Wellington Paranormal
A spin-off mockumentary following two incurious police officers.
Wellington Paranormal is a New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror series that premiered on TVNZ 2 on 11 July 2018. It spins off from the 2014 film *What We Do in the Shadows* and is the first television series in that franchise. The show follows Officers Minogue and O'Leary, a pair of incurious police officers originally introduced in the film, as they handle paranormal cases.
Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Paul Yates created the series, building on characters Clement and Waititi developed for the film. Waititi and Clement serve as executive producers, with Clement directing four of the six episodes in the first series. A second series of 13 episodes was confirmed; six aired starting 16 October 2019, followed by a Christmas special on 19 December 2019. The remaining six episodes aired as the second series. Between the special and the third series, a 16-episode digital web series and public service campaign—*Important COVID-19 Messages from Wellington Paranormal*—ran from 26 March 2020, featuring Andrew Coster and Clarke Gayford as themselves. The lead characters also appeared in a 2018 New Zealand Police recruitment video and four 2018 Police Safety campaign videos. The third series premiered on 24 February 2021. In June 2021, Clement said the fourth series was in post-production and that the show was "pausing," with no certainty of a fifth. The fourth series premiered on 16 February 2022, and a sneak peek confirmed it would be the final series. As of the knowledge cutoff, no fifth season has been announced.
The main cast includes Mike Minogue as Officer Kyle Minogue, Karen O'Leary as Officer O'Leary, Maaka Pohatu as Sergeant Ruawai Maaka, and Tom Sainsbury as Constable Parker (series 4, recurring in series 1–3). Recurring guest Lynda Topp plays Mrs. O'Leary. Guest stars include Cori Gonzalez-Macuer as Nick, Jemaine Clement as Mobot Voice, Rhys Darby as Anton, and Josh Thomson as Satan.
The series aired on TVNZ 2 with catch-up on TVNZ+. In Australia, it is available on SBS on Demand. In 2021, Sky licensed the first three series for streaming on Now and Sky Q via Sky Comedy in the UK. In the US, it debuted on The CW on 11 July 2021, with episodes on HBO Max the day after airing. As of 10 March 2023, it also broadcasts on Flemish channel Canvas.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy horror / Fantasy / Mockumentary
- Creator
- Taika Waititi / Jemaine Clement / Paul Yates
- Writer
- Jemaine Clement / Paul Yates / Melanie Bracewell / Jessica Hansell / Tom Sainsbury
- Director
- Jemaine Clement / Jackie van Beek / Tim van Dammen
- Starring
- Mike Minogue / Karen O'Leary / Maaka Pohatu / Tom Sainsbury
- Country
- New Zealand
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 4
- Num Episodes
- 25
- Executive Producer
- Taika Waititi / Jemaine Clement
- Producer
- Paul Yates
- Company
- New Zealand Documentary Board
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was created by Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Paul Yates, based on characters from What We Do in the Shadows. Waititi and Clement served as executive producers, with Clement directing four of the six episodes in Series 1. The lead characters—Officers Minogue and O'Leary—first appeared in the 2014 film as a pair of incurious police officers. A second series of 13 episodes was confirmed, with six episodes airing beginning on 16 October 2019, followed by a Christmas special on 19 December 2019, and the remaining six episodes airing as a second series. Between the special and third series, a sixteen-episode digital web series and public service campaign by New Zealand Police titled Important COVID-19 Messages from Wellington Paranormal began airing from 26 March 2020, featuring Andrew Coster and Clarke Gayford as themselves. The third series premiered on 24 February 2021. Clement stated in June 2021 that the fourth series was in post-production, adding: 'We're pausing on [Wellington Paranormal], we're not sure we'll be back for a fifth [series].' The fourth series premiered on 16 February 2022, following a sneak peek confirming it would be the final series. On 5 August 2026, it was announced that Kitchen Table Productions will produce a six-episode fifth season to air on Three.
Reader's Guide
Wellington Paranormal is significant as the first television series in the What We Do in the Shadows franchise, expanding the universe of the 2014 film. Its mockumentary style and focus on low-key humor combined with monster-of-the-week frights earned critical acclaim, with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score for the first series. The series also engaged in real-world public service during the COVID-19 pandemic through a digital web series in partnership with New Zealand Police, though a video featuring Clarke Gayford drew criticism for potentially politicizing the police. The show's legacy includes a planned fifth season in 2026, indicating enduring interest in the characters and format.
Did You Know?
- The series is a spin-off of the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows.
- A Christmas special aired on 19 December 2019.
- The fourth series was confirmed as the final series before a fifth season was announced for 2026.
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