Santa Clarita Diet
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy web television series created by Victor Fresco for the streaming service Netflix, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Fresco serves as the showrunner, and is an executive producer alongside Barrymore, Olyphant, Aaron Kaplan, Tracy Katsky, Chris Miller, Ember Truesdell and Ruben Fleischer.
The single-camera series premiered on February 3, 2017. The first season, consisting of 10 episodes, received generally positive reviews. On March 29, 2017, it was announced that Netflix renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on March 23, 2018. On May 8, 2018, the series was renewed for a 10-episode third season and premiered on March 29, 2019. The series was cancelled on April 26, 2019.
Plot
Joel and Sheila Hammond are everyday suburban real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. The couple face a series of obstacles when Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis, becomes undead and starts craving human flesh. As Joel and the family try to help Sheila through her metamorphosis, they have to deal with neighbors, cultural norms, and get to the bottom of a potentially mythological mystery.Cast
Main
- Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond, Joel's wife and Abby's mother
- Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond, Sheila's husband and Abby's father
- Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond, Sheila and Joel's daughter
- Skyler Gisondo as Eric Bemis, the Hammonds' neighbor, Lisa's son and Dan's stepson
Recurring
- Ricardo Chavira as Dan Palmer, a sheriff's deputy, Eric's stepfather and the Hammonds' neighbor. Dan is killed by Joel with a shovel and later eaten by Sheila.
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Lisa Palmer, Dan's wife, Eric's mother, and Sheila's friend
- Andy Richter as Carl Coby, the Hammonds' boss
- Richard T. Jones as Rick, a Santa Monica police officer, the Hammonds' neighbor, and Joel's friend
- Joy Osmanski as Alondra, Rick's wife and Sheila's friend
- Kaylee Bryant as Sarah, a classmate of Abby and Eric
- Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk as Gary West, a realtor and the Hammonds' co-worker. He is the first person Sheila kills for food. His severed head still survives and is stored in the Hammonds' basement and later storage unit.
- Natalie Morales as Anne Garcia, a sheriff's deputy, Dan's partner, and very religious. She becomes romantically involved with Lisa after Dan goes missing.
- Thomas Lennon as Andrei Novak, the principal of Santa Clarita High School
- Ramona Young as Ramona, a wise Rite-Aid employee. She also turns out to be a zombie.
- Sydney Park as Winter, a classmate and fellow environmental club member of Abby and Eric
- Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Bakavić, Novak's Serbian grandmother
- DeObia Oparei as Loki Hayes, a convicted felon. He turns into a zombie when Sheila is unsuccessful in killing him.
- Portia de Rossi as Dr. Cora Wolf, a scientist focused on the undead
- Zachary Knighton as Paul, Marsha's husband and a descendant of the Knights of Serbia, who has been tasked with ending the zombie outbreak
- Jee Young Han as Marsha, Paul's wife, who is helping him with the mission to end the zombie outbreak
- Ethan Suplee as Tommy, Paul's brother, former Marine Corps sniper, crossbow enthusiast and a descendant of the Knights of Serbia, who has taken over his brother's mission
- Matt Shively as Christian, a student at Abby and Eric's school who is also Chris and Christa's son
- Kerri Kenney-Silver as Petra Blazic, Grand Prior of the Knights of Serbia
- Linda Lavin as Jean, to whom Sheila delivers Meals on Wheels, and who Sheila eventually turns into a zombie
- Goran Višnjić as Dobrivoje Poplović, a man who works in Serbia who is transferred to Santa Clarita
Guest
- Markie Post as Becky, whose home the Hammonds hope to sell in season 2
- Patton Oswalt as Dr. Hasmedi, a virologist
- Ryan Hansen as Bob Jonas, Lisa Palmer's lover
- Derek Waters as Anton, a conspiracy theorist
- Ravi Patel as Ryan, a convention goer
- Jonathan Slavin as Ron, an asylum inmate, who was later released and who Joel told his little secret to. Ron later becomes a zombie in season 3, by forcing Gary to bite him.
- Joel McHale as Chris, a realtor who is married to Christa
- Maggie Lawson as Christa, a realtor who is married to Chris
- Gerald McRaney as Ed Thune, a retired army colonel
- Leo Howard as Sven, a student who asked Abby out in Season 2 after the tray incident, hurting Eric's feelings
- Malcolm Barrett as Morgan, a friend of Ron's in season 3
- Miraj Grbić as Vlado in season 3
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2017)
Season 2 (2018)
Season 3 (2019)
Production
Development
Fresco came up with the premise from wanting to make "a family show with an interesting approach that we haven't seen before". The zombie angle also allowed Fresco to explore the concept of narcissism: he stated "the undead are the ultimate narcissists. They want what they want when they want it and will do anything to just have what they want and don't care about other people's needs."For the setting, Fresco drew from his own experience growing up in San Fernando Valley. Santa Clarita was chosen because of its middle class residents. 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.
Promotion
Netflix produced a commercial for the series targeting the Canadian market, featuring Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod promoting the eponymous "diet" in a parody of their Body Break series of television PSAs.In February 2017, advertising for the show sparked criticism in Germany, where Netflix promoted the show with posters depicting a human finger sliced up like a currywurst, a popular German fast food dish. After receiving more than 50 complaints that the advertising was glorifying violence and inducing fear, especially in children, the German Advertising Council, a self-regulatory institution, forwarded the complaints to the company. Netflix then decided to end the campaign and remove all posters.
Critical reception
The first season of Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 78% based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 7.17/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Santa Clarita Diet serves up an excellent cast, frequent laughs, and an engaging premise — but the level of gore might not be to everyone's taste." Metacritic reports that the first season received "generally favorable reviews" with a score of 67 out of 100, based on 30 critics.The second season received generally positive reviews as well. The season has an approval rating of 89% based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 7.85/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus states: "Santa Clarita Diet rides the momentum of its freshman season with non-stop comedic gore and a big heart that bleeds — profusely — for its lovable characters."
The third season has an approval rating of 100% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.78/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The website's critical consensus reads, "Santa Clarita Diet third season is 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."