“Is
there anyone who can protect
mankind from the Demons that exist
around us? With grotesque faces
and supernatural powers, they lurk
in every corner of the city — and
seek a special teenager who carries
with him a secret of which even he
and his mother are unaware...” WHEN AMERICAN DEMON-SLAYER Rupert Galvin (Philip Glenister: Life
On Mars, Cranford) reveals to his godson Luke Rutherford (Christian Cooke:
Echo Beach, Doctor Who) the horrifying truth about the demons who walk
the streets of modern-day London, little does the teenager realise that he will
discover a life-changing secret about his father — and his astonishing
heritage.
Soon Luke is seeing the other-worldly beings for himself. First, a Type 3 —
a gremlin-like creature (look away if you've ever imaged there's a monster under
the bed!) that has already killed the secretary at his High School and has accessed
Luke's personal file — then its accomplice, a Type 5, the ghoulish-looking
Redlip (Martin Hancock). But they are not alone. Incidentally, the first line
of the compulsive title song "Who's cooking monsters in the kitchen?" sounds
like a direct reference to the film Gremlins.
Supernatural forces are at work as the action-packed, six-part hit television
series Demons Season 1 now comes to DVD and Blu-ray, following the struggle
between human and in-human as Rupert and Luke lead the fight against the freaks
that include a Type 12, the sinister vampire Gladiolus Thrip (marvellously played
by Mackenzie Crook: The Office, Pirates Of The Caribbean), who bears
a deep-seated hatred for anyone connected with Van Helsing.
Keeping Luke's mother Jenny (Saskia Wickham) in the dark, Rupert takes the teenager
to meet the beautiful, mysterious blind pianist Mina Harker (Zoë Tapper: Affinity,
Survivors), who doesn't suffer fools gladly but who seems to take a liking
to Luke.
When Luke's best friend Ruby (Holliday Grainger: Waterloo Road) is threatened
by the in-humans, the two teenagers find themselves catapulted into a nether-world
of vampires, demons and zombies in this full-blooded fantasy adventure —
and Luke has no alternative other than to involve Ruby as he fulfils his destiny
to protect mankind from the demons.
Putting a contemporary spin on Bram Stoker's legendary story, Demons
is set on and beneath the streets of London and Rupert is a larger-than-life
American with a tragic past and zero tolerance towards the evil in-humans. Demons
is aimed at teenagers and is not supposed to be taken too seriously: the series
has its comic moments and Philip Glenister hams it up a treat. Pure escapism
and I loved it.
Luke is struggling to balance a normal life with learning how to deal with the
demons. Seemingly ordinary situations develop into dangerous ones and there
are plenty of clever, dark and creepy shots alongside the beautiful vistas of
London. And sometimes Luke just doesn't recognise the enemy — who can take
many forms — as he strives to smite the half-lives who stalk the streets.
Great throwaway lines abound, such as when Luke tells Ruby he has seen something
like a monkey and she exclaims ironically: "You've got monkeys! Well, there
goes the neighbourhood!"
What is the link between Luke and the fearless vampire-slayer Abraham Van Helsing,
who took on the terrifying Count Dracula and whose library was hidden below
the pavements of Smithfield Market by his assistant Jonathan Harker many years
ago? Will Luke embrace his true calling? Will we be forever plagued by Demons?
Demons also features: Thomas Arnold as Jay Van Helsing; the fantastic
Richard Wilson as Father Simeon; Rich English as Gilgamel; Kevin McNally as
Mr Tibbs; Sam Loggin as Kirsty Dunelm; Kizzy Mee as Madge Dunelm; Grace Vance
as Ally Dunelm; Aaron McCusker as Mark; Ben Walker as Jamie; Vincent Wang as
Kumo San; Nichola Marie Stokes as Angel; Laura Pyper as Grace; and Calvin Dean
as Mouseman.
The series is created by Peter Tabern, Johnny Capps, and Julian Murphy; Produced
by Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy; Composer is Jack C Arnold; Director of Photography
is Geoffrey Wharton ACS; Executive Producer for Sony Pictures Television International
is Dean Hargrove and Directed by Tom Harper.
• Demons Season 1 is available to buy
on DVD and Blu-ray from 6 April (2009), courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
"Demons is aimed at teenagers and is not supposed to be taken too seriously:
the series has its comic moments and Philip Glenister hams it up a treat. Pure
escapism and I loved it" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“Is
there anyone who can protect