Zapped (TV series) explained

Director:	Dave Lambert
Country:	United Kingdom
Language:	English
Num Series:	3
Num Episodes:	15
List Episodes:	Episodes
Runtime:	30 to 40 minutes
Company:	Baby Cow Productions
Network:	Dave

Zapped is a British television sitcom, set in both the real world and a fantasy world, with the majority of characters and stories wholly set in the latter. It stars James Buckley as Brian Weaver, a real world inhabitant who becomes trapped in Munty, a town in the fantasy world.^[1]

Buckley announced during a live stream on 8 February 2019 that the show had been cancelled and he would not be making any more episodes.^[2]

In February 2021, all episodes of the show were added to BBC iPlayer,^[3] however they were subsequently removed and are no longer available to view.

Plot

Brian is an office worker in West London who reluctantly takes delivery of a package addressed to someone in a place called Munty. He opens it, puts on the amulet within, and is teleported to the medieval setting of Munty. The three episodes of series one focus on his attempts to get back to the real world. He is not missed by his real world colleagues, who detest him.

Setting

Munty is a place in a fantasy universe, where magic is a real force, but one closely controlled by a police state. The enforcers of the state are "fairies", who are the opposite of the traditional image of the fairy - they are big, burly, thuggish men.

The stories are mostly set in and around the town pub (The Jug and the Other Jug) and a nearby shop. They revolve around Brian's attempts to get home and his interactions with his newfound friends. Brian does not gel with his new surroundings and does not fit in, notably remaining in his real world clothes throughout.

Cast and characters

Main characters

• James Buckley as Brian Weaver, a former office worker and loser from the real world who is now trapped in Munty.
• Louis Emerick as Herman, the landlord and only barkeep of a tavern in Munty where most of the series takes place. Herman is a retired swordsman and veteran of the Mage Wars, and still keeps the heads of ogres and unicorns he killed on the walls of the tavern.
• Kenneth Collard as Steg Steggson, a half-giant half-dwarf Munty resident, and one of Herman's few regular patrons. Steg considers himself a 'champion of the people' and a force for progress and social justice, although the causes he regularly takes up are often ridiculous or inconsequential.
• Paul Kaye as Howell, a disgraced former grand wizard who now owns a magic emporium near to the tavern, which he frequently visits. Howell funds his substance abuse issues and alcoholism with various dodgy schemes.
• Sharon Rooney as Barbara, another tavern regular, is an apprentice soothsayer with an unrequited affection for Brian. A running joke is that her predictions and prophecies often initially appear vastly incompetent, but actually turn out true in the end, although nobody realises.

Recurring and supporting characters

• Steve Coogan as Feffenhoffer, a sadistic circus master.
• Phil Daniels as the Warden of the Pear Orchard.
• Kathryn Drysdale as Lorelei, a mermaid.
• Tim FitzHigham as Fenton Breem, Munty's premier musician and playwright.
• Martin Glyn Murray as Greg.
• Ricky Grover as Hawthorn, a fairy.
• Miranda Hennessy as Effandra.
• Tim Key as Sextus.
• Guz Khan as Skylark, a fairy.
• Sylvester McCoy as The Protector.
• Sally Phillips as Slasher Morgan, a criminal who often deals with Howell.
• Jessica Ransom as Jess, a real world office worker.
• Rufus Hound as Kevlar.
• Richard Sandling as Springleaf, a fairy.
• Nina Wadia as the Judge.
• Tony Way as Chestnut, a fairy.
• Susan Wokoma as Rina.

Episodes

Series 1 (2016)

Episode	Title	Air date

^[4]

Series 2 (2017)

On 12 April 2017, it was announced that Zapped had been renewed for a second series of six episodes, to be broadcast starting 12 October 2017.^[5]

Episode	Title	Air date

Series 3 (2018)

Episode	Title	Air date

Notes and References

1. Web site: Zapped. Dave. 17 July 2021.
2. Web site: Zapped cancelled after three series. British Comedy Guide. 17 April 2019. 17 July 2021.
3. News: Zapped Comes To BBC iPlayer. Beyond the Joke. Bruce. Dessau. 3 February 2021. 17 July 2021.
4. Web site: Zapped Series 1. British Comedy Guide. 17 July 2021.
5. Dave. davechannel. 911151976133595136. 22 September 2017. KRUNT! We're heading back to Munty... #Zapped will air straight after #RedDwarfXII. 17 July 2021. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206192840/https://twitter.com/davechannel/status/911151976133595136 . Dec 6, 2022.