By
Tom Russell
Published 27 minutes ago
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering all things Classic TV from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi.
Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the Classic TV team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.
Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.
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If there’s one horror staple that thrives on the small screen, it’s zombies. The last few decades have proved that audience appetites for apocalyptic stories featuring hordes of shambling undead are seemingly limitless. Even as trends shift or new subgenres rise, zombie narratives stay evergreen by constantly reinventing themselves, evolving beyond simple survival tales into something far richer.
While titans of the subgenre like The Walking Dead and The Last Of Us captured the cultural zeitgeist, they’re far from the only zombie TV shows that deserve attention. There are dozens of forgotten zombie TV shows worth revisiting, each offering its own distinct spin on the formula that pushes the undead mythos into surprising new territory.
Among this sprawling graveyard of undead content are a handful of zombie shows that inexplicably slipped through the cracks. Each one brings something genuinely fresh to the table and delivers a viewing experience on par with any undead adventure starring Andrew Lincoln or Pedro Pascal.
In The Flesh (2013-2014)
A Powerful Character Drama That Redefines What A Zombie Story Can Be
The UK zombie show In The Flesh begins with a simple but intriguing twist: the undead have been cured, rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society. Among them is Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry), a once-feral zombie now struggling with guilt, stigma, and trauma. It isn’t long before the series reveals it isn't interested in typical action-driven undead chaos. Instead, it cares about the emotional aftermath.
One of the biggest strengths of In The Flesh is how it uses zombies as a metaphor to explore issues like prejudice, identity, and healing. Rather than relying on large-scale battles, it focuses on micro-level tensions in the small English village of Roarton. Those conflicts make every conversation feel loaded and every choice feel dangerous, even without endless hordes.
What makes In The Flesh stand out among the best zombie TV shows is its commitment to nuance. It understands that terror doesn’t always come from teeth and claws. From a thematic perspective, it uses zombies to explore the idea that true terro comes from social pressure, from fear of the Other, and from trying to reclaim a life that no longer fits.
It’s a refreshingly introspective approach that’s unique among zombie TV series. However, In The Flesh never loses sight of its genre roots. When the horror hits, it lands hard, but it always serves character rather than spectacle. Few zombie shows have ever felt this intimate or this human, which is why its short run still resonates so strongly.
Daybreak (2019)
A Bombastic Teen Apocalypse That Turns Zombie Chaos Into Pure Fun
Netflix’s Daybreak wastes no time establishing its tone: this is a post-apocalyptic world filtered through the unpredictable energy of teen comedy, graphic-novel flair, and a wink at the audience. The series follows Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford) as he navigates a wasteland ruled by high-school cliques and over-the-top threats, including its own spin on zombie-like creatures.
Among the crowded horde of zombie shows out there, Daybreak shines due to how confidently it blends genres. Comedy, action, teen drama, and undead mayhem merge in a way that feels deliberately chaotic, but never sloppy. It understands that if you’ve watched countless zombie shows, sometimes you want something that tosses the rulebook into a fire and skateboards away from the ashes.
The show’s distinct visual style is another major asset. Color-saturated vistas, fourth-wall breaks, and stylized action sequences give Daybreak an energy most zombie TV shows can only dream of. It’s playful without being shallow, irreverent without being dismissive of its characters’ emotional arcs.
However, beneath the jokes and explosions, there’s surprising depth. Themes of belonging, trauma, and reinvention give the series heart, especially as Josh and his fellow survivors uncover who they want to be in a world that no longer follows the old script. Daybreak’s refusal to fit into a single box is what makes it such a standout.
Black Summer (2019-2021)
A Relentless, Stripped-Down Survival Thriller That Captures The Chaos Of Day One
Jamie King in Netflix Black Summer TV show
Where many zombie shows focus on world-building and ensemble arcs, the flawless Netflix horror series Black Summer goes in the opposite direction. From the opening minutes, it immerses viewers in pure, unfiltered panic. The story begins with Rose (Jaime King), a mother separated from her daughter as society collapses, and it unfolds with near-documentary immediacy.
Commitment to realism is inarguably Black Summer’s greatest strength. Long takes, minimal dialogue, and unpredictable editing mimic the disorientation of an actual disaster. Viewers aren’t watching characters explain the apocalypse, they’re running alongside them, unsure of what’s around the next corner. This visceral approach sets it apart from other zombie TV shows in the best way.
The zombies themselves are terrifyingly fast, relentless, and often just out of frame. Instead of relying on big emotional speeches or complex lore, Black Summer creates tension from simple situations: a chase through a neighborhood, a standoff in a house, or a desperate scramble for supplies. Every scene feels like a test of survival instinct.
However, the show still finds room for character development, albeit in unconventional ways. Quiet moments between bursts of violence reveal who people become when stripped of normalcy. Some rise; others crack. That human unpredictability, paired with unflinching intensity, makes Black Summer one of the most gripping entries in modern zombie storytelling.
Dead Set (2008)
A Brutally Sharp Satire That Turns Reality TV Into A Nightmare
Before Black Mirror made Charlie Brooker a household name, he created 2008’s Dead Set, a razor-edged zombie miniseries set inside the production of the real-world UK version of reality show Big Brother. When the undead outbreak begins, the blissfully unaware contestants find their TV studio fortress suddenly far more valuable than their fleeting fame.
The premise alone gives Dead Set an immediate hook, but it’s the execution that elevates it. This criminally underrated zombie show blends horror with biting satire, skewering celebrity culture, media exploitation, and society’s obsession with fame. The result is a pulse-pounding viewing experience that feels both brutally direct and thematically rich.
Despite being one of the earliest modern entries in the zombie resurgence, Dead Set still feels astonishingly fresh. The pacing is tight, the scares are intense, and the gore is unapologetically grisly. Brooker’s signature bleak humor sneaks through the cracks, but the series never lets you feel too comfortable. Its world is nasty, brutish, and quick.
However, within that brutality lies the show’s brilliance. By trapping characters inside a space designed for artificial drama, Dead Set exposes how flimsy civilization can be when the cameras stop rolling. It’s sharp, memorable, and genuinely ahead of its time. It may be under-the-radar compared to the likes of The Walking Dead or The Last Of Us, but it’s easily one of the strongest zombie TV shows ever made.
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