Despite occasional crossovers, movie actors and TV actors were once separate groups. However, this is no longer the case, and many fantasy TV shows have an A-list cast more often seen in Hollywood movies. The most famous of these might be Game of Thrones, but Penny Dreadful‘s A-list cast helps the show to shine as a fantasy TV series better than most blockbuster movies.
Penny Dreadful Is The Perfect Show For Horror Fans
The dark and mysterious atmosphere of Victorian London is the perfect setting for any TV show with a mystery element, from Sherlock Holmes to the newer dark fantasy, Carnival Row, which is set in a fictional city reminiscent of London at its spookiest. With its setting alone, Penny Dreadful is set up to be an aesthetically distinctive and interesting fantasy series.
The fantasy show is clearly a masterpiece within the first ten minutes, instantly immersing viewers into the scene and introducing the main characters through a seance that borders on psychological horror. Even with its sense of unease amid candlelit streets and dark alleys, Penny Dreadful also evokes a sense of familiarity, as we already know many of the characters.
The title refers to a series of 19th century British horror stories known as “penny dreadfuls.”
While some are original creations for the show, Penny Dreadful is full of book and movie references, as so many of the main characters are based on horror icons. The series puts its own interpretation on characters like Victor Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and Count Dracula, and while this approach was used in the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Penny Dreadful executes it better.
Penny Dreadful Is The Closest We Have To A Universal Monsters Show
As the most well-known characters in Penny Dreadful are in the public domain, this allows writers and directors to reinterpret them in exciting ways. While the show is not connected to Universal, the show essentially functions as a modern reimagining of the classic Universal Monsters universe, putting a new spin on some of the most iconic horror characters.
Penny Dreadful features many monsters, but they are not always the characters that you would expect. For example, Frankenstein’s Creature is rightfully angry and vengeful in the original story, but Penny Dreadful casts him as a poetry lover with a deep emotional core. His creator is a traumatized addict with good intentions rather than an overzealous and reckless scientist.
A Universal Monsters TV series could be fascinating, and while some projects have come close to the idea, few have been as good as Penny Dreadful. Wednesday explores some of the familiar creatures in the Universal world and the Hotel Transylvania movies put a family-friendly spin on them, but Penny Dreadful emphasizes the horror tone while giving viewers some unexpected twists.
Why Penny Dreadful Only Lasted 3 Seasons
Of all the great fantasy TV shows that deserved more seasons, Penny Dreadful is one of the best. However, unlike many shows that have been canceled before their time, Penny Dreadful was always written with a three-season story arc. As the third season involves the death of a main character, a fourth season would have taken a new direction, which might not have pleased everyone.
The final season ends in a tragic way that works within its dark fantasy tone, allowing Penny Dreadful to finish on a high note rather than decline in quality over too many seasons. Rather than return for a fourth season, creator John Logan told Deadline that “I think this is the right ending so for me to revisit that world again would seem inorganic.”
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Penny Dreadful seasons and Rotten Tomatoes ratings |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Season |
Year |
Episodes |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Rating |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating |
|
1 |
2014 |
8 |
81% |
90% |
|
2 |
2015 |
10 |
100% |
93% |
|
3 |
2016 |
9 |
94% |
86% |
Fans wanting to see more Penny Dreadful had one short chance with the 2018 spinoff, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, which was set in Los Angeles. However, the show’s gritty new tone and different setting was not popular and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was canceled after one season, leaving Penny Dreadful as the best dark fantasy TV show for horror fans.
Source: Deadline
