Genre: Comedy horror, Supernatural
Created by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Based on Characters created by Charles Addams
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Christina Ricci & Moosa Mostafa.
Theme Song Composer: Danny Elfman
Composer: Danny Elfman & Chris Bacon
Executive Producers: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, Tim Burton, Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Gail Berman, Kayla Alpert, Jonathan Glickman, Tommy Harper, Kevin Lafferty, Kevin Miserocchi
Producer: Carmen Pepelea
Cinematography: David Lanzenberg, Stephan Pehrsson
Editors: Jay Prychidny, Ana Yavari, Paul Day
Production Companies: Millar Gough Ink, 1.21 Films, Glickmania Media, Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, The Jackal Group, Tim Burton Productions, Toluca Pictures, MGM Television
Distributor: MGM Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution, Netflix Streaming Services
Plot: Wednesday Addams, a high-school student, finds her brother Pugsley tied up in a locker. She sees a psychic vision of his bullies whom she attempts to kill in revenge but gets expelled. Her parents, Morticia and Gomez, decide to enroll her in Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts.
Season 1 of this Wednesday Adams spin-off was really good.
Pros: Jenna Ortega’s performance does join the ranks of RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) as Iron Man and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. Having Tim Burton being attached to this project drew me into this show. The season did get me interested in Wednesday more as her solo character. The mystery aspect was quite fun playing around with the viewer “Guessing who done it” The set design is exactly what an Addams family-type show should look like and the entire supportive cast did their jobs playing their roles.
Cons: At points, the series can get silly. Both of her boyfriends are so bland and stupid and I wish there were more things to do with the rest of the Addams family to do.
Casts & characters:
- Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, a 16-year-old goth who possesses psychic powers. She is sent to Nevermore Academy for causing mischief at other schools. Ortega also plays Goody Addams, Wednesday’s deceased ancestor whom Wednesday sees in visions of the past.
- Karina Varadi as young Wednesday
- Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems, the principal of Nevermore Academy and a former student who was roommates with Morticia Addams
- Oliver Wickham as young Larissa Weems
- Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott, Wednesday’s therapist
- Jamie McShane as Donovan Galpin, Jericho’s sheriff who is suspicious of Nevermore Academy and Wednesday specifically
- Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, a barista at a local coffee shop and Sheriff Galpin’s son who has a romantic interest on Wednesday
- Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe, a student of Nevermore Academy who has the ability to make his art come to life
- Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s colorful werewolf roommate who attempts to become her friend, despite Wednesday’s lack of interest
- Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, a successful student of Nevermore Academy who is a siren and Xavier’s ex-girlfriend
- Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus, a gorgon
- Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka, a vampire
- Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill, a botany teacher at Nevermore Academy and dorm mom of Wednesday and Enid
- Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger, a student who has the power to control bees
Recurring
- Victor Dorobantu as Thing, a sentient disembodied hand and relative of Wednesday who is sent by Wednesday’s parents to watch over her at Nevermore Academy
- Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Ritchie Santiago, a deputy of Sheriff Galpin
- Iman Marson as Lucas Walker, Noble Walker’s son whose group often runs afoul of Wednesday
- Tommie Earl Jenkins as Noble Walker, the mayor of Jericho
Guest
- Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, Wednesday’s younger brother
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Wednesday’s mother who attended Nevermore Academy when she was younger
- Gwen Jones as young Morticia Addams
- Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, Wednesday’s father who is a suspected murderer
- Lucius Hoyos as young Gomez Addams
- George Burcea as Lurch, the Addams family’s butler
- William Houston as Joseph Crackstone, the town of Jericho’s forefather who is intent on killing all outcasts
- Calum Ross as Rowan Laslow, a student of Nevermore who possesses telekinetic powers and causes trouble for Wednesday
- Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester, Wednesday’s uncle, and Gomez’s brother
I recommend watching this season only on Netflix.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident TV reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe.