When it comes to creating shared universes, Marvel Studios will forever hold the crown and inspire many others to have a go at successfully bringing together characters from different stories into the same shared space. Some have briefly managed to emulate the mighty Marvel machine but the majority have failed over and over again. Universal’s attempts to kick start their own “Dark Universe” project with Tom Cruise’s The Mummywould have brought several classic Universal Monsters together across multiple movies, but the financial and critical disappointment of that 2015 blockbuster ended the idea before it was really given life. However, around the same time, a Showtime TV series was already turning several pieces of Gothic literature into a chilling show that delivered three near-perfect seasons before being canceled. Now, Penny Dreadful had reawakened and is a streaming hit all over again a decade after its original run ended.
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Penny Dreadful, which takes its name from cheap Victorian horror fiction magazines, was created by acclaimed writer John Logan and executive producer Sam Mendes. The behind the scenes quality showed in the stylish assembly of pieces from the best known 19th century ghoulish fiction into one monster mash that seamlessly brought together characters such as Frankenstein and his Creature, Dorian Gray, Henry Jekyll, and several characters from Dracula, alongside original characters with just a hint of the familiar about them. The ensemble cast ranged from movie veterans such as Timothy Dalton, Patti LuPone and Helen McCrory to acclaimed stars including Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Rory Kinnear and Billy Piper. In short, the quality of the writing was carried through to the performances by some of the most accomplished acting talent around. Across three seasons and 27 episodes, Penny Dreadful succeeded in building a gothic shared universe that many fans believed deserved more episodes than it received.
Penny Dreadful Delivered What Others Couldn’t
Unlike many TV shows, especially in today’s world of endless streaming options, Penny Dreadfulwas not canceled as result of budget worries, flagging viewership, or misguided studio interference. After three seasons, which told a linear and complete story of Green’s character Vanessa Ives and her battle with evil forces to keep her soul, creator Logan had told the story he set out to tell. In several interviews following the conclusion of the series, Logan clarified that the tale was always about Vanessa and her struggles against the dark forces that looked to consume her, and once that story was done, so was the show. However, in 2020, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels attempted to piggyback the original series’ success with a tale set in the 1930s and focusing on Mexican/American folklore, but was canceled after just one season having not been able to live up to the name despite having Logan on board.
As Halloween approaches,Penny Dreadful is exactly the kind of binge-watch that horror fans are looking for right now, and at just 27 episodes long, it does not have the same commitment level required of long-running shows with dozens or even hundreds of episodes. Currently being held off the top spot on Apple Store’s TV chart by the ever-popular Bruce Campbell vehicle Ash vs. Evil Dead, Penny Dreadful is not a show for the prudish or the feint of heart as it skews from eroticism to outright nightmarish gore, but for anyone wanting to see what a Gothic shared universe of characters from literature should look like, then it is the best dark fantasy shows you are going to find. The 81% Rotten Tomatoes score of the show’s first season does not do it justice, but the perfect second season and worthy closer put it among one of the best ways to spend a few nights this October.
Is Penny Dreadful an overlooked masterpiece of how to build a shared universe of unrelated characters? Let us know in the comments.
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