WYNONNA EARP (2016-2021)

(fubo/Netflix/SyFy/VOD) In the days around SyFy’s rebranding in 2010, they were airing LOST GIRL, an irreverent, pan-sexual Canadian show about a succubus trying to get by in a world full of crazy mythical beasts. LOST GIRL went through a number of showrunners but finally found a constant in Emily Andreas until its end. Once LOST GIRL wrapped up, I knew I’d follow her to whatever she would do next.

Andreas ended up adapting the IDW comic book WYNONNA EARP, a high-concept story about Wyonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano) being a fuckup female hier to the Wyatt Earp legacy in a town of monsters. Andreas turned what could have been a rather routine TV comic book adaptation into the most gleefully slapstick action/comedy queer show ever.

Andreas has been unapologetic about how this is her BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (although there’s a specific turn in the show that I believe marks a pivot to ANGEL) but more importantly, this is a show about family and acceptance. It’s also really fucking funny while also being delightfully filthy. Part of that’s because they severely lean on Melanie Scrofano’s gift for physical and verbal comedy, to the point where the last season of the show has a higher quip count than most network sitcoms.

While the show is unabashedly female-forward, one facet I love about it is that the core men are just as interesting, complicated, and often empathetic, epitomized by the show’s 150+ year-old (but still very handsome) Doc Holiday (Tim Rozon).

If you take a passing glance at Andreas’ Twitter account, or check out any interview with any member of the cast or crew, this was clearly a fun labor of love. Everyone clearly enjoyed showing up to work every day, and you can see the show improve over time because of those bonds.

Sadly, SyFy recently canceled the show, and aired what became the series finale on April 9th. I will miss it, but I can’t wait to see what Emily Andreas does next.

LOST GIRL S1 Trailer:

WYNONNA EARP S1 Trailer:

BLOOD DRIVE (2017)

(SyFy/VOD) Another cheat, as it was very briefly a SyFy TV show, but I felt like it’d be a disservice to wait until November to boost this horror one-season wonder.

I can’t believe this aired on basic cable.

The show’s basically DEATH RACE 2000, but the cars are Cronenberg-ian devices that run on blood, and every episode riffs off of a different horror genre. Watch the trailer, as it succinctly explains the premise:

Now, with a premise like that, they could’ve just phoned in the eps, made them all stand-alone stories, but no — they fleshed out the lore, ruthlessly plotted it, made it super smart with surprisingly rich and empathetic characters — Colin Cunningham as Julian Slink is especially delightful — all while still managing to be one of the most amusing and disgusting things I’ve ever seen on TV. A surprisingly perfect season of TV.

If you still aren’t sold? Well, it’s basically second-wave industrial music conceptualized as a TV show.