Is ‘Zombieverse’ a reality show or scripted? The Netflix zombie series, explained

Reality television and the zombie apocalypse don’t typically mix, but there’s a first time for everything.

At least, that’s what trailers for Zombieverse will lead you to believe. The Netflix show seems to approach its format from a mix of reality and fiction, as it finds the most unique angle yet into the zombie craze. The show just recently arrived on Netflix, and viewers remain confused even as they dig into its eight episode first season. The show presents itself as a new twist on the reality format, but it also features zombies so we know it can’t be entirely unscripted. What genre does Zombieverse actually fall into?

Is Zombieverse a reality show?

From the get-go, Zombieverse presented itself as a wild new approach to reality programming. The show thrusts a small collection of celebrities and reality contestants into a clearly scripted scenario — the early stages of a zombie apocalypse — and follows their real-life reactions to the scenarios that unfold. The Netflix show’s odd middle ground separates it a bit from both reality and scripted formats, and allows it to reside in a new territory.

Which is not necessarily a new concept. Most reality shows want viewers to believe they’re entirely natural, but the vast majority actually rely on occasional scripted encounters and carefully manipulated situations to ensure the drama keeps up. In this instance, it seems Zombieverse intends to deliver a classic reality formula in an entirely unique package, by blending the formats of shows like Big Brother or The Real World with Train to Busan and Zombieland.

All of this makes the above question rather difficult to answer. Yes, some of the situations that will arise across Zombieverse‘s first eight episodes are entirely real and unscripted; but no, the show doesn’t entirely qualify as a reality show. It takes careful work to make a zombie environment come to life, and protecting the safety of the cast — including all those extras dressed up in zombie makeup — all but guarantees a level of scripting throughout.

Still, it’s not every day you come across a hybrid reality show/social experiment/zombie fest, and that’s kind of the territory Zombieverse is eyeing. The show steps into a relatively new space in entertainment, and it could easily inspire plenty of further experimentation in future years. And if it takes on the weird, enthralling appeal of Zombieverse, I’m here for it.