Dante Carrillo
Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. The show centres around Sheila's transformation into an undead being who craves human flesh, and the subsequent challenges faced by the family as they try to navigate their new reality while dealing with neighbours and societal norms. The show received generally positive reviews from critics and built a strong cult following. However, it was cancelled after three seasons due to Netflix's cost-plus budget model.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Genre | Horror-comedy |
| Plot | Suburban realtors Joel and Sheila Hammond face obstacles when Sheila becomes undead and craves human flesh |
| Setting | Santa Clarita, California |
| Cast | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo, Ricardo Chavira, Mary Elizabeth Ellis |
| Number of Seasons | 3 |
| Premiere Date | February 3, 2017 |
| Cancellation | April 26, 2019, due to budget constraints and Netflix's cost-plus model |
| Critical Reception | Generally positive reviews, with praise for the cast, humour, and engaging premise. However, the level of gore was noted as not being to everyone's taste. |
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What You'll Learn
Santa Clarita Diet's premise
Santa Clarita Diet is a Netflix original horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who work as real estate agents in the suburban area of Santa Clarita, California.
The premise of the show centres around Sheila's mysterious transformation into an undead being who craves human flesh. As Sheila and Joel navigate this bizarre new reality, they must also maintain their everyday lives, dealing with neighbours and cultural norms while trying to uncover the reason behind Sheila's condition. The show also explores the impact of Sheila's metamorphosis on their teenage daughter, Abby, and the rest of their family.
The choice to set the show in Santa Clarita was intentional, as Fresco wanted the family to reside in a middle-class, working-class suburb. He found the organised and groomed community of Santa Clarita to be a fascinating contrast to the chaos that unfolds within the Hammond family. Additionally, the profession of realtors was strategically chosen to get the characters out into the world and explore the forced friendliness inherent in the real estate business.
The show received generally positive reviews from critics and built a strong cult following. It offered a unique blend of horror and comedy, with frequent laughs and an engaging premise, although the level of gore was noted as not being to everyone's taste. Despite its popularity, the series was cancelled after three seasons due to Netflix's complex budget model and audience turnout considerations.
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The choice of setting
Santa Clarita, California, was chosen as the setting for the show because of its middle-class residents. Creator Victor Fresco drew from his own experience growing up in the San Fernando Valley. He also wanted the Hammond family to be in a middle-class, working-class suburb and didn't want them to have wealth. He enjoyed how organised and groomed the Santa Clarita community was and thought it played well against the complete chaos that happens with the Hammonds. "Their lives are also perfectly groommed until this event happens, and then it goes off the rails, and it just was a fun area to juxtapose with this kind of energy," Fresco said.
The Hammonds' profession as realtors was chosen because "it gets them out into the world" as well as the "forced friendliness" inherent to the profession. "I like the forced friendliness required in the real estate business," Fresco said. "They have to present themselves as if they're so happy and everything is great, despite the fact that the Hammonds' lives are spiraling out of control."
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Sheila and Joel Hammond's profession
In the Netflix original horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila and Joel Hammond are married real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. The couple's profession is chosen to be realtors because, as creator Victor Fresco explains, it "gets them out into the world" and he liked the forced friendliness inherent to the profession. The real estate business requires realtors to present themselves as happy and positive when dealing with clients, even though the Hammonds' lives are spiralling out of control. This juxtaposition adds to the show's humour and chaos.
Sheila Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore, is Joel's wife and Abby's mother. She undergoes a metamorphosis at the start of the series, becoming undead and craving human flesh. As the show progresses, Sheila becomes more comfortable with her undead state, even biting her husband Joel to save him from a giant, fleshy spider-like zombie creature that crawls into his brain in the season three finale.
Joel Hammond, played by Timothy Olyphant, is Sheila's husband and Abby's father. Throughout the series, Joel struggles with the idea of becoming a zombie himself after Sheila offers him the undead-making bite. He worries about his id taking over and the moral implications of eating people. Despite his initial reluctance, Joel eventually accepts his wife's offer in the season three finale, choosing to spend eternity with her.
As realtors, Sheila and Joel Hammond's profession plays a crucial role in the show's setting and themes. It allows them to interact with a wide range of characters, from neighbours to cultural norms, while also providing a contrast between their forced outward friendliness and the chaos of their personal lives.
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The show's advertising campaign
Santa Clarita Diet was an American comedy horror television series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a realtor couple from the LA suburb of Santa Clarita. The premise of the show centred around Sheila's mysterious transformation into a zombie and her newfound cravings for human flesh.
The advertising campaign for the show's debut in 2017 was certainly eye-catching and attention-grabbing. The campaign enlisted Drew Barrymore, who, in an ad that debuted during the Golden Globes, professed her love for the Santa Clarita Diet, highlighting her weight loss, vitality, and soaring sex drive. The ad featured Barrymore taking a bite out of a bloody piece of flesh, promoting a diet that includes only one food group—humans.
This unconventional and provocative concept was a challenging sell, but Barrymore's influence and reassuring presence made her the ideal candidate to deliver the message. The ad was designed to pique interest and spark curiosity, and it certainly made an impact, with Adweek proclaiming that the Santa Clarita Diet "stole the show with the night's best ad."
The campaign was created by the ad agency Doner, based in Los Angeles, and was published in the United States in March 2017. However, Netflix faced some backlash for the gory nature of the ads, and they were eventually pulled after complaints. Despite this, the campaign successfully generated buzz and intrigue for the show, contributing to its initial success and positive reception from critics and fans alike.
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Its cancellation after three seasons
Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled after three seasons due to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model. Netflix pays for a show's production costs upfront, in addition to a premium of 30% or more of the total costs. With each new season, the series budget increases, and by the third season, the cost increase is significant. Netflix's decision to cancel shows is based on audience turnout and critical acclaim.
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, was surprised by the cancellation, stating that he was in the edit suite for season three when his assistant producer informed him that the sets were being dismantled. Fresco expressed resentment towards Netflix, feeling that they had devalued the show by leaving it unresolved.
Despite the cancellation, there is a possibility that Santa Clarita Diet could be revived if viewership makes it seem worthwhile. Netflix has revived other shows in the past based on audience demand. If the show starts being watched in large numbers, Netflix might reconsider a fourth season, especially considering the third season's cliffhanger ending.
Netflix has been criticised for its handling of original content, with many fans expressing disappointment and frustration over the cancellation of shows after three seasons, leaving a library of unfinished content.
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Frequently asked questions
Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy series about a married couple, Sheila and Joel Hammond, who are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. The couple's lives take a turn when Sheila becomes undead and starts craving human flesh.
Santa Clarita Diet was created by Victor Fresco.
Victor Fresco first wrote the script and then shared it with his production partners Tracy Katsky and Aaron Kaplan. They then took the script to Netflix, who agreed to do it if they could agree on the talent.
Santa Clarita Diet was canceled after three seasons due to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model. Netflix's decision to cancel shows is based on audience turnout and critical acclaim.
