Spinning Off in the Shadows

And now, something funny to watch tonight...

Many years ago, I watched the movie What We Do in the Shadows, and found it "good, not great." But now there's a TV series spinoff of the movie, which a few months back finished a second season that received an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy. Having watched the 20 episodes so far, the accolade is deserved, as the show surpasses the movie in every way.

It might be a matter of format. At 85 minutes, the movie can sometimes feel like one joke stretched too long. As a half-hour comedy series, each episode can introduce a simple plot, squeeze all the humor out of it, and leave the stage. It does this with reliable consistency, showing us how vampires deal with local city government, animal control, a dreary office job, or a centuries-old vendetta.

It might be a matter of character. Right from the first episode, the TV incarnation of What We Do in the Shadows feels like it has better characters: more well-drawn, more diverse than the movie, more clever and built to last. (And this out-of-the-gate success is odd, as a couple of the characters are quite similar in raw concept to some in the movie.) It's one of those rare shows where I feel like my favorite character at any given moment depends on who is the focus of an especially fun subplot -- or even just who is on the screen at a given moment. That said, the character of Colin Robinson is an especially funny and smart idea the original film didn't have, an "energy vampire" who opens up a path to many other kinds of jokes the rest of the characters can't reach.

It might be a matter of cast. Don't get me wrong, I like Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, and they weren't bad in the original film. But the assembled cast of the TV series each has razor-sharp comic instincts. It's a definite oversight that none of the five core members of the cast were nominated for an Emmy -- but I think it's because each shines as bright as the others when the story focuses on them. And the guest stars who show up are exceptional; the show has featured Nick Kroll, Craig Robinson, Jake McDorman, Kristen Schaal, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Hamill, Haley Joel Osment, and many, many more.

Ultimately, there really isn't "the one reason" this show works better than the film that spawned it. There are so many reasons it's worth watching. We burned through the 20 episodes to date too fast, and are eagerly awaiting its eventual third season. Even the occasional "weaker" episode isn't really weak. Overall, I'd give the series an A.