Zapped (TV series)

Zapped is a British sitcom that blends the real world with a fantasy realm, though most of its storylines and characters exist entirely in the latter. The series follows James Buckley as Brian Weaver, a man from our world who gets stuck in Munty, a fantasy town. On February 8, 2019, Buckley announced during a live stream that the show had been cancelled and no further episodes would be made. All episodes were added to BBC iPlayer in February 2021, but were later taken down and are no longer available to stream.

The plot begins with Brian, an office worker in West London, reluctantly accepting a package meant for someone in a place called Munty. He opens it, puts on the amulet inside, and is instantly transported to Munty’s medieval setting. The first series’ three episodes focus on his attempts to return home. His real-world colleagues, who despise him, don’t even notice he’s gone.

Munty exists in a fantasy universe where magic is real but tightly controlled by a police state. The enforcers are “fairies,” but they are nothing like the traditional image—they are large, burly, thuggish men. Most stories take place in and around the town pub, The Jug and the Other Jug, and a nearby shop. The plots revolve around Brian’s efforts to get home and his interactions with his new friends. He never fits in and notably keeps wearing his real-world clothes.

The main cast includes James Buckley as Brian Weaver, a former office worker and loser trapped in Munty. Louis Emerick plays Herman, the tavern’s landlord and only barkeep, a retired swordsman and veteran of the Mage Wars who keeps the heads of ogres and unicorns he killed on the walls. Kenneth Collard is Steg Steggson, a half-giant half-dwarf regular who sees himself as a champion of the people and a force for social justice, though his causes are often ridiculous or trivial. Paul Kaye plays Howell, a disgraced former grand wizard who now runs a magic emporium and funds his substance abuse with shady schemes. Sharon Rooney is Barbara, an apprentice soothsayer with an unrequited crush on Brian; a running joke is that her predictions seem wildly wrong but always turn out true, though no one realizes it.

Recurring and supporting characters include 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 Br