The Lesser Dead - The Lesser Dead - Bonus Episode - Bringing the World to Life

Episode Date: August 1, 2023

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Lesser Dead, featuring the team of directors, producers, and writers who helped create the series. In this episode, we explore how the lush locations and characters of The Lesser Dead’s unique setting brought the world to life.

And now, for a behind the scenes look at the making of the lesser dead, featuring the team directors, producers, and writers who helped create the series. A lot of effort goes into creating the world of the lesser dead. To bring the show to life, real places in New York City were used to ground the story in reality. In 1978, Belvedere Castle in Central Park was boarded up and Lord Knows Who or What Might have been squatting in there, director Dan Blank. And within a modern metropolis like New York, the dark woods and the spooky castle, they heart back to the Gothic setting was a classic horror, with even the rain and the winds

howling outside. So, when Joey creeps into the castle, we share his feelings of dread, unsure what he might find in there. A 19th century make-believe castle right out of a fairy tale. The fairy tale ran out of money though. The windows are boarded up with plywood and all the stonework and doors of sprouted graffiti. I kept flying back in there and doing on-the-ground research. That's Christopher Buelman, author of The Lessor Dead. You know, I went, of course, I went to Central Park, but when I went there, I spoke to people in Delvedere Castle and looked at pictures of Central Park as it was before. I went to the sort of MTA museum and I, and time in old subway cars to see how they looked as opposed to the way they look now

But Belvedere Castle wasn't the only priority for the creators New York at that time felt like this place full of CD underworlds and areas that should be avoided after dark at all costs well Nearby the Vitchin famous for partying nightclubs like Studio 54. When you were doing a story set in 1970s New York City it's kind of a requisite that you need to do a Studio 54 scene. Executive producer Mark Stern great shout out to our composer Benjamin Sterley, who really did such an amazing job with this score on every level.

The cool thing is, is that that time period and that specific club was so documented. It was world famous then, it's world famous, just as much now. Benjamin Sterley is the composer of the music you hear in each episode. And I got lucky enough that I was able to find some bootleg recording of the New Year's Eve DJ, I believe 77, 78, his set at Studio 54.

So I know it's like just like deep on YouTube somewhere, so I just, you know what I mean, it's a perfect reference, so I listened to that and like just like deep on YouTube somewhere. So, I just, you know what I mean, it's a perfect reference. So, I listened to that and like just basically what his DJ style was. Studio 54 is the den of the Hessian. Who would he use and rely on within that world? Director Dan Blank. I like the idea that this sort of conservative vampire, you know, as a drag queen friend. Lady Jesus is one of those characters

who you just see them in your mind's eye. You just know what that character looks like, you know. And I thought that the actor who played her did such a great job of really infusing that character with so much power, but also humor. Excuse you, lady. Jesus. Lady Jesus.

I like that. I think that's my name tonight. Why don't you just watch where you're going. Shut up and dance. I said, if we're going to do it, then I think it's really important that we get a real drag performer to play the role of Lady Jesus and we got Sherry Vine, who is like a mainstay of New York, the New York drag scene, and she's been doing this, you know, since the 90s in New York. So, you know,

while she was in Studio 54, she's certainly been around the scenes of New York. So, you know, while she was in Studio 54, she certainly been around the scenes of New York and some of the CD-R bars and clubs to know what that felt like. I need you to take your little dirt circus act right out the door of the back door. Tell me, that you understand. It's phenomenal. And it's also a window into Joey, too. Although he is reactive to that character, though, these are the characters in Joey's world. These are characters in Joey's universe.

Look, Lady. Mr. What are you anyway? Whatever I want to be, darling, and you can be too. Just not in here. You should know better. You know, I grew up in Florida. I didn't grow up in New York City. But New York City was really iconic to kids in the 70s. Everything seemed to reference back to that.

I mean, everything from Sesame Street to Saturday Night Live, I mean, New York was a huge nucleus of our American cultural identity back then. So I always been fascinated with it. When it was very, very important to me to get it right. you