Emerald City
Dorothy (Adria Arjona) names the scarecrow after her hometown Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) after discovering that he cannot remember his name. NBC

NBC’s newest drama, “Emerald City,” is based on a story audiences are very familiar with, “The Wizard of Oz.” However, the TV show is the dark, sexy version of Dorothy’s adventure. It takes plenty of turns that look nothing like the 1939 film or L. Frank Baum’s novels. These are just a few of the differences you’ll notice in Friday’s premiere.

Toto isn’t tiny. He is a German shepherd, and he doesn’t necessarily belong to Dorothy.

Dorothy’s mother appears. There’s a reason that Dorothy (Adria Arjona) has been living with Aunt Em (Holly Hayes).

A house isn’t dropped on the Wicked Witch of the East (Florence Kasumba). It’s a police car falling from the sky that announces Dorothy’s presence in Oz.

The Wicked Witch of the West is an opium addict. West (Ana Ularu) takes advantage of all those poppy fields.

The munchkins aren’t tiny. They seem to be a tribe of normal sized people who don’t appreciate outsiders.

The Wizard isn’t hiding behind a screen. The Wizard (Vincent D’Onofrio) doesn’t need to use any illusions when he has political power, a castle and a ton of fearful subjects.

The scarecrow isn’t made of straw. Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is made of flesh and bone, but after being crucified, he has amnesia.

The yellow brick road is now made of pollen. Poppy pollen, specifically.

No slippers. No ruby shoes for the movie fans and no silver ones for the book lovers. However, there is a fashion forward pair of gloves involved.

“Emerald City” is different, but Dorothy’s goal is still the same. She just wants to find the Wizard and go home. She’ll have a different way of getting there, though. She’ll run into enemies much scarier and more violent than flying monkeys.

It isn’t just sex and blood that’s been added to the tale, though. The writers also found ways to make the cast more diverse and the storylines more relevant. They even found a way to incorporate trans characters. Expect to find far more differences as the series goes on.

“Emerald City” Season 1 premieres Friday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

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