Milly Gaines
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy TV series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple and real estate agents living in Santa Clarita, California. The series follows the couple as they navigate a major upheaval in their lives when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie, craving human flesh and exhibiting a more primal and impulsive personality. The show received generally positive reviews for its cast, humour, and engaging premise, although the level of gore was not to everyone's taste. While the show has garnered a fan following, some viewers have expressed disappointment over its cancellation after three seasons.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Genre | Horror-comedy |
| Stars | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson |
| Number of Seasons | 3 |
| Number of Episodes | 30 |
| Year of Release | 2017 |
| Production Company | Netflix |
| Plot | An ordinary couple becomes entangled in death and destruction after the wife undergoes a dramatic transformation into a zombie |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Rating | TV-MA |
| Critical Response | Positive reviews, praised for its cast, humour, and premise, but criticised for its level of gore |
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What You'll Learn
Santa Clarita Diet's premise
The American horror sitcom *Santa Clarita Diet* was created by showrunner Victor Fresco for Netflix. It stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who are realtors in Santa Clarita, California. They lead a quiet, normal life and have a teenage daughter, Abby. However, their mundane lives take a dark and dramatic turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie.
Sheila's transformation is marked by her craving for human flesh and a radically altered personality that is more primal and impulsive. Despite her new undead state, she looks and feels healthier than ever. The show follows the couple as they navigate their marriage and careers while dealing with Sheila's new diet and the challenges that come with it. They must also contend with neighbours and cultural norms while trying to uncover a potentially mythological mystery.
The premise of the show, according to Fresco, was to create "a family show with an interesting approach that we haven't seen before". The zombie angle allowed him to explore the concept of narcissism, with the undead being the ultimate narcissists, wanting instant gratification regardless of others' needs. The setting of Santa Clarita, with its middle-class residents, and the choice of realtors as the main characters, were informed by Fresco's own experience growing up in San Fernando Valley.
The show received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its cast, humour, and engaging premise. However, the level of gore and violence in the show's advertising sparked some controversy.
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The show's cast
The Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy sitcom created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who work as realtors in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a dark and hilarious turn when Sheila dies and comes back as a zombie, craving human flesh.
The show also features Liv Hewson, Thomas Lennon as Andrei Novak, Ramona Young as Ramona, Sydney Park as Winter, Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Bakavić, DeObia Oparei as Loki Hayes, and Jonathan Slavin as Ron. The cast also includes Maggie Lawson, Joel McHale, and Zachary Knighton.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant also serve as executive producers for the show, alongside showrunner and creator Victor Fresco. The show received generally positive reviews for its unique blend of horror and comedy, with a particular focus on the chemistry between the lead actors and the engaging premise.
The first season received an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second and third seasons maintained the positive momentum with ratings of 89% and 100% respectively. The show's blend of gore, humour, and touching moments, along with the performances of its cast, have been praised by critics and fans alike.
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Critical reception
The Netflix original horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics. The show's first season received a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 78% based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10. Metacritic reported that the first season received "generally favorable reviews" with a score of 67 out of 100, based on 30 critics. The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes stated that the show had an "excellent cast, frequent laughs, and an engaging premise – but the level of gore might not be to everyone's taste".
Advertising for the show sparked controversy in Germany in February 2017. Netflix promoted the show with posters depicting a human finger sliced up like a currywurst, a popular German fast food dish. The German Advertising Council forwarded over 50 complaints about the advertising glorifying violence and inducing fear, especially in children, to the company. Netflix then decided to end the campaign and remove all posters.
The second season of Santa Clarita Diet received positive reviews as well, with an approval rating of 89% based on 19 reviews and an average rating of 7.85/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The third season received an approval rating of 100% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.78/10. The critical consensus for the third season on Rotten Tomatoes described it as a "generous meal of entrails, morbid humor, and a touching affirmation of marital love – with Barrymore and Olyphant's pitch-perfect chemistry brightening each blood-soaked installment".
Despite the show's overall positive critical reception, some viewers expressed disappointment that the show was cancelled after three seasons, with some commenting that they were tired of shows that were not wrapped up.
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Advertising and promotion
Netflix began promoting the show in November 2016, recruiting several models and television personalities to pose with various Santa Clarita Diet-themed products. The products included drinks and smoothies as part of a special "diet plan", spoofing other weight-loss products commonly advertised on social media. The photos were then shared on the models' respective social platforms to attract their fans' attention. Netflix continued this parody-style advertising campaign, releasing trailers in the style of weight-loss commercials and creating a website similar to other diet plan companies.
In February 2017, however, advertising for the show sparked controversy in Germany. Netflix promoted the show with posters depicting a human finger sliced up like a currywurst, a popular German fast-food dish. The German Advertising Council received over 50 complaints about the campaign, which was accused of glorifying violence and inducing fear in children. As a result, Netflix ended the campaign and removed all posters.
Despite this setback, the show received generally positive reviews from critics. The first season has an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The site's critical consensus praised the cast, humour, and engaging premise but acknowledged that the level of gore might not appeal to all viewers. The second season maintained this positive momentum, with an approval rating of 89% and an average rating of 7.85/10. The third season achieved a perfect 100% approval rating, with an average score of 7.78/10.
The show's central message, as intended by creator Victor Fresco, was to explore the concept of empowerment without veering into narcissism. Fresco chose the setting of Santa Clarita for its middle-class residents and made the lead characters realtors to highlight the forced friendliness inherent in the profession. The zombie angle allowed him to comment on modern culture's admiration for narcissism and the mindless consumption without consequences.
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The show's cancellation
The Santa Clarita Diet was cancelled by Netflix after three seasons, with the news of its cancellation coming in 2019. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, said he was "blindsided" by the cancellation, recalling how he was in the process of editing season 3 when he learned from an assistant producer that the sets were being dismantled.
The show's stars, Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, were in good spirits about the cancellation. "I loved working on this show," Olyphant said. "Sheila Hammond is one of my favourite characters I've ever played," Barrymore added. "She and Joel were an amazing couple, and I am lucky to have worked alongside Tim Olyphant. It was an honour to get to do something so delightful. Sheila lives forever in me."
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Frequently asked questions
Victor Fresco created the show Santa Clarita Diet.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in the show as Sheila and Joel, a married couple who are realtors and live in Santa Clarita, California.
You can watch the show on Netflix.
The show is about a married couple, Sheila and Joel, who live a quiet life and raise their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie. She looks and feels as good as she ever has, but now has to eat people to survive.
