[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]
Syfy’s new genre drama, SurrealEstate premieres its next new episode on Syfy and CTV Sci-Fi Friday night, and this afternoon, I spoke with Tennille Read, who plays Megan, the med student whose ghost trouble kicked the series off last week. Eagle-eyed viewers might also recognize Read from Workin’ Moms, where she’s recurred as Bianca, or from her appearance on Good Witch as Patience Merriwick, the ancestor at the heart of the series’ final-season mystery.
Read loved jumping into the SurrealEstate’s universe. As someone not especially drawn to watching horror, being on the inside now helped demystify it. “I read the script for Megan Donavan and I just loved it. It had such a cool swing on a procedural about selling homes, but also mixed with freaky hauntings and all of these metaphysical entities. And I really loved the humor of it,” she shares.
“I am not a super horror film, horror genre watcher. I usually get spooked so I kind of stay away from scary stories, even though I used to tell scary stories as a kid. As an adult, they freak me out. “[But after shooting it], I watched the first episode on premiere night and I was not scared at all. And I think it’s the first time I ever watched something where I wasn’t covering my face or muting it or cleaning the entire kitchen.”
While Luke’s team are all in on the fantastical elements of what they do, Megan and Susan are initially outsiders, with Susan joining the inner circle out of necessity, and then we learn, through her own beliefs. Megan, however, is a scientist first, so she’s a harder sell, but seeing is believing and Read enjoyed playing that evolution.
“I think we were similar in the pragmatic way of thinking. Very logical, a bit skeptical. And fleshing that out so that I could play with that conflict of being someone so logical, but seeing things that have no explanation and feeling things that don’t make sense to have…I liked playing that kind of duality.”
As we see in the next episode, Luke is drawn to both the house and Megan, and since Read is a series regular we can safely assume that won’t be a one-sided interest. Having a romantic angle in the middle of a horror comedy was a lovely surprise for Read to get to play. “Megan is at this point in her life where she is questioning her beliefs and she’s in a relationship with Brock and it’s not quite what she wants anymore. She’s living in this house. It’s definitely not what she expected,” she explains.
“How Luke shows up, and not only is he a gentleman and handsome and funny and incredibly intelligent, he also has the ability to sell her house. It’s a fun thing to play where there’s a romantic storyline and intrigue and also the practical elements of, he can probably exorcise all the ghosts in there and get the house on the market.”
The first season filmed in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and due to COVID restrictions, the cast couldn’t travel to and from the Maritimes region for the duration of the shoot. While it was a forced familiarity, it helped the cast and crew become a family very quickly. “It was kind of a gift to be shooting there, for so many reasons. It’s quite remote and it was in the middle of COVID, so we were there for a set period of time. A lot of us were from other parts of North America. We were getting to know each other, getting to know the city of St. John’s, and also getting to know this world that creator George Olson had made up,” Read recalls.
“We were part of the Maritimes bubble. It was kind of locked in. And once you were there, you were there. You had that feeling of, ‘Okay, this is going to be a project, This is going to be family. Let’s dive in.’ And also the people of St John’s, Newfoundland, were incredible people, incredibly welcoming and kind, and that was just contagious. And I think everyone in the cast was incredibly welcoming, but it definitely set the stage for us.”
Next week’s episode and the one that follows were both directed by Wynonna Earp herself, Melanie Scrofano (who also guest stars), Tim Rozon’s former co-lead. That trippy dynamic wasn’t lost on Read. “The legacy that Wynonna Earp is for them crossed my mind a couple of times. But at the end of the day, I think Melanie did a great job directing from that bird’s eye view of an episode,” she says.
“Tim is such a generous scene partner to act with and he was always throwing me pitches that I could catch and throw back. It just became more of a team effort and it was fun because I got invited into their relationship in a way and I got to play along in a different story, and, of course, a different project, but it was nice to be able to experience their artistry.”
Good Witch wraps its seven-season run this weekend on Hallmark Channel and next weekend on W Network and Read loved dipping a toe in that world as Patience Merriwick, Cassie’s ancestor. “I enjoyed my time on it. The history element and the legacy that goes all the way back were really rich. I’m such a fan of really good costumes and transforming in that way,” she shares.
“Being able to play someone from the 1800s was just so enjoyable. I never get to play other eras very often and it just enriches my imagination and allows me to really explore something that is different from my everyday life. It’s a good group…exceptionally kind and generous, and it was just fun to show up.”
On the Netflix (and CBC) comedy, Workin’ Moms, Read is Bianca, and she says it’s the role she gets recognized for. “That’s a fun world to play in, as well. The humor and the comedy on that show is my cup of tea. Catherine Reitman is amazing, writing and wearing so many hats and pulling it together,” she says.
“I get stopped in the street with people just recognizing me who really want to tell me how much they love the show. Because of COVID and the [production] bubble shooting SurrealEstate, I wasn’t able to leave St. John’s to shoot last season in Toronto so they had me do my scenes over FaceTime calls. That was kind of wild and unique to this time, and they trusted me with my own hair and wardrobe and photography.”
SurrealEstate’s next episode turns Pippi Longstocking on her head with a demon masquerading as a pigtailed little girl in a red gingham dress and mary janes. “The Harvey” is The Roman Agency’s nickname for the boogedy thing that’s been jumping from family to family as a not-so-imaginary friend to young children because it really doesn’t like its own company.
While Susan gets her first taste of why there are rules in the first place, Luke’s attention is drawn back to Megan and her house. It’s another fun hour, premiering Friday at 10 pm/9c Syfy in the US, or streaming now on syfy.com or YouTube, where you can also catch last week’s premiere. The new episode airs on CTV Sci-Fi in Canada alongside the Syfy linear premiere, at 10 pm/9c.
[Updated 10/8/21: The entire first season of SurrealEstate is now streaming on Syfy and fuboTV in the US and CTV Sci-Fi and Crave in Canada.]
Photos and Video Courtesy of Syfy.
Heather M
Related posts
Classics
Alison Sweeney Talks About What’s Next for Hannah and Mike After Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
[Warning: Spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder.] Everybody OK after that Hannah Swensen Mystery twist? Thankfully, our favorite crime-solving couple is still on speaking term, even if they’re on a break (hopefully not that kind of break). Most importantly, we already know this isn’t the last film in the series. No…
Counting Down to From Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] We’re just shy of two weeks away from Season 2 of last spring’s obsession, From, which premieres at 9 pm/8c, Sunday, April 23rd, on MGM+ (formerly EPIX). If you never picked it up last year, now’s your chance, and you can do it for free, catching…
Thank Me Later: Will Trent
[Warning: spoilers ahead.] I’m on record as loving and losing shows over at ABC so I’m usually very reticent to pick something up on the network until it’s been renewed, and I seriously hope I’m not jinxing it, but I took a chance on the deeply odd and very sweet…
Dennis Heaton Talks The Imperfects
Longtime readers at TV Goodness will know that Motive is one of my ride-or-die series, and as such, I am fiercely loyal to its creator, Dennis Heaton. He followed up that fantastic reverse procedural with Netflix’s The Order and is back on our streaming screens with The Imperfects, which dropped…
Kelly McCormack Talks Favorite Moments in A League of Their Own
[Warning: Mild spoilers for season 1.] Now that you’ve had a chance to watch A League of Their Own, here’s the rest of my chat with Kelly McCormack about her favorite moments of the season. Seeing the iconic Peaches uniforms for the first time wasn’t just a goosebump moment for…
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People [streaming on Global TV in Canada and Roku…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…