About Penny Dreadful

Penny Dreadful is a British-American TV series, first aired in 2014 and ended in 2016. The show blends together some of history's most famous fictional horror characters, like Dorian Gray, and Dracula, into a dark, Victorian London narrative.

Making / Production

This show was created by John Logan and Sam Mendes. It was shot in Dublin, Ireland. The series has three seasons with 27 episodes in total. The Victorian era set-pieces added to the grim and dark narrative of the show.

Actors

• Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler : Ethan is a brash American gunslinger who hides a darker and supernatural side. Josh handles the character complexities with finesse.
• Eva Green as Vanessa Ives : Vanessa is a mysterious and powerful medium. Eva Green immerses herself completely into the role, showing a range of emotions that keep you on the edge.
• Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm : Sir Malcolm is an explorer who's been to 'the heart of darkness'. Timothy Dalton provides a solid presence throughout the show.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• "Penny Dreadful" refers to a type of horror fiction publication in the 19th century that cost a penny.
• The title sequence was created by the design studio Elastic, who also designed the title sequences for Game of Thrones.
• The show includes many characters from 19th-century Irish and British fiction, like Dorian Gray from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Awards

Eva Green was nominated for a Best Actress in a Drama Series award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards for her role as Vanessa Ives.

Quotes

• "There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things, things which act against everything that we believe in. They must be fought." - Sir Malcolm
• "Will we see a wolf tonight?" - Vanessa Ives
• "There is a place where the malformed find grace, where the hideous can be beautiful, where strangeness is not shunned but celebrated. This place is the theatre." - Dorian Gray

Music, Soundtrack

• "Demimonde" - Main theme song by Abel Korzeniowski
• "The Unquiet Grave" by Douglas J. Cuomo
• "Right Behind You" by Neil Davidge