‘Wednesday’ creators admit “surprise” at show’s success, call Jenna Ortega a “once in a generation” talent

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar might not be household names, but their latest show certainly is: Wednesday.

The pair created the Netflix phenomenon, based off the work of cartoonist Charles Addams‘ characters from the ’30s, which were adapted into the 1964 TV show The Addams Family, as well as movies decades later.

The pair collaborated with director Tim Burton to bring the show to life, but Gough told The Wrap the success of Wednesday was “kind of shocking.”

“We were very proud of the show, but you never know how people are going to react to it,” he told the trade.

“[I]t’s brought so many emails and texts from people from all eras of our career saying how much they enjoyed it,” Gough says.

“My parents, who are 80, were getting texts from their friends saying it’s the first show they’ve watched with their grandkids. It’s kind of incredible,” he continues.

Millar said he’s even heard that kids started taking cello and fencing classes since the show became a ratings hit — and a viral one, thanks to footage of star Jenna Ortega‘s Wednesday Addams dancing to The Cramps‘ “Goo Goo Muck.”

The pair have re-teamed with Burton and Ortega for a sequel to the former’s 1988 film Beetlejuice and have nothing but praise for the latter, who was briefly dinged by negative headlines when she said she had to “put her foot down” on set to “protect” the character.

Of this, Gough said, “You’re dealing with an iconic character … in a way that’s never been done before.”

He adds, “Once we got Jenna on board, it was a million discussions with her. We all wanted to do the character justice.” Calling her Wednesday “iconic,” Gough said, “Those kind of people come along once in a generation.”

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