I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening of the pilot for What We Do in the Shadows, the television spin-off of the cult classic film from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. I was also asked not to review the episode, and I have not!
But I can share a few first impressions below.
It’s amazing! If you liked the film, the show has the same quirky humor that made the film so special. The pilot was written by Clement, who will also be writing on the subsequent episodes. The show expands on the world of the film in a way that makes sense, and the new characters immediately become their own creations, with their own lives and arcs, completely separate from the drama in Wellington.
Probably the best thing I can say is that the Comic-Con audience roared with laughter from beginning to end—including the press area. The opening half hour of the show was some of the most inventive and fun TV I’ve seen since The Tick, and it created a finely-tuned balance between horror and humor that worked perfectly as a way to take the world from the big screen to TV.
I am also extremely excited to see where they take the characters, and how they continue developing this weird little universe they’ve created. I’ll admit that coming into the show I wasn’t quite sure it was going to work as an ongoing series, but this opening episode was so fun and self-assured that I can’t wait to tune in.
The series is set to hit FX next year, and will feature Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Harvey Guillen—who are all, as I mentioned, perfect.
