Rapid Insights: ‘Revival’ Unlocks Why Comic Book Horror Is the Genre Blend to Watch

Syfy recently premiered a gripping new supernatural horror noir that’s based on a popular comic series of the same name. The show follows a small Wisconsin town in the aftermath of “Revival Day,” a shocking day in which the recently deceased suddenly came back to life–not as zombies but as themselves, with looks, memories, and personalities intact.

Here’s what you need to know about Revival:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s tuning in for this intriguing new series? 
We’re seeing an audience that’s mostly women (60%) and heavily aged 35+ (90%)–a profile right in line with other linear series about mysterious supernatural happenings in a small town. Shows like The ReturnedThe Leftovers, ManifestWayward PinesGrimm, and Haven all hit a similar viewership sweet spot (56-65% women / 89-94% aged 35+).

What’s Revival’s biggest draw? 
Its unique spin on Solving A Murder (146). After the dead awaken (Afterlife, 125), small town police officer Dana Cypress (Female Professional, 127) must figure out who killed her younger sister, a “reviver” who has no memory of her own demise. Working with a CDC lab contact to analyze the supernatural evidence (Scientific Method, 125), Dana contends with Murder Suspects (131) both living and undead to uncover what happened and how it might be related to the miraculous “Revival Day.” The show leverages its high-concept set-up to infuse a procedural framework with fresh new layers, inject a sense of the macabre (Death Theme, 130), and bring its original source material to life (Based on a Book, 137), keeping audience glued to their seats and driving both bingeability and longevity.

Why else are viewers tuning in? 
For its unsettling slice of Small Town Life (122)Revival’s isolated setting makes the Mysterious Event (117) at its center that much more unnerving, amplifying the unease of its 4,500 residents as they’re forcibly blockaded from the rest of the world by the CDC. The show’s exploration of the widespread paranoia as well as its focus on Dana’s maladjusted personal life (snarky and resentful, she’s desperate to escape while trying her best as a Single Parent (122)) are helping to boost ratings.

How is the show’s social buzz? 
Really good. The pilot’s premiere on June 12 spurred significant online activity, maxing out our social buzz meter (at 160) for several days. Though chatter dipped a bit in the week between new episodes–a common occurrence for series on a weekly rollout schedule–it nevertheless remained in “promising” range (at 118) before spiking right back up into “outstanding” territory (at 149) with episode two. This pattern suggests a promising hold for the rest of the show’s first season.

What’s appealing to Canadian audiences? 
Dark humor in a small town. Filmed entirely in New Brunswick, Syfy’s Revival is airing simultaneously across the border on CTV Sci-Fi, and Canadian audiences are being pulled in by different elements than their American counterparts. In particular, the show’s Twisted Humor (116 CA) carries much more weight here, especially as it relates to quirky Small Town Life (120 CA) and Dana’s misadventures as a Single Parent (120 CA). At the same time, the whodunnit investigation at the heart of the story (Solving a Murder, 80 CA; Murder Suspect, 93 CA; Scientific Method, 103 CA) is much less compelling.

Introducing Genre DNA™


Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside viewership performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

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Rapid Insights: ‘Dept. Q’ illustrates how the cold case genre can still break new ground

Netflix recently released a thrilling new dark drama about a traumatized, guilt-ridden detective (Matthew Goode) reassigned to investigate some of the most difficult, high-profile cold cases in Edinburgh. Adapted from a Danish book series by the creator of The Queen’s Gambit, this crime thriller show is racking up views on the service and has both critics and viewers buzzing.

Here’s what you need to know about Dept. Q:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s been watching this compelling new series? 
We’re seeing an audience that’s 53% women and 81% aged 30+–a more gender-balanced viewership than many similar dark crime dramas. Other entrants in this space often appeal more heavily to women, even those led by male detectives (e.g. Mare of EasttownHappy Valley, Long Bright River, Broadchurch, Wallander, Sherlock–all 57-63% women), though they all show a similarly heavy 30+ skew.

What’s the show’s biggest draw? 
Its eccentric protagonist (Eccentric Character POV, 145). After a case gone wrong destroys his meager emotional stability, Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck is relegated to the cold case basement, investigating unsolvable crimes that no one else wants to touch (Lifestyle Change, 118). Brilliant yet thoroughly unlikeable–his judgement, sarcasm, and ego spare no one–he’s tasked with putting together a competent team (Team Up, 140) willing to embrace his vicious quirks and sand down his edges. Audiences are tuning in and staying put for Morck’s tortured Journey of Self Discovery (130) as he attempts to course-correct his flailing life and overcome the Psychological Turmoil (113) of past trauma–his personal story drives both ratings and bingeability.

What else about the series is attracting viewers? 
Tension and suspense. Dept. Q traffics in Dark Themes (160) and dangerous situations as Morck becomes fixated on solving the seemingly unsolvable: the disappearance of a high-profile prosecutor four years prior. As his team ventures farther down the twisted rabbit hole (Conspiracy and Cover Ups, 117) in their Search for the Truth (132), audiences are reveling in the riveting emotional experience (Terror, 128; Surprise, 117; Aggressiveness, 114) of their high-stress investigation.

How does the show’s online buzz look? 
Killer. Online activity skyrocketed with the show’s full-season release on May 29, maxing out our social buzz meter (at 160) and holding steady at peak levels for nearly three weeks straight. Viewers are texting and tweeting about the same key driver that’s drawing them into the show: Morck’s erratic character.

What will help catapult Dept. Q into a second season? 
The crime-solving elements. While the show’s acerbic protagonist is what’s driving ratings, it’s the steady drumbeat of its Police Procedural (119) framework that will keep its story engine running for seasons to come. Audiences will keep returning to see Morck follow new clues, crack new cases (Solving A Murder, 116), and put new perpetrators behind bars (Criminal Justice System, 111), all in a quaint Edinburgh setting (British Culture, 114).

Introducing Genre DNA™


Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside viewership performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Stay in the know

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Past Rapid Insights: Miss one? Check out previous issues here

Rapid Insights: ‘Sirens’ Dismantles the Luxury Mystery Trend to Reveal What Works

In recent years, TV has increasingly turned its attention to exploring the wealthy 1%, digging beneath the seemingly idyllic surface of their pampered lives to reveal the dark undercurrents beneath. To do so effectively, show creators often leverage the tension and shock built into the mystery-thriller genre, piling up murders, betrayals, and whodunnit suspense to spotlight the deep rot beneath the glistening façade. Within this arena lies shows like HBO’s The White Lotus and The Undoing, Peacock’s Apples Never Fall, Amazon Prime’s Expats, Hulu’s Death and Other Details and Nine Perfect Strangers, and Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher and The Perfect Couple; the newest entry is Netflix’s gripping Sirens, already an effective (and heavily-watched) addition to the list.

Here’s what you need to know about Sirens and this broader trend:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s the typical audience for this type of show? 
Mostly women 30+. In keeping with the broader mystery-thriller sweet spot, this ‘wealthy crime’ subgenre also tends to appeal most strongly to a female audience, with streaming viewership landing at 57-68% women and 68-77% aged 30+; Sirens falls toward the upper end of both ranges (65% women, 74% aged 30+). An exception can arise if the series also weaves in darker, bloodier elements to bring in more men; the violence-filled The Fall of the House of Usher, for example, actually skews slightly male (55%).

How important is wealth to these shows’ success? 
Very. The elite status of the protagonists is what sets up the series’ core themes and provides the contrast between the rarefied setting and the sordid crimes within it. Story elements like the characters’ high Social Status, conspicuously Wealthy Lifestyles, and efforts to rise higher still (Power Struggles)–especially when set against dark Secrets & Lies, a Criminal Investigation, the Death of a Loved One, or a Murder Mystery–help to drive ratings, bingeability, and social buzz. A number of these shows also feature an audience surrogate (Fish Out of Water) in the form of a lower-class outsider, who serves as an effective onramp for viewers by being just as taken aback at the disturbing peek behind the 1% curtain (e.g. Sirens’ older sister, The Perfect Couple’s new fiance, The White Lotus’s hotel staff).

What else helps these series bring in viewers?
Centering on family. Nearly all shows within this microgenre–even those with a more wide-ranging set of characters (e.g. The White Lotus, Nine Perfect Strangers, Death and Other Details)–explore Family Relationships within this moneyed milieu, honing in particularly on themes of Family Dysfunction and Family Tension. Though shown through a fairly melodramatic lens, it’s nevertheless these universal themes that make the shows more broadly relatable and accessible to viewers, and the wealthy protagonists more sympathetic. Audiences can feel for the broken Father-Child Relationships (135) in The Fall of the House of Usher, for example, or the strained Sibling Relationships (128) on The White Lotus while still scoffing at the absurd behavior of their out-of-touch elite.

What’s setting Sirens apart? 
Dark comedy. While Netflix’s newest show incorporates all the key elements of its subgenre, it also adds a heavy dose of Twisted Humor (128) into its exploration of wealth and power. The series examines a young woman’s creepy, worshipful devotion to her billionaire boss, and its depiction of the billionaire’s absurdly curated ‘Stepford Wives’ persona and over-the-top cult-like influence has viewers snickering–while still leaning into its mounting sense of danger and tension.

What’s the buzz potential for these types of shows? 
Very high. Most of these series immediately maxed out our social buzz meter (to 160) upon release, with a number sustaining that level of online activity for weeks (especially The White Lotus and The Undoing). Sirens seems on track to make a similarly impressive splash; it’s currently still holding at (160) twenty days after its premiere and has already outpaced last fall’s The Perfect Couple.

Introducing Genre DNA™


Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside viewership performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Stay in the know

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Rapid Insights: ‘Adults’ Uncovers What Gen Z Really Wants in a Comedy

FX has just premiered a fresh new ensemble comedy series that serves as a coming-of-age reflection for Gen Z, and the show has already picked up considerable buzz. From executive producer Nick Kroll, the show follows a group of twenty-something roommates in Queens, New York, as they struggle with the responsibilities and expectations of modern adulthood.

Here’s what you need to know about Adults:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 
≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who’s tuning in for this sharp new comedy? 
For the FX cable broadcast, we’re seeing an audience that’s gender-balanced (52% men / 48% women) and heavily aged 35+ (74%). Gen Z twenty-somethings–the show’s ostensible target–are largely watching instead via the FX on Hulu streaming release, which boasts a heavier chunk of <30s (48%) and leans male (56%). Adults is, unsurprisingly, attracting a younger viewership than many of FX’s previous edgy comedies (You’re the WorstArcher, Baskets, Better Things, AtlantaMr Inbetween, and even the teen-focused Reservation Dogs).

What’s the show’s biggest draw? 
Its wide-ranging comedy. Adults focuses a sharp lens on the boundless, exhilarating, and often overwhelming period of growth and exploration that makes up modern young adulthood, and its moments of relatable hilarity are driving both the show’s ratings and bingeability. From raunchiness (Sexual Humor, 143) and mature punchlines (Adult Humor, 141) to dry wit (Sarcastic Humor, 136), sweet awkwardness (Awkward & Funny Moments, 121), and goofy immaturity (Arrested Development, 129), the series leverages comedy of all types to effectively portray its characters’ attempts at growing up.

What type of viewing experience is capturing audiences? 
The ups and downs of emotional growth. Viewers are watching to experience (and laugh along with) the familiar triumphs and disappointments of life as a young twenty-something, and the show’s emotional gamut–everything from Disgust (123)Terror (120), and Aggressiveness (115) to Surprise (115)Grief (112), and Awe (111)–is helping to pull them in and keep them engaged.

How is the series’ level of online chatter? 
Strong. With last week’s full-season release on Hulu, the show shot to the top of our social buzz meter (maxing it out at 160) and continues to remain there, an early harbinger of a promising run. Viewers are texting and tweeting about the characters’ deep friendships as well as the relatable challenges they face in getting their feet on the ground as adults (Struggling, 113).

What will help push Adults into a second season? 
Its core Friendships (136). The show focuses on five tightknit roommates and their mutual support and dependence, and the bond between them forms the series’ beating heart. As they navigate the adult world together, their Multiple Storylines (125) and individual Journeys of Self Discovery (119) will keep the show’s story engine churning for seasons to come.

Introducing Genre DNA™


Redefine your understanding of TV subgenres

Introducing Genre DNA™ – TV subgenres redefined by groundbreaking AI analysis to reveal the true drivers of viewership.

See the insights that others can’t

Genre DNA™ goes beyond traditional TV genre classifications by analyzing over 1,000 scripted and unscripted series on both linear and SVOD platforms from the last 5 years.

Each Vault Genre DNA™ report offers a precise analysis of your chosen TV subgenre, uncovering its unique drivers of viewership.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside viewership performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Stay in the know

Subscribe to get Rapid Insights delivered to your inbox or follow us on LinkedIn

Past Rapid Insights: Miss one? Check out previous issues here

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