Undead Liberation Army. With the arrival in the village of new and explosive characters from both Victus and the ULA, Kieren's plans are thrown into disarray as both set their sights on him and he finds himself caught in the emotional crossfire. A quiet life is not an option.

Returning to the series, Luke Newberry as Kieren Walker leads the cast, together with Emily Bevan as his upbeat friend and fellow medicated zombie Amy Dyer, Harriet Cains as his feisty sister Jem, and Stephen Thompson as the aspirational parish councillor Philip Wilson.

Also returning are Kenneth Cranham as Vicar Oddie, Kevin Sutton as Gary, Steve Cooper as Steve Walker, Marie Critchley as Sue Walker, Sandra Hugget as Shirley Wilson, Gerard Thompson as Dean, and Gillian Waugh as Pearl Pinder.

They are joined by new cast members Wunmi Mosaku, playing local MP Maxine Martin, and Emmett J Scanlan, who plays Simon - a charismatic disciple of the Undead Prophet.

The drama started filming on Monday 7th October and is being shot around the north-west of England.

Director Jim O'Hanlon said:

With its uniquely naturalistic take on the zombie genre, told as much from the point of view of the zombies - or PDS sufferers - themselves as that of the locals forced to live alongside them, In The Flesh is original, dramatic, funny, politically engaged, and never less than 100 per cent emotionally truthful.

It's rare to find a series that is so exciting, entertaining, and humorous, and yet has so much to say about the world we live in today. The characters have genuine verve, wit, colour, and depth, and I can't wait to get started on bringing them to life.

BBC Three controller Zai Bennett said:

I am excited that BBC Three viewers will once again have the chance to immerse themselves in writer Dominic Mitchell's intricate world, which brings such realism to the scenario of medicated zombies being reintegrated into the community. The popularity of series one is testament to the strength of the cast, production team, and conviction with which Dominic writes.

And Mitchell, who last month was named one of BAFTA's 17 Breakthrough Brits, said:

Returning to Roarton village has been a real joy, revisiting old characters and inventing new ones, entangling their lives and their loves. My hope is that In The Flesh series two will have something for everyone: with high-octane genre thrills running alongside emotional, hard-hitting domestic drama, with plenty of black humour to boot.

Meanwhile, Newberry said:

I'm very excited to continue on Kieren's journey, and am delighted In The Flesh will be returning for a second series. New characters arrive in Roarton, introducing him to further challenges and new dilemmas, as he begins to feel trapped between the living and the dead.

It is being made by BBC Drama Production North in co-production with BBC America, produced by John Rushton, and executive-produced by Hilary Martin, Katie McAleese, and Ann Harrison Baxter. The development producer is Simon Judd.

The drama was first developed by the BBC Drama Production team in Salford after Mitchell was discovered through the BBC Writersroom competition Northern Voices.

In The Flesh series two filming starts

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