Ah, 1985. Big hair, questionable fashion choices, and the golden age of the video nasty. BBC One Northern Ireland’s new comedy-horror series “Video Nasty” throws viewers right back into that bygone era, following three teens on a quest to complete their horror VHS collection. Think “Stranger Things” meets “Shaun of the Dead,” with a dash of “The Last Picture Show” thrown in for good measure.
In the premiere episode, “Tape 72,” best mates Billy and Con are on the hunt for the final, elusive tape that will cement their horror aficionado status. But their quest is complicated by a secret that threatens to unravel their friendship and, more urgently, by a murder investigation that somehow entangles them. Because nothing says adolescent fun like becoming the prime suspect in a grisly crime.
As Billy, Con, and their friend Zoe scramble to clear their names and find the missing tape, they find themselves smack in the middle of a very real horror story. And like any good video nasty, the first episode ends with enough cliffhangers to keep you rewinding until the next episode, which luckily for the old rewind button is directly after.
“Video Nasty” premieres Wednesday, January 8, 2025, on BBC One Northern Ireland.
