A promotional image from Dead Set

Fright Fortnight Day 2: Why Charlie Brooker’s ‘Dead Set’ is a Forgotten Gem

3 mins read

Best known for his sardonic outlook and work on Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker is a name most British people know.

He’s a nihilist through and through who has criticised the British government and news outlets for the better part of two decades. Though the early seasons of Black Mirror are considered his best work, little discussion is given to the precursor show that paved the way for Brooker’s collaboration with Channel 4: Dead Set. 

Dead Set is a five episode mini-series that premiered on Channel 4’s sister network E4 during the run up to Halloween 2008. The show follows a group of fictional Big Brother contestants and a couple of the crew as they are forced to hunker down in the Big Brother house after a zombie outbreak occurs during an “Eviction Night”.

Much like George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead which criticised the consumerist public of 70’s America, Brooker takes aim at the reality TV consumers of the 2000s with Dead Set. 

The subtext is plain to see from the opening moments of the show with Brooker amping up the almost cult-like adoration the public has for Big Brother. There’s hordes of people itching to see who leaves the house, every one of them reaching out to have their chance on the screen. 

Just like the best episodes of Black Mirror, Dead Set thrives when it explores a purely nihilistic outlook. There’s no heroes in Dead Set. The survivors aren’t fighting for a cure or waiting for military aid. Survival is their only goal— a goal which slowly becomes less hopeful as each episode draws to a close. 

The conclusion to the series is clear from the first episode. There is no escape from the Big Brother house. The dead are at the door and they aren’t leaving. They are in the walls, behind every door. It is a hopeless situation but it’s one that’s frighteningly realistic. 

Unfortunately due to Dead Set being a Channel 4 production, Brooker’s typically loaded criticisms are dialed back slightly. Big Brother is never painted as problematic, it’s only presented as emblematic of wider social issues.

For some viewers the lack of Brooker’s edge ruined the show, but as far as mini-series go Dead Set is a great bitesize look at Charlie Brooker’s style.


This Halloween if you’re in the mood for something that’s dreary, real and a wee bit like 28 Days Later, Dead Set is perfect for you.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 4

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