Netflix's Uncle Fester Spinoff: A Misguided Move

The Misguided Spinoff Plan

Netflix is in talks about an Addams Family spinoff following Uncle Fester, proving that the streaming giant has no idea what made Wednesday so successful. The series' first season quickly became Netflix's most successful TV series, beating out even Stranger Things. Ultimately, it's no surprise that the company wants to duplicate this success in any way possible, and there could certainly be something to the idea of another Addams Family spinoff. Still, given Wednesday's target audience, Uncle Fester may not be the route to go.

Uncle Fester smiles in Wednesday

Nothing has been officially greenlit, but Netflix is reportedly talking about an Uncle Fester spinoff series, which would follow the version of the character played by Fred Armisen in Wednesday season 1. This is more than likely inspired by the buzz surrounding Fester's cameo appearances in the hit Netflix series, and since the project is only in preliminary discussion, there's no guarantee that it will ever come to be. However, if a story is ever approved and production officially gets underway, it isn't easy to imagine that an Uncle Fester spinoff would do as well as Wednesday has.

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Understanding Wednesday's Audience

Wednesday's success certainly indicates an interest in The Addams Family, which is why it makes sense that Netflix would immediately look to see how else they can expand on the popular series. However, as is seen in other adaptations centering on the IP, members of the macabre family aren't enough to make a series or movie a success. Wednesday worked because it centered on the teenage titular character at a high school setting, mixing the dark macabre of The Addams Family with the teen-drama genre that is already likely to garner a massive adolescent and young adult following.

An Uncle Fester spinoff is unlikely to do the same. Armisen's version of the character was a great addition to Wednesday since it appealed to audiences already fans of the Addams Family franchise. As crucial as this demographic has been to the series' success, it's the younger Gen Z audiences that really made Wednesday blow up, and they certainly weren't watching for the older male characters like Uncle Fester. Therefore, a spinoff series following Armisen is unlikely to gain the same kind of following as the one following Jenna Ortega.

Exploring Better Spinoff Ideas

None of this is to say that another Addams Family spinoff couldn't work for Netflix, but the company needs to be more aware of why Wednesday was such a success to begin with. Appealing to younger audiences is the way to go, with a young, relatable protagonist being the most likely way to duplicate the success Netflix has seen so far. Since Wednesday season 1 set up the Nevermore adventures of a young Morticia and Gomez, this seems like the logical next step for a spinoff, but there are other possible options as well.

In Wednesday season 1, Xavier mentioned that his godmother and Wednesday's Grandmama Addams used to 'swindle the rich and notorious' together. Though it was only a passing moment, this is an intriguing story. If Netflix were to attempt a period-drama spinoff series following a young Grandmama Addams in the 1960s, it could lean into the film-noir feel of Wednesday but with fresh new characters that leave a lot of room for creative liberties. Ultimately, there are several ways Netflix could expand Wednesday into a broader franchise, but Uncle Fester just doesn't seem to fit.