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🏆 Nominated for 13 Primetime Emmys. 17 wins & 93 nominations total
The premise
Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama.
Horror Vault's take
Victorian London hides monstrous secrets beneath its gaslit streets, where explorers, scientists, and supernatural beings collide in a world where gothic literature's most iconic figures walk as flesh-and-blood characters. Eva Green leads a mesmerizing ensemble navigating a shadowy underworld of black magic, demonic forces, and creatures that blur the line between human and monster. Lush, literary, and unflinchingly dark, this prestige drama treats its horror roots with rare seriousness and psychological depth. Fans of classic horror fiction will find their beloved myths reinvented in gloriously unsettling ways.
Content: Graphic Violence, Sexual Content, Simulated Sex, Demonic Imagery, Depictions Of Mental Illness, Strong Language
Episode Guide
S1.E1 · Night WorkPremiere7.2May 11, 2014 · 54 min · Dir: J. A. Bayona
London 1891. Renowned explorer Sir Malcolm Murray and the strangely beautiful Vanessa Ives recruit American sharp-shooter Ethan Chandler and Dr. Victor Frankenstein to help them search for someone who has been lost.
S1.E2 · Séance7.3May 18, 2014 · 56 min · Dir: J. A. Bayona
Vanessa and Sir Malcolm encounter the mysteriously beautiful Dorian Gray at a party. Things take a turn, however, when renowned medium Madame Kali hosts a seance. Meanwhile, Ethan befriends Ms. Brona Croft, a young Irish immigrant.
S1.E3 · Resurrection6.9May 25, 2014 · 48 min · Dir: Dearbhla Walsh
Dr. Frankenstein is confronted by his past. Vanessa has a vision of Mina, which leads to a strange discovery at the London Zoo.
S1.E4 · Demimonde6.5Jun 1, 2014 · 60 min · Dir: Dearbhla Walsh
Vanessa's infatuation with Dorian Gray grows. Professor Van Helsing is hired to work with Dr. Frankenstein. Fenton draws his master to Sir Malcolm's mansion.
S1.E5 · Closer Than Sisters7.3Jun 8, 2014 · 55 min · Dir: Coky Giedroyc
Vanessa recalls her past and the events that ultimately lead to Mina's disappearance.
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