Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime)

EoinMcLovin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi2h1Zfr7fs

A spiritual descendant of the original Penny Dreadful story set in Victorian-era London, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels opens in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and his partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city's first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Before long, Tiago and his family are grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Casting List

Main

• Natalie Dormer as Magda, a supernatural demon who can take the form of anyone she chooses
• Daniel Zovatto as Tiago Vega, the LAPD's first Mexican-American detective
• Jessica Garza as Josefina Vega, the youngest child of the Vega family
• Johnathan Nieves as Mateo Vega, Tiago's younger brother
• Nathan Lane as Lewis Michener, a veteran LAPD officer and Vega’s partner
• Adriana Barraza as Maria Vega, the matriarch of the Vega family
• Rory Kinnear as Peter Craft, a German pediatrician and the head of the German-American Bund
• Kerry Bishé as Sister Molly, a charismatic radio evangelist
• Michael Gladis as Charlton Townsend, a councilman and head of the LA City Council’s Transportation Committee

Recurring

• Amy Madigan as Adelaide Finnister, Molly's mother
• Brent Spiner as Ned Vanderhoff, a police captain and Vega and Michener's boss
• Lin Shaye as Dottie Minter, a friend to Michener
• Lorenza Izzo as Santa Muerte
• Adam Rodriguez as Raul Vega
• Thomas Kretschmann as Richard Goss, a German architect
• Dominic Sherwood as Kurt, Goss's chauffeur
• Ethan Peck as Hermann Ackermann, second-in-command at the German-American Bund
• Piper Perabo as Linda Craft, Peter's wife
• Adan Rocha as Diego Lopez

EoinMcLovin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WqFMwMiF3I

cdgalwegian

April 26th
https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/penny-dreadful-city-of-angels-news/

Dubious, but hopeful. Absolutely loved Penny Dreadful (except of course the ending), so fingers crossed.

Agent Coulson

Starts next Sunday, I'm liking the feel of the trailer.

JP Liz V1

Is it airing over here on Sky?

Slydice

Well, it certainly doesn't hurt to have Brent Spiner in that opening scene of the trailer!

Agent Coulson

A solid opening episode introducing the main players.

I'm just after watching it now because it was on after the Homeland finale..

Ah..weak enough I thought..
Why does everything have to have a feckin dance scene in it these days..

Homelander

I really liked Penny Dreadful but not sure there's a huge appetite for this. Very bad viewing figures for the first two episodes. I wonder will it be a self-contained season or end on a cliff-hanger and likely get cancelled....

Slydice

1: Good opening. Brent Spiner sells the show plenty for me. Saying that though, they've a good look and feel to the city and the characters.

Cool to see Adam Rodriguez who I remember from before I lost track of CSI Miami.

Seeing some common themes here to the The Plot Against America.

Agent Coulson wrote: »

A solid opening episode introducing the main players.

I was all like.. I won't be investing emotionally in any of the characters.. in either direction .. just yet! Not for a Penny Dreadful!

Slydice

2:

Oh **** Me! That jump scare at the end really got me!

Development of the story episode. Again reminders of Hunters/Plot Against America.

The one bit that threw me off was the mention of Tahiti! It's like I'm conditioned to think: It's a magical place!

Niska

Not on Sky Atlantic until July.

https://www.sky.com/watch/penny-dreadful-city-of-angels

Galwayguy35

Niska wrote: »

Not on Sky Atlantic until July.

https://www.sky.com/watch/penny-dreadful-city-of-angels

Bit surprised at that Sky Atlantic are usually quick to show a new series.

Slydice

3: That was a bit wierd. Felt like half an episode and then half a filler musical.

Slydice

4: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Talk about going from a musical-ish feel in the last episode up to an 11 on on the Penny Dreadful scale. :eek:

Jeez

THE FREAKIN NECK GURGLIN!

:eek:

Man, the whole musical thing is pretty weak..

Slydice

It really felt like it took me out of the immersion.
It was like.. what's going on.. I thought this was Penny Dreadful.

budhabob

Watched the first episode. It has potential, but didn't pull me in so far.

Slydice

5: Many story arcs being done here and the cast is putting in socks into all of em. My guess on

the Nazi is that he's planning roads that would make for an easier transport of an invasion army.

Ally Dick

I'm finding the show very well made, and cinematography is excellent....but it is not one bit scary. I think it's trying to showcase Natalie Dormer's acting ability first and foremost. I'd prefer scares

Ally Dick

Ally Dick wrote: »

I'm finding the show very well made, and cinematography is excellent....but it is not one bit scary. I think it's trying to showcase Natalie Dormer's acting ability first and foremost. I'd prefer scares

I'm just watching the latest episode now, and remembered this post..

She can't act..

I don't know if it's just her or is it another art being lost, but Jesus, she's brutal in this.. about as subtle as a brick through a window..

Agent Coulson

The story is very disappointing.

They have a hugely talented cast along with what looks like a very big budget to remake 1930's Hollywood look stunning.


I guess the used up all the public domain characters in the first series that they didn't have many if any left to pick from for this one.

fritzelly

Have skipped on watching this as reading some reviews it is terrible and nothing like the first season - is there any point in watching it?

It can't be compared to the original anyway..

Different league altogether..

cdgalwegian

fritzelly wrote: »

Have skipped on watching this as reading some reviews it is terrible and nothing like the first season - is there any point in watching it?

i gave up half-way through the second episode. It's no 'spiritual heir'. Lush settings aside, it's just trading on the quality of the original. It actually feels more like 'The Terror', as a supernatural anthology looked at through a cultural prism in different eras. That had a rubbish second series as well.

sydthebeat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It can't be compared to the original anyway..

Different league altogether..

100% agreed.

There is no worldly comparison to the original series, and absolutely no connection to the initial idea of "penny dreadfuls" either. The only connection is the creator and TV company.

This should have been just presented as a stand alone, and I think the addition of the brand was just to pique some interest

JP Liz V1

Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels starts on Sky Atlantic on Wednesday July 1st at 9pm

EoinMcLovin

Have the last 3 episodes to watch and I just can't make the effort to watch them. As mentioned by previous posters it's nothing like the original.

Agent Coulson

Really disappointing series story wise with no connection to the original series.

They had the budget and the cast to make some special however the story let them down.

ejmaztec

After watching ten episodes I thought, here we go, it's warming up to the big finish. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that No 10 was the finish, and that it was nowhere near big. I'm not one of the ones criticising the series for being nothing like the original series, as I think it stood on its own, apart from when it failed to deliver at the end

Galwayguy35

The Nazi doctor was in the original series I think , he looks like the guy who played Frankensteins monster.

EoinMcLovin

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

The Nazi doctor was in the original series I think , he looks like the guy who played Frankensteins monster.

Yep, same actor

Melodeon

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

The Nazi doctor was in the original series I think , he looks like the guy who played Frankensteins monster.

Yep, Rory Kinnear, also played The Creature in the original Penny Dreadful.

Interestingly, given the bit of discussion of the movie Beau Geste his character (Peter Craft) was involved with in one of the earlier episodes of City of Angels, his father starred in what was probably the greatest interpretation of the Beau Geste story in cinematic history!:
Roy Kinnear
The Last Remake of Beau Geste

recipio

Catching this now on Sky. Very strong sense of Deja Vu. 'Perry Mason' is also set in LA during the 30's and has an evangelical Church with its Diva and dodgy congregation.
Natalie Dormer is good but Rory Kinnear is a very odd proto Nazi. The special effects are amazing so will stick with it for the moment but Perry Mason is a far better production :rolleyes:

paulbok

I struggled to finish it but did over the weekend.
Too much filler in it, it could easily have fitted into 6 episodes. It also suffered from not knowing if it was a historical /crime /horror story.

Slight off tangent;
I know some have already praised the special effects, but I am starting to really dislike the modern cgi effects, great and all that they are, that anything can now be created, but they all seem to have a yellow tinge to them that I find off putting. Not just this show, even movies have it. The final battle scene in Avengers Endgame also felt a bit 'yellow' too. Infinity wars didn't seem to suffer from it.

Galwayguy35

Finding this series had work but don't want to give up if the last few episodes are worth sticking around for.

JP Liz V1

Cancelled

https://tvline.com/2020/08/21/penny-dreadful-city-of-angels-cancelled-showtime-season-2/

EoinMcLovin

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Cancelled

https://tvline.com/2020/08/21/penny-dreadful-city-of-angels-cancelled-showtime-season-2/

Well no point watching the last 4 episodes now. I'll just read some recaps for them instead