YouTubers take on zombies in new 'Fight of the Living Dead' series
Editor's note: This is part of a series featuring each new original show or movie debuting on YouTube Red. The subscription streaming service's first slate of originals launched in February.
LOS ANGELES -- Ten YouTubers, three days and one big zombie apocalypse.
That's the premise behind YouTube Red's new series Fight of the Living Dead, which debuted Thursday.
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The show takes YouTube creators and traps them in an abandoned Los Angeles hospital, where they have to use their instincts and gaming skills to battle zombies.
The eight-episode show, Season 1 of which launched on YouTube proper (not on Red), is an Alpine Labs production, made in association with Revolver Picture Company and featured on BlackBoxTV.
"It is this unique hybrid of scripted and unscripted with this fictitious backdrop for the show," Kevin Abrams, Alpine Labs' co-founder and president, told Mashable.
"When we use the word 'experimental' to describe the show, we really mean that," added Jamie Denenberg, Alpine Labs' Principal and COO. "It isn’t just a competition series, and it isn’t just a fictitious show. It’s a bit of everything."
The Alpine team behind the show really went all out in creating the immersive experience.
They put together a whole backstory, and created character bios, fake news clippings (with some stories dating back to the 1960s and '70s), and fake scientific evidence and research.
There were five writers who dedicated about three-and-a-half to four months on just the backstory for this season.
Abrams, who is also director & EP of the show, and Denenberg, who also serves as EP of the show, then carefully cast YouTubers based off their personalities and diverse fan bases.
The Season 2 cast includes: VitalyzdTV, FouseyTUBE, Magic of Rahat, Tré Melvin, JC Caylen, Brittani Louise Taylor, Dennis Roady, Shanna Malcolm, Raya and Brandon Bowen.
"It's not every day someone can say that they were in an abandoned hospital for three days straight looking over their shoulder to avoid getting attacked by zombies," Rahat told Mashable about the experience. "I learned a lot. I would do this again 100 percent if I could. I'm ready."
The second season of the show comes at a time where the popularity of escape room experiences is at an all-time high. These physical adventure games, where players are locked in a room and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, have popped up across the United States, including in Los Angeles.
"Kids are looking for something that looks tangible," Abrams said of the popularity of escape rooms. "With this experience, you can see how you can do under pressure, you can work with teams and friends. It reminds people of what they are capable of doing: testing their brain and physical acumen."
The hope is that viewers will want to watch their favorite digital influencers in this kind of experience, as well. Season 1, which was six episodes and featured eight contestants, racked up millions of viewers per episode.
"In comments from Season 1, there was a tremendous amount of engagement," Denenberg said. "A lot of it was surrounded by, ‘Is this real? Are they acting?’ That to us was so cool because it’s like that water cooler dialogue. If people are questioning is this real, then we are doing something right because at the end of the day, it’s entertainment. It's compelling to watch and question those unexpected moments."
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
