TV in Review: Wednesday

sters and settings looked fantastic, others like the “Hyde”, was very disappointing since it’s meant to be the main monster of the series but the CGI would tell us otherwise.

The Addams family was initially introduced to pop culture in 1964 after ABC decided to create a TV series based on the New Yorker cartoon by Charles Addams. The original series attempted to make them “less evil” and give them a “zany” and “spooky” aesthetic. They come from an influential and macabre family who have old money and a lot of it as demonstrated through their intimidating, haunted mansion which overlooks the family cemetery so that the immediate and external family can all live together.

The original series lasted 2 seasons and was revamped for the films: The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). These films starred many notable actors and became Christina Ricci’s breakout role for her portrayal of Wednesday. The family was later reprised by Warner Bros and Saban Entertainment for the 1998 sequel, The Addams Family Reunion. It starred Tim Curry, Daryl Hannah and Nicole Fugere, but sadly, was unsuccessful due to limited filming time set by production and comparison with the original Paramount films.

While the Addams family is presented as weird and unique compared to normal society around them this movie just went too far and couldn’t get the audience to connect with the characters and story.

However, I think Wednesday does a perfect job connecting the classic family and story to a modern day audience. Firstly, the humour and language of the students and sometimes older characters mirror what is all over social media, especially the Gen-Z orientated TikTok. They incorporate it in a way that feels natural to the audience watching. Secondly, they portray modern fashion trends, such as chunky shoes and boots, Y2K patterns and colours and even big brands like Prada and Carhartt worn by the actors. This makes Nevermore and Jericho feel like a reality rather than a distant community. Overall, this is a fun series that anyone can enjoy even if you don’t know who the Addams family is and hopefully season 2 delivers just as well as the first did.