Demons (TV series)

Last updated

Demons
GenreSupernatural drama
Horror Action
Created byJohnny Capps [1]
Julian Murphy [1]
Written byPeter Tabern [2]
Howard Overman [2]
Lucy Watkins [2]
Starring Philip Glenister
Christian Cooke
Holliday Grainger
Zoë Tapper
Saskia Wickham
Opening theme Starlight Mints – Eyes of the Night
ComposerJack C Arnold
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time44 mins (exc. adverts)
Production company Shine TV
Original release
Network ITV
Release3 January (2009-01-03) 
7 February 2009 (2009-02-07)

Demons is a British six-part supernatural drama TV series produced by Shine TV, which premiered on ITV on 3 January 2009. [3] It was produced by the same company that made the Sky One supernatural drama Hex and the BBC One fantasy series Merlin . The DVD of the only series made was released on 6 April 2009.

Contents

Overview

The plot follows the adventures of a London teenager Luke Rutherford, who learns that he is the last descendant of the Van Helsing line by the sudden arrival of his American godfather Rupert Galvin. Luke is charged with the role of smiting the gathering dark forces of the world whilst trying to live an ordinary life of exams and parties. [4] Rupert Galvin helps train Luke with the assistance of Mina Harker, a blind vampiric concert pianist and authority on half-lives (i.e., vampires, demons, zombies, and werewolves). Luke's best friend Ruby also joins in on the action. [5]

Cast and characters

Notable demons

Episodes

#TitleDirectorWriterGuest castOriginal air dateRatings (millions) [7]
1"They Bite" Tom Harper Peter Tabern Mackenzie Crook, Thomas Arnold, Cloudia Swann3 January 2009 (2009-01-03)6.27
Luke Rutherford is an average teenager – until his dead father's best friend, Rupert Galvin, enters his life, and a small hideous creature attacks him. Galvin has come to tell Luke that he is the great-grandson of the legendary Abraham Van Helsing. Luke's destiny is to fight against the supernatural entities swarming the earth after he fights a small demon. But half-life Gladiolus Thrip (Mackenzie Crook) has discovered Luke's secret as well. He kidnaps Ruby, imprisoning her in a tomb and gagging her with duct tape, before his apparent destruction.
2"The Whole Enchilada" Tom Harper Peter Tabern Richard Wilson, Tyler Anthony10 January 2009 (2009-01-10)5.58
Galvin thinks that a girl's disappearance is down to the ancient demon, Gilgamel, a fear confirmed by the priest Father Simeon (Richard Wilson). Gilgamel feasts on innocent souls, whilst masquerading as an angel. As more and more children disappear at the hands of the demon, which is impersonating the first girl who was taken, including Ruby's younger brother, Galvin and Luke decide to summon the demon in order to defeat it. Using a magic sword he defeats the demon just before it feasts.
3"Saving Grace"Matthew EvansLucy Watkins Kevin McNally, Laura Pyper, Calvin Dean (II) 17 January 2009 (2009-01-17)4.81
The return of Galvin's wife's murderer, Tobias Tibbs (Kevin McNally), a half-life who likes to experiment on humans, sets the vampire hunter on a path of vengeance. This leads to Galvin breaking into Tibbs' lair and having to be rescued from a group of half-lives. Thirst for revenge still not quenched, he and Luke find themselves walking into a trap. Ruby finds herself in a race against time to defuse a bomb placed in the Stacks by Tibbs due to a woman he was experimenting on letting him into the Vault, and with the help of Mina, must find Luke and Galvin before they succumb to a watery fate.
4"Suckers" Tom Harper Lucy Watkins Ciarán McMenamin, Katrine de Candole, Peter G Reed, Eileen Essell [8] 24 January 2009 (2009-01-24)4.22
Bad boy vampire Quincey (Ciarán McMenamin) is on the scene and causing havoc around London with his band of half-life misfits. Galvin and Luke must stop him, but there is more to Quincey than meets the eye. Luke discovers that Mina is a vampire, and that Quincey is in fact her own son, who she made a vampire to cure him of a deadly disease in the 1800s. Finally she drinks blood, enabling her to briefly see and kill Quincey.
5"Smitten"Matthew EvansHoward Overman Laura Aikman, Sara Stewart, Michael Walter [9] 31 January 2009 (2009-01-31)4.04
A strange murder in the capital raises fears for Luke's safety, providing him with the opportunity to lie low and taste the life of an ordinary teenager. However, alarm bells ring when Galvin and Ruby suspect the adolescent's new love interest is an entity that can take the form of a female to stalk its prey, and she wants revenge for the death of her two sisters. Luke refuses to believe them, and tells Galvin that he should not let his feelings waiver his judgement just because his wife was killed by a half-life. However, the tables turn and Luke spots Alice hiding a body in her apartment. Confronting her as well as Galvin and the rest of the team, they defeat the harpy.
6"Nothing Like Nebraska"Matthew EvansPeter TabernMackenzie Crook, Richard Wilson, Pauline McLynn, Thomas Arnold7 February 2009 (2009-02-07)3.42 (overnight) [10]
Luke becomes haunted by dreams about the car crash that killed his father and Galvin's connection to it. A visit to a psychic convinces him his godfather is not the man he seems and, with Gladiolus Thrip back on the scene and showing an unhealthy interest in Luke's past, even giving him a gun, the vampire-fighting duo look set to be torn apart. Finally it is revealed that Luke's father was going to hand him over to the half-lives after he began to sympathise with them, but the car crash stopped him just as he was driving to meet them. Mina again drinks blood, increasing her speed and giving her her eyesight, she reveals Thrip is a vampire and kills him.

Reception

Demons debuted on ITV with 6.27 million viewers. [7] Episode 1 received mixed reviews. Andrew Billen gave the show 4 stars in The Times stating that whilst it had similarities with other previous TV series, the producers "certainly know how to steal with panache." [11] Sarah Dempster wrote in The Guardian that "The action is snappy and Philip Glenister (as ace vampire smiter Rupert Galvin) sizzles like a hot steak in his Milk Tray turtleneck, but this is thin soup for an audience weaned on the otherworldly warmth of Doctor Who and Buffy the Vampire Slayer " [12] Charlie Brooker described the premiere episode as "a string of cutscenes from a quirky gothic videogame", stating that he was, "genuinely not sure if ITV are wheeling it out as a hit or sneaking it out as a clunker." [13] Meanwhile, Kim Newman wrote in The Times that: "Demons is a show I'd really like to like, but it needs to free itself from the templates it's adopted to develop its own personality. The elements that intrigue all come from Stoker's still-influential novel, while the encrustations derive from more recent glosses on the great Van Helsing tradition." [14] Kevin O'Sullivan gave Demons a more positive review describing it as, "diabolically daft...and wonderfully watchable." [15] The second episode saw a drop in the viewing figures, achieving 5.58 million, and ratings continued to fall, plunging to 4.22 for the fourth episode and 4.04 for the fifth.

Philip Glenister's American accent has raised questions as to why he chose that voice for the series, with speculation forming that it was to distance himself from his Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes character, Gene Hunt. [16] Speaking at the Ashes to Ashes press launch Glenister said that: "[Rupert] was written as a Texan originally and I thought bollocks to that – I'm not playing a Texan. They said I could play him as English, but I wanted to have the challenge of playing an American." [17]

Demons premiered in the United States on 2 January 2010, on BBC America, [18] airing at 9:00 pm ET/PT. [19]

On 19 June 2009 ITV confirmed it would not be making a second series of Demons. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Bram Stokers Dracula</i> (1992 film) Film directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Bram Stoker's Dracula is a 1992 American vampire horror film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by James V. Hart, based on the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. The film stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Billy Campbell, Sadie Frost, and Tom Waits. Set in 19th-century England and Romania, it follows the titular vampire (Oldman), who falls in love with Mina Murray (Ryder), the fiancée of his solicitor Jonathan Harker (Reeves). When Dracula begins terrorizing Mina's friends, Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Hopkins), an expert in vampirism, is summoned to bring an end to his reign of terror. Its closing credits theme "Love Song for a Vampire", is written and performed by Annie Lennox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Van Helsing</span> Fictional character created by Bram Stoker

Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "MD, D.Ph., D.Litt., etc.", indicating a wealth of experience, education and expertise. He is a doctor, professor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and metaphysician. The character is best known through many adaptations of the story as a vampire slayer, monster hunter and the arch-nemesis of Count Dracula, and the prototypical and the archetypical parapsychologist in subsequent works of paranormal fiction. Some later works tell new stories about Van Helsing, while others, such as Dracula (2020) and I Woke Up a Vampire (2023) have characters that are his descendants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renfield</span> Fictional character from Bram Stokers Dracula

R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. He is Count Dracula's deranged, fanatically devoted servant and familiar, helping him in his plan to turn Mina Harker into a vampire in return for a continuous supply of insects to consume and the promise of immortality. Throughout the novel, he resides in an asylum, where he is treated by Dr. John Seward.

<i>Dracula: Dead and Loving It</i> 1995 film

Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Leslie Nielsen. It is a spoof of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and of some of the story's well-known adaptations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mina Harker</span> Fictional character

Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincey Morris</span> Fictional character created by Bram Stoker

Quincey P. Morris is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel Dracula.

Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. The 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, she is Mina Murray's best friend. Early in the story, Lucy gets proposed to by three suitors, Arthur Holmwood, John Seward, and Quincey Morris, on the same day. Turning the latter two down due to already being in love with Arthur, she accepts his proposal. Before getting the chance to marry, Lucy becomes Count Dracula's first English victim, and despite Seward contacting Abraham Van Helsing for help, she transforms into a vampire. Following her return as a vampire and attacks on children—dubbed the "Bloofer Lady" by them—she is eventually cornered into her crypt by Van Helsing and her suitors who destroy her, putting her soul to rest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Glenister</span> British actor (born 1963)

Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor. He is known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series Life on Mars (2006–2007) and its sequel Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010). He also played DCI William Bell in State of Play (2003) and Reverend Anderson in Outcast (2016–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Harker</span> Fictional character created by Bram Stoker

Jonathan Harker is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. An English solicitor, his journey to Transylvania and encounter with the vampire Count Dracula and his Brides at Castle Dracula constitutes the dramatic opening scenes in the novel and most of the film adaptations.

<i>Count Dracula</i> (1970 film) 1970 film

Count Dracula is a 1970 gothic horror film directed by Jesús Franco, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. It stars Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom and Klaus Kinski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Seward</span> Fictional character appearing in Bram Stokers Dracula

John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Holmwood</span> Character in Bram Stokers novel Dracula

Arthur "Art" Holmwood is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.

"Dracula" is a video-taped television play adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, part of the series Mystery and Imagination. Denholm Elliott played Count Dracula with Susan George as Lucy Weston.

<i>Count Dracula</i> (1977 film) 1977 British film

Count Dracula is a British television adaptation of the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Produced by the BBC, it first aired on BBC 2 on 22 December 1977. It is among the more faithful of the many adaptations of the original book. Directed by Philip Saville from a screenplay by Gerald Savory, it stars Louis Jourdan as Count Dracula and Frank Finlay as Professor Van Helsing.

<i>Bram Stokers Dracula</i> (1974 film) 1973 television movie directed by Dan Curtis

Dracula, also known as Bram Stoker's Dracula and Dan Curtis' Dracula, is a 1974 British made-for-television gothic horror film and adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. It was written by Richard Matheson and directed by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis, with Jack Palance in the title role. It was the second collaboration for Curtis and Palance after the 1968 TV film The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Dracula in popular culture</span>

The character of Count Dracula from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, has remained popular over the years, and many forms of media have adopted the character in various forms. In their book Dracula in Visual Media, authors John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan S. Picart declared that no other horror character or vampire has been emulated more times than Count Dracula. Most variations of Dracula across film, comics, television and documentaries predominantly explore the character of Dracula as he was first portrayed in film, with only a few adapting Stoker's original narrative more closely. These including borrowing the look of Count Dracula in both the Universal's series of Dracula and Hammer's series of Dracula, including include the characters clothing, mannerisms, physical features hair style and his motivations such as wanting to be in a home away from Europe.

<i>Dracula</i> (1924 play) 1924 stage play

Dracula is a stage play written by the Irish actor and playwright Hamilton Deane in 1924, then revised by the American writer John L. Balderston in 1927. It was the first authorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. After touring in England, the original version of the play appeared at London's Little Theatre in July 1927, where it was seen by the American producer Horace Liveright. Liveright asked Balderston to revise the play for a Broadway production that opened at the Fulton Theatre in October 1927. This production starred Bela Lugosi in his first major English-speaking role.

<i>Bloodline</i> (Cary novel) 2005 novel by Kate Cary

Bloodline is a 2005 novel written by Kate Cary. It is an unofficial sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Like the original novel, Bloodline is an epistolary novel written entirely in letters, diary entries and news articles. A sequel titled Bloodline: Reckoning was later released.

Dracula is an adaptation, first published in 1996, by American playwright Steven Dietz of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel by the same name. Though it has never run on Broadway, the author lists it among his most financially successful works, and it is frequently performed near Halloween in regional and community theaters. Closely following the plot of the novel, the play chronicles Count Dracula's journey to England, his stalking of two young women, and his pursuit and eventual defeat by the heroines' suitors and their associates.

<i>Dracula the Un-dead</i> 2009 novel by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt

Dracula the Un-dead is a 2009 sequel to Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel Dracula. The book was written by Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt. Previously, Holt had been a direct-to-DVD horror screenwriter, and Stoker a track and field coach.

References

  1. 1 2 "Demons Panel & Exclusive Preview @ MCM Expo". London MCM Expo. MCM Expo Group. 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "Demons: Brand new drama". stv.tv. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  3. "Coming soon: Demons". ITV. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  4. "Demons – Philip Glenister's Van Helsing Program on ITV". Scifind.co.uk. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  5. Wilkes, Neil (2 December 2008). "2009 TV Preview: Demons". Digital Spy . Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  6. Demons Debut Sets a Record for BBC America
  7. 1 2 Weekly Viewing Summary. See relevant week. BARB.
  8. Demons – Suckers (Season 1 Episode 4) Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine . LocateTV. Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
  9. Demons – Smitten (Season 1 Episode 5) Archived 8 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine . LocateTV. Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
  10. Television – News – 'Demons' ends on a series low. Digital Spy (8 February 2009). Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
  11. Demons; The Antiques Rogue Show; Above Suspicion – Times Online. Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
  12. Sarah Dempster on the weekend's TV | Culture. The Guardian. Retrieved on 13 February 2009.
  13. Brooker, Charlie (3 January 2009). "Charlie Brooker's screen burn". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
  14. Newman, Kim (3 January 2009). "Philip Glenister stars in Demons". The Times . London. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
  15. O'Sullivan, Kevin (4 January 2009). "Demons is daft... but wonderfully watchable". The Mirror . Retrieved 7 January 2009.
  16. Rawson-Jones, Ben (8 January 2009). "'Demons' S01E01: 'They Bite'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  17. "Glenister explains 'Demons' accent choice". Digital Spy. 8 January 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  18. Demons Are Coming From BBC America
  19. "Demons – BBC America". Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  20. Holmwood, Leigh (19 June 2009). "ITV deals killer blow to Demons". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 19 June 2009.