DEAD PIXELS
E4’S RIOTOUSLY FUNNY GAMER COMEDY DEAD PIXELS LEVELS UP
The lowdown on E4’s seriously funny onlinegaming comedy.
THE FORTNITE EFFECT IS FELT
Set in both the London flat of aimless twentysomething gaming pals Meg (Alexa Davies) and Nicky (Will Merrick), and the wacky world of Kingdom Scrolls
– a Warcraft-esque fantasy MMO where Meg, Nicky and American pal Usman (Sargon Yelda) while away the hours – Dead Pixels is a face-achingly funny comedy that doesn’t talk down to gamers. Season 2 opens with the launch of a new expansion that has radically changed the game, and not for the better. “The makers are trying to follow the Fortnite money: they’re bringing in loot boxes, stupid dances and all the crap you get in those games now,” says creator Jon Brown. “In doing so, they are alienating all the people that want to believe in this world.”
IT’S VENTURING OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM
Despite dwelling in adjacent bedrooms, Meg and Nicky explore their relationship from behind the safety of their digital avatars. “They kind of fancy each other but are terrified of that feeling, so they go questing together instead,” Merrick tells Small Screen. Working office jobs to pay the bills, neither Meg nor Nicky have much of a life outside Kingdom Scrolls. But the status quo is about to be shaken up. “This series is all about external threats,” Merrick says. “Everyone has a vested interest outside of the flat, so they push each other into these uncomfortable social situations.”
THERE’S A NEW RECRUIT
Much of the show’s humour derives from juxtaposing the mundane (acerbic conversations about rent, office politics) with the absurd (clubbing seal pups for loot), and the presence of third flatmate Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) – a bemused non-gamer – heightens the contrast. But after years of resisting, Alison’s about to get her game on. “A flame is ignited,” Ritchie chuckles. “I like the idea that her kind exterior is totally flipped on its head and she’s quite brutal in the game.”
THE WORLD’S BEEN UPGRADED
Rather than a ‘cutting-edge’ digital space that looks dated before it hits the airwaves, Dead Pixels’ animations (by studio Keyframe) embrace the glitches and imperfections of contemporary MMOs. “The expansion-pack idea has allowed us to bump up the level of detail in the world,” Brown explains. “But I never wanted it to be a AAA title with a lifelike visual style. I wanted to build in all those things that go wrong when you play videogames, like characters walking into walls, or scenery popping up.”
A SHAKE-UP IS COMING
With Meg, Nicky and Usman feeling estranged from the game they’ve dedicated much of their adult lives to, could the trio jump ship to another game? “I wouldn’t rule it out for another series,” Brown teases. “It’s something that was talked about: what if they migrate to play a different game, or they go off and have to leave Kingdom Scrolls behind? I’ve thought of doing something set in a slightly futuristic, or cyberpunk setting. That might be quite fun.” Jordan Farley
DEAD PIXELS IS RETURNING SOON TO E4 AND ALL 4.