Banshee (TV series)
| Banshee | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Banshee | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Jonathan Tropper David Schickler |
| Starring | Antony Starr Ivana Miličević Ulrich Thomsen Frankie Faison Hoon Lee Rus Blackwell Matt Servitto Demetrius Grosse Trieste Kelly Dunn Ryann Shane Daniel Ross Owens Lili Simmons Ben Cross |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Alan Ball Greg Yaitanes Jonathan Tropper David Schickler Peter Macdissi |
| Production company | Your Face Goes Here Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cinemax |
| Release | January 11, 2013 – present |
Banshee is an American drama television series created by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler, who serve as executive producers along with Alan Ball, Greg Yaitanes and Peter Macdissi.[1] The series is set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests. It airs on HBO-owned Cinemax and is produced by Your Face Goes Here Entertainment. Banshee is part of Cinemax's attempt to expand its original programming content, and it will join Strike Back (co-produced with BSkyB), a television version of The Transporter film series, and Steve Kronish's Sandbox. Banshee premiered on January 11, 2013.[2]
Cast
Cast & Characters
- Antony Starr as Lucas Hood - An ex-con and master thief recently released from a 15-year prison sentence. He assumes the identity of the new Sheriff of Banshee, Pennsylvania, where he continues to hide from gangsters who are hunting him after he betrayed Mr. Rabbit 15 years earlier. His real name is currently unknown.
- Ivana Miličević as Anastasia/Carrie Hopewell - Lucas's former criminal accomplice and lover. She is also living in Banshee under an assumed identity as a homemaker with her husband Gordon and children Deva and Max, who are unaware of her past. Like Lucas, she is a thief hiding from Mr. Rabbit, who is also her father.
- Ulrich Thomsen as Kai Proctor - The leader of a criminal organization masquerading as a legitimate businessman. He owns "Proctor's Slaughtery", but has a hand in every local criminal enterprise. He quickly attempts to befriend Lucas upon his arrival in Banshee, as he had all of Lucas's predecessors in his employ. Kai was originally a local Amish man, but he ultimately abandoned their ways - for this change of faith, he is shunned by the Amish.
- Frankie Faison as Sugar Bates - A retired former boxer and ex-con, who now owns the local bar. He is involved with Kai Proctor in an unknown capacity. He is a friend of Lucas, and one of the few in Banshee who knows he is an imposter.
- Hoon Lee as Job - A transvestite computer hacker and Lucas and Carrie's former criminal accomplice. Living under an assumed identity as a hairdresser in New York; the hair salon used as a front for his illegal activities. He operates as Hood's city contact and hacker, tasked with preserving his cover.
- Rus Blackwell as Gordon Hopewell - Banshee's district attorney and Carrie's husband. He is a Gulf War hero and retired soldier.
- Matt Servitto as Brock Lotus - One of Hood's BSD deputies. He is the longest-serving member of the BSD, and is reluctant to accept Hood as his boss. Brock was supposed to take over as Sheriff of Banshee, but was passed over by Mayor Kendall.
- Demetrius Grosse as Emmett Yawners - One of Hood's BSD deputies. He was once a college football player; a standout running back at Penn State. He quickly grows to admire Hood's unorthodox approach to law enforcement.
- Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly - One of Hood's BSD deputies. Like Yawners, she quickly grows to admire Hood's methods.
- Ryann Shane as Deva Hopewell - A rebellious teenager. Deva is Carrie and Lucas's daughter, but was raised with Gordon as her father. She was told her biological father died years ago, and Carrie refuses to tell her anything about him or how he died, despite Deva's attempts.
- Daniel Ross Owens as Dan Kendall - The Mayor of Banshee. He is an idealist and a young politician opposed to Kai Proctor's business practices.
- Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman - A local Amish girl in her early 20s who lives a devout life with her father, Elijah, in Banshee by day, but is a rebellious, sexually adventurous party girl by night. She is Proctor's niece, and the only member of the Amish community he has contact with.
- Ben Cross as Mr. Rabbit - Lucas and Carrie's former employer, he is a ruthless Ukrainian gangster and crime boss in New York. He has been searching for Carrie, his daughter, for 15 years.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Greg Yaitanes | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | January 11, 2013 | N/A |
| 2 | "The Rave" | SJ Clarkson | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | January 18, 2013 | TBA |
| 3 | "Meet the New Boss" | Ole Christian Madsen | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | January 25, 2013 | TBA |
| 4 | "Half Deaf Is Better Than All Dead"[2] | Greg Yaitanes | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | February 1, 2013 | TBA |
| 5 | "The Kindred"[2] | SJ Clarkson | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | February 8, 2013 | TBA |
| 6 | "Wicks"[2] | Ole Christian Madsen | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | February 15, 2013 | TBA |
| 7 | "Behold a Pale Rider"[2] | Dean White | Jonathan Tropper & David Schickler | February 22, 2013 | TBA |
Trivia
The tagline "Small town. Big secrets." was previously used for the Syfy original series Eureka.[3][4] HBO had no comment whether this was intentional or just coincidence.[citation needed]
Reception
Critical reception of Banshee has been generally favorable. Banshee currently holds a 61/100 meta score on Metacritic.[5]
Wall Street Journal critic Dorothy Rabinowitz wrote, "Its smartness comes shining through despite the claptrap (none worse than the parade of sex scenes, soft-porn variety, whose noisiness is exceeded only by their unconvincingness); its story, littered with intriguingly repellent characters, like Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), local evil tycoon, grows ever more enticing".[6]
The San Francisco Chronicle said about Banshee, "It has a solid pedigree. It's also part of Cinemax's effort to expand its original programming. That effort pays off with Banshee".[7]
Banshee has also been met with mixed reviews. A Boston Herald critic said about Banshee, "A slow-pokey drama punctuated by shocking violence and sex".[8]
References
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 11, 2011). "Cinemax Prepping Amish Country Series Executive Produced by Alan Ball". Deadline. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Shows A-Z — banshee on cinemax". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ Small town, big secrets Eureka promises go out bang
- ^ Syfy Eureka forum
- ^ "Banshee: Metascore". CBS Interactive.
- ^ "Wall street Journal Review". Wall street journal.
- ^ "San Francisco Chronicle review". San Fancisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Boston herald Review". Boston Herald.
