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 "excerpt": "The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell is a 2018 Netflix baking-craft series, six episodes, in which goth baker Christine McConnell makes horror-themed desserts alongside Henson Alternative puppets Rose, Rankle, and Edgar; one season only.",
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 "markdown": "# The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell\n\n*The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell* is an American baking and crafting series that premiered on Netflix on October 12, 2018, in which baker and artist Christine McConnell makes [Halloween](https://www.edgepedia.org/halloween)- and horror-themed desserts, costumes, and decor while sharing a haunted house with a cast of puppets created by Henson Alternative, the adult-comedy arm of the Jim Henson Company.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80201868)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup> McConnell herself described the show as \"a weird mish-mash of 'The Addams Family' and a Martha Stewart how-to show.\"<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> Only one season of six episodes was produced.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80201868)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | October 12, 2018, on Netflix; all six episodes released at once<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80201868)</sup> |\n| Format | Baking and craft tutorials embedded in a scripted puppet storyline, roughly 24 to 28 minutes per episode<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80201868)</sup> |\n| Production | Wilshire Studios (NBCUniversal) with Henson Alternative; directed and co-created by Kirk R. Thatcher<sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.allhallowsgeek.com/10-things-we-learned-about-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-at-midsummer-scream/)</sup> |\n| Main creatures | Rose the raccoon (Colleen Smith), Rankle the mummified cat (Michael Oosterom), and the werewolf Edgar (Drew Massey, with Mick Ignis in the suit)<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> |\n| Rating | TV-PG; Common Sense Media recommends it for ages 12 and up<sup>[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell)</sup> |\n| Reception | 100% Tomatometer from 12 critics and 89% Popcornmeter from 100+ audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> |\n| Aftermath | No second season; McConnell moved to Patreon and the YouTube series *From the Mind of Christine McConnell*<sup>[6](https://www.patreon.com/ChristineHMcConnell/about)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and format\n\nEach episode places McConnell, playing a fictionalized version of herself, in a haunted mansion she shares with three puppet creatures: Rose, a raccoon stitched together from roadkill; Rankle, an undead Egyptian cat; and Edgar, a werewolf who stumbled into the house one night.<sup>[7](https://www.phillyvoice.com/curious-creations-christine-mcconnell-netflix-halloween-cooking-baking-show/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://butwhytho.net/2018/10/review-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell/)</sup> The creatures, operated by Henson-trained puppeteers, banter, scheme, and make violent threats that are never carried out, while McConnell walks viewers step by step through elaborate projects such as peanut butter pretzel bones, a shortbread spirit-board cookie, and a ginger-dead house.<sup>[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup>\n\nUnlike most cooking shows, the season carries a continuous plot. McConnell told Eater that \"there's a whole story arc from the beginning to the end. The show starts with the arrival of someone, and it ends on Halloween.\"<sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup> Recurring human characters include a suitor named Norman (Adam Mayfield) and a visiting cousin, and the burlesque performer Dita von Teese appears as a ghost named Vivienne.<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.phillyvoice.com/curious-creations-christine-mcconnell-netflix-halloween-cooking-baking-show/)</sup>\n\nThe six episodes, all released on October 12, 2018, are: \"Snacks for Strays,\" \"Gifts for Nosy Neighbors,\" \"The Dinner Date,\" \"A Spirited Tea Party,\" \"A Cake for Rose,\" and \"Halloween Tricks & Treats.\"<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup>\n\n## Origin\n\nMcConnell built her audience online before television. From 2013 she posted her horror-styled baking and crafts to Reddit and [Imgur](https://www.edgepedia.org/imgur), and in 2015 she went viral after decorating her parents' Los Angeles-area Victorian home for Halloween with massive spooky eyes and fangs on its exterior.<sup>[9](https://www.inverse.com/article/50237-christine-mcconnell-curious-creations-on-netflix-halloween-comes-from-reddit-fame)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup> The attention brought offers from what she estimated as about 300 production companies, nearly all pitching a conventional reality show, which did not interest her.<sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup>\n\n**The Henson connection.** A producer at NBCUniversal's Wilshire Studios connected McConnell with the Jim Henson Company, and after a meeting with [Brian Henson](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-henson), who became an executive producer on the series, the two companies agreed to collaborate.<sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://lamag.com/tv/a-case-for-binge-watching-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-immediately/)</sup> McConnell said it took about a year to work out the show's bible, defining \"the rules of this world.\"<sup>[11](https://dailydead.com/interview-star-christine-mcconnell-on-her-curious-creations-and-halloween-traditions/)</sup> She pushed for Netflix as the distributor, courting the platform with a *Stranger Things* photo series, and Netflix agreed after the first pitch meeting.<sup>[9](https://www.inverse.com/article/50237-christine-mcconnell-curious-creations-on-netflix-halloween-comes-from-reddit-fame)</sup>\n\nMcConnell had a hands-on role in the production design, sending photos of her own house and original sketches to the set designers, who built the TV home from them; she designed the spider web-themed kitchen cabinets herself in Photoshop.<sup>[2](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)</sup> She also shaped the characters: she originally wrote Rose as a mummy raccoon and credited the puppeteer Colleen Smith with much of what the character became.<sup>[10](https://lamag.com/tv/a-case-for-binge-watching-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-immediately/)</sup>\n\n## Tone and content\n\nThe show mixes wholesome craft instruction with dark comedy. Common Sense Media rated it TV-PG and suggested 12 and up, noting that violence is frequently discussed and implied but rarely shown, that sexual content is limited to innuendo, and that there is no profanity; the writing deliberately substitutes sophisticated words where vulgar ones would be expected.<sup>[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell)</sup> McConnell said she wanted Netflix partly so she could tackle risqué topics, though not everything she proposed survived; she wanted Rose to put a Girl Scout into a wood chipper, and the network declined.<sup>[10](https://lamag.com/tv/a-case-for-binge-watching-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-immediately/)</sup>\n\nThe projects themselves are advanced. Reviewers noted that the tutorials skip some large steps, such as baking the cakes themselves, and focus on decorative work, so a professional could fill in the blanks more easily than an amateur.<sup>[12](https://devolutionmagazine.co.uk/2018/10/27/review-6-days-6-movies-6-reviews-3-curious-creations-christine-mcconnell/)</sup> McConnell acknowledged the joke that her creations \"take so long to do,\" framing the pleasure as watching possibility rather than easy replication.<sup>[9](https://www.inverse.com/article/50237-christine-mcconnell-curious-creations-on-netflix-halloween-comes-from-reddit-fame)</sup>\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical response was strongly positive. The season holds a 100% Tomatometer from 12 reviews and an 89% Popcornmeter score from more than 100 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> The New Yorker's Helen Rosner called it \"beautiful, morbid, bizarre, and raunchy,\" and the Sydney Morning Herald's Brad Newsome described it as \"a delightfully bonkers cooking-and-crafts series.\"<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> Reviewers frequently compared McConnell's deadpan hosting to [Martha Stewart](https://www.edgepedia.org/martha-stewart); the Washington Post's Marc Silver wrote that she issues instructions \"clipped and authoritarian\" without cracking a smile.<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> Rose, voiced and puppeteered by Colleen Smith, was widely singled out as the breakout character.<sup>[9](https://www.inverse.com/article/50237-christine-mcconnell-curious-creations-on-netflix-halloween-comes-from-reddit-fame)</sup>\n\nCriticism centered on McConnell's stiff on-camera presence in the early episodes and on the thin plots; McConnell herself agreed that acting was alien to her and that the first episodes were rough.<sup>[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://dailydead.com/interview-star-christine-mcconnell-on-her-curious-creations-and-halloween-traditions/)</sup>\n\n## Aftermath\n\nNo second season was made, and audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes repeatedly lament that the show has only one season.<sup>[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)</sup> McConnell wrote on Patreon that \"books sell out and TV shows can get the axe,\" which is why she launched a new YouTube series, *From the Mind of Christine McConnell*, supported by Patreon subscriptions offering exclusive episodes, recipes, and monthly livestreams.<sup>[6](https://www.patreon.com/ChristineHMcConnell/about)</sup> Her Patreon projects have included a 500-pound gingerbread replica of the [Winchester Mystery House](https://www.edgepedia.org/winchester-mystery-house) and, in 2024, a Christmas crafting session with the cast and crew of the Netflix show.<sup>[13](https://www.patreon.com/ChristineHMcConnell/sitemap)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, Netflix official site](https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80201868)\n2. [Five Things to Know About Netflix Star Christine McConnell and Her 'Curious Creations', Eater](https://www.eater.com/2018/10/12/17942558/christine-mcconnell-netflix-show)\n3. [The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_curious_creations_of_christine_mcconnell/s01)\n4. [10 Things We Learned About 'The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell' at Midsummer Scream, All Hallows Geek](https://www.allhallowsgeek.com/10-things-we-learned-about-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-at-midsummer-scream/)\n5. [Parents' Guide to The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell)\n6. [Christine McConnell, Patreon About page](https://www.patreon.com/ChristineHMcConnell/about)\n7. [Netflix has a bizarre, creepy new cooking show that's the perfect Halloween treat, PhillyVoice](https://www.phillyvoice.com/curious-creations-christine-mcconnell-netflix-halloween-cooking-baking-show/)\n8. [Review: The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, But Why Tho?](https://butwhytho.net/2018/10/review-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell/)\n9. ['Christine McConnell' Netflix: How a Viral Reddit Creator Landed a Series, Inverse](https://www.inverse.com/article/50237-christine-mcconnell-curious-creations-on-netflix-halloween-comes-from-reddit-fame)\n10. [A Case for Binge-Watching The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell Immediately, LAmag](https://lamag.com/tv/a-case-for-binge-watching-the-curious-creations-of-christine-mcconnell-immediately/)\n11. [Interview: Star Christine McConnell on Her CURIOUS CREATIONS and Halloween Traditions, Daily Dead](https://dailydead.com/interview-star-christine-mcconnell-on-her-curious-creations-and-halloween-traditions/)\n12. [Review: 6 Days, 6 Movies, 6 Reviews: The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, Devolution Magazine](https://devolutionmagazine.co.uk/2018/10/27/review-6-days-6-movies-6-reviews-3-curious-creations-christine-mcconnell/)\n13. [Christine McConnell, Patreon sitemap](https://www.patreon.com/ChristineHMcConnell/sitemap)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › American sitcoms and comedy series › 2010s cable and streaming comedies*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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