There is a dark new series coming to Channel 4, Generation Z, and it's certainly not what you'd expect!

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When an army convoy overturns outside a care home in the fictional town of Dambury, a chemical leak begins to have an effect on the residents, leading to a zombie apocalypse!

The six-part series, which begins on Sunday 27th October, stars the likes of Sue Johnston, Robert Lindsay and Anita Dobson as Cecily, Morgan and Janine - just some of the OAPs on the hunt for flesh.

Dobson, who many will recognise from Doctor Who and EastEnders, admittedly wasn't too sure about taking on the role of a zombie, but was soon convinced otherwise.

In an interview with Channel 4, Dobson explained: "I got a message from my agent saying that something exciting had just come in the inbox. I read it and thought: I'm not sure about this.

"So we had a little chat, then I spoke to Ben Wheatley, who was so lovely and sweet and unassuming, and a diamond to work with – you can't imagine all this stuff comes out of his head!"

Janine (ANITA DOBSON) in a zombiefied state wearing a pink cardigan and looking angry
Anita Dobson in Generation Z. Channel 4 / James Pardon

It was from speaking with Wheatley, and because everyone else had spoken "so highly of him", that she decided to give the role a go!

Dobson continued: "So I just thought, I've never done this before, maybe I'll find out things about me in the process of doing it – which I did, actually.

"You may be older, but there are still good parts out there. You've just got to be open to them."

Dobson's character, Janine, gets bitten early on in the series, but doesn't immediately become a zombie.

"It's a slow process," Dobson explained. "She's hungry, she doesn't know how to deal with her granddaughter, she can't explain the feelings she's got, but she's slowly turning into something."

While Janine does become "disgustingly horrible and has a desperate need to eat anything that gets in her way", she still has love for her granddaughter Kelly (Buket Komur).

"There were lots of nuances in the script."

Generation Z is available to watch on Channel 4.

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Authors

Katelyn MensahEntertainment and Factual Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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