TV Show Name:
Penny Dreadful
Year of Release: 2014/2015/2016
Creator: John Logan
Stars: Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, Rory Kinnear, Reeve Carney, Billie Piper, Harry Treadaway, Danny Sapani, Simon Russell Beale, Patti LuPone, Helen McCrory, Sarah Greene, Douglas Hodge, Wes Studi, Samuel Barnett, Jack Hickey, Shazad Latif, Christian Camargo, Jessica Barden, David Haig, Jonny Beauchamp
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
"Penny Dreadful" is a show hailing from the craftsmanship of writer John Logan, who previously wrote Ridley Scott's "Gladiator", Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator" & "Hugo", but also Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" and more recently Sam Mendes' "Skyfall" & "Spectre". "Penny Dreadful" takes place in victorian London, with the action starting in 1891. The show reunites a series of classic monsters, mythological creatures and iconic literary characters, namely The Wolfman, Dracula, Dorian Gray and Frankenstein. The main characters, namely Vanessa Ives, Sir Malcolm Murray, Ethan Chandler, Victor Frankenstein, are united to battle these forces of darkness, with each of them having a specific subplot, which allows for their arcs to be fully developed, and for their backgrounds and relationships to be showcased throughout the show. The first season focuses on the rescue of Sir Malcom's daughter, Mina, whereas the second season goes in the direction of a coven of witches, intent on capturing Vanessa. The menace surrounding Vanessa finally becomes terribly real in the third season, with the appearance of Dracula. If the first season is very focused on introducing the main characters and their sub-plots, as the show evolves, the thread that truly unites the entire narrative becomes more apparent, and the trials of Vanessa become the core focus of the show. It's a show that bears a theatrical aspect to it, feeling at times more like a stage play coming to life, but with the budget, sensuality and violence of a big budget Hollywood film. These two components at times have a somewhat convoluted co-existence, but it's nonetheless a show that is strong when it focuses on its main characters, though throughout the third season, there are subplots that make it lose some momentum. The cast is uniformly good, but Eva Green, Rory Kinnear, Simon Russell Beale and Patti LuPone create indelible characters. The costumes from Academy Award winning Gabriella Pescucci are fantastic, as is the production design and cinematography. A very good show worth watching.
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