Wednesday is one of Netflix’s biggest titles right now, and the streaming service recently announced a new teen series that could be a perfect companion to the Tim Burton TV show. After premiering its first season in November 2022, Wednesday was quickly renewed and is now in the midst of developing its second season. Wednesday season 2 is likely to be released sometime in 2025. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to be on the lookout for other young adult dark comedies on Netflix to ease the wait.
Although much of Wednesday centers on its eponymous character and her legendary family members, the show has plenty of merits beyond The Addams Family. For example, Nevermore Academy is the ideal spooky setting, where mysteries abound, and everyone could be a suspect. The unique student body adds more interest to Wednesday’s cast of characters. These details, among others, are what help make other series stand out as strong Wednesday replacements.
Kakegurui’s Live-Action BET Could Be Netflix’s Next Wednesday
BET Is A Highly Anticipated, Dark, Young Adult Show
Netflix is currently working on a television adaptation of the Japanese manga Kakegurui, and the series could be a great replacement for Wednesday. The show, entitled BET, tells the story of Yumeko, a young woman who transfers to an elite boarding school where power is based on an underground gambling ring. Despite the school’s hierarchy, Yumeko enters with outstanding gambling skills and a plan for vengeance. The series, which currently has no release date, is based on a popular manga and anime series. It is part of a recent push by Netflix to adapt anime to live-action television.
BET has the potential to replace Wednesday, at least until season 2 comes out, because it falls into a very similar category as the Addams Family spinoff. Both BET and Wednesday originate from other source material and are dark series targeted towards young adults. Due to their franchise roots, audiences also have somewhat high expectations for these shows. When it comes to BET, in particular, this is the second TV adaptation, so audiences are likely to want the best. On paper, BET has all the same ingredients as Wednesday, just in a slightly different package.
How Kakegurui’s Premise Is Similar To Wednesday
BET Has Wednesday’s Dark Boarding School Setting
Regarding genre and audience, BET and Wednesday are very similar, but their premises also contain important commonalities. First and foremost, both BET and Wednesday take place at boarding schools. Of course, Nevermore Academy is full of supernatural teenagers, whereas BET’s is not, but the BET Academy clearly has unique problems. More importantly, these settings are new and strange for the protagonists, who are forced to make alliances and spaces for themselves inside their new schools. Both schools contain threats, and Yumeko must face hers as much as Wednesday did in season 1.
Furthermore, Yumeko and Wednesday seem to be quite alike. Just as Wednesday entered Nevermore with the intention of getting kicked out, Yumeko seems to be attending her boarding school with a plan in mind. In this way, the protagonists’ motives differ, yet they share a sly and secretive nature. On top of that, both main characters are clearly talented in their own ways. Where Wednesday thrives at solving mysteries, Yumeko is a talented gambler. Each of these traits helps them succeed in their narratives.
Can Netflix’s Kakegurui Live-Action Be As Big As Wednesday?
BET Could Have A Sizable Audience
Although the shows share many similarities, BET won’t necessarily be as successful as Wednesday. Namely, because Wednesday has a star-studded cast and crew and an incredibly well-known franchise behind it. However, BET shouldn’t be discounted. Though Kakegurui may not be as mainstream as The Addams Family, there has been a strong fan base for at least a decade. Furthermore, based on its premise alone, BET could pull in anime lovers and newcomers alike.
BET is led by showrunner Simon Barry, the creator of Netflix’s Warrior Nun series.
Like 2023’s One Piece, BET could be another example of an incredibly successful live-action anime adaptation and could even blow Wednesday out of the water. Following its release on Netflix, One Piece earned 541 million streaming hours between August 2023 and December 2023. With that said, Wednesday garnered 341.2 million hours of viewership during its first week on Netflix and also earned 1.2 billion viewing hours within its first 28 days, becoming the second most-watched English-language show on the streamer. Still, anime audiences could surprise everyone if BET delivers like Wednesday did.
