'What We Do in the Shadows' TV Spinoff 'Wellington Paranormal' Is Returning for an Extended Second Season

"Think Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens."
Sarah Ward
October 07, 2018

Vampires can be slain by staking them in the heart. Werewolves aren't fond of silver bullets. But Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's addition to the undead world can't and won't be killed — not that anyone would want that outcome.

First What We Do in the Shadows jumped from a short film to a hilarious feature-length comedy. Then it inspired a US television remake, which is still in the works, as well as New Zealand television spinoff Wellington Paranormal. Now, after an exceptionally amusing six-episode first season, the latter is set to return in 2019 with 13 episodes.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. The Cops-style spinoff follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — including not only bloodsuckers and lycanthropes, but ghosts, aliens and more.

Wellington Paranormal's second season will once again explore the spate of paranormal phenomena happening in the city, with a 2019 airdate on TVNZ 2 yet to be set. In Australia, the first season screened on SBS Viceland and was available to stream on SBS On Demand, so fingers crossed that'll remain the same next year.

Announcing the funding of Wellington Paranormal's new run, NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson noted that "it is really pleasing to see people respond positively to content that has such a unique New Zealand flavour".

Of course, for those following What We Do in the Shadows' continued evolution, Wellington Paranormal's success shouldn't come as a surprise. When the show was first revealed, Waititi described it as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, after all.

Published on October 07, 2018 by Sarah Ward
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