Wednesday (series)

Wednesday

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Series Information

Country:

United States

Language(s):

English (original)

Arabic (subtitles)
Basque (subtitles)
Catalan (subtitles)
Chinese (Simplified; subtitles)
Chinese (Traditional; subtitles)
Croatian (subtitles)
Czech (dubbed)
Danish (subtitles)
Dutch (subtitles)
Filipino (dubbed)
Finnish (subtitles)
French (dubbed)
Galician (subtitles)
German (dubbed)
Greek (subtitles)
Hebrew (subtitles)
Hindi (dubbed)
Hungarian (dubbed)
Indonesian (dubbed)
Italian (dubbed)
Japanese (dubbed)
Korean (subtitles)
Malay (subtitles)
Norwegian (subtitles)
Persian (dubbed)
Portuguese (Brazil; dubbed)
Portuguese (Portugal; subtitles)
Romanian (subtitles)
Russian (subtitles)
Spanish (Latin America; dubbed)
Spanish (Spain; dubbed)
Swedish (subtitles)
Tamil (dubbed)
Thai (dubbed)
Turkish (dubbed)
Ukrainian (dubbed)
Vietnamese (subtitles)

Season(s):

1

No. of Episodes:

8 (total)

Running Time(s):

45 - 57 minutes

Rating(s):

TV-14

Genre(s):

Comedy

Crime
Fantasy

Network(s):

Netflix

Release Date(s):

23 November 2022 (S1)

Production

Creator:

Charles Addams (based on)

Alfred Gough (created by)
Miles Millar (created by)

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Wednesday is an American comedy horror television series based upon the character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family. It was created by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Tim Burton for Netflix. It stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, and Fred Armisen appearing in supporting roles. The series premiered on Netflix on the 23rd of November in 2022.

On the 6th of January in 2023, Netflix revealed that the series had been renewed for a second season.^[1]

Summary[]

Season One[]

Wednesday Addams is a student at Nevermore Academy.^[2] She attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree, and solve a supernatural mystery from her parents' past.^[3] All while building close friendships with her fellow Nevermore students, such as Eugene Ottinger and Enid Sinclair.

Season Two[]

TBA

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams^[4] & Goody Addams
Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems
Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott^[5]
Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin^[5]
Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin^[5]
Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe^[5]
Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair^[5]
Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay^[5]
Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus
Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka
Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger
Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill^[5]

Recurring[]

Victor Dorobantu as Thing
Tommie Earl Jenkins as Mayor Noble Walker
Iman Marson as Lucas Walker
Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Deputy Santiago
Oliver Watson as Kent
Johnna Dias-Watson as Divina

Guest[]

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams^[6]
Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams^[7]
Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester^[5]
Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams^[5]
George Valentin Burcea as Lurch
William Houston as Joseph Crackstone
Calum Ross as Rowan Laslow
Murray McArthur as Fabian
Cezar Grumăzescu as Coach Vlad
Nitin Ganatra as Dr. Anwar

Episodes[]

Season One[]

See: Wednesday (Season 1)

Season Two[]

TBA

Trivia[]

Nevermore is a macabre place that houses monsters, both literal and metaphorical.
In October 2020, Wednesday was initially announced as an unnamed Addams Family project being helmed by Burton. The series' production would be handled by MGM Television, with Burton as director. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar would serve as showrunners, while Gough, Millar, and Burton would also be executive producers alongside Gail Berman, Jon Glickman, and Andrew Mittman.^[8]
In February 2021, Netflix gave the production a series order consisting of eight episodes.^[9]
In August 2021, Kayla Alpert was added as an executive producer, and 1.21, the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, and Glickmania were also producing the series.^[10]
In December 2021, it was reported that Danny Elfman had joined the series to compose the original theme and score.^[11]
Filming on the series began on 13 September 2021, in Bucharest, Romania, and concluded on 30 March 2022.^[12]^[13]
On 7 October 2022, Funko Pop! revealed at that year's New York Comic-Con their "Funko Fright Night," and ahead of their unveiling at the festive event, a Wednesday Addams Pop! vinyl figure based on the iconic character's appearance in Netflix's new Wednesday series starring Jenna Ortega will be revealed.^[14]
On 21 October 2022, Ortega mentioned that part of making the character of Wednesday different from Christina Ricci's interpretation comes just from the amount of time audiences will get to spend with Wednesday. With eight hour-long episodes, the show offers the opportunity to go in-depth on a character that began as part of a single-panel cartoon. Ortega’s input became crucial to carrying the show.^[15]
On 24 October 2022, Ortega's Wednesday will be wearing a school uniform composed of vertical black and charcoal stripes for a good chunk of the series. Her costume also includes a black tie and white dress shirt, which seemingly double as both a nod to and a more modern take on the character's trademark collar. Also present and accounted for are Wednesday's perfectly symmetrical pigtails, although there's a key difference. Ortega's version has bangs. To which Ortega later confirmed she "did have input" on her haircut for the show. She explained: We went to London to do a hair and makeup test for the show. We tried everything because it was important to Tim that she look different than before."^[16]
On 28 October 2022, ahead of Wednesday's premiere on Netflix, the showrunners are already teasing potential spin-offs following other Addams Family members.^[17]
On 29 October 2022, all eight episode titles were revealed, along with the writers, directors and the confirmation that each episode will run for approximately 45 minutes.^[18]
- Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (who wrote several episodes) act as showrunners and executive producers. Kayla S. Alpert and Steven M. Stark also serve as executive producers.^[18]
- A recurring motif in all of the episode names is the word misery. According to the Cambridge dictionary, woes has two definitions: "major issues or difficulties" and "severe sadness."^[18]
On 30 October 2022, Burton teased that Jenna Ortega's character will be seen in a variety of new, kooky, Tim Burton-esque outfits that were perfect for her character.^[19]
On 31 October 2022, Burton said that he "grew up watching the The Addams Family (TV Series) as well as the cartoon series by Charles Addams. But it was the Wednesday character herself that drew him to the show and now this series. "I feel like Wednesday. I’ve felt like Wednesday since I was a teenager, even though I was a boy," Burton said, explaining that "the snarky, snide teenager has the same kind of viewpoint as I do, the same kind of black and white viewpoint."^[20]
- Also on this day, a character poster for Wednesday, with the 'W", alongside other posters featured additional characters from the series, who are wearing the notable purple uniforms from Nevermore Academy and together spell out Wednesday. Then the last banner shows Morticia and Gomez Addams with the infamous Thing sitting atop his shoulder.^[21]

On 9 November 2022, the series' opening title sequence was released by Netflix. It is filled with eerie music and ominous imagery of bugs being swallowed by Venus flytraps and crows flying past a full moon. Moreover, the opening theme is also packed with little clues that may or may not be relevant to the show itself. The first being the Nightshade Society logo, which is emblazoned on a mysterious tome. Next there is Thing, the Addams' handiest family member, crawling down a spiral staircase that resembles a clock. Lastly, there's a burning tree inside a crystal ball.^[22]
On 12 November 2022, Netflix offered some glimpses of the Nevermore Academy campus, the school uniforms, as well as Wednesday’s dorm room.^[23]
On 13 November 2022, Netflix x Most put together a rowdy, revelatory soirée in honor of ‘Wednesday,’ their upcoming Addams Family reboot focused on everyone’s favorite moody teen girl. The night was hosted by TS Madison, and popular RuPaul's Drag Race alumni such as: Crystal Methyd (Season 12) performed in a self-made ‘Thing’ look, AKA a giant hand; Mo Heart (Season 10, All Stars 4, UK vs. The World) delivered the tightest lip-sync of the night; Gottmik (Season 13) was all gusto in his goth glam rock number; and lastly, Violet Chachki (Season 7) performed a burlesque number.^[24]
On 21 November 2022, Ortega says she has “always” been compared to Wednesday, whom she first encountered at age 8 or 9 via the ’90s Addams Family films. Ortega chalks up the comparisons to her natural sarcasm and “very dry” humor. “People never know whether or not I’m being serious,” she says. “My sense of humor is a bit awkward at times, and maybe a bit too dark.”^[25]
On 23 November 2022, it was revealed that all of Wednesday's scenes at Nevermore Academy were shot in the Romanian city of Bucharest.^[26]
- While Nevermore looks too beautiful and elaborate to be true, it is actually a real building. Perched in the Carpathian Mountains in the small town of Bușteni, Romania, Cantacuzino Castle serves as the main exterior structure for Nevermore, while other Romanian landmarks were utilized to film the interiors of the school. Filming additionally took place in historic buildings like Palatul Monteoru and Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu, both located in Bucharest, to capture the striking gothic aesthetic essential to the Addams Family.^[27]
On 24 November 2022, Gwendoline Christie said that for the characterization of her character, Principal Larissa Weems, she notably had two Hitchcock Blondes that she, along with Burton and costume designer Colleen Atwood referenced most. Those being Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak. Christie also gives a lot of credit to the series' hair and makeup department for helping with the transformation stating that "It is the first time I've ever felt beautiful on screen," Christie says.^[28]
On 25 November 2022, Ortega mentioned that what helped her choreographed the now iconic dance sequence was "Siouxsie Sioux, Bob Fosse’s 'Rich Man’s Frug', Lisa Loring, Lene Lovich, Denis Lavant, and archival footage of goths dancing in clubs in the 80’s"^[29]
On 27 November 2022, it was mentioned by co-showrunner Miles Millar, that even though Wednesday's family only appears sprinkled throughout the first season. If there's a second season to the series, Catherine Zeta-Jones' Morticia and Luis Guzmán as Gomez, could be featured more in a potential second season.“We felt like we just touched the surface with those characters and the actors are so amazing in those roles,” Millar told TV Line in an interview. “Catherine is, I think, an iconic Morticia. The relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is also essential to the show, and the idea that Wednesday is trying to forge her own path outside the family is important.”^[30]
On 28 November 2022, it was also confirmed that since Thing was played by an actual actor. So every single time you see Thing, it was actually Victor in a full-body blue suit doing all of the hand movements the audience gets to see. Moreover, this is also Victor Dorobantu first acting credit.^[31]
- Also on this day, it was revealed that Wednesday’s unblinking stare (which makes most people uncomfortable) while interacting with other characters was the brainchild of director Tim Burton. The streamer released a video of Wednesday’s first meeting with Tyler in the café and wrote, “After trying one take where she didn’t blink, Tim Burton was so enamored with the result he told Jenna Ortega not to blink anymore when playing Wednesday. So, she didn’t.”^[32]
Throughout Wednesday there are many hidden details referencing previous adaptations of the Addams Family, as well as a few references to director Tim's Burton previous work.^[33]
- In the episode in which Wednesday discovers the secret passageway to the Nightshade Society meeting place she has to snap twice to enter. Later in the episode, Miss Marilyn Thornhill (as portrayed by Christina Ricci) also snap twice to go into the library. The two snaps comes from the Addams Family theme tune which features the famous clicking. It's also a reference to Christina Ricci's own time playing Wednesday in the 1991 film The Addams Family (1991) where she did the snapping then too.^[33]
  - Also in the basement of the Nightshades' lair there is a portrait of Ignatius Itt, who was part of the original lineup of the the first Addams Family TV series.^[33]
- Originally the Addams Family cartoon characters didn't have names when creator Charles Addams first made them. However, over time he gave them names and he apparently sourced inspiration for Wednesday's name from the nursery rhyme.^[33]
- Wednesday's aunt Ophelia Frump is referenced, partly in the name of Wednesday's dorm at Nevermore being Ophelia.^[33]
- When trying out for the various clubs at Nevermore, one club Wednesday particularly excels at is archery. Her archery skills are a subtle nod to the 1993 film Addams Family Values in which Wednesday and Pugsley are seen practicing their archery.^[33]
- When Wednesday says: "I could eat Girl Scouts for breakfast," during "Chapter III: Friend or Woe, this is actually a nod to a scene from the 1991 movie The Addams Family. In the movie Wednesday is repeatedly asked by a girl scout if the lemonade she's serving at her lemonade stand is made from real lemons. When the girl later tries to sell her cookies, Wednesday asks: "Are they made from real Girl Scouts?”^[33]
- Wednesday's production designer Mark Scruton revealed the gargoyles at the school are a big clue about the plot of the film. Stating that "[t]he gargoyles reference different characters, and there’s a big plot point hidden there”.The gargoyles each represent a different group of students at the school - there's sirens and vampires for example.^[33]
- In the first episode of Wednesday we're introduced to the coffee shop where Tyler works, in the background of the shots on the walls there are various weathervanes which all have references to Tim Burton's previous works. For example, there's the weathervane with a top hat, in reference to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and a headless horseman referencing Sleepy Hollow, which also starred Ricci.^[33]
- Scruton also revealed that a number of small creatures inspired by Burton's films in the taxidermy shop Uriah's Heap.^[33]
- In "Chapter II: Woe Is the Loneliest Number" the students of Nevermore take part in the Poe Cup, a boat race where there are no rules. The race is inspired by the writer Edgar Allan Poe, who in the Wednesday universe, is one of Nevermore's most famous alumni.^[33]
- The team boat names are all inspired by Poe's works. The short stories "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Gold Bug", "The Black Cat" and "The Cask of Amontillado" all serve as inspiration for their boat designs and names.^[33]
- Poe's most famous work is arguably his poem "The Raven", and throughout Wednesday there are numerous references to ravens. They're on the gates to Nevermore, there's a taxidermied raven on Principal Weems' desk and Wednesday sees ravens in her vision about Rowan's death.^[33]
- Lastly, Miles Millar and Alfred Gough's surnames are printed as "Millar & Gough" on the office window of the building where Wednesday attends her therapy sessions.^[33]
On 29 November 2022, it was announced by Netflix Wednesday had a big opening week on the streamer; the biggest ever, in fact, for an English language series. It racked up 341.2 million hours of viewing worldwide the week prior, according to Netflix’s internal measurement. That tops the 335 million hours for Stranger Things Season 4 the week of May 30-June 5 as the best week for any English language series on the streamer.^[34]
- Also on this day, it was mentioned how from the get-go they wanted to separate Wednesday from her iconic family, and thus give her the chance to shine. But Millar pointed out, that there was a desire to make small changes. “We still did have executives wanting to cut some lines,” he said. The line in question comes when Wednesday’s roommate Enid (Emma Meyers) encourages Wednesday to “take a stab at being social” to which Wednesday responds that she’s fond of stabbings. “That’s the whole point of the character,” Millar said. “To lose that or dilute that is a betrayal of the character.”^[35]
On 30 November 2022, Director Tim Burton and Netflix came under fire from some viewers and some critics who claimed the casting and undertones of the series Wednesday are "racist". For example, actress Joy Sunday playing a mean girl and siren at Nevermore Academy and actor Iman Marson portraying a bully (these characters have also redemption moments) and the son of a corrupt mayor. Moreover, the mayor also owns Pilgrim World; seen as an eyebrow-raising choice considering the museum celebrates pilgrims and colonizers. These accusations have been rejected by Burton, the crew and the fans as a politically correct attempt to "cancel" the same Burton and the popular series based on a few tweets and accusing the accusers of not have really been watching the show and to have been ignoring the fact that the actors auditioned by their own will for the roles, that Jenna Ortega is Latina, and that black actors should be allowed to play either good, villainous and anti-villainous roles like everyone and like it's always been.^[36]^[37]
As of 3 December 2022, the first of at least three Funko Pop! figures from Tim Burton’s new Wednesday Netflix series have been revealed. Right now only the show’s namesake Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is up for pre-order, though two more figures have been revealed on the package’s reverse side.^[38]
On 7 December 2022, as Jenna Ortega gives some behind-the-scene details about filming the series, Ortega revealed that she had Covid when she shot the viral dance scene, stating “It’s crazy because it was my first day with Covid so it was awful to film,” about shooting the memorable scene that she choreographed herself.^[39]
- However, Ortega quickly found herself in hot water for casually mentioning in this same interview that she tested positive for COVID-19 while filming a talked-about filming the scene on the set.^[40]
On Thursday, 8 December, Lady Gaga shared a video of herself re-creating Jenna Ortega's creepy dance moves on Wednesday.^[41]
On 9 December 2022, During the premiere event for the series, Jenna admitted that, “in a perfect world, [Wenclair] would have been a thing”. Meanwhile, Emma also chatted about Wednesday and Enid’s relationship and their strong connection, sharing that they were well aware of fans’ hopes for a potential romance. According to Emma, she and Jenna spent a good chunk of their filming in Romania referencing the iconic “and they were roommates” Vine, which has since its inception become a queer meme. “Jenna and I would say that all the time to each other,” Emma told the publication. “And that’s all that needs to be said — I think that gets the message across.”^[42]
On 12 December 2022, it was announced that Jenna Ortega had been nominated for a Golden Globe for her lead performance in Wednesday.^[43]
Ironically, while Wednesday states she's not interested in social media because she finds it a "soul-sucking void of meaningless affirmation", she mentions at the same time typical social media terms like "mansplaining", "patriarchy" and "male-gaze", implying that she actually tried social media at some point for a time to learn them.
In 2023, Mezco Toyz released a doll collector's item called "Dancing Wednesday".