You may need to return to the library for your Victorian literary fix as Penny Dreadful — the cult Gothic horror series — leaves Netflix’s catalog tomorrow on September 16th.
Set in 19th century London, Penny Dreadful incorporates fictional characters from Gothic literature ranging from Dorian Gray to Victor Frankenstein to create the ultimate psychological thriller. The show’s three seasons, which premiered consecutively from 2014-16, were critically acclaimed and have remained a hit with fans of the horror genre for the past 7 years.
Among the notable cast is Reeve Carney. Fresh off of playing the lead in Broadway’s Spider-Man musical, Carney took the role of Oscar Wilde’s soulless Dorian Gray in the series. He would later go back to Broadway to play the immortal lead of the hit musical Hadestown shortly after season three ended.
A 2020 spinoff series, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, is set half a century later in London and borrows instead from Mexican-American folklore.
It might seem like Netflix has lost some big titles in the past few years. Today is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s last day on the service, while Star Trek and the Karate Kid series’ will be leaving at the end of the month. But between classic and original series, Netflix’s catalog continues to grow. For horror fans, all four Jaws movies will be added to the platform tomorrow. And this month also sees a new Pokemon series, My Little Pony: A New Generation, a new season of Sex Education, Nailed It, and much more.
As for Penny Dreadful fans, the series will still be available on Showtime’s streaming service, Showtime Anytime.