“There is something within us all.”
Imagine, if you will, the darkest literary creations converging into a series based in Victorian London. Showtime is giving us a glimpse into this thought provoking drama titled ‘Penny Dreadful’ and ScienceFiction.com has the pilot episode for you to watch right here!
The series premiere can also be accessed across multiple platforms including YouTube, the Showtime web site, on demand and a number of television providers as well as for free via “Showtime Anytime” on any computer, Kindle Fire, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Roku and Amazon Fire TV streaming players anywhere in the U.S., on Hulu, and on the Showtime Preview app on Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, Panasonic and Sony.
‘Penny Dreadful’ brings together some of literature’s most iconic figures; Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and familiar names from the Bram Stoker novel Dracula and hopefully, more to come in the future. The potential longevity of the show is clear and with the right production, writers and actors, this series could see a very long run.
I personally cannot wait to see how this plays out, the time period, locations, and characters should make this drama series a sheer joy to see. As to why the series is set in Victorian England, showrunner and executive producer John Logan explained to THR:
“I chose to set the show [in 1891] not because it would be cool visually but because the Victorian era reminds me of right now,” he said. “They were on the cusp of the modern world … grappling with the very elemental question of what it means to be human. I sit down at my computer and I don’t understand any of the new world zooming toward us. We’re on the cusp of the same thing now: There’s frightening dissonance and excitement for unchartered waters. We will pull these characters from where they’re comfortable into unchartered waters, and, to me, that makes good drama.”
‘Penny Dreadful’ stars Josh Hartnett (‘Black Hawk Down’, ’30 Days of Night’), Timothy Dalton (‘Doctor Who’, ‘The Rocketeer’), Eva Green (‘300: Rise of an Empire’, ‘Quantum of Solace’), Reeve Carney (‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 ‘), Rory Kinnear (‘Quantum of Solace’, ‘Skyfall’), Helen McCrory (‘Hugo‘, ‘Harry Potter’), Harry Treadaway, Danny Sapani (‘Misfits’) and Billie Piper (‘Doctor Who‘, ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’).
As a special treat for its subscribers, Showtime will also debut the series’ second episode on “Showtime Anytime” immediately following the series premiere on Sunday, May 11th at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
After watching the premiere episode below, will you be tuning in for more? What are your thoughts on this series and the subject matter?
