‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Nods to Iconic 1960s ‘Addams Family’ Show

Decades ago, before Wednesday became Netflix’s streaming sensation, The Addams Family first appeared on TV to both amuse and horrify audiences. This year’s series nods to its roots in a clever homage.

In the first episode of Wednesday season 2, Principal Dort asks Morticia to chair the school’s fundraising gala and offers her and Gomez accommodation during their stay.

He places them in the Gardener’s Cottage on Nevermore’s campus, formerly Marilyn Thornhill’s residence.

At first glance, the Gardener’s Cottage looks like the perfect gothic retreat Morticia would adore: dark, brooding, and mysterious. But that façade quickly falls apart once the Addams Family steps inside.

Instead of a shadowy lair, they’re met with a burst of pink blooms, dated wallpaper, and an abundance of frilly cushions.

Tim Burton, the show’s director and executive producer, intentionally designed the scene as more than just a playful jab at the Addams Family’s distaste for cheerful décor.

Back in the 1964 TV series, the Addams Family’s living room was famously styled in pink. Since the show was filmed in black and white, the colour ensured the set translated vividly on screen, giving the gothic household its signature look.

Production designer Mark Scruton revealed that the Gardener’s Cottage was designed as a giant Addams Family Easter egg, paying homage to the sitcom that first introduced the world to these iconic characters.

“And the inspiration when we read that, certainly when I read it — I, only not that long ago, had seen a picture of the Addams Family house in the TV show in the 1960s, which was actually completely full of pinks and pale greens and everything else,” Scruton told TV Insider.

“It was only black and white when it went to screen,” he added. “So, we took that idea into here and did exactly the same thing.”

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