Apple TV+ hit Widow's Bay started as a Parks and Recreation spec, says creator
Onstage in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, creator Katie Dippold told fans the first draft of Widow’s Bay wasn’t a pilot at all — it was a “Parks and Recreation” spec she wrote while on that NBC show’s writing staff from 2009 to 2012.
In that early pass, the town’s creepy truth wasn’t a mystery.
“So the first version was a spec for Parks and Rec, but it started off that everyone knew it was a haunted town. There was no Wyck in that version,” Dippold said before joking, “Burn every copy.”
Stephen Root — who now plays Wyck — grinned at the reveal and answered, “I love you.” It’s a neat snapshot of how far the concept shifted before landing at Apple TV+ as a supernatural comedy led by Matthew Rhys.
Dippold also admitted she didn’t see any of this momentum coming, not even after the cast came together and the show sold.
“It is fun...I would always predict, ‘Will this show get made?’ We were taking it out. We did not know that anyone was going to buy it. But then we got this amazing group. But I would never predict it that we would be at Comic-Con,” she said.
Speaking again at Collider’s Showrunners on Showrunning panel, she said Reddit still “terrifies” her, but watching conversation around the show suddenly balloon was “really shocking.” The breakout has been matched by awards attention: the series scored 19 Primetime Emmy nominations and a speedy renewal for a second season.
Season 2 is underway
Dippold said the writers’ room for Season 2 recently kicked off and is expected to run for about 20 weeks. One lesson she’s taking from production on Season 1: trimming scripts earlier to hit key story beats faster.
- Platform — Apple TV+
- Renewal — Season 2 confirmed
- Writers’ room — started recently; planned run of about 20 weeks
- Awards — 19 Primetime Emmy nominations
- Cast note — Stephen Root as Wyck; Matthew Rhys leads the ensemble