Over the years, film and TV have always toyed with the idea of Armageddon. Whether disease, an asteroid, chimps, or zombies, audiences have always been mesmerized and terrified by the thought of the end of the world. There have been many intense fictionalizations, like in Armageddon (1998), The Walking Dead, or The Day After Tomorrow (2004), as well as comedic ones like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), This is the End (2013), and Zombieland (2009). Like the latter, Netflix’s new British comedy series will touch on an impending robot apocalypse with a hilarious tone.
While an apocalyptic (and post-apocalyptic) show is nothing new to viewers, it follows a recent trend of showcasing kids/teens in an apocalyptic setting. Shows like Sweet Tooth (2021), Daybreak (2019), The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Rain (2018), and others have shown what it is like to survive an apocalypse while going through those wonderful puberty years. Netflix’s The Last Bus will join the genre and give viewers a look into how a group of kids navigate a robot apocalypse, and by the looks of the trailer, the end result will be hilarious.
The Last Bus: Plot
In the upcoming series, the audience will follow a dynamic group of “mismatched students” as they “find themselves fleeing for their lives” and become “the unlikeliest of heroes when super-advanced robots begin to zap away humanity.” In an effort to combat climate change and make the world a “cleaner” place, tech billionaire Dalton Monkhouse, portrayed by Umbrella Academy’s Robert Sheehan, has created robotic orbs to clean up the environment. However, instead of doing what the world thought they were intended for, the robots vaporize an audience at their launch exhibition before venturing into the world and continuing their path of destruction. The gang of students mainly featured in the show are in the audience as a part of a field trip and escape to their bus as the world turns upside down.
Along the way, it seems our heroes will face many challenges. From “towering junk monsters to a damaged orb with a seemingly-personal vendetta,” the teens must work through their issues and conflicting personalities to save the world- or what’s left of it. The only problem is they have no idea how or why the robots seemed to have overridden their original purpose, and they have no idea where their creator is hiding out.
The Last Bus: Cast & Crew
The Netflix show was written and created by Paul Neafcy, known for his previous show PrankMe (2017). Neafcy was discovered by the production company Wildseed after he began to post comedic videos on YouTube from his bedroom. The series, which will have a ten-episode arch, which will be directed by Lawrence Gough, Steve Hughes, Nour Wazzi, and Drew Casson of Doctor Who (2016-2017), Casualty (2012-2021), Somewhere in London (2019), and The Darkest Dawn (2016). The series is executive produced by Wildseed co-founders Miles Bullough and Jess Cleverley, as well as Sarah Mattingley, Andy Mosse, and Vaughan Watkins.
As far as the cast goes, apart from Robert Sheehan, who has become a household name since his role in The Umbrella Academy as Klaus, and Tom Basden (Afterlife 2019), it seems that Netflix went with a cast of unknowns for their group of misfits. The newcomers were found through a UK-wide school search, and while the others seem to have a few credits to their name, it’s nothing substantial.
The Last Bus: Release Date
The British apocalyptic comedy series will premiere on Netflix's streaming service on April 1.
Everything Else
The upcoming series will touch on the effects of climate change while also providing a wary message when it comes to technological advances and artificial intelligence. When the series was first announced in 2020, the production company Wildseed’s co-founders, Miles Bullough and Jess Cleverley discussed the layers they wished to incorporate and explore throughout the ten episodes. Cleverley gave a complete statement, in which he said, “Although at the top level The Last Bus is a shamelessly entertaining sci-fi romp, at another level, it is a powerful eco-fable about how the younger generation must be empowered to make very different choices from the generation which preceded it when it comes to the two big challenges of the age- environmental breakdown and hugely sophisticated artificial intelligence.”
Overall, it seems that the show aims to carry a message that is topical. With climate change as pressing a matter as ever, this show could offer an avenue for a younger audience to understand its message and create a difference. Perhaps that is the goal when it comes to creating a show centered around kids in a world-ending event. One thing is for sure, though, the series is sure to be a hilarious and ultimately entertaining experience for all viewers involved, no matter their age.