Adult Wednesday Addams is a web series written by and starring Melissa Hunter. It follows a twenty-something Wednesday Addams after she moves to Los Angeles. Every episode revolves around Wednesday experiencing some facet of 21st-century LA life and responding to it in her signature style. The series lasted for two seasons and grew to be quite popular. It even attracted the attention of The Huffington Post and The AV Club thanks to the episode in which Wednesday punishes some catcallers.
Unfortunately, Melissa was forced to remove the series from YouTube after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the Charles Addams estate. Apparently, no one was allowed to portray a member of the Addams Family as long as the animated film adaptation was in production. This means that there cannot be any more Adult Wednesday for the foreseeable future, despite Melissa's stated desire to make more episodes. Nevertheless, the series is fondly remembered
by Addams Family fans who grew up watching the Barry Sonnenfeld films from the early 1990s.
Tropes appearing in the series:
- 555: The number for Mackenzie Mace's probation officer includes 555.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Wednesday rarely shows much in the way of emotion. Nothing seems to faze her, apart from a My Little Pony toy.
- Alpha Bitch: Wednesday encounters two in the series. The first is a jogger who does not bother to pick up after her dog. The second is a reality TV star named Mackenzie Mace (played by Anna Akana, one of the executive producers).
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: After talking about sleeping in a coffin and communing with her dead grandmother, Wednesday asks her potential roommates if they compost.
- Black Comedy: The series takes the dark humor that The Addams Family is renowned for and applies it to LA in The New '10s. Wednesday is arguably darker than ever but, as per usual, is never actually shown hurting anyone (at least not physically).
- Creepy Monotone: Melissa's portrayal of Wednesday is based on the Christina Ricci version and speaks in the same kind of monotone that Ricci did in the films.
- Deadpan Snarker: Wednesday always has some biting remarks for whatever situation she finds herself in.
- Department of Redundancy Department: The protestor outside Planned Parenthood says "I hope you're wearing sunscreen cause it's hot as Hell in Hell".
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Melissa is a brunette in real life but had to apply makeup to play the pale-skinned Wednesday.
- The Ghost: Wednesday's boss, Frank Warren.
- Insistent Terminology: Wednesday says she is looking for an "accomplice" instead of a boyfriend.
- Jerks Use Body Spray: Wednesday tracks some catcallers by following the scent of their Axe body spray.
- Limited Wardrobe: In keeping with past portrayals, Melissa's Wednesday always wears the same black dress (even when waking up after a one-night stand).
- Redundant Parody: Not the series itself but there is a porn parody called Very Adult Wednesday Addams that uses dialogue from the one-night stand episode almost verbatim. Ironically, that video did not run into any copyright problems and is still available to watch.
- The Stinger: Four episodes have scenes after the credits:
- One-Night Stand has Brian calling a locksmith to come take the chains off his legs. A later episode reveals that 100 locksmiths were unable to remove them but Brian does not mind because of his love for Wednesday.
- Driver's Ed has the instructor reconnecting with his mom over the phone after Wednesday scares him into appreciating life more.
- The Reality Star has an intern saying that Wednesday is "crazy but nice".
- The Flea Market has an alternate take of the bearded guy running away from Wednesday after she tells him she's hiding a rusty knife behind her back.
