Widow’s Bay almost looked nothing like the horror hit fans know today. Creator Katie Dippold revealed how the Apple TV, formerly known as Apple TV+, series originally started as a spec script for a beloved NBC comedy.
How an abandoned TV idea evolved into Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay
Katie Dippold created Widow’s Bay as a spec script for NBC’s Parks and Recreation, she recently revealed to Deadline. She worked as a writer and co-producer on the comedy series from 2009 to 2015. However, that initial version took a very different comedic approach to the concept.
“I wrote it as a spec script for Parks & Recreation, but that version was much jokier,” Dippold shared. “It was more comedic, and I think it gave a good idea of my sense of humor. But I don’t know that I would have watched that show, because I think it could have felt more like a spoof, and as a horror fan, I just wanna be immersed into the island.”
She ultimately shifted the project toward atmospheric horror grounded in a specific setting. “I wanna feel like I’m in New England. I wanna feel like I am isolated, and I wanna feel like I could go explore this island and find all the little nooks and crannies and terrifying little spots. That’s my dream, but I’m strange. So, that’s sort of how it started,” Dippold continued.
The Apple TV horror comedy stars Matthew Rhys as a New England mayor attempting to boost island tourism. A centuries-old curse begins to unravel as strange events grip the small community.
A childhood memory shaped the show’s distinctive blend of terror and humor for Dippold. “I was like 6, and this place was lawless and terrifying. But I loved it,” she said about a New Jersey boardwalk. She identified that rush of laughing while being scared as the show’s emotional foundation.
Apple TV renewed the series for Season 2 before the Season 1 finale even aired. Dippold simultaneously secured an overall deal with the streamer as part of the announcement. The Season 1 finale becomes available to stream on Wednesday, June 17.
