The jury’s still out on Showtime’s upcoming original series, Penny Dreadful, which has already been put in the unsavory position of going up against major hits like Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Veep and Silicon Valley. The cast, which includes Eva Green, Josh Hartnett and Timothy Dalton, is superb, but it’s unclear whether the horror series will debut with enough narrative force to make much of an impression.
Unfortunately, fears that producer Sam Mendes is aiming for style over substance with Penny Dreadful won’t be allayed with the latest trailer, which features ominous voice-over, some creepy shots of the main cast… and little else. Check it out below:
“No matter what secrets you possess, no matter what fears you hold, no matter what darkness you hide, no matter how monstrous your dreams, no matter what hungers you feed… there are others, just like you,” various characters whisper throughout the preview. A creepy, if empty, message – but that’s perfectly acceptable for a teaser like this.
Eva Green’s starring role is the main reason I’ll be checking out Penny Dreadful when it lands next month, but will that be enough for the general viewing public to give the show a chance? Regardless of whether audiences flock to it or not, you certainly can’t fault Penny Dreadful for ambition.
Green stars as Vanessa Ives, a mysterious woman who hunts monstrous creatures throughout Victorian London. When American gunslinger Ethan (Hartnett) rolls into town, the two join forces to combat such adversaries as Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster. Dorian Gray, Van Helsing and a host of other famed literary characters feature into the show, which also stars Billie Piper, Rory Kinnear and Helen McCrory.
If it succeeds in blending the sexy with the supernatural, Penny Dreadful could be the guilty pleasure television event of the year. But whether it will be able to muster enough story to support its characters and striking appearance is still a huge, unanswered question.
Penny Dreadful premieres on Showtime (and its online service, Showtime Anytime) on Sunday, May 11th, at 10 p.m.