Somewhere over the rainbow isn’t always the best place to be according to NBC’s new television series. Emerald City shows the darker side of the former fantasy land of Oz. The new series is a spinoff of the American classic film, The Wizard of Oz and will be showing 10 episodes in its first season.  

The show introduces Dorothy as a simple nurse who is searching for excitement in her every day, mundane life. Similar to the original plot, Dorothy gets transported to Oz through a tornado, and immediately discovers that she’s not in Kansas anymore. Dorothy accidentally hit the Wicked Witch of the West, and scares the town people with her chaotic entry.

The spinoff series showcases a new perspective of the classic fairytale. Emerald City hardly resembles the original movie, and the audience is held responsible for making connections between them.

Moreover, beloved characters are completely reimagined in the new TV series. Dorothy is given a more detailed backstory, and gives the audience a different idea of who she really is. Dorothy is searching for her biological mother, and is distraught over the departure from her normal world. She is determined to get back home to Kansas, and refuses to surrender to the dark magic that encompasses the land of Oz. The emotional, and brave character is a modernistic heroine of the 21st century.

Furthermore, her sidekicks, Toto, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man are very diverse from their original characters. Toto is a handsome German Shepherd police dog, and serves as a protector for Dorothy. In the show, the Scarecrow, Lucas is human, and is suffering from memory loss. Lucas not only serves as Dorothy’s friend, but is also a possible love interest for the heroine. Lastly, the Tin Man is a teenager who nearly loses his life and is given a second chance with a mechanical heart.

Similarly, Emerald City gives a modernistic twist to the original story. Newer technology, music, and style are involved in the show, and they make the story feel rejuvenated. The whole new take is nothing short of exotic.

Emerald City introduces many newcomers such as Adria Arjona (Dorothy), and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Scarecrow). The executive producers of the show are David Schulner, Shaun Cassidy, and Matthew Arnold. This is the first television production that the trio have worked on together, yet in the past they each have produced things individually.

All in all, this is a great show to check out. The plot is intriguing, and the show is in it’s novice stages and is still easy to catch up on. While the show has only reached its halfway mark for the season, it is already jam-packed with interesting plot twists and creative out of the box thinking. Emerald City is on Friday night on NBC at 9/8c.