Before the ‘Wicked’ Movie, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Became an Epic Steampunk Miniseries

Wicked has soared into theaters to enchant new viewers and the long-time fans of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz and the Broadway musical, but it’s far from the only retelling. You don’t have to ask the great and powerful Wizard to find out about one of the many adaptations. On the SYFY Channel, home to original shows like the horror anthology Channel Zero and the quirky dramedy Eureka, the network aired the miniseries Tin Man in 2007. Unlike the simple narrative of the 1939 film, Tin Man created new mythology with steampunk and dark fantasy elements for a unique spin on iconic characters.

What Is ‘Tin Man’ About?

The 2007 miniseries begins in a place most adaptations do: Kansas. A young woman named DG (Zooey Deschanel) is living an unfulfilling life in the Sunflower State, working at a diner she is always late to, and living with parents who don’t understand their daughter’s feelings. Little does DG know what is missing in her life is about to arrive. One night, a tornado suddenly thrusts the Kansas outsider into the O.Z. (the Outer Zone), a realm that has been put under the rule of dark sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson).

Wicked might be the current retelling that leaves behind the wickedness of the Witch of the West and reveals her to be an ostracized loner, but Tin Man is another Oz adventure that changes the story. Toto is a dog with a secret, the wicked witch isn’t green, and rather than find a way back home, DG goes on a grand quest to save the O.Z. in a modern update that reshapes The Wizard of Oz for a new generation. The characters might be unfamiliar faces, but they are just as colorful, in large part due to the actors cast in the roles.

‘Tin Man’ Updates the Story of ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Zooey Deschanel as DG brings the restlessness of Dorothy Gale, but DG is fairly quickly removed from Judy Garland’s misplaced farm girl. Deschanel is older, she wears a leather jacket, and she discovers she is the “chosen one” who can reclaim the dystopia that has befallen the O.Z. But her memories of the place have faded, allowing her to be an audience surrogate. Overseeing the efforts to stop DG is Azkadellia, a beautiful and demented new Wicked Witch, played by Robertson. She is an elegant, cruel oppressor, dressed in armor-like dresses. For one of the most creative additions, she beckons a group of “mobats,” loyal bat-winged monkeys, from the tattoos along her chest. Even with the sorceress putting a target on her back, DG manages to ally herself with outcasts inspired by Dorothy Gale’s classic friends.

Raoul Trujillo is Raw, an animal-man hybrid with telepathic abilities who isn’t as cowardly as a certain lion. Neal McDonough is Wyatt Cain, an ex-Tin Man, the name of a police unit, who has no heart due to the pain of a family tragedy. Richard Dreyfuss is the Mystic Man, high on addictive vapors but with deep knowledge. The first ally DG makes is by far the most fascinating though. Alan Cumming’s take on the Scarecrow sees him play Glitch, whose brain has been removed as punishment. Cumming proves again why he’s an underrated character actor from the small details in his performance, like the nervous reactions you can notice in the background, and the big details, like when Glitch surprises everyone by showing himself to be an expert in hand-to-hand combat.

Whether following the “old brick road,” or stepping off the path, Tin Man never becomes as bleak as Return to Oz. The steampunk inspiration of the miniseries helps, and it isn’t too unusual for the sci-fi subgenre to enter Oz – Wicked includes a beautiful clockwork-powered locomotive. In Tin Man, the most lavish use of steampunk can be seen in Akadellia’s castle, where alchemists have constructed a Doomsday machine. Elsewhere, there is no sparkling Emerald City, instead, Central City is a seedy metropolis with retro aesthetics. The miniseries can’t beat the inventive special effects put into the 1939 film, like the famous twister, but no one can deny the creativity, even when some of the dialogue or the massive CGI set pieces in Tin Man can be cheesy.

The Steampunk-Inspired Land of Oz Is Still Full of Magic in ‘Tin Man’

A stirring orchestral score captures the adventurous tone as DG and her new friends travel to various spots around the O.Z. to find the Emerald, a magical object that could save the realm or destroy it. They journey into the corruption of Central City, over to snowy mountains surrounding a frozen palace, and have their final showdown under the double solar eclipse. The O.Z. is brimming with references to the 1939 film and Baum’s 1900 novel, while putting a unique twist on it all. The 2007 miniseries became the channel’s most successful program in the ratings with 6.3 million viewers tuning in on the first night.

It even started a trend where SYFY adapted childhood favorites, like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, into a reinvented miniseries. Two vastly different versions exist: the official three-part saga can be watched on Prime Video, while two episodes are available on Peacock that have trimmed scenes, including a major storyline for Cain. On the big screen, Wicked might be the current iteration that will bring new fans to the land of Oz, but Tin Man is a retelling for the small screen that finds new ways to update L. Frank Baum’s novel and the 1939 musical for modern audiences.

Tin Man is streaming on Prime Video.

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