Next month, the spooky mystery series “Yaga” heads to television screens, bringing together Canadian acting royalty the likes of Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid and newcomer Hudson Williams. 

The show has gotten lots of hype—particularly among Williams’ “Heated Rivalry” fans, known as Loons—so we figured it’s time to take a closer look at the series and what it’s all about. First up, let’s set the scene with the trailer:

The title

“Yaga” refers to the Slavic folklore character known as Baba Yaga. Over the centuries and across countless tales, Baba Yaga has taken on numerous forms and acts as both good and evil depending on the story. She’s something like a witch, living deep in the woods, often in a hut that can move on chicken legs. 

While slightly less common in North American and Western European culture, she has shown up in some pop culture you might be familiar with, including a couple episodes of “Scooby-Doo” and as an inspiration for Yubaba in the anime film “Spirited Away.” A version of the character also appears in Season 2 of “The Witcher” as Voleth Meir. 

The story

“Yaga” is an adaptation of a 2019 play of the same name by playwright Kat Sandler. It tells the story of a young man from a prominent British Columbia family who has gone missing. Local law enforcement team up with a private detective to find the missing man. 

So what does that have to do with Baba Yaga? That’s what the investigators are trying to figure out. How is the lore behind this Slavic witch entangled with their mysterious missing man and a whole host of unusual suspects and sources?

The cast

• Noah Reid plays Rapp, a private investigator hired by the wealthy Park family to investigate the disappearance of the heir to the commercial fishery in British Columbia, Canada. Reid had a breakout role in “Schitt’s Creek” and recently appeared as a band member in “The Vampire Lestat.” He’s next joining the cast of CBS’ “Sheriff Country.”
• Hudson Williams plays two roles in the series. He’s the missing young heir, Henry Park, as well as a lookalike character, Logan, who isn’t in the original play the TV series is based upon. Best known as Shane from “Heated Rivalry,” he’s currently filming Season 2 of the hockey romance and will next be seen opposite Dylan O’Brien in “Apparatus.”
• Carrie-Anne Moss is Katherine, a university professor described by the series as having “a taste for younger men.” She can be seen kissing one of Williams’ characters in the trailer. The beloved Trinity from the “Matrix” franchise, Moss will also be reuniting with Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”) in the upcoming horror “Claire.”
• Clark Backo plays Carson, a local detective involved in the investigation. She had a long-running role in “Letterkenny” and will join forces with Reid again in the mystery series “Murder in a Small Town.”
• Patrick Gilmore is Eckert, also a law enforcement officer. He plays a teacher, Mr. Anderson, on “School Spirits,” and will also be in an episode of “Murder in a Small Town.”
• Sheila McCarthy stars as Olena Yaha, a local woman originally from Ukraine. She’s giving witchy vibes, herself, at the end of the trailer as she whispers the name “Baba Yaga.” She recently appeared in “The Umbrella Academy” and “The Miniature Wife.”
• Other cast members include Ezra Franky, Megan Follows (“Anne of Green Gables!”), Katharine Isabelle, Hiro Kanagawa, Emilija Baranac, Georgia Acken, Anisa Harris and Sam Krochmal. 

Behind the scenes

• Kat Sandler wrote the 2019 play “Yaga” is based upon. She’s also serving as creator, showrunner, writer and executive producer on the series. Most of her background is in theater, but she also was a writer on “Kim’s Convenience.”
• David Frazee is one of the show’s co-directors. He also directed episodes of “Snowpiercer” and “Lucifer.”
• Rachel Talalay is also a co-director. She directed the film “Tank Girl” and episodes of “Good Omens” and “Riverdale.”

How to watch

The eight-episode “Yaga” premieres Oct. 23 on AMC+ (streaming only) in the United States and on Crave in Canada. A new 30-minute episode will drop each Friday, with a two-episode finale on Nov. 27. On the same day, “Yaga: The Official Podcast” will debut with behind-the-scenes exclusives and a deeper dive on each episode. 

About the writer

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. She loves good folklore so expect to see more from her about “Yaga” and the Baba Yaga legend.