After months of clever teases about a mysterious new diet plan called the Santa Clarita Diet, SCV residents are buzzing about the Netflix original television show’s shocking cannibalistic plot twist.

Hollywood celebs Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star as Sheila and Joel Hammond, highschool sweethearts who work as real estate agents in Santa Clarita. But when Sheila suddenly starts thirsting for human blood, the couple enters a hilariously dark new world.  

“It has a slightly different twist to it,” said Victor Fresco, the show’s creator, executive producer and showrunner, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “One day, Sheila … wakes up and she has acquired a taste for human flesh, and we find out that she is undead.”

Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond. Photo courtesy of SantaClaritaDiet.com.

While some may be quick to label “Santa Clarita Diet” a zombie comedy, Fresco revealed that the creative minds behind the show definitely don’t view it that way.

“I think the word ‘zombie’ is derogatory, so we don’t use it,” he explained. “It sounds so negative, doesn’t it? ‘Zombie.’ So we just call her undead, or livingly challenged, perhaps.”

Related: “Santa Clarita Diet” To Blend Suburbs, Humor, Gore On Netflix

When Barrymore’s character isn’t scavenging the Santa Clarita Valley for people to eat, she and her husband are attempting to hold their relationship together as they start a strange new chapter of their lives.

Fresco noted he was interested in exploring the dynamics of a long-term relationship when one person has changed dramatically, adding that this is something Sheila and Joel will “struggle” with throughout the season.

“They’ve been together for 25 years — one of them is going through a ‘small’ change, but their love is unconditional,” he said. “So from Joel, or Tim Olyphant’s perspective, how do you keep a relationship going when it’s going off the rails?”

Another comedic theme viewers can expect from “Santa Clarita Diet” is Sheila’s seemingly unquenchable appetite, and how far she’ll go to satisfy her cravings.

“(The) undead are the ultimate narcissists — they just want what they want, whenever they want it, and I thought that was kind of a funny way into a character,” Fresco said. “She’s all about getting what she wants, but how does she do that while staying in a relationship?”  

When asked why Fresco chose Santa Clarita for the setting of the show, he noted that he grew up in the valley, and envisioned creating a contrast between what he called the “planned sweetness” of the Santa Clarita Valley with the “craziness” of the show’s dark plot.

“It’s very pretty and kind of idyllic when you go through those (SCV) neighborhoods,” he explained. “I like the idea of that juxtaposed to the chaos that’s in the Hammond’s world … when one of them starts killing people.”

Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond. Photo courtesy of SantaClaritaDiet.com.

Local viewers may recognize different areas around town where the show was filmed, including a comic book store in Newhall and drug stores, bars and parking lots within a few miles of the Santa Clarita Studios on Anza Drive.

Fresco recalled a number of crew members playfully questioning his decision to set the show in Santa Clarita after spending all day in the SCV’s sweltering summer heat.

“It was 103 degrees every day,” he said with a chuckle. “We shot outside, we shot a lot of exteriors, and (the) crew would say, ‘Why couldn’t you have called it the Santa Monica Diet? It’s so blazingly hot out here.’”

Despite the heat, Fresco stands by his decision to keep “Santa Clarita Diet” as authentic as possible, and is already looking toward the possibility of filming a second season in the SCV.

“I really enjoyed working out there,” he said, “and I hope to be back the second season.”

Season one of “Santa Clarita Diet” is set to launch on Netflix on Friday, Feb. 3.