THE BANISTER BUZZ 9/19/13 - FALL FRIGHTS ON TV

There's a nip in the air, and darkness is descending earlier each evening, which means it's the perfect time of year to curl up on your couch, with a cup of hot tea or cocoa, and watch something that'll make you shiver! I don't know about you, but I love a good, creepy thrill, especially if it's supernatural in origin. Vamps, ghosts, witches, headless horseman wielding broadaxes? Bring it! Fortunately, there will be plenty of the above on TV this fall, and I can't wait to get my scare on!

FOX's heavily hyped show, Sleepy Hollow, which tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a centuries-old soldier who suddenly awakens in the new millennium along with his decapitated nemesis, debuted earlier this week. I watched it last night (Thank you, DVR!) and enjoyed it so much that I immediately rewatched some of my favorite scenes (Those would be anything involving the very dishy, even though he's in dire need of a bath, Ichabod.) It was clear that a lot of money went into this show. The production values were top-quality, making the show seem almost cinematic. I was wowed by the set design, the moody ambiance, and the camera work - it all combined to give the viewer a continuous feeling of unease. You never knew what was going to emerge from that pervasive fog, or what might pop up in the old graveyard Ichabod kept tromping around in.

What really sold me on Sleepy Hollow was the dry humor that accompanied all of the eerieness. The characters did not take themselves too seriously, and Ichabod was surprisingly droll. His interactions with the police officer (the black, female police officer), whom he ends up finding common ground with, were priceless, as were his bemused responses to discovering modern-day conveniences like power windows in a car and flashlights. Kudos to Tom Mison (I've had my eye on him since seeing him play a very compelling Bingley in Lost in Austen.) and Nicole Beharie (She's best known for being in Shame with Michael Fassbender, who was her real-life boyfriend for a while.) for their great timing and chemistry. I like that this newfound bond of Abbie and Ichabod's isn't based on any kind of sexual tension or romantic sparks (Ichabod's sorceress wife is still out there, languishing in some alternate dimension, so technically his heart is not free.)

If you missed the first airing of Sleepy Hollow, FOX will be repeating it this Friday and it's also available for viewing On Demand. I encourage you to give this wacky, highly entertaining show a shot. Do it just to hear Mison say "lieutenant" with that sexy, British accent of his . . . SWOON

Fun Fact: The showrunners of Sleepy Hollow had intended to cast an American to play Ichabod Crane, but they thought Tom was so great that they rewrote the character, making him an Oxford professor who came to America to teach and ended up defecting to our side during the Revolutionary War.  

For several years now, one of my favorite spooktastic shows has been Haven on Syfy. Don't roll your eyes at me! I know that Syfy has some questionable programming (Sharknado - for real?), but their original series are actually quite good (see also Continuum and Lost Girl.) Haven is loosely based on a Stephen King novel called "The Colorado Kid," and it's about a small, coastal town in Maine where many of the residents are "troubled," meaning they have strange powers that come and go and they can't control them most of the time which often leads to death and disaster. 

Enter FBI Agent Audrey Parker in Season 1, who comes to town looking for an escaped killer. She teams up with local detective Nathan Wuornos, and a beautiful partnership is born. Audrey seems to have a way with the troubled, which helps to keep some semblance of order in Haven. She, also, has a way with Nathan, whose trouble is that he can't feel anything (not even bullets!), except for Audrey's touch. Their love story has been a very slow-moving and engrossing one over the last three seasons, and it climaxed (Get your minds out of the gutter!) in a very shocking way at the end of S3. 

 

Season 4 just started last Friday, and let's just say that Audrey's not the woman she used to be. Will Nathan and his frenemy, Duke, be able to track NuAudrey down and restore the balance in Haven? Who the heck is this William character (played by the always awesome Colin Ferguson) and what does he have to do with NuAudrey? If you loved The X-Files, check out Haven because the shows have a very similar vibe, right down to the freaky cases of the week. You can catch up on Haven via Netflix, which has Seasons 1-3 available for streaming.

While watching Project Runway on Lifetime last week, I saw a promo for the new drama, Witches of East End and was instantly intrigued. A sexy, magic-filled show about a family of female witches who are kicking butt and seducing hot guys - Sounds like a spicier, grown-up version of Charmed, which used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. The premise is fun (the witches have been banned from using their powers and are trying to live normal, low-key lives) and the cast is great (Jenna Dewan Tatum, Rachel Boston, Julia Ormond, Madchen Amick, Eric Winter, and Daniel DiTomasso), so I am in!

 

Since the show doesn't premiere until Oct. 6th, I thought I'd entertain myself by reading the first book in the series by Melissa de la Cruz, which the TV show is based on. I'm about halfway through Witches of East End and I am thoroughly enjoying it! The writing is excellent, the character arcs are compelling, and there's lots of steamy goodness. Bodacious younger sister, Freya, gets it on with her good guy fiancé's HOT younger brother while her engagement party is going on - HELLO! It'll be interesting to see how this triangle plays out on the show. Roll on, October!

Last, but not least, I must bring to your attention the latest re-imagining of that classic vamp tale, Dracula, which will air on NBC on Friday nights, starting on Oct. 25th. This show looks like it's going to be some particularly ripe fromage with lead bloodsucker, Jonathan Rhys Myers, chewing scenery with his fake fangs and a bad American accent. Will I watch? Of course! And who knows? It may turn out be delightfully campy (I'm already loving the steampunk style costumes the characters are wearing.) And I am fond of several members of the supporting cast, Thomas Kretschmann, who's always divine, super cute Jake Gyllenhaal lookalike Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and my girl, Katie McGrath, who was so good at being bad on Merlin. 

 

What have been some of your favorite shows with supernatural elements? Is there any type of horror you can't abide? For me, it's zombies. I cannot deal with those decomposing, brain-eating creepers, which is why I have to pretend like The Walking Dead doesn't exist - SHUDDER

Until next time, Buzzers . . . Wishing you a fabulous fall TV season and a super scary Halloween. Oh wait, we still have six more weeks to go until Halloween. I got confused since all of the costumes and candy are already out at the stores. <shakes head>