CBS' short-lived supernatural drama American Gothic became a cult classic, but would probably be a hit if it had been released more recently. Premiering in 1995 and ending in 1996, American Gothic felt out of place at the time it came out, especially airing on CBS of all networks. The show was set in the small town of Trinity, South Carolina, a place that appeared to be happy and welcoming on the surface, but held countless dark secrets underneath its pristine veneer.
Trinity was ruled over with an iron fist by town sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole), a man with a way of getting just about anything he wanted from anyone he wanted. Buck possessed just about every positive trait one could ask for, charisma, a way with words, looks that seemed to attract every woman in town, leadership skills, and more. One thing Buck lacked though, was a conscience, and furthermore, a sense of ethics. Buck's knack for getting what he wanted wasn't natural either, as he clearly had otherworldly forces working on his behalf.
Who - or perhaps what - exactly Lucas Buck was was never fully explained, although American Gothic's creators said that he wasn't meant to be Satan, but rather a being of a similar caliber. Despite positive reviews, American Gothic drew low ratings, and was treated terribly by CBS, with episodes airing out of order or in some cases not airing at all. Yet, it's exactly the kind of show that seems likely to take off like a rocket in the current pop culture climate.
American Gothic Would Be A Hit TV Show If It Was Made Today
In 1995, TV dramas revolving around a villain protagonist or at the very least a dark antihero were a rare commodity, and never seemed to last long. Yet, shows like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Dexter have since established the idea that main characters on a show don't need to be moral or likeable to be interesting. Lucas Buck was very much in that type of character mold, mostly a selfish monster, but still capable of doing the occasional bit of good, even it was usually still designed to further his own ends.
That was another thing American Gothic was ahead of the curve on, in that Lucas Buck, despite his tendency for evil deeds, was often the lesser evil in the town of Trinity, and in some cases displayed a perverse code of honor. Buck heavily valued loyalty, and those who helped him out usually got rewarded in return, just as long as they didn't cross him. Buck was the type of philosophically complex character that TV just didn't have much time for back in the 1990s, but a streaming service or premium cable would likely have a ball with today. There's no doubt he was a rotten person, shown to have raped, murdered, maimed, and more. But there were times that Buck was still the better option, which speaks to just how complicated life can truly be. If American Gothic were to be remade or revived now, it's hard to imagine it not being a hit.