The book has been gripping readers for years, but now “Generation Z” is heading to our TVs. The horror miniseries boasts a great cast and is full of all the dark comedy that makes the original novel so popular. Read on for how to watch "Generation Z” from anywhere with a VPN – and potentially for FREE!
► U.K. date and time: "Generation Z" premieres Sunday, October 27 at 9 p.m. GMT (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT).
• WATCH FREE — Channel 4 (U.K.)
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
The story takes place in the fictional town of Dambury. It’s hardly an exciting place and not exactly where you might imagine a zombie apocalypse would take place. However, after an army convoy overturns and causes a chemical leak, that’s what happens. The leak occurs outside of a care home turning them into flesh-eating monsters, with senior citizens Cecily and Frank leading the charge.
Meanwhile, teenagers Charlie, Kelly, Steff and Finn, who were busy dealing with all the usual stuff teens have to deal with and could really have done without having to battle zombies, suddenly find themselves at the heart of the outbreak too. Is there more behind the chemical attack than initially thought? This six-part miniseries is full of gore, drama and yes, laughs.
Read on for where to watch "Generation Z" online and from anywhere.
Watch 'Generation Z' free online
In the U.K., the highly-anticipated "Generation Z" will premiere on Sunday, October 27 at 9 p.m. GMT and then be available to stream for FREE on Channel 4.
Tip: you can actually watch all episodes of "Generation Z" right now with the Channel 4+ 7-day FREE trial (£3.99/month thereafter).
But what if you are a Brit abroad and don't want to miss the show? Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below...
Watch 'Generation Z' from abroad
If you are a Brit abroad and want to watch "Generation Z", a VPN (Virtual Private Network) might be the answer to your prayers.
The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for anybody away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN — find out why in our NordVPN review.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and watch. Head to Channel 4 to watch "Generation Z" online as if you were back home.
Can I watch 'Generation Z' online in the U.S.?
As yet, "Generation Z" has not been picked up by any U.S. TV channel or streaming platform.
But don't panic, if you are a Brit in the States for work or on vacation you can watch the show via your usual domestic streaming services using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Can I watch 'Generation Z' online or on TV in Canada?
As with the U.S., no Canadian network has announced plans to pick up "Generation Z".
However, if you are a Brit on holiday in Canada, you can still catch the show on Channel 4 by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Can I watch 'Generation Z' in Australia?
As with the US and Canada, there are unfortunately no known plans to show "Generation Z" in Australia.
Meanwhile, if you are a Brit Down Under for work or vacation, you can still watch the show for free on Channel 4 by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Can I watch 'Generation Z' in New Zealand?
Kiwis are lucky, they can watch "Generation Z" for FREE. All episodes are available now on the TVNZ+ streaming service.
However, if you are traveling away from New Zealand for whatever reason, you can still watch the show for free on TVNZ+ by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Everything we know about 'Generation Z' (2024)
What has Channel 4 said about "Generation Z"?
"Generation Z is about intergeneration justice and community breakdown that boldly satirizes a world where truth is stranger than fiction, exploring not just the political fault lines in our society but also the very real issues facing teenagers today."
How many episodes of "Generation Z" are there?
There are going to be six episodes of the "Generation Z" miniseries. They will be broadcast each Sunday at 9 p.m. GMT on Channel 4 in the U.K..
'Generation Z' season 1 episode guide
Episode 1 – When an army truck crashes outside a care home and turns the residents there into something nasty, four friends have to deal with the deadly consequences…
Episode 2 – Charlie and Kelly must deal with Kelly’s nan while Steff heads off on a dangerous side quest with Finn. Meanwhile the OAPs, led by Cecily, are hungry…
Episode 3 – The army tighten their control over Dambury as Charlie, Kelly, Finn and Steff go on a rescue mission. Billy’s return ruffles feathers. Reunited, Frank and Cecily seek out others to recruit…
Episode 4 – Relationship problems and exams aren’t the only life or death situation the gang encounters. A split breaks out across the OAPs as a newcomer turns Frank’s head away from Cecily…
Episode 5 – Charlie and Steff’s friendship is tested. Billy sees an opportunity to take control. Gil is starting to realise that her task is more than meets the eye. The residents of Dambury decide that enough is enough…
Episode 6 – Billy takes over and heartbreaking revelations come out that seeks to destroy the town and her family. Meanwhile residents race against the clock to escape Dambury, but the army have other plans in mind…
Interview with Johnny Vegas (who plays Jason)
How is Jason’s family life?
Jason, Lorraine (Suzanne Ahmet) and Kelly (Buket Komur) are basically a happy family, getting on and getting by. Like my own family growing up, there’s a lot of love but not a lot of cash. They're not destitute, but they're always counting the pennies and keeping as many of their problems away from the daughter as they can, putting on a brave face. His mum Janine (Anita Dobson) has got money and is almost lording it over them, so it's that thing of: when do we ask? He doesn't want to go cap in hand. Janine’s not a bad mum, but he has a strange relationship with her. I imagine he was very close to his dad, and sees his responsibility being to look after his mum. When his wife hints at some of Janine’s faults, Jason has to acknowledge them – but she's still his mum and he still sees himself as the dutiful son. They have a good sense of humour, which is a really good working-class way of taking the sting out of things.
What would they like for Kelly in the future?
I think both Jason and Lorraine probably had ambitions, but perhaps Lorraine didn't go to college as intended because they had Kelly. They’d want her to go on to college, without living vicariously through her. They see she's got that potential and they'll put everything they've got into ensuring she can realise that. She’s bright, so they want to see her get the opportunities she deserves.
Generation X don't come out of this series too well…
No, we don’t fare very well at all. For a while, my obsession was surviving the zombie apocalypse. When my son was going to school in Kew, my big idea was learning how to hotwire a boat on the Thames, or to get into Kew Gardens because they'll have all the seeds to repropagate, and they’ve got the high walls. So to come in and play someone who fails so spectacularly was a tough ’un.
How does Jason respond when things start going wrong – does he have a clue what to do?
A common theme in zombie films is that the kids are ahead of the parents and keen to investigate. The parents have adopted that “let's sit and wait” attitude – which you don't do, because the ones who stay still, die! For Jason, there's the panic of not being able to make sense of it, because if your house was trashed, you'd think “party” or “burglars”. You wouldn’t instantly jump to the conclusion that your mum's a zombie. So while the kids want to find out what’s going on, Jason’s more: It will sort itself out, let's wait and see and put our faith in the authorities to handle this. My mum always had that thing about the government and the authorities knowing best. As we saw with Covid, they don't. They're clueless, and they mishandled it in a shocking way. We as a nation have settled for far lower standards, politically, than would have been allowed a few years ago.
You and ['Generation Z' director] Ben Wheatley have a history, don’t you?
I've worked with Ben lots of times. He directed two series of Ideal for BBC Three, and we shot a pilot many moons ago. I'm a fan of all his work. If you've worked with him, it's like a conch: he blows it, you drop everything and assemble. He's fabulous because he can combine humour and darkness, which is how I like my comedy. Me being a massive zombie fan was really exciting too, and as an actor, he's great to work with. You will run stuff off the script, then he lets you off the leash to ad lib and play around. You never know which version is going to get used. As a comic and someone with ADHD, it’s good to know you can at least put your ideas out there. He knows what he wants, and however much stress there is or however late it is, you’re just happy to be there and confident something good is being made.
What else is special about working with Ben?
He doesn't shoot it to death. It moves pretty quickly and you never get to the point where you've done a scene so many times that you’re making a mess of it. Ben writes amazing scripts, but he's not at all precious and always wants to see if anybody else can bring anything to them. That's a dream gig for me – the best job I had in ages. I pretty much know this guy, Jason. He reminds me of my dad so I didn’t need a great deal of prep. I got it pretty much on the first read.
It's a very varied and diverse cast isn’t it?
Yeah. I’d never worked with Suzanne, but we're still in touch. I always have a version of imposter syndrome: would she be married to this? But we gelled straight off the bat, and Buket was phenomenal, so it didn’t feel forced to pretend to be a family. I’d known Anita Dobson for years and been a fan, then we did Murder, They Hope and I found out she’d be tearing my throat out in this. She was well up for it! The younger cast were so funny, but there was a point between scenes where all the young cast were talking about stuff and I just stood up and said, “I have absolutely nothing to contribute.” I've never felt so old! But they were fabulous, they had a great energy and kicked ass. It was nice to be accepted by the elders and the up-and-coming talents.
More from Tom's Guide
