- Luke Newberry as Kieren Walker
- Harriet Cains as Jem Walker
- Emily Bevan as Amy Dyer
- Ricky Tomlinson as Ken Burton
- Kenneth Cranham ( Rome ) as Vicar Oddie
- Steve Cooper as Steve Walker
- Marie Critchley as Sue Walker
- Steve Evets as Bill Macy
- Karen Henthorn as Janet Macy
- Sandra Huggett as Shirley Wilson
Season 1
In The Flesh [Season 1, Episode 1]
Shown 17th May 2013
This is a three-part UK TV drama, but it works very well considering its limitations. If it had been made for cinematic release, it would not have had the same success.
Part One is set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It was ended when scientists discovered a cure for zombification. Former zombies, now known as PDS sufferers, are re-integrated into society. The only one to look after them is a village nurse who looks too young to have a son in his 20s. The local Militia, the HVF (Human Volunteer Force), is still active in the village - killing suspected zombies.
In The Flesh [Season 1, Episode 2]
Shown 24th May 2013
Kieran the protagonist bumps into a fellow PDS sufferer, Amy the girl he used to hunt with. They go to the funfair together.
The HVF go out hunting in the woods. Yes, there are still rabid rotters on the loose. Will the Militia hand them in for the reward, or kill them in cold blood?
In The Flesh [Season 1, Episode 3]
Shown 31st May 2013
Kieran the protagonist decides to reveal what happened to the missing girl. Some folks show an incredible level of denial. Others show intolerance that is all too human.
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 1]
Shown 4th May 2014
Zombie terrorist attacks have begun. The Undead Prophet's followers take some blue pills, the neurotryptaline in their system is neutralised, and they revert to their rabid state.
Kieran's undead friend is back, and she has a new friend with her. He is a Disciple of the Undead Prophet, sent to gather the undead of Roarton ... because that is the first town where the Rising happened!
The HVF has been officially disbanded, and in a weapons amnesty their guns were supposed to have been handed in. There are still rabid rotters in the hills, though. The answer is to construct a big fence to keep them out.
Victus is a new political party of anti-PDS types. The Victus MP comes to town and starts telling the local Parish Council what to do. She is after the records - she must know the same thing the Disciple knows about.
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 2]
Shown 11th May 2014
With the Vicar out of the way, the Victus MP promotes the Town Clerk to Councillor status. Unfortunately he has a secret - his one-nighter with Amy in Season One seems to have had an unexpected effect on him.
Kieran heads off to Paris. Unfortunately, the Victus MP has a different plan. All the Undead of Roarton (and presumably the rest of the country) have had their citizenship revoked. They are conscripted into spending the next six months doing free work for the community. This means constructing the protective fence.
Jen makes friends with the Mean Girl clique. But one of them is hiding a secret trauma. The undead kids at school are messing about with the blue pills.
Amy and the Disciple hold a party for the local undead. They get a buzz by eating sheep brains!
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 3]
Shown 18th May 2014
The PDS window-cleaner is living with his widow. But she moved on after he died, and she is now living with her new husband. The new one is an Estate Agent named Amir, and a lot of friction ensues.
Kieran and the Disciple get reassigned to help in the hospital. This just gives the Disciple more to complain about. How long will it be before he tries something stupid?
Jem tells the Victus woman about what happened to Henry. It turns out that Gaz has helped cover it up. Unfortunately, the Town Clerk has to comfort the poor lad's mother when she reports him missing.
Amy gets reassigned to help in the Town Clerk's office. She is a stroppy cow as always, complaining about the cushy job. However, she needs the thermostat adjusted because she can feel the cold .
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 4]
Shown 25th May 2014
The Roarton Protection Service is officially announced. Gaz is in charge, and Dean is on the team as well. Jem is suffering from PTSD, but she still gets to run around with a massive revolver..
Amy is suffering from nose-bleeds. She is getting forgetful, and even starts to make herself breakfast.
Kieran invites his new boyfriend Simon over for lunch. Jem invites Gaz in too. This ends up in an inevitable confrontation, with surprising results.
Simon's disciples take it upon themselves to liberate the rabid rotters that have still not been collected yet. The RPS do not do anything about it, because they are too busy harrassing sex workers at the local PDS brothel.
Philip is under pressure from Henry's mother. Will he do the right thing?
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 5]
Shown 1st June 2014
Simon the Disciple gets an unencrypted DVD message from a masked figure, the Undead Prophet. His mission is to kill the First Risen, on the precise moment of the anniversary of the Rising. The Prophet states (offering no proof or explanation) that this will bring about the Second Rising.
Simon's backstory is explained in flashback. He was the first one successfully cured by Neurotryptaline. Ironically one of the scientists is the Man from the Ministry in Being Human: Season 5 .
Kieran gets blamed for the rabid rotter breakout at the hospital. He is dragged before a kangaroo court run by the old biddy protesters from last week. In a scene straight out of the works of Franz Kafka, Kieran is offered a choice – plead guilty to something he didn’t do (and get a slap on the wrist) or maintain his innocence (and face the worst sanction available – return to the Rehab Centre). Naturally he refuses to cooperate, and ends up under house arrest.
Amy starts spending time with the bloke from the Council. Her symptoms are getting worse, and she assumes the Neurotryptaline is no longer working on her. Will she realise the truth before it is too late?
In The Flesh [Season 2, Episode 6]
Shown 8th June 2014
A couple of Government employees from the Treatment Centre are en route. It is not the typical Americanised Vincent and Jules pair of wise-crackers straight out of Pulp Fiction, it is a male-female pairing of dreary low-level functionaries. The Doctor refuses to give them access to medical records. Has he suddenly become loyal to his patients, or has he been ordered to by a local politician?
It is the Twelfth Day of the Twelfth month. The Undead Prophet has ordered the death of the First Risen, in the hope of bringing about the Second Rising. Can Simon go through with it?
The Victus woman knows what Simon is up to. She is willing to turn a blind eye to his plan, for a reason of her own. Yes, we finally get to find out her motivation.
Gaz the patrol leader knows as much as the Victus woman, but he cannot understand what is at stake. He thinks Simon is planning a terrorist attack against humans. Since Kieran is treated like Simon’s accomplice, Gaz decides to take his anger out on him.
The climax is a nail-biter, with Kieran dosed to the eyeballs on Blue Oblivion. Will he turn on his own family, and will he get killed himself by Simon, Gaz, Jemma or the Victus woman?
The conclusion is shocking, A tragedy that is unexpected and yet a completely logical development that avoids cliché. It also sets the show up for the next Season.
