Wednesday’screators have addressed the elephant in the room: the long gap between seasons 1 and 2 and what it will mean for the show’s future.Wednesdayseason 2, part 1, is available on Netflix and performing extraordinarily well, but it’s not lost on viewers that it’s been nearly three years since season 1 aired on the streamer.
In an interview withCollider,Wednesdayco-creator Miles Millar discussed the extensive gap between seasons,citing the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as well as the changing of filming locations, among other logistical issues, as their reasoning.
Millar compared the situation to his and long-term collaborator Alfred Gough’s experience developing the showSmallville, where they shot nine months per year and had annual releases. He explains that this is what they’re used to, but thatthe level of VFX forWednesdayrequires a longer turnaround.
“Smallville,we shot 22 episodes in nine months. Herewe’re shooting eight episodes in nine months,” he adds, providing clarity as to why the season would need eighteen months minimum to get the show back up from production to air.
What The Wednesday Creators' Comments Mean
While eighteen months seems like a lengthy turnaround for an eight-episode TV show, it’s possible that this is simply the current industry standard and something audiences and creators are having to bear with.
An important part of classic, network television is that they would release episodes while filming the season was still in progress, making TV production an all-year-round job. Working on visual effects wouldn’t create as much of an issue if they started further in advance and released episodes sequentially, but there are other factors.
Something that likely isn’t being mentioned is the factor of star contracts. The transition to longer gaps between seasons began when movie stars began pivoting to the television medium. Jenna Ortega’s career has grown with several film projects in between seasons, and she’ll continue to shoot movies before season 3.
Getting star actors to commit to television would be much more challenging when it commanded almost all of their time, and for a young actor like Jenna Ortega, having variety early on is crucial. Even ifWednesdayis the defining gem of her career, she doesn’t want to be held down by the synonymous association with the character.
Our Take On Wednesday’s Long Gaps
Listen, I’d love to see TV shows have more episodes and more frequent seasons, but this is the price to pay for modern quality. There are plenty of fantastic TV shows that ran with 20+ episode seasons, and we can reminisce all we want about them. However, none of them had the intangible elements thatWednesdaydoes.
Wednesdayis a blockbuster show. Netflix pays a hefty bill for a series that’s drawn from a franchise IP, packed with familiar movie stars, directed by one of the most recognizable filmmakers ever, and requires CGI for monster design, world-building, magical powers, and more. This might just be the reality of the situation.
