TORONTO 鈥� After Wendy Litner鈥檚 mom died of cancer several years ago, a curious thing happened: her voice seemed to linger.
鈥淚 felt like I could hear her all the time,鈥� says Litner, a Toronto-based screenwriter.
鈥淥ften it was her trolling me, but I felt like she was still so present, even though she was dead.鈥�
The 44-year-old says her mom鈥檚 running commentary echoed through her daily life, critiquing her every move. But rather than feeling haunted, she found herself inspired.
She channelled her peculiar grieving process into 鈥淢y Dead Mom,鈥� a short-form Crave series, out Friday.
鈥淚 liked the idea of exploring how we still maintain this relationship with the people that are gone in meaningful and funny ways,鈥� says Litner, who also created the 2017 Emmy-nominated CBC web series 鈥淗ow to Buy a Baby.鈥�
The dark comedy stars Toronto鈥檚 Lauren Collins as Emmy, whose late mother Fern 鈥� played by Megan Follows of 鈥淎nne of Green Gables鈥� fame 鈥� keeps popping into her life to offer unsolicited opinions on everything from her lipstick choices to her romantic partner.
Chandler Levack, who helmed 2022鈥檚 hit indie comedy 鈥淚 Like Movies,鈥� directs.
鈥淲e hope the series will show people that there is no one way to grieve,鈥� says Collins, known for starring in 鈥淒egrassi: The Next Generation.鈥�
The 38-year-old says she could relate to Emmy because her father passed away when she was 27. Like her character, she lost a parent at a time when she was still trying to figure out her own life.
鈥淚 think society expects us to eventually get over it, but when you lose someone close to you who鈥檚 been such a big part of your life, I don't think you ever recover from that. It comes up in interesting, unexpected ways. It鈥檚 something you always carry with you.鈥�
As the chain-smoking, sardonic Fern, Follows gets a chance to flex her comedic muscle, which she says is 鈥渁 new arena鈥� for her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always great when the writing gives you permission to be outrageous and playful,鈥� she says.
鈥淒ark comedy is my favourite comedy. I think that's often how we navigate out of really dark moments, and when we're able to achieve that balancing act, it's really delicious.鈥�
Follows didn鈥檛 lose a parent at a young age and her mom is still alive, but says she knows what it鈥檚 like to have a 鈥渇iery, complicated mother鈥� in actress Dawn Greenhalgh.
鈥淚 grew up with a mom who was very charismatic, extremely talented and, at times, very difficult,鈥� she says.
In the seven-episode 鈥淢y Dead Mom,鈥� Emmy wrestles with her unresolved issues with Fern, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship.
鈥淪he feels very judged by her mother, who somewhere obviously loves her deeply, but hasn't said it in a way that Emmy has been able to hear,鈥� says Follows.
And perhaps the character's mother is just not a warm person, adds Follows.
"It's not always simple. It's prickly. Not everybody鈥檚 nice.鈥�
鈥淢y Dead Mom鈥� comes at a time when there鈥檚 an appetite for dark comedies around grief and family relationships, with FX鈥檚 鈥淭he Bear,鈥� Netflix鈥檚 鈥淒ead to Me鈥� and Apple TV Plus鈥� 鈥淪hrinking鈥� being recent examples.
Follows attributes the trend to 鈥渁 more honest conversation about navigating mental health鈥� arising during the pandemic.
鈥淚t unleashed a lot of true feelings people had been navigating secretly and silently and then exacerbated others in terms of isolation and experiences."
Litner feels audiences are connecting more to dark comedies because they offer the most 鈥渉ealing鈥� experiences.
鈥淚t's really easy to cry at sad things, but it's harder to laugh at them. I think that鈥檚 where we feel most human,鈥� says Litner, who turned her own struggles with infertility into a comedy with 鈥淗ow to Buy a Baby.鈥�
Litner describes 鈥淢y Dead Mom鈥� as a therapeutic experience that made her feel a 鈥渄eeper connection鈥� to her mother, who died in 2003.
鈥淚t feels like a way of making peace, and definitely a way that I needed,鈥� she says.
鈥淗oping my mom will finally be proud.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
