Widow’s Bay wraps its first season this week, and the positive reception has turned everyone on to creator Kate Dippold.
For many, she’s probably remembered for writing the 2016 Ghostbusters and 2023’s Haunted Mansion, plus her work on NBC’s Parks & Recreation. (And if not those, her famous Babadook costume.) She wrote a handful of Parks episodes, and Widow’s would’ve been one of them: she recently told Deadline she made a “much jokier” spec script that would become her new show. That script may have given “a good idea of my sense of humor,” but it’s not one she thinks would’ve fully worked.
“I think it could’ve felt more like a spoof,” Dippold explained. “As a horror fan, I just want to be immersed in the island and feel like I’m in New England.” Widow’s Bay was then formed from a desire within her to explore the titular island and “find all the nooks and crannies and terrifying little spots.” She went on to say she used to do exploring as a kid, from going to a “lawless and terrifying” boardwalk during annual summer trips to New Jersey to checking out abandoned homes with her friends and running away screaming.
“The anticipation of going in made me so giddy. We’d run out screaming, then I’d laugh and immediately want to go back in,” she recalled. “I love the feeling of being so scared, but you’re laughing so hard, and I wanted to get that feeling on television.”
With critical acclaim and season two on the horizon, it’s clear Widow’s Bay has successfully conveyed those feelings Dippold’s talking about and turned them into a hit show and potential awards darling. The show’s finale hits Apple TV+ this Wednesday, June 17.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
English (US) ·