Critics Adore The New ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ TV Series
Co-creator Taika Waititi has knocked it out of the park -- again.
There’s few challenges in art more difficult than improving on an already great work. But with the new What We Do In The Shadows TV series, an adaptation of the cult film of the same name, executive producers Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords appear to have done just that.
A lot of that success can be pinned down to the style of the original film. A mockumentary about a group of centuries-old vampires living in a run-down house, What We Do In The Shadows was pretty much screaming to be reformatted for the small screen — it had all the delightfully low stakes and direct-to-camera deadpanning that defines modern comedic sitcoms.
Indeed, many of the critics who love the new television adaptation have praised the series for staying true to its origins. “The show has the exact same feel that we came to know and love from the movie,” assures Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue, going on to argue that it’s a “perfect continuation of this format” and crediting the involvement of Waititi and Clement for its success.
The major change from the film is the relocation of the action — rather than taking place in New Zealand, the new TV reboot is set in New York’s Staten Island. But as Laura Prudom of IGN points out, the reboot takes place “in the same universe as the movie version”, and shares with it some key character types, ranging from the bossy and stuck-up Nandor, to the craven human servant Guillermo. For Prudom, returning to the same creative well has paid off in a big way for the new adaptation — she calls it “confident, charming, and creative”.
Many laughs from the pilot episode of FX's What We Do in the Shadows tonight. Cast is excellent and writing/humor is pitch perfectly in line with the movie. Definitely gonna be a fun new weekly watch. Anyone else check it out?
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) March 28, 2019
Even The New Yorker, famously quite picky when it comes to horror-comedy (and, arguably, a lot of modern television) has thrown its weight behind the new adaptation. In a positive — if typically removed — review, the publication’s Troy Patterson calls What We Do In the Shadows “a sitcom collaboration between Larry David and Charles Addams”, the latter best known as the genius behind The Addams Family.
“[The show] surfs a blood-dimmed tide with some finesse,” is the way Patterson sums up his feelings — which sounds pretty good to us.
Everyone loves Colin
The entire cast has been heaped with praise, with Matt Berry of The Mighty Boosh and The I.T. Crowd singled out for particular plaudits. But as far as a lot of critics are concerned, the real stand-out of the adaptation is Colin, played by The Office alumni Mark Proksch.
Unlike the rest of the undead cast of characters, who are regular vampires, Colin is an energy vampire. Resembling a mild-mannered public servant, Colin only need to hover in the vicinity of a co-worker or housemate in order to suck away their essential lifeforce, leaving them dull and listless.
In an occasionally acerbic review, Dan Bois of Slate, though not sold on the series as a whole, sees Colin as its future. According to Bois, Colin “offers an all-new angle on the series’ mix of the supernatural and the everyday”, and through him, What We Do In The Shadows has an opportunity to “expand upon its central conceit.”
Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement did such a good job with the WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS pilot / adaptation—just as funny as the film was. Colin the energy vampire is definitely my new favorite. ??♂️
— Anthony Silvestri (@asilvestri91) March 28, 2019
It’s important to note that critics were only screened the first four episodes of the series, all of which were directed by either Waititi or Clement, both of whom are of course intimately acquainted with this material. As a result, whether or not the rest of the series past that point holds up as well remains to be seen.
But hey, the crew remains impressive, even with the two co-creators taking a back seat: one of the episodes was directed by Jackie van Beek of The Breaker Upperers fame, and legendary comedian Tom Scharpling takes on writing duties. And in any case, it’s hard to imagine just how wrong a series that features a group of shapeshifters who call themselves swearwolves could go.
Where Can We Watch What We Do In The Shadows?
The ten-episode series will stream on Foxtel and screen weekly on Fox Showcase from Tuesday 2 April at 5:30pm AWST.)