Penny Dreadful (2014 series)
Summary
"There is some thing within us all." In this sex-and-violence-fueled Gothic soap-opera monster-mash, explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, scientist Victor Frankenstein and medium Vanessa Ives unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London.
Details
- Release Date: 2014-2016
- Country/Language: UK/Ireland/US, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror (gothic horror), Fantasy, Science Fiction, Drama (gothic soap opera)
- Runtime: (generally formatted for a 1-hour cable television slot)
- Starring: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, etc.
- Creator: John Logan
- Producer/Production Co: Desert Wolf Productions, Neal Street Productions, Showtime
- View Trailer: (link), (link)
- Film Website: (link)
- TVTropes: (link)
- IMDB Page: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: TV-MA (strong Violence, Profanity, Adult Content, Nudity, Sexual Situations, etc.)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- S____ (One Tentacle: Debateably Lovecraftian; has almost no direct connection to Lovecraft's work)
Not explicitly "Lovecraftian", but it is based on many of Lovecraft's Gothic influences; the vampire-mummies with chitinous shells covered in tattoos in an eldritch language, seen in early episodes, do suggest at least a short-lived pulp (if not "Lovecraftian") influence over the series.
Described by another viewer as "not explicitly Lovecraftian, but is well-done and provides excellent imagery for Gaslight era horror."
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- (review needed)
Synopsis
Many people are familiar with classic literary characters like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray; Penny Dreadful brings those and other characters into a new light by exploring their origin stories in this psychological thriller that takes place in the dark corners of Victorian London. Sir Malcolm is an explorer who has lost his daughter to the city's creatures, and he will do whatever is needed to get her back and to right past wrongs. His accomplice, seductive clairvoyant Vanessa Ives, recruits charming American Ethan Chandler to help locate Sir Malcolm's daughter and slay some monsters.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- fiction: Dracula, "Lot 249", "Lair of the White Worm", "Carmilla", Frankenstein, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Grey, etc.
- setting: Gaslight
- race: Vampires, Liches, Mummies
- race: Witches
- race: Human Cultists
