Penny Dreadful is filled with gothic horror, a chilling atmosphere, and literary references, which is partially tied into the true meaning of and origins behind the Showtime series' name.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, starring Natalie Dormer, premieres on April 26, 2020. Fans are excited for this new spin-off series, which is based on the original Penny Dreadful series. Instead of being set in Victorian England, the new series will take place in Los Angeles in 1938, during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It is based on Mexican-American folklore, as well as important historical events of the time, such as the rise of the Third Reich. The diety of death, protection, and safe escort to the afterlife, Santa Muerta, is important to the storyline, as well as the Devil.
Despite Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' new setting, characters, and time period, it is still based on the original Penny Dreadful and has its origins in horror and Victorian England. The original series referenced such works of literature as Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. What fans will see in the new series remains to be seen. However, its title is still tied to a particular aspect of the UK during the nineteenth century.
Penny Dreadful's Name Origins Explained
When the show first came out, some viewers thought they were going to watch a show about a character named Penny Dreadful. As interesting as this sounds, the series is actually named after a particular form of literature that was popular in the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. What came to be known as "penny dreadfuls" were stories that were sensational and lurid. They were often about famous criminals and detectives in the seedier parts of London, adventure stories that featured supernatural beings and murder.
Penny Dreadful was actually a derogatory name used by those who felt this type of literature was low and beneath the more worthy fictional writings of the time. Despite this, they were very popular and could be purchased on the streets for one penny, hence the name. Penny Dreadful's bleak, Gothic Victorian setting mirrors these stories and uses them for inspiration. The show references its namesake at every turn, from the neverending conflict of good versus evil to Egyptian mythology and the darker literature of those times. Many classic characters that would be at home in a one of these stories that cost a single penny make an appearance in Penny Dreadful, such as Abraham Van Helsing, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and Frankenstein's monster. It remains to be seen whether or not Penny Dreadful: City of Angels will be able to live up to its name without its Victorian setting.