The Dead Lands is an epic supernatural adventure set in a mythic version of pre-colonial Aotearoa (New Zealand). Expanding on the world established in the 2014 feature film of the same name, this series reimagines the traditional tribal landscape as a realm where the boundary between the physical and spiritual is paper-thin, blending historical Māori culture with visceral, high-stakes horror.

The story follows Waka Nuku Rau, a man defined by violence and a stained past. After being murdered, Waka finds himself rejected by his ancestors in the afterlife. Resurrected and sent back to the world of the living, he is tasked with a singular mission: to redeem his sins and restore his lost honour. However, the world he returns to is in ruins. A profound disruption in the cosmic order has caused a breach in the Veil, the barrier between the realms of life and death. This breach has unleashed the "Grateful Dead" - vengeful spirits of the newly deceased who hunt the living with animalistic hunger, throwing the warring tribes into a state of absolute chaos.

Waka’s path intersects with Mehe Te Wehiwehi, a courageous and determined young woman from a neighbouring tribe. Mehe becomes Waka’s guide and moral anchor, tethering his brutal instincts to a higher purpose. Together, they embark on a perilous odyssey across a landscape teeming with rival tribal factions, ancient shamanic rituals, and relentless hordes of the undead.

As they hunt for the source of the imbalance - a deliberate act that "broke the world" - Waka must contend with his own deteriorating state. His undead physiology grants him unnatural strength and resilience, but it steadily erodes his humanity. Their journey is a race against time to mend the rift and prevent the total annihilation of the living world, exploring deep themes of ancestral intervention, the weight of legacy, and the eternal search for balance..