Z NATION coming soon to SYFY

[major jay]

Saw a preview for this during SHARKNADO 2.
That's right, SYFY is going to air Asylum's trailer trash version of THE WALKING DEAD. Hopefully it's low rent enough to come across like a JERRY SPRINGER SHOW episode.

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Z Nation, a 13-episode zombie series, is coming to Syfy in September. From production company The Asylum (Sharknado), the action-horror series depicts the epic struggle to save humanity after a zombie apocalypse. The series will be produced by The Asylum and sold internationally by Dynamic Television.
Z Nation is a dynamic ensemble drama that will plunge viewers into a fully-imagined, post-zombie America and take them on adventures with a diverse group of richly-drawn characters. Getting to know the reluctant heroes, their flaws, idiosyncrasies, and moral dilemmas will ultimately become the heart of the show.
The cast includes Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Tom Everett Scott (Beauty and the Beast, Southland), DJ Qualls (Road Trip, Supernatural), Michael Welch (The Twilight trilogy), Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show), Anastasia Baranova (The Darkness II), Russel Hodgkingson (Big Fish) and Keith Allan (Rise of the Zombies)
Z Nation starts three years after the zombie virus has gutted the country, a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. With humankind’s survival at stake, the ragtag band embarks on a journey of survival across three thousand miles of rusted-out post-apocalyptic America.

[AcesandEights]

Saw a preview for this during SHARKNADO 2.
That's right, SYFY is going to air Asylum's trailer trash version of THE WALKING DEAD.

Oh, Neils' head is going to go up in smoke over this one! :)

[Neil]

Oh, Neils' head is going to go up in smoke over this one! :)

$hitty people, who normally make $hitty films, now moving into $hit TV programs... $hit happens!

[major jay]

What I would really love is for the Italians to get in on this action.:thumbsup:

[jdwohlers]

I'll watch anything with zombies in it. Hopefully it's at least mildly entertaining

[Neil]

I'll watch anything with zombies in it. Hopefully it's at least mildly entertaining

The Asylum? Mildly Entertaining? They'll need to seriously up their game first!

[facestabber]

Took under 30 secs to determine it is horrible. Bad bad bad. Crap acting, crap zombies just pure crap. They are trying to copy TWD. White hair/bearded elder(Hershel), Strong fighter black chic(Michonne), A man that goes on an epic solo zombie smash with a Hammer(Tyrese). The final shot of Episode 1 is two vehicles headed into a city on a deserted highway.....anyone? I was bored and tuned in for the second half. I will not watch it again.

[Neil]

Took under 30 secs to determine it is horrible. Bad bad bad. Crap acting, crap zombies just pure crap. They are trying to copy TWD. White hair/bearded elder(Hershel), Strong fighter black chic(Michonne), A man that goes on an epic solo zombie smash with a Hammer(Tyrese). The final shot of Episode 1 is two vehicles headed into a city on a deserted highway.....anyone? I was bored and tuned in for the second half. I will not watch it again.

The Asylum? A poor unimaginative total rip off? A wasted opportunity for something original? SURELY NOT? :)

[blind2d]

"Here, baby baby...." is about the most ludicrous line of dialogue I've heard in my life... Like, dude, it's a baby! You don't- gah! Why do people think zombie fans are actually brain dead and will buy this crud?! I- pfsh! Syfy channel is becoming more and more of a joke: a pale waif of its former self. If they're not making weak low budget films, they're just blatantly pandering to 'geeks'. And now this, and that 'Docuseries' about zombies (can't be arsed to remember the name of it)... I'm done. Syfy can go screw itself. Face/Off isn't even interesting anymore. When's TWD back again?

[RichW]

Is this actually out in the UK yet?

I'll give it a spin, just to formulate my own opinion -
But im not holding my breath by any means.

Googled & checked the TV guide on my sat box, but can't find
any mention of it?

or is it a straight up case of UK folks donning an eye-patch
and a peg-leg???? arrrrgh :sneaky:

R

[Mike70]

The Asylum? A poor unimaginative total rip off? A wasted opportunity for something original? SURELY NOT? :)

Shocking beyond words isn't it? Almost.as if Uwe Boll started making bad movies.

[BillyRay]

I gotta jump in...

Sure, Z Nation is crap, but it was FUN crap. It's Asylum, so it's not going to take itself seriously. Remember "Zombie Apocalypse"? The zombie lion? (Lion, right?) I'm certainly not going to take this show seriously; I'll tune in from time to time to see what sort of batsh@t ideas they throw at the wall...

[Neil]

I gotta jump in...

Sure, Z Nation is crap, but it was FUN crap. It's Asylum, so it's not going to take itself seriously. Remember "Zombie Apocalypse"? The zombie lion? (Lion, right?) I'm certainly not going to take this show seriously; I'll tune in from time to time to see what sort of batsh@t ideas they throw at the wall...

Question: Do you think the same budget, time and effort, in better hands, could have produced something better?

The Asylum aim cheap and low, and consistantly deliver on target.

[Thorn]

I agree Neil, the same money, and time in better hands produces a better result. But that can be hit or miss. We have seen low budget offerings really wow the public.

[Geordie9]

Ive just watched it and i enjoyed it but then i love anything with zombies in (except for the Day Of The Dead remake)

[EvilNed]

What the f*ck is Harold Perrinou doing in this? Isn't this leagues below him?

[Wyldwraith]

Gotta disagree with the majority,
Having watched the first couple episodes I've found it moderately entertaining. Yes, one could argue they're ripping off TWD...and the characters have yet to make enough individual impression for me to remember their names...but the zombies look good, behave right (for the most part)...the zombie kills are well done. (And I really dig the spiked bat the chick has. Was bummed when it looked like she was going to sacrifice it to jam the machine and felt like cheering when the explosion threw it back to where she could recover it in an incredible improbable series of events.)

Is it anywhere near TWD-quality? Absolutely not. Can it be a fun 60 minutes if you don't insist on holding it to that standard? I believe so. I like the general mission better than the TWD version with Abraham and what not. Maybe because it's their primary impetus and doesn't feel like an interruption in the lives of TWD survivors. Dunno.

Take it for what it is and have fun with it. There isn't much that's remotely watchable on TV these days.

[Neil]

If I see it on UK TV I'll try and watch it...

[Geordie9]

Gotta disagree with the majority,
Having watched the first couple episodes I've found it moderately entertaining. Yes, one could argue they're ripping off TWD...and the characters have yet to make enough individual impression for me to remember their names...but the zombies look good, behave right (for the most part)...the zombie kills are well done. (And I really dig the spiked bat the chick has. Was bummed when it looked like she was going to sacrifice it to jam the machine and felt like cheering when the explosion threw it back to where she could recover it in an incredible improbable series of events.)

Is it anywhere near TWD-quality? Absolutely not. Can it be a fun 60 minutes if you don't insist on holding it to that standard? I believe so. I like the general mission better than the TWD version with Abraham and what not. Maybe because it's their primary impetus and doesn't feel like an interruption in the lives of TWD survivors. Dunno.

Take it for what it is and have fun with it. There isn't much that's remotely watchable on TV these days.

Totally agree!!

[blind2d]

Alright fine, you've convinced me, I'll give it a chance, geez.

[BillyRay]

Question: Do you think the same budget, time and effort, in better hands, could have produced something better?

Well, sure, but we're not aiming for High Art here. Walking Dead already handles the dramatic elements just fine. This is just wacky cheap zombie goodness. And that's just fine.

As far as money, time & effort, that could have gone to feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Just sayin'....

[Neil]

Well, sure, but we're not aiming for High Art here. Walking Dead already handles the dramatic elements just fine. This is just wacky cheap zombie goodness. And that's just fine.

As far as money, time & effort, that could have gone to feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Just sayin'....

Somewhat of a Strawman IMHO.

The Asylum basically leech off other people's talent and ideas and brazenly piss the results up a wall. They clearly have the production techiques and budget to produce something worthwhile/solid, but instead aim safe and low and hit bang on target each time.

That said, I've not seen this series...

[Trencher]

I really wanted to like this series and it has good things in it. From time to time we see glimpses of that, the snarky guy with phobia of zombies that have to be escorted across USA, the culture that have grown up around living after the zombie apocalypse and good actors and characters all around.

However: The show is too uneven in presentation and story. The zombies have no consistency, sometimes they are runners sometimes they are walkers sometimes they are tough sometimes they are extremely weak. And there are also intelligent baby zombies who get MORE locomotion after they turn and even animals can be zombies.
There are also alot of freshly dead people around who just happen to be gnawed on by zombs just as the characters drive by. Gotta have that gore factor one way or another!
The mood is uneven, the crossing of USA after the zombie apocalypse is a great idea but the abundance of humour and cheesy gross out moments takes away from the horror. And horror is what I watch the show for.
The "rush" the show has to get to the "cool" moment really hurt it imo.
Also the main character of sorts is a lone soldier trapped in an arctic communication base, with the still operating satellite system he has enormous resources to his disposition but solitude take its toll on his mental health. However this is again presented without any mood or build up. And it is soon solved anyway. It is just a guy sitting in a room we never feel the isolation, even though they do have other rooms in the base that they show! Also way to much time is spent on this character trying to get someone on the phone or finding someone on the radio when there is other more interesting things going on in the show.
Finally the music is rockabilly and they try to use the musical picture to create a weary and tough tone. It falls flat for me atleast.
The show also passes off the characters as being cooler than they actually are way to soon, "coolfactor" is built up and even though the characters have potential to get there but the show is pushing them too soon too fast. The dude in the arctic base suffer the most from this.

[shootemindehead]

And there are also intelligent baby zombies...

Well, that's it for me so.

FFS.

[Neil]

Well, that's it for me so.

FFS.

I ducked out at just "Asylum".

[RichW]

Well, caught Ep1 on t'interwebs today.
Trencher has basically covered all the points exactly as I saw them, so I won't repeat.
Kinda reminded me of how my 6 yr old plays with his lego sometimes - potentially good
model gets thrown down the stairs for no reason with no intent than instant dramatic
effect :rolleyes: fine sometimes ... all the time not so good.

It's worth a watch if you have nothing else to do and you are bored, that's it really.

and yeh, Z babies with super skills ... FFS exactly

[paranoid101]

It's shit, that is all.

[AcesandEights]

Gotta disagree with the majority,
Having watched the first couple episodes I've found it moderately entertaining. Yes, one could argue they're ripping off TWD...and the characters have yet to make enough individual impression for me to remember their names...but the zombies look good, behave right (for the most part)...the zombie kills are well done. (And I really dig the spiked bat the chick has. Was bummed when it looked like she was going to sacrifice it to jam the machine and felt like cheering when the explosion threw it back to where she could recover it in an incredible improbable series of events.)

Is it anywhere near TWD-quality? Absolutely not. Can it be a fun 60 minutes if you don't insist on holding it to that standard? I believe so. I like the general mission better than the TWD version with Abraham and what not. Maybe because it's their primary impetus and doesn't feel like an interruption in the lives of TWD survivors. Dunno.

Take it for what it is and have fun with it. There isn't much that's remotely watchable on TV these days.

I agree! I had a blast watching a few episodes this weekend and will definitely follow the series onwards. I don't know if it'll last past season 1, but it's fun.

[Geordie9]

Well ive watched all of them so far and while the acting is pretty bad & cheesy i think the zombies are quite good and its a bit of fun.

[Staredge]

I deleted the first episode after the first five minutes, but then re-recorded it later figuring I'd give it a try. Bizarrely enough, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I like that they "know" about zombie movies. Seems more like the bunch of us rather than the WD folks who have no clue. One thing I really like is that they show people listening to the radio. Doesn't anyone in TWD (other than Merle) listen to music??? (Rick, when he was farming, but that's about it) Also, the use of the USB solar charger. YES!!!!! I'd be digging around looking for one in every house.

[Rottedfreak]

Z Nado was it's best episode, it had a obvious set up but events went the opposite way.

[Dombant]

Its not that bad, I guess i will survive through whole season.

[Staredge]

Surprisingly, it's turned out a lot better than I thought it would. There are still some eye-rolling scenes, but I like a lot of what they've done. It's refreshing to see people actually finding a way to live through the whole thing. As much as I like TWD, occasionally I'd just like to see them doing something other than always reacting to dilemmas.

Murphy biting the guy, and basically passing on immunity was an interesting plot twist. Didn't see that one coming.

[RichW]

Well, After my initial reaction to Ep1, I buckled and have caught up with a load more eps.
I have to say, I'm glad I did! .... I've caught right up to date now and the show does get a lot better,
it's actually quite entertaining and has left me waiting for the next one to air.

IMHO, this show is to TWD what 'Return OTLD' was to the original Romero trilogy.

I like the humor in it and the fact that like Star Trek, each episode is an individual story being
completed by the end under the over-arching storyline.

Is it worth watching.... now, I'd say yes, I'm glad I gave it a second spin.
Ep1 is strangely the worst one though, I thought.

[Morto Vivente]

IMHO, this show is to TWD what 'Return OTLD' was to the original Romero trilogy.

Great way of describing it. I really enjoyed the episode with the Liberty Bell gag and the other with the shooting competition, plenty of laughs. Although, there's been a couple of really poor episodes IMO, particularly the "Groundhog Day" rip off/homage a couple of weeks back. I also like the scale of the show as they move from state to state each week. For me, Murphy the misanthrope is probably the most interesting character.

[Staredge]

I'm really quite enamored of the show, amazingly enough. It's always fun seeing what they're ripping off each episode (Groundhog Day), but to my surprise I've grown to really like the characters.

[Wyldwraith]

That IS a very apt analogy for the show.
It has gotten quite a bit better as the season has worn on. I miss an episode here and there, but eventually catch up. Z Nation isn't the high drama of TWD, but as I've said before it's a fun romp with a few eye-roll-worthy incidents. Can recommend it wholeheartedly.

P.S: I still dig the chick's spiked bat. That has to be one of the best zombie-killing blunt instruments I've ever seen in the genre.

[AcesandEights]

P.S: I still dig the chick's spiked bat. That has to be one of the best zombie-killing blunt instruments I've ever seen in the genre.

Spikes that are long enough to deeply pierce, as opposed to focus impact, are bad for the wielder's long-term health.

Just sayin'.

[Neil]

Please don't make me watch it... It's The Asylum ffs!

[MoonSylver]

Please don't make me watch it... It's The Asylum ffs!

I tuned in a couple of times, & got exactly the experience one would expect from them. Even as a connoisseur of cheese, I'm puzzled that anyone likes this. :confused:

[AcesandEights]

I tuned in a couple of times, & got exactly the experience one would expect from them. Even as a connoisseur of cheese, I'm puzzled that anyone likes this. :confused:

That's a shame, as I think this show straddles a line pretty well and has delivered okay zombie effects, balls out fun and a few truly unexpected twists and turns.

I find that there are a couple uneven episodes. 3, in my opinion, actually: the pilot, which still wasn't all that bad; "Home Sweet Zombie", the Z-nado episode, that still had a few cool bits going for it and "Die, Zombie, Die... Again", which as stated above, was pretty much ground hog day and felt a bit flat, but was a decent bit of characterization for two of the cast members.

In fact, if you can hold your nose past a lot of other zombie movies (I often can't), I don't see why you can't enjoy this series. It's way better than Survival or Diary, and much more honest about what it's trying to accomplish in its storytelling.

[MoonSylver]

When you put it like that, it makes me think maybe I'm looking for a different experience from a TV show than a movie. I don't have a problem w/ a cheesy movie, since it's a one time experience. With a TV series being an ongoing thing, I guess maybe I'm looking for a deeper, more serious experience to engage with (a la TWD).

The few times I checked it out I was really disconnected from it & couldn't really engage with it. Maybe that's why. Couldn't put my finger on it before. Just knew it didn't grab me for some reason. :|

[shootemindehead]

Please don't make me watch it... It's The Asylum ffs!

Be strong brother...don't give in!

[Staredge]

Give it a couple of episodes. You may not like it. It happens. I found that once I was able to get through the first episode (which I originally deleted from the DVR after 6 minutes), it actually grew on me. I don't like everything they put into the episodes, but it's a bit of fluff that I can sit through. To be honest, I think I sort of see it as an antidote to the oppressive pessimism of TWD. Never thought I'd ever say that. I actually look forward to the new episode on Friday.


YMMV, but give it a realistic shot.

[AcesandEights]

Finally finished off season 1 and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than a few seasons of The Walking Dead. Loads of fun, definitely schlocky at times, but in some ways ZNation is more TWD, than the television version of TWD.

[slickwilly13]

I have watched most of the episodes and actually have enjoyed it. Its more of a parody and shouldn't be taken seriously. For example, zombie bear.