Based on Brian Ralph’s Daybreak graphic novels, Netflix’s new post-apocalyptic comedy series looks promising. The official synopsis from Netflix reads: “In this post-apocalyptic, genre-bending series, the city of Glendale, California is populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, the 4-H Club, and other fearsome tribes who are kicking ass as they fight to survive in the wake of a nuclear blast (on the night of Homecoming…ugh). Following an eclectic group of survivors as they navigate this strange and treacherous world, Daybreak is part samurai saga, part endearing coming-of-age story, and part Battle Royale. This Generation A series (A for Apocalypse! Get it?) is rated TV MA.”
The series stars Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford) who travels through different territories to find his missing girlfriend, Sam (Sophie Simnett), but on the way, he comes face-to-face with some new enemies and has to overcome dangerous obstacles. The comedy also snagged beloved actor Matthew Broderick to play Glendale High School’s Principal, Michael Burr. “We thought it felt right to show that Ferris Bueller has grown up and become Ed Rooney,” Coleite joked. Fans of the iconic film surely appreciate the reference.
Showrunner Aron Eli Coleite described the show as a relatable plot. “It feels like to survive high school you need a tribe, and to survive the apocalypse you need a tribe,” Coleite said. “That’s how we get through this: with our friends…[The show has] this optimistic view of the end of the world. It immediately transported me back to high school and feeling like, ‘Man, I would love it if the world ended right now because I could totally reinvent myself. I could be anybody else.’ And I think that that’s a really common thing that a lot of us felt in high school.”
The publishing company Drawn & Quarterly said Daybreak is inspired “from zombies, horror movies, television, and first-person shooter video games, Daybreak departs from zombie genre in both content and format, achieving a living-dead masterwork of literary proportions.”
Daybreak will premiere on October 24 on Netflix.