“Dead Pixels”: Comedy fun for gamers and non-gamers alike!
I recently binge watched “Dead Pixels”, a new comedy which aired on E4, and I am absolutely in love with it!
“Dead Pixels” is written by Jon Brown (‘Loaded’, ‘Fresh Meat’, ‘Veep’) and stems from “Avatards”, a short mini series for “Comedy Blaps” from 2016. If you have seen “Avatards” you will no doubt recognize Meg (Alexa Davies – ‘Detectorists’, ‘Harlots’), who is still as feisty as ever. You will also recognize Russel (David Mumeni – ‘Sliced’), who plays a different character entirely but is still just as hilarious (although I am pleased he was re-cast as the lovable “moron” Russel).
Together with Meg and Russel, we are introduced to Nicky (Will Merrick – ‘Poldark’), Usman (Sargon Yelda – ‘Strike’), and Alison (Charlotte Ritchie – ‘Ghosts’, ‘Call the Midwife’).
During the six episodes we follow Meg, Nicky and Usman as they grind their way through the fictional MMORPG “Kingdom Scrolls”, to eventually storm the citadel and defeat the Hive Mother. When Russel joins them hilarity ensues as it quickly becomes apparent that he’s a “noob”. Alison is the non-gamer of the show, and is the room mate of Meg and Nicky, and is very much a “life is for living” kind of girl who tries to understand the perils of Meg and Nicky’s online world.
“Kingdom Scrolls” is a game I’d describe as a cross between “World of Warcraft” and “Elder Scrolls”, set in a magical world of hunchbacks, Amazonians, wizards, orcs and wyverns. If “Kingdom Scrolls” were a real game I’d more than likely be a level 50 hunter already, as it is certainly the type of game I can be found playing.
Being a gamer I found myself relating to quite a lot of the shenanigans that happen in “Dead Pixels”. However, you don’t necessarily need to be a gamer to enjoy the show as it is funny across the board (but if you are a non-gamer you should be prepared for a hilarious insight into our crazy world).
Whilst in some respect “Dead Pixels” over exaggerates the lives of gamers and the extent we’d go to to be able to play. One wouldn’t put their child into a cot with a lid for example, or one wouldn’t “shit in a bucket” whilst in the middle of a long hard mission (… at least, I hope those are over exaggerations 😉 )
In other respects, some of the things that happen in “Dead Pixels” can be quite normal (at least to us gamers 😉 ) Meg and Nicky’s hilarious outrage at Vince Vaughn being cast as Tanadaal, a mighty barbarian, in the movie adaptation of the game is how I envisaged the reaction of the people who didn’t like the idea of Henry Cavill being cast as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s adaptation of “The Witcher”.
Whether you’re a gamer, a non-gamer, or anything in between, “Dead Pixels” is a breath of fresh air and the best comedy I’ve seen in a long while. Whilst I’m anticipating news of a second season, I will be re-watching the first season again (once or twice), which is available to watch now on 4OD.
