Showtime's Penny Dreadful has been called a lot of things but lately the consensus has developed that the show might just be reviving an all but extinct genre.

'Penny Dreadful' Season Finale Promises 'Sacrifices' Will Be Made?

In an age where television is teeming with vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, and other supernatural elements, it is difficult to produce something original. The CW and HBO have all but cornered the market with hits like Supernatural, The Originals, True Blood, and Game of Thrones.

Is Mina Harker Doomed On 'Penny Dreadful'?

Instead of trying to accomplish something new, Penny Dreadful harkens back to an antiquated genre. Add a fresh, bloody spin, and an "original" concept emerges.

The showtime series follows a band of "outsider" characters as they attempt to locate Sir Malcolm's (Timothy Dalton) missing daughter. A handful of people, such as Victorian Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) and Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) are borrowed from classic literature, allowing creators to take a closer look at iconic characters.

Some critics believe that Penny Dreadful is reestablishing the "gothic-horror genre" altogether. Yesterday The Atlantic decided to devote some time exploring the show's success. Nicholas Slayton claimed that the program "has managed to put a new spin on classic horror tales without betraying them".

"This show is about how, in all of us, we have secrets. We have demons," explained creator John Logan [featured below].

"So much of my inspiration for writing the show," continued Logan, "Was to really commit to exploring some of these iconic characters in a new way".

The season finale of Penny Dreadful airs on Showtime tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Season two begins in 2015.

Tags
Penny Dreadful, Showtime, Television