Zombies are everywhere these days. Like a plague of the shuffling, slack jawed corpses of originality. But every so often, there is startling creativity in the decaying carcass of a once terrifying genre. The Walking Dead and Zombieland are proof of that. But, as per usual, anything the Yanks can do, we can do better (was Shaun of the Dead better than Zombieland? A fight to the death may be required to settle it.)

In 2008, the cynically funny Charlie Brooker wrote a five part zombie show mostly set in the Big Brother house. These were heady days when Big Brother seemed culturally significant and was a big, big deal in the UK. So what could be better than a fast spreading zombie virus trapping contestants and crew alike in the famous house? Zombie purists will probably bemoan the use of ‘fast’ zombies, but there are literally tons of references to Romero’s films in the show which should keep diehard fans happy. But rest assured, this isn’t just another rehash of old material. The Big Brother element means that this is a distinctively British show that doesn’t fall into the trap of aping its American older brothers.

For the uninitiated (read anybody who’s not British) Charlie Brooker is a scathingly misanthropic TV critic, who for years had delighted readers of The Guardian with his assassinations of Big Brother and its various contestants. But I like to think that under all that sarcastic wit there was a kernel of fondness for the beast. He created Dead Set with the gleeful co-operation of Channel 4, the channel responsible for the reality show, and amidst some pretty impressive gore, that affection can still be found.

There is an eerie echo of recent events in the first episode, with Big Brother presenter Davina McCall (playing herself) and her producer fretting that a breaking news story about rioting and violence spreading across the country might hijack their eviction night show. Given the seemingly unexpected nature of the outbreak of vicious riots in England this summer, re-watching this is newly chilling. In fact, a lot of Dead Set’s power and appeal comes from its firm basis in reality. The traditional zombie siege plot device is cleverly twisted and Brooker combines both comedy and tension without sliding into outright parody. There is gore aplenty, as there should be, and ultra-dry humour which is pretty much Brooker’s trademark.

All the really great movies or shows in the zombie genre have been more than flesh eating monsters chasing nubile victims, and have had some deeper message about social issues. And so it is with Dead Set. It presents fiendishly clever satire about the relationship between reality television and the audience who both love and loathe it. The hungry hoards of the undead gathering outside the studio are surprisingly similar to the crowds of Big Brother fans, and similarly vicious in their destruction of so-called ‘celebrities.’ Perhaps some of the irony will be lost on other audiences, as a lot of the cast are ex-housemates and even the acted roles are based on familiar characters from past series, which lend the proceedings a little more bite. But the core message is universal, and since reality TV the world over is subject to the same vanities and follies, it can’t fail to raise a knowing smile.