LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Wednesday Addams is an integral member of the Addams Family, a fictional ensemble first created by Charles Addams for a 1964 television series.

The show stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, as well as the likes of Christina Ricci, who previously played Wednesday Addams in the 1991 film “The Addams Family” and its sequel, “The Addams Family Values.” Catherine Zeta-Jones, an oscar-winner for her role in the film “Chicago,” guest stars for a couple of episodes as Morticia Addams, the matriarch of the Addams ensemble, and Luis Guzman guest stars as Gomez Addams, the doting husband of Morticia.

Wednesday’s grisly antics force her parents to take her to Nevermore boarding school, located in a small town called Jericho. The school, enrolling adolescent werewolves, vampires, and the like, serves as a place for people like Wednesday, outcasts from society. The show features mysteries involving Wednesday’s parents, the history of Jericho, and an unknown beast; the series is rife with themes of romance and prejudice as well as an air of suspicion.

Though the series does feature ghoulish monsters, hellish apparitions, and jumpscares, most of the time it feels fresh, thanks in part to the incredibly satirical, bitter, and dark humor present within the show. Ortega proves to be a stellar casting choice, at times compensating for the not-so-stellar plot. Along with Wednesday, the series executes its characters well and provides some interesting dynamics between them.

Tim Burton and music by Danny Elfman created the grim mood that portrays the Addams family just the same as its previous movies. As with their previous collaborations, including “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Frankenweenie,” and “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,” the duo creates a whimsical air that lures the viewer into whatever shenanigans they conceive. They each have quite a repertoire as well, with Elfman having composed blockbusters like the Tobey Maguire “Spider-Man” series, the “Men In Black” series, and, fairly recently, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Meanwhile, Burton has directed morose movies like “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Beetlejuice.” The CGI in “Wednesday” is not top-tier, though this is somewhat made up for with creature design that looks like it came right out of the frightening, creative mind of Burton.

The show currently boasts an 8.5/10 rating from the Internet Movie Database as well as a 97% approval rating from Google users. The series has received an 88% audience approval rating and a 70% critical rating from Rotten Tomatoes. It has gotten generally favorable assessment ratings from both critics and users of Metacritic.

“Wednesday” introduces a colorful array of characters to create a story mostly outside the Addams Family; the casting is not wasted in the slightest, and the production team ensures that the show mostly follows the trademark horrifyingly funny mood of any standard piece of Addams Family media.