Henpocalypse! is a BBC2 comedy arriving in 2023. If you had to choose a way to see out the end of the world, the chances are sharing the terror with a high-maintenance hen party in an isolated cottage in Wales wouldn’t be at the top of your list. But that’s exactly where we find the characters in Henpocalypse! which stars Elizabeth Berrington, Lucie Shorthouse, Callie Cooke, Lauren O’Rouke and Kate O’Flynn.
Henpocalypse! is penned by Raised By Wolves’ writer Caroline Moran and follows bridezilla Zara (Lucie Shorthouse) and her fellow working-class hens from the West Midlands as they look forward to celebrating her forthcoming nuptials. But the hen-do celebrations are cut short when it becomes clear that the apocalypse is on the way.
Writer Caroline Moran says: “This is a dream cast, the locations are epic, the apocalypse has never been so much fun”
Here’s everything you need to know about Henpocalypse! on BBC2...
Henpocalypse! release date
Henpocalypse! is a six-part series that launches on BBC2 and BBCiPlayer. There’s no confirmed release date yet but as soon as we hear anything for the BBC we’ll update you on this page as well as the show's US and international air dates.
Henpocalypse! plot
Henpocalypse! follows five women on the ultimate hen-do – which doesn’t exactly go to plan. Demanding bride Zara (Lucie Shorthouse) sees her fun weekend in an isolated cottage in Wales ruined when the apocalypse strikes and she and her four hens are forced to wait it out together. Then, as they emerge into the harsh, new, post-apocalyptic world, they discover the entire male population has been wiped out, except for stripper Drew (Ben McGregor). Can the hens put aside their fractious relationships and work out how to survive together as they are forced to take on a group of radicalised Pilates instructors and use sex toys as weapons?
Henpocalypse! cast — Lucie Shorthouse as Zara
Lucie Shorthosue plays bridezilla Zara. She's previously played Paige Pennington in Bulletproof and Momtaz in We Are Lady Parts. She’s also been in Ten Percent, Cleaning Up, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Doctors and Line of Duty.
Elizabeth Berrington as Bernadette
Elizabeth Berrington stars as Bernadette, who is Zara’s formidable mother. She played Ruby Fry in Waterloo Road and starred in the comedy Moving Wallpaper. She’s also starred in The Nevers, The Pact, The Responder, Sanditon, Vanity Fair, The Syndicate and the film Yesterday.
Kate O’Flynn as Jen
In Henpocalypse! Kate O' Flynn plays one-woman disaster area, Jen. She starred as Fiona in the comedy series Everyone Else Burns and she's also had roles in Death in Paradise, Landscapers, Close To Me, No Offence and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
Callie Cooke as Shelly
Callie Cooke is playing put upon chief bridesmaid, Shelly. She’s also starred in Wedding Season, Cheaters, The Stranger, Britannia and Rules of the Game.
Ben McGregor as Drew
Ben McGregor is the one regular male cast member of Henpocalypse! playing entrepreneurial stripper Drew. He's previously starred in The Tuckers.
Lauren O’Rourke as Veena
Lauren is beautician and conspiracy theorist Veena. She played Nicole in The Inbetweeners Movie and has also had roles in Line of Duty, White Gold, Chemistry of Death, Drifters and Doctors.
More about Henpocalypse!
At a recent BBC Comedy showcase, BBC's Director of Comedy Commissioning, Jon Petrie addressed the issue of having a show such as Henpocalypse! set during a deadly pandemic. "This came to me when I started with the BBC, so kind of around 2021 during pandemic times. The team behind Henpocalypse! just felt like it was a good opportune moment to kind of see it all through a comic lens. I get sent a a lot of apocalypse stuff. Basically this is a funny The Last of Us but in the UK.
“It’s no surprise that Caz’s inventive scripts have attracted such a top cast. Her post-apocalyptic vision is both terrifying and utterly hilarious."
Henpocalypse! was commissioned for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Tanya Qureshi. The Executive Producers are Phil Clarke (I May Destroy You), Helen Williams (Flack, Lazy Susan), Jack Bayles (Catastrophe) and Roberto Troni (I May Destroy You). VAL is part of BBC Studios portfolio of invested indie production companies with whom they hold a minority share. BBC Studios will distribute the show internationally.
Is there a trailer for Henpocalypse!?
Not yet, but if and when the BBC release a trailer for Henpocalypse!, we’ll post it up on this page.
