Fan of the horror genre? Then you’ll be interested to hear that the BBC is developing a brand new horror series about a group of teenagers for BBC Three and iPlayer, that offers a prescient and frightening commentary on our increasingly connected world.

Red Rose is a rare BBC series that’s out and out horror, and focuses on our use of the internet and social media, as well as teenage relationships. It’s set around a group of teenagers in the summer holidays (while you might think to compare it to Stranger Things, it looks to set itself apart from that show) who are trying to navigate their feelings and emotions as they mature, along with the difficult and pressuring elements of online life.

But Red Rose also contains warnings about the dangerous and murky dark web, and takes the name “dark web” and makes it one of terrifying horror. The teenagers discover that they can download and use the Red Rose app- a portal to the dark web, but it soon becomes apparent that the app has a supernatural, evil power.

The new show is being developed by the same production company as Sex Education (which means you can expect some high quality TV), and stars a cast of newcomers and already established actors, that includes Amelie Clarkson (Poldark), Ellis Howard (Catherine the Great), Ashna Rabheru, Adam Nagaitis (Chernobyl) and Isis Hainsworth.

The BBC’s official synopsis for the show is “Red Rose is an original horror series which explores the intoxicating relationship between teenagers and their online lives… …it is ultimately a story of friendship, told through the prism of a classic horror-thriller.” Ensnared by it’s seductive power, the teens face a crisis as sinister app starts putting pressure on their friendships, and threatening them with awful consequences if they don’t do what it tells them.

Only a very short teaser has been released so far for the series, but if it’s anything to go back, you can expect quite the horror ride. Will the teens survive the summer? You can find out when Red Rose airs on 15th August.

Will the teens survive the summer?

RED ROSE COMES TO BBC THREE AND IPLAYER ON 15TH AUGUST

Culture

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