Blending humour with high-stakes drama, Daybreak paints a Mad Max-style world populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, 4-H Clubbers and other fearless tribes.
High school isn’t the end of the world… until it is. In this post-apocalyptic, genre-bending series, the city of Glendale, California is populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, the 4-H Club, and other fearsome tribes who are kicking ass as they fight to survive in the wake of a nuclear blast (on the night of Homecoming…ugh). The series features many tribes:
- The Jocks – This large tribe is made up of Glendale High’s strongest athletes. Their favorite hobby? Staging “American Ninja Idol,” a deadly reality show where losers get gobbled up by Ghoulies.
- The Cheermazons – This tribe is made up of glam warrior women who don’t shy away from bloodshed and play to WIN. Tryouts can be deadly if you don’t make the cut.
- The 4-H Club – If anyone knows how to live off the land, it’s these creature-loving gangsters.
- The STEM Punks – Never underestimate the importance of innovation in the apocalypse. These punks may not be so tough on the outside, but now’s their time to shine.
- The Gamers – When it comes to strategy, they rise above the rest.
- Disciples of Kardashia – Just because there’s nuclear fallout doesn’t mean you have to skip the blowout. These Disciples are confident, coiffed and mega-fierce. Even in the apocalypse, Keeping Up with the Kardashians is their spiritual north star.
- The Ghoulies – Not a tribe per se, “Ghoulies” are adults who survived the nuclear blast but have become hungry, zombie-fied versions of themselves. Ghoulies mindlessly repeat the last thing they thought before the attack (which is usually something pretty lame, like “How do you pronounce La Croix?” or “There’s a sale at Lululemon.”)
While the story begins from Josh’s point of view — he speaks directly to the camera, Ferris Bueller-style — the focus and style shifts from episode to episode, creating a truly immersive experience. For example, one episode takes inspiration from samurai movies and is even narrated by hip-hop icon/composer/actor RZA. Another episode takes the form of a sitcom, while another occurs entirely in pre-apocalypse Glendale.
In addition to its genre-bending storytelling and cutting-edge visual effects, Daybreak will thrill pop-culture aficionados with its references to everything from Mad Max to ’80s John Hughes films
“Aron, Brad and I are all children of the ’80s and ’90s,” notes executive producer Jeff Fierson. “We’re also huge pop-culture geeks in terms of comic books, books and films. … We definitely tried to bring more film to this show than television in terms of look and feel and crew.”
Daybreak stars Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as Glendale High School’s Principal Michael Burr; Krysta Rodriguez (Smash) as the biology teacher; Colin Ford (Captain Marvel) as our hero and every-teen, 17-year-old Josh Wheeler; Sophie Simnett (The Lodge) as Sam Dean, the most widely admired girl at Glendale High; Austin Crute (Booksmart) as contemplative samurai Wesley Fists; Alyvia Alyn Lind (Transparent) as highly unstable kid genius Angelica Green; Cody Kearsley (Riverdale) as Turbo Bro Jock, the bloodthirsty leader of the jocks; Jeanté Godlock (The Simone Biles Story) as Mona Lisa, his badass right-hand woman; and Gregory Kasyan (Quest) as Eli Cardashyan (not that Kardashian). The series is executive produced by Aron Eli Coleite, Brad Peyton, and Jeff Fierson.
Daybreak premieres October 24th on Netflix with 10 episodes. This Generation A series (A for Apocalypse! Get it?) is rated TV MA.
