Netflix Wednesday Addams Series Live Action Rip Off

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Teen goth icon Wednesday Addams is getting her own live-action series at Netflix. (Du du du dun, clap clap).

But after reading the details of the project Wednesday, many feel that the streaming giant is doing the beloved character a disservice.

The eight-episode young adult TV show, described as "a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery" is based on the character originally created by Charles Addams. It follows the ghoulish Addams family's only daughter as she attends the supernatural Nevermore Academy, learns to control her psychic ability, attempts to stop a killing spree that has ravaged the local town, and solves a 25-year-old paranormal mystery.

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However fun the idea of a brooding, sleuthing Wednesday at a magical high school may seem, it's less the premise, and more what's happening behind the camera that isn't sitting well with fans. Both of the showrunners, Al Gough and Miles Millar, are men, as well as director and executive producer Tim Burton. Of the other five on the executive production team, only one is a woman.

I have room in my heart to be angry at the homicidal government neglect in Texas AND at Netflix handing a Wednesday Addams series to an all-middle aged male creative team SIMULTANEOUSLY, thank you very much
— Emily Heller (@MrEmilyHeller) February 18, 2021

A young adult TV series about Wednesday Addams with only men as the show runners and a mostly male executive producing team as well. Thanks, I hate it here. *screams into a dark void* https://t.co/zAzViiTJMF
— ferdosa (she/her) (@atomicwick) February 17, 2021

A slew of recent Netflix originals centred around young women have followed the same pattern: Fate: The Winx Saga, Enola Holmes, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Queen's Gambit, and many more are all told through the lens of male showrunners and directors.

What's more, many fans have noticed that the series' premise seems very similar to that of a popular parody web series created by a woman. Before Melissa Hunter's Adult Wednesday Addams was pulled from YouTube over copyright issues in 2015, it ran for 13 episodes over the course of 2 seasons, and garnered over 20 million times. A particular episode about Wednesday getting her revenge on catcallers went viral and received widespread press coverage.

The funny thing is there was YouTube series about an adult Wednesday with this exact same premise.https://t.co/NkvGPRcBl5
— A.M. Diaz (@amdiazart) February 17, 2021

Fans have called for Hunter to be part of the series either as Wednesday herself, or as a writer — anything.

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If Melissa Hunter isn’t cast as Wednesday, they can keep it. https://t.co/lOll3cwlrl
— Kid Nothing vs. the Echo Factor (@Turnerisms) February 17, 2021

Not for nothing but Melissa Hunter should absolutely be involved in this. Let her write it. Let her act in it. She absolutely nailed the adult Wednesday Addams series. https://t.co/E3nyMLOZv2
— Faye 💜🤍🖤 (@inanhourofdream) February 17, 2021

Despite the uproar online, Hunter took to Twitter to say that she has "nothing against the creators" of the show, although she did reveal her own unsuccessful efforts at creating a Wednesday TV series.

"After my show got pulled, I tried to get the rights to make it a TV series. I was told it was impossible. I'm still sad the gatekeepers never gave me a shot," she tweeted.

"Wednesday is an icon whose story deserves to haunt us all," she concluded.

After my show got pulled, I tried to get the rights to make it a TV series. I was told it was impossible. I'm still sad the gatekeepers never gave me a shot.

I have nothing against the creators or anyone involved. Wednesday is an icon whose story deserves to haunt us all. https://t.co/mlO9juzV1e
— Melissa Hunter (@himelissahunter) February 17, 2021

If only she wasn't haunting us through the male gaze.

Refinery29 reached out the Hunter for comment.

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