'SurrealEstate' director: Network heard fans' demand for renewal

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- SurrealEstate executive producer-director Danishka Esterhazy credits the supernatural dramedy's passionate fandom with getting Syfy to renew it for a second season after initially canceling it in 2021.

Starring Schitt's Creek veterans Tim Rozon and Sarah Levy, Season 2 of the show airs Wednesday nights on Syfy. It follows Luke Roman and Susan Ireland, leaders of a team of specially skilled real estate agents who fix and flip haunted houses. Adam Korson, Maurice Dean Wint and Savannah Basley co-star.

"There was a long break between filming Season 1 and Season 2. It was really incredible to reunite with the cast and the writers and get all of our crew back together," Esterhazy told UPI in a recent phone interview.

"We didn't think we'd get a Season 2, so that in itself was amazing," she added. "The fans played a huge role [in the reversal]. They've been very loyal and very loud and very active -- asking for, demanding, begging for a Season 2.

"We really appreciate that. The network heard the fans and gave us a second life and hopefully many more seasons to go."

The project resonated with Esterhazy because it is relatable and blends different genres and tones, telling tales that range from tragic to ridiculous.

"It's always been something I've been really passionate about, telling those kinds of [ghost] stories," Esterhazy said.

"I love the thrills and the scares and, also, they can be innovative vehicles for talking about deeper, important issues," she said, giving as examples a person's loss of a loved one or inability to find closure and move on from grief.

"It's fun and scary, but we are also talking about serious issues about love and family and connection," she added. "That's something our creator, George R. Olson, has really excelled at -- finding real notes of humanity in these ghost stories."

Season 1 ended with Luke discovering he no longer can communicate with the dead.

"It spun Luke off into new territory that he wasn't prepared for," Esterhazy said.

"Luke loses his ability to speak to ghosts. This is an ability that he sometimes sees as a curse -- one that he is not that comfortable with. But it is at the core of his being and the reason that he runs this real estate agency for haunted houses."

When Season 2 starts, Susan is running the agency, while Luke is off figuring out who is now.

"It gives us the opportunity to change the power dynamics," Esterhazy said. "[Susan] has a very different leadership style and different goals. It's all about the team trying to come to an understanding of who is going to be the leader of the agency."

The series is shot in Canada's St. John's, Newfoundland, a region with no shortage of gorgeous mansions, cottages and historic buildings from which Esterhazy to choose, as well as a supportive community that has warmly welcomed the cast and crew.

"They have so many interesting old houses with character," she said.

"So much of Season 1 was wrapped up at Megan Donovan's house. That was our main story," she added. "But, for Season 2, we went looking for new houses to anchor the stories."

Esterhazy said she thinks this is crucial to the series, since lots of people are obsessed with peaking inside others' homes these days.

"So many of us are amateur real estate agents. I, myself, follow Zillow Gone Wild [online]," she laughed.

"Everyone I know is always reading real estate listings. We're living in a time when we are all obsessed with housing. Everybody has a hard time with housing these days. It's something we all dream about."

The biggest challenge for Esterhazy this season was keeping the show's apparitions and demons interesting.

"We don't want to just repeat the kinds of hauntings we've been doing in other episodes or that you've seen in other shows and movies," she said.

"We're always trying to bring a fresh, creative eye to our monsters, and that's a real group effort that starts with the writing. Then we coordinate with our wonderful prosthetics team and our visual effects team and our makeup department and costume department."

Guest stars are an integral part of the show's success.

"You need an actor who can embody an otherworldliness, but still bring emotional truth to their performance," Esterhazy said. "The monsters are the things, I guess, I'm most excited about, but also they're probably the biggest challenge."