How the ‘Widow’s Bay’ Team Set the Tone for Apple’s Must-Watch Horror Comedy | How I Did It

Composer David Fleming found himself and creator Katie Dippold focusing more on the characters and feelings they aimed to evoke, rather than the separate genres of horror and comedy in the Emmy-nominated Apple TV show "Widow’s Bay." Both Fleming and editor Isaac Hagy agreed that the show was not approached as a genre-specific series, but rather as a platform to explore the personalities of the island's inhabitants.

The delicate balance between horror and comedy was achieved through the characters' reactions to extreme situations, as the series blended genuine supernatural horror and absurd comedy. The unique tonal landscape of "Widow’s Bay" was attributed to the full license given to the creators to be "completely wrong," which allowed for experimentation and creativity.

This collaborative and safe space was established by Dippold and executive producer Hiro Murai, enabling the team to freely explore the show's various elements. For the emotionally charged sixth episode, "Our History," the composer leaned into a period-accurate soundscape, recording music with instruments like the viola da gamba and baroque cello.

This decision not only created a fresh story for the season but also informed the music for the rest of the series, serving as a skeleton key to determine the show's personality.