Crazy Head (2016) was a comedy horror series created by Howard Overman and produced by his company Urban Myth Films. The show was a co-production from Channel 4 and Netflix, with the series airing on E4 in the UK and Ireland and on Netflix internationally.
The show starred Susie Wokoma as Raquel, alongside Cara Theobold as Amy. The supporting class included Lewis Reeves, Arinze Kene, and Riann Steele.
The first (and only) season revolves around the friendship between Raquel and Amy, two twenty-somethings trying to navigate early adulthood whilst simultaneously hunting demons. The duo begin to uncover a wicked plot and are left with no choice but to weather the stormy seas of their own lives whilst trying the stay alive, save the world, and manoeuvre around the tricky and deceptive wants of demons.
The final episode saw Raquel and Amy embrace their roles as demon slayers and embark on a new chapter of the friendship. This outcome would have resolved the storyline pretty much, although there would still have been some loose ends regarding the world Crazy Head takes place in. However, for a six episode series with a runtime of under 45 minutes each, the scope to elaborate on outer details is just not feasible.
This being said, the closing scene of the entire series saw the return of a character whose arc seemed to have wrapped up in an earlier episode. I expect this scene was included to transition into a second season – alas, it would be one that never arrived.
Crazy Head received rave reviews from critics and won the Best Sound and Best Design awards from the Royal Television Society (West of England). Furthermore, Susie Wokoma won the Best On-screen Performance award for her role as Raquel. Despite, Overman stating he was eager to work on another series, and even began writing, Susie Wokoma tweeted in 2017 (a year after the show first aired) stating there would be no season two.
So, why do I want another season? Crazy Head was a well rounded show. The style was vibrant and fun, reminding me of almost a comic book aesthetic in some places. The narrative focused on young female characters and explored valuable areas of discussion interweaved throughout contextual themes. Lastly, there really aren’t many shows like Crazy Head on British television. I can think of a number of comedy-horror American series off of the top of my head, but there’s definitely a niche in the UK market. Crazy Head blends comedy with horror themes in a way that attracts different audiences to the big budget, high production value fantasy-horror series.
There’s little information as to why Crazy Head wasn’t renewed, and at this point in time I don’t think there’ll ever be any more instalments. Despite this, I would love to see more comedy horror shows on British television.
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