Luke Holland 

What The Evil Dead needs to do to work as a TV series

Luke Holland: For the classic horror movie to succeed on the small screen, Sam Raimi must ensure there's a decent plot and plenty of humour in with the horror. But, most of all, he needs Bruce Campbell at its heart
  
  

Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead
Bring him back: Bruce Campbell as Ash in the 1981 film The Evil Dead. Photograph: New Line Cinema/Sportsphoto/Allstar Photograph: New Line Cinema/Sportsphoto/Allstar

Of all the revelations at this year's Comic-Con, perhaps the most intriguing was Sam Raimi's confirmation that both he and his long-time collaborator (and brother) Ivan are beavering away on a TV adaptation of The Evil Dead. While a tentative cause for geeky celebration in itself, the news that Bruce Campbell, who played Ash Williams in the original, will also be involved means that gore fans globe-wide are now dribbling into their laps.

The Evil Dead franchise received an overhaul last year, of course, with Fede Alvarez's sequel-remake, a decent if slightly humourless take on Raimi's original cabin in the woods claret-cabaret. The film's surprise post-credits sting starring Campbell was the first time Ash had been seen since 1992's splatter-comedy classic Army of Darkness, meaning, if the TV show decides to put Ash front-and-centre, it could pick up his narrative where Army of Darkness left off.

But what could they do to ensure The Evil Dead works on the small screen? Here are a few ideas.

Put Ash front and centre

TED:TV could do a Fargo, sewing new characters on to the tapestry already laid out by the films, but much of the original trilogy's appeal lay in Campbell's increasingly maniacal tongue-in-cheekery. Attempting to replicate this with other actors would be, at best, a let-down, and, at worst, the single biggest affront to mankind in the history of the observable universe. Campbell teased on Twitter that he will be the star of the show, so hopes are high.

Don't be too reverential

However, an over-reliance on Ash and the events of the films would all but repel potential newcomers, and legion as Evil Dead fans are, the show will need new fans of its own. Teaming Ash with a new gaggle of expendable characters seems logical, and would reduce the burden on him, satisfy the diehards and bring in the newbies in the process. Easy. Next.

Get the comedy/horror balance right

The endearingly absurd American Horror Story is a good template for how to maintain horror sprinkled with humour across a series. It has its scary moments, but they are always entwined in narratives that are as daft as a party bag full of pissed ferrets. Despite the first film's grungier nastiness, The Evil Dead series is a comedy first and foremost – something the 2013 film remake forgot, to its detriment. We already have The Walking Dead, so the last thing we need is another po-faced undead scowlfest.

Establish a strong narrative

The Evil Dead and plot have never been particularly snuggly bedfellows. There is enough narrative to just about explain why Ash has a chainsaw for a hand, but only just, and he only has one because everyone thought it would be cooler if he did – which it was. A series would demand a greater focus on story in order to maintain interest across its run. Don't misunderstand, I and many others would happily watch Campbell stare into a mirror for 10 hours, but we are hapless weirdos and most, alas, are not. A through-narrative involving a cult built around the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, lots of are-they-or-aren't-they-possessed? switcheroos and a love interest, all culminating in a battle with a vast, ancient demon snarling "I'LL DEVOUR YOUR SOUL"? Yes please.

Keep it cable

Hannibal pushes the boundaries of what US network television can get away with in terms of violence, but even the longpig-gobbling quack shies away from showing graphic violence. For The Evil Dead to work we need Walking Dead-levels of wanton head-splatterdom, and that means cable or on-demand. Starz, home of the unapologetically gory Spartacus TV show, already has a relationship with Raimi, having picked up his Noir series in 2011. While this hasn't seen the light of day, Starz would be an excellent choice.

Pick the right (ie, the wrong) ending

Depending on which version you see, Army of Darkness either ends with Ash back in the present day kicking zombie bottom in a department store (the studio's preferred ending) or stranded alone in a post-apocalyptic future (Raimi and Campbell's ending of choice). While normally it is customary to defer to the talent in such matters, it would definitely be more fun to follow Ash's continued adventures in the present, as he battles enemies including modern technology and fourth-wave feminism in addition to hordes of the respirationally challenged. Groovy.

What do you think the show needs to do to succeed? Let us know below.

 

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