Here at SEENIT we love a good launch party, especially when they’re themed around the product, show or service that’s being promoted, so we were especially chuffed to be invited along to help celebrate the arrival of Fear The Walking Dead in the UK.
On Monday broadcasters BT and AMC, who’ve joined forces to bring the show to the UK, invited a select group of celebrities and journalists down to the old Central St. Martins building in Holborn which they’d dressed as a secure refuge from the show’s marauding zombies.
In place of the usual lavish hotels, ballrooms and stadiums that these events normally take place in, the backdrop for our mushroom tarts (sealed in foil bags to prevent contamination!), ‘blood’ topped cup cakes and cocktails served in tin cans was a room lined with bunkbeds, emergency supplies and a team of heavily armed soldiers.
The setting also tied in nicely with BT’s social media campaigns for the show which include specially shot footage of zombies out and around in London.
While its customary at such events for someone to try blagging their way in, the evening’s guards were there to keep out a threat even more dangerous than a passing journo on the scrounge for a freebie drink.
As we caught up with colleagues from rival outlets and chatted to BT staff, proceedings were interrupted by the arrival of a very noisy zombie who’d somehow managed to breach security.
While it’s probable that most guests had expected some drama, the free flowing drinks and food were sufficiently distracting that the screams and scuffles came as bit of a shock to some!
Still, the scares and thrills nicely set the mood for the screening – check back for a full review next week – of what turned out to be one of the more solidly made pilot episodes of recent years.
Fear The Walking Dead will air on AMC – which is free to BT TV viewers and Sky customers who subscribe to the BT Sport Pack – from Monday 31st August. The first episode will also air on BT Showcase which is available on Freeview channel 59.
This post has been sponsored by BT