Telling the story of three mostly-normal-but-kind-of-weird teenagers on an epic quest, the darkly comic drama is coming to BBC NI and BBC Three in January 2025
Published: December 20, 2024 — Set in 1985, when the home video revolution is in full analogue swing, Video Nasty tells the story of three mostly-normal-but-kind-of-weird teenagers who go on an epic quest to complete a cult VHS collection, only to get mixed up in a murder investigation, becoming chief suspects and public enemies.
Video Nasty is a darkly comic drama with a strain of murder mystery. It explores family, identity and censorship, as well as moral panic, culture wars, intergenerational misunderstandings and learning to accept yourself.
Shot entirely on location in counties Monaghan, Cavan and Tyrone, Video Nasty is created and written by Hugh Travers (The South Westerlies, Dead and Beautiful, Red Rock) and directed by Christopher Smith (Creep, Triangle, Severance) and Megan K Fox (Too Good to be True).
The young cast includes Justin Daniels Anene (Sanctuary, The Tourist), Cal O’Driscoll (September Says, Sanctuary) and Leia Murphy (Fair City, Small Town, Big Story) as well as Oliver Finnegan (Outlander, We are Lady Parts). Additional cast include Valerie O’Connor (Sanctuary: A Witches Tale), Declan Rodgers (Patrick Melrose), Simone Kirby (His Dark Materials) and Emmanuel Ighodaro (Shameless).
Producer Ailish McElmeel said of the shoot: “Our fantastic cast and crew worked incredibly hard to bring Hugh’s scarily funny scripts to screen, helmed by the talented Chris Smith and Megan K Fox. I can’t wait for audiences to see the fruits of their labour.”
Video Nasty is a Deadpan Pictures production in association with Boat Rocker. Series Producer is Ailish McElmeel (Northern Lights, Can’t Cope Won’t Cope) and it is produced by Julie Baines (Something in the Water, Triangle).
The series is executive produced by writer, Hugh Travers and David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Nick Nantell, and Erik Pack for Boat Rocker, Eddie Doyle and Raphaëlle O’Loan for BBC, Frank Tönsmann for WDR, SWR and NDR (FabFiction-Initiative), Nada Cirjanic for Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Ailish McElmeel, Paul Donovan and Marc Lorber for Deadpan Pictures.
Source
BBC Three
