Leena Watts
Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy series that aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2019. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple living in Santa Clarita, California. The plot centres around the couple's lives, which take a dark turn when Sheila dies and comes back to life as a zombie with a craving for human flesh. Despite the show's popularity, Netflix cancelled it after three seasons, leaving fans without closure.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Zombie comedy, Horror sitcom, Black comedy |
| Streaming Platform | Netflix |
| Number of Seasons | 3 |
| Year of Release | 2017 |
| Year of Cancellation | 2019 |
| Number of Episodes | 30 |
| Duration of Each Episode | 30 minutes |
| Main Cast | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo |
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What You'll Learn
Santa Clarita Diet plot
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy or "zombie comedy" created by Victor Fresco and released on Netflix in 2017. The show ran for three seasons and stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who work as real estate agents in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita, California.
In the show, the Hammonds' lives are upended when Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis and becomes a zombie with a craving for human flesh. As the family adjusts to their new reality, they must navigate cultural norms and deal with their neighbours, all while trying to satisfy Sheila's newfound hunger. The show also features the couple's daughter, Abby Hammond, played by Liv Hewson, and their neighbour Eric Bemis, played by Skyler Gisondo.
The first season of Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics, with an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favourable reviews". The show's blend of comedy and gore was well-received, and it was praised for its excellent cast and engaging premise. However, some viewers found the level of gore off-putting.
Despite its positive reception, Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled after three seasons, with the creator Fresco expressing his disappointment and revealing that he had ended the show on a cliffhanger as he felt Netflix might cancel it and he "didn't want to make it easier for them".
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Sheila Hammond's character
The Netflix original zombie comedy-drama series Santa Clarita Diet features Sheila Hammond as its female protagonist. Sheila, played by Drew Barrymore, is an everyday, suburban real estate agent living in Santa Clarita, California, with her husband, Joel Hammond, and their daughter, Abby Hammond.
At the beginning of the series, Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis, becoming undead and developing a craving for human flesh. Her husband, Joel, discovers her on the floor of their vomit-soaked bathroom and begins to mourn her. However, she suddenly wakes up and, after a brief stint in the ER, insists on returning home. Sheila's new diet and out-of-character behaviours present challenges for the Hammond family as they try to live their new truth. Joel worries that it may be too late, but he and the rest of the family try to find alternative food sources for Sheila, all to no avail. Sheila's tummy is constantly growling, and Joel needs to find her someone tasty ASAP.
Sheila's new diet causes her to kill and eat people, and she even turns one of her victims, Gary, into a zombie. The remainder of Gary's corpse is buried by Sheila, but she finds that she can no longer eat raw animal meat. Sheila's neighbours, Lisa and Dan Palmer, and their teenage son, Eric Bemis, play a role in the story, with Eric diagnosing Sheila as undead.
The series also stars Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, and Skyler Gisondo, and debuted in February 2017, running for three seasons on Netflix before its cancellation.
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Joel Hammond's character
The Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy that aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2019. The show was created by Victor Fresco and starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, respectively.
Joel Hammond is the deuteragonist of the show. He is a realtor and lives a quiet, normal, and passive life in the middle-class suburb of Santa Clarita, California, with his wife, Sheila, and daughter, Abby. However, his life takes a turn when his wife undergoes an undead transformation and starts craving human flesh. As his wife's personality becomes more primal and impulsive, Joel struggles to cope with the new reality and tries to maintain his masculinity while his wife becomes the dominant figure in the relationship.
Throughout the show, Joel tries to cover up a series of gruesome cannibalistic murders to keep his wife fed. He also has to deal with zombie hunters, potential zombie outbreaks, and the challenges of living with an undead wife, such as trying to convince a morgue worker to hand over a corpse. Despite the dark plot, Joel's struggle to live a normal life provides some of the show's funniest moments and lines.
In addition to hunting down bad people to be Sheila's meals, Joel and his family also have to navigate their relationships with their neighbours and cultural norms while trying to get to the bottom of a potentially mythological mystery.
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The show's cancellation
Santa Clarita Diet was a Netflix Original zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The show revolved around a married couple, Sheila and Joel Hammond, who are realtors living in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a turn when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. The show was created by Victor Fresco and ran for three seasons from its debut in February 2017 before it was cancelled by Netflix.
Netflix's decision to cancel the show came as a shock to many fans, with some speculating that the reason for the cancellation was due to Netflix's "cost-plus" budget model." Under this model, the company pays for a show's production costs upfront, plus a premium of 30% or more of the total costs. As a result, with each new season, the budget increases significantly, leading to higher costs for the studio.
In an interview with The Guardian, Fresco shared that he was blindsided by the news of the show's cancellation. He recalled being in the process of editing season 3 when he learned from an assistant producer that the sets were being dismantled, indicating that the show would not be returning. Despite the show's critical acclaim and loyal following, Netflix decided to cancel the series, leaving fans disappointed and with unanswered questions.
The show's abrupt ending on a cliffhanger felt like a cruel blow to its fans, who had invested their time and emotions in the story. Some fans even started a petition for a fourth season or a movie to bring closure to the story. However, despite the fan campaign, Netflix has not reversed its decision to cancel Santa Clarita Diet.
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Fan response to cancellation
The cancellation of the Santa Clarita Diet stirred up a fan backlash, with 94% demanding a wrap-up movie to explain what happens next. Fans took to social media to express their anger at Netflix for cancelling the show without a proper ending. A "Save Santa Clarita Diet" petition was created on Change.org, garnering nearly 13,000 signatures.
Some fans suggested alternative ways to wrap up the story, such as a five-hour movie or a 10-episode final season. Others simply expressed their disappointment and confusion about the cancellation, especially since the show was a critical and fan favourite. Some fans even speculated that the reason for the show's cancellation was that it didn't catch on with a wider audience and was overlooked by major awards shows.
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, was blindsided by the news of the cancellation and felt that he and his team didn't get the chance to finish the story on their terms. He had imagined the show running for five seasons. Timothy Olyphant, one of the show's stars, acknowledged that Netflix had been cancelling shows left and right and wouldn't be surprised if Santa Clarita Diet didn't get a proper conclusion. Despite the fan outcry and campaigns, Netflix did not seem interested in providing any closure for the show's fans.
Even a couple of years after the cancellation, some fans still expressed their disappointment and sadness about the show's abrupt ending. The cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet is just one example of Netflix's unusual approach to its original series and its content creators, leaving fans confused and disappointed.
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Frequently asked questions
Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy TV series that was released on Netflix.
The show stars Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, and Skyler Gisondo.
The show follows a married couple, Joel and Sheila Hammond, who live in Santa Clarita, California, and work as real estate agents. Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and comes back to life as a zombie with a craving for human flesh.
There are three seasons of the show, with the third season ending on a cliffhanger. Despite a loyal fanbase and critical acclaim, Netflix cancelled the series.
