Everybody is obsessed with zombies right now. Zombies are the new vampires… maybe. They are a little less sexy than vampires, but either way, SyFy will always find a way to capitalize on what is hot right now, be it sharks, dinosaurs, or zombies. Z Nation is a new 13 episode series that SyFy Channel is will air on Fridays 10/9c starting in September. But wait, don’t we already have a wildly successful zombie show on cable television right now? Right, my favorite, The Walking Dead.
Well, this one is a little different. The show takes place 3 years after the outbreak has happened. The trailer is really suspenseful, saying “The president is dead,” and “Don’t go near the infected!” Fun stuff. But what makes the show different is the premise. Instead of just being about a band of misfits trying to stay alive, this show has a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a man who has been bitten by a zombie, but he has survived! And so, a band of “everyday heroes” must transport this guy from NYC to California, so that scientists might be able to synthesize a vaccine or cure. Allegedly though, this man is hiding a deep dark secret that could threaten them all!
What I’m excited to see is a post-apocalyptic road trip. I would hope that it’s going to be like a more serious Zombieland. Also looking forward to the cast. Tom Everett Scott (better known as Guy Patterson from one of my faves That Thing You Do), Harold Perrineau (WAAAALT! or Micheal from LOST), and DJ Qualls (whom I know as the skinny white dude from Hustle and Flow) all star. This is a solid cast, and I usually trust Perrineau to choose good scripts.
And now, my fears, which are sadly worse than a zombie laden apocalypse. First fear is SyFy Channel. SyFy does one thing well: bad campy, cheesy movies. We all know that I have a serious love affair with the Sharknado franchise, but SyFy does not do serious, soap opera type shows well. I remember Tin Man, a mini-series that SyFy did as a re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz, starring Zooey Deschanel as Dorothy. It had all of the makings of a great show, and it was just awful. I also have a slight fear of executive producer and show runner Karl Schaefer, better known for The Dead Zone. The Dead Zone had a tendency to get corny… like bad corny. And he’s heading up Nation Z?
I’m just going to have to watch the first episode to see how I really feel about this show. But I’m not entirely sure if it will tie or even surpass my beloved The Walking Dead. But don’t take my word for it. Watch the trailer here, and tune in Fridays at 10/9c starting September: www.youtube.com/embed/_3zs_MhmtLQ