Lucifer (TV series)
| Lucifer | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Based on | The characters created for Vertigo by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg |
| Developed by | Tom Kapinos |
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Marco Beltrami Dennis Smith |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 23 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Alex Katsnelson Michael Azzolino Erik Holmberg Nathan Hope |
| Location(s) | Los Angeles, California (pilot) Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Cinematography | Glen Keenan Ryan McMaster |
| Editor(s) | Marc Pattavina Ray Daniels III Fred Peterson |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | January 25, 2016 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Lucifer is an American fantasy police procedural comedy-drama television series developed by Tom Kapinos that premiered on Fox on January 25, 2016.[1][2] It features a character created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg taken from the comic book series The Sandman, who later became the protagonist of the spin-off comic book series Lucifer written by Mike Carey, both published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. In April 2016, Fox renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 19, 2016.[3] On October 31, 2016, the series received a 22-episode full second season pickup by Fox.[4]
Contents
Premise[edit]
The series focuses on Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, "who is bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell and resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the beauty of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals".[5] Lucifer runs a nightclub in Los Angeles called "Lux", with the assistance of his demonic ally Mazikeen or "Maze". After a minor celebrity whom Lucifer once helped achieve fame is murdered outside his club, Lucifer becomes involved with the LAPD when he takes it upon himself to assist Detective Chloe Decker in finding the one responsible so that he can "punish" him. He becomes fascinated with Decker when she appears to be immune to his powers and charms.
In the second season, God's wife escapes Hell and inhabits the body of a dead lawyer. Lucifer's punishment for "mom" is to stay on Earth, as she hates humans. It later turns out that Lucifer was to return mom to Hell or God will take Chloe's life, as per the bargain in season one. Amenadiel later remembers that God sent him to grant the miracle of Penelope Decker becoming pregnant with Chloe; thus Chloe and Lucifer were destined to meet, and the reason why she is both immune to his powers and makes his immortality void in her presence.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 13 | January 25, 2016 | April 25, 2016 | ||
| 2 | 22[6] | September 19, 2016 | TBA | ||
Cast and characters[edit]
- The Lord of Hell, who is bored with his life, abdicates his throne and becomes a civilian consultant for the Los Angeles Police Department while running his own high-end nightclub, called "Lux". Beside superhuman powers such as invulnerability, strength and speed, he has a supernatural awareness of any person's hidden desires.[8] While Lucifer's appearance in the comics was inspired by David Bowie, actor Tom Ellis, however, saw the character as more of an Oscar Wilde or Noel Coward character "with added rock and roll spirit", and thus decided to approach portraying the character of Lucifer as if he were the "lovechild of Noel Coward and Mick Jagger, with a dash of British actor Terry-Thomas".
- Lauren German as Detective Chloe Decker[9][10][11][12]
- An LAPD homicide detective, who solves crimes with Lucifer after he takes an interest in her because she appears immune to his abilities. Due to an earlier incident concerning a cop shooting, she was ostracized by her fellow officers, resulting in her being partnered with Lucifer as her civilian consultant. When she is around Lucifer, he becomes vulnerable to physical harm. The events of "Quid Pro Ho" reveal that Chloe's conception was the result of a miracle, performed by God with assistance from Amenadiel.
- Kevin Alejandro as Detective Daniel "Dan" Espinoza[13]
- An LAPD homicide detective and Chloe's ex-husband. He dislikes Lucifer because of the hellraiser's connection to Chloe and their daughter, Trixie. Lucifer repeatedly calls him "Douche" ("Douche", "Detective Douche", "Sir Douche", etc.).
- A dark-winged angel, Lucifer's older brother, and the eldest out of all of their siblings, who arrives in Los Angeles to encourage Lucifer to go back to Hell, saying the latter's new life is upsetting Earth's balance. Unlike Lucifer, Amenadiel has always followed God's orders. While posing as a psychotherapist, he goes under the pseudonym "Dr. Canaan".
- Confidante and devoted ally of Lucifer Morningstar. Lucifer calls her "Maze" for short. She is a demon who, having served as his head torturer, followed him up from out of hell, and acted as a bartender and bodyguard at Lucifer's club.[15] In season 2, Maze, looking for a new direction on Earth, becomes a bounty hunter, having found something that feels right to her. She uses the alias "Mazikeen Smith" for use in her legal identity on Earth.
- Scarlett Estevez as Beatrice "Trixie"[16]
- Chloe and Dan's daughter, who befriends Lucifer, much to his amazement and disgust, because he "cheers [her] up". Trixie has stated that she wants to be a zookeeper of Mars when she grows up.
- Rachael Harris as Dr. Linda Martin[14]
- Lucifer's therapist. She attempts to help Lucifer solve his emotional and personal problems throughout the series, and tries to get him to open up about his true self. Until he reveals to her his true self, Dr. Martin believed that Lucifer was using a religious metaphor, before she accepts that Lucifer is a damaged individual from a dysfunctional family. Dr. Martin had gained her qualifications at Stanford University and holds a large number of awards for psychotherapy.
- Kevin Rankin as Detective Malcolm Graham (season 1)[17]
- A police officer who was shot prior to the beginning of the series. Chloe Decker witnessed the shooting, which occurred while Malcolm was secretly meeting with a suspected criminal. After the shooting, he was left in a coma. He was then brought back from the dead by Amenadiel to kill Lucifer.
- Tricia Helfer as Charlotte Richards/"Mum" (season 2)[18]
- Lucifer's and Amenadiel's mother and exiled wife of God, who has escaped her prison in Hell. On Earth, her soul occupies the body of Charlotte Richards, a managing partner in a law firm who was just murdered.
- Aimee Garcia as Ella Lopez (season 2)
- A forensic scientist for the LAPD who helps Chloe and Lucifer with her cases. Ella hails from Detroit, and grew-up with four brothers. Ella wears a crucifix, leading both Lucifer and Chloe to ask questions about her Christian faith; according to Ella, she had an aunt who was a nun, but who taught her that to doubt things was all right, and so Ella believes that questioning things makes her a better scientist.
Production[edit]
In September 2014, it was reported that DC and Fox were developing a television series based on the Sandman character Lucifer, as originally written by Neil Gaiman.[1] In February 2015, it was announced that Tom Ellis had been cast as Lucifer Morningstar, and that Tom Kapinos would write the pilot, to be directed by Len Wiseman.[7] Lina Esco was originally cast as Maze (Mazikeen),[19] however, the role was later recast with Lesley-Ann Brandt.[15] Nicholas Gonzalez portrayed Dan in the pilot episode.[20]
In May 2015, the series was officially picked up for 13 episodes for the 2015–16 season.[21][22] Fox then hired Almost Human alum Joe Henderson as showrunner, with Kapinos remaining on the series in a lesser capacity.[23]
In June 2016, it was announced that Tricia Helfer had been cast as Lucifer and Amenadiel's mother, Charlotte, and that she was to appear in multiple episodes in season 2.[24] The character was promoted to series regular in July 2016.[25] Aimee Garcia had also been cast as a regular in season 2, playing L.A.P.D.'s forensic scientist Ella Lopez.[26]
In August 2016, executive producer Ildy Modrovich announced the casting of Michael Imperioli as the angel Uriel, Amenadiel and Lucifer's middle brother with "a chip on his shoulder".[27]
Several episodes include musical performances by Tom Ellis, although he has stated in interviews that while it is his vocals, the piano accompaniment seen on screen is not actually him.[28]
Broadcast[edit]
Broadcast on the Fox network in the US, the series is available in the United Kingdom from Amazon Prime[29] and in Australia on FX.[30]
Reception[edit]
Ratings[edit]
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | TV season | Rank | Avg. viewers (millions) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) |
||||||
| 1 | Monday 9:00 pm | 13 | January 25, 2016 | 7.16[31] | April 25, 2016 | 3.89[32] | 2015–16 | 62 | 7.17[33] |
| 2 | 22[34] | September 19, 2016 | 4.36[35] | TBA | TBD | 2016–17 | TBD | TBD | |
Critical reception[edit]
The pilot episode was screened in July at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. The pilot was met positively by the viewers, with Bleeding Cool's Dan Wickline praising the episode, saying "the show itself is enjoyable because of the great dialogue and flawless delivery from its lead" and "This version of Lucifer refuses to take almost anything seriously and the show is better for it."[36] Max Nicholson of IGN rated the pilot episode a 6.9/10, praising Tom Ellis's performance as Lucifer and the lighthearted tone of the show, but criticizing the show for essentially being another crime procedural show.[37]
The first season received mixed reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 49% approval rating based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Lucifer's got sex appeal, but the show's hackneyed cop procedural format undermines a potentially entertaining premise."[38] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 49 out of 100, based 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[39]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Awards show | Nomination(s) | Categories | Result(s) | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Tom Ellis | Choice TV: Breakout Star | Nominated | [40] |
| Lucifer | Choice TV: Breakout Show | Nominated |
Controversy[edit]
On May 28, 2015, the American Family Association (AFA) website One Million Moms launched a petition to prevent the show's airing.[41] The petition says the new series "will glorify Satan as a caring, likable person in human flesh."[42] It posted the petition on that date and 31,312 had signed the petition by the series' premiere date.[43] The petition on the main AFA website, posted the same date, garnered 134,331 signatures by the premiere date.[44][45] In response to the petition, character creator Neil Gaiman commented on his Tumblr page: "Ah. It seems like only yesterday (but it was 1991) that the "Concerned Mothers of America" announced that they were boycotting The Sandman because it contained lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans characters. It was Wanda that upset them most: the idea of a trans-woman in a comic book... They told us they were organizing a boycott of The Sandman, which they would only stop if we wrote to the American Family Association and promised to reform. I wonder if they noticed it didn't work last time, either..."[46] Despite the AFA's actions, Fox renewed the series in April 2016 for a second season.[47]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 16, 2014). "Fox Nabs DC Entertainment 'Lucifer' Drama From Tom Kapinos As Put Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
- ^ Keveney, Bill (November 10, 2015). "'Idol,' 'New Girl' get Fox winter premiere dates". USA Today. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 16, 2016). "Fox Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Goes For Traditional Rolloutx". Deadline. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ "FOX Orders Full Second Season of "Lucifer"". The Futon Critic. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 19, 2015). "'Lucifer' Gets Pilot Order At Fox, Len Wiseman Directing, Jerry Bruckheimer EP". Deadline.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 31, 2016). "'Lucifer' gets a full second season at FOX with back-9 pickup". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b Chris, Arrant (February 27, 2015). "LUCIFER Cast For New FOX Pilot". Newsarama.com.
- ^ "LUCIFER – Official Trailer – FOX BROADCASTING". YouTube. May 11, 2015.
- ^ "LUCIFER | Character Profile: Chloe Decker". YouTube.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 10, 2015). "Lauren German To Co-Star In Lucifer". deadline.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- ^ Yohannes, Alamin (March 11, 2015). "LUCIFER Finds Female Lead In Lauren German". DCtvuniverse.com.
- ^ "Lucifer TV Show Casts Female Lead". Renegade Cinema. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 1, 2015). "Kevin Alejandro Joins Fox Series 'Lucifer' As Regular In Recasting". Deadline.
- ^ a b Yohannes, Alamin (March 14, 2015). "D.B. Woodside And Rachael Harris Board 'Lucifer'". DCtvuniverse.com.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 17, 2015). "Lesley-Ann Brandt Joins 'Lucifer' Fox Pilot in Recasting". Deadline.
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (May 8, 2015). "Fox Adds DC Comics Drama 'Lucifer' & 'Minority Report' to 2015–16 Slate". Variety.
- ^ "Fox's 'Lucifer' Casts Kevin Rankin". Deadline.com. October 5, 2015.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 21, 2016). "Tricia Helfer Joins Lucifer Season 2 as Literally the Mother From Hell". TV Line.
- ^ Marston, George (March 4, 2015). "FOX Adds Female Co-Star To LUCIFER Pilot". Newsarama.
- ^ Yohannes, Alamin (March 13, 2015). "Fox's 'Lucifer' Adds Nicholas Gonzalez As Series Regular". DCtvuniverse.com.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (May 9, 2015). "FOX ORDERS MINORITY REPORT AND DC COMICS' LUCIFER". Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- ^ Lucifer Writers Room (February 15, 2015). "13 episodes in Season 1! #MuchMoreToCome". Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 9, 2015). "Joe Henderson To Run Fox Drama 'Lucifer'". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Tricia Helfer Joins Lucifer Season 2 as Literally the Mother From Hell". TvLine. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Lucifer Ups Tricia Helfer to Regular as the Mother From Hell — First Photo". TVLine. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ Mason, Charlie. "Lucifer Adds Aimee Garcia for Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb. "Lucifer Season 2 Casts The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli as the Angel Uriel". TVLine. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ "'Lucifer' Star Tom Ellis Takes Us To Hell (In A Nice Way)". April 18, 2016.
- ^ Sandwell, Ian (October 23, 2015). "DC Comics series Lucifer is coming to Amazon Prime in the UK". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- ^ Knox, David (November 5, 2015). "Foxtel Upfronts 2016: Local thrillers, Lifestyle & US Drama.". TV Tonight. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ Porter, Rick (January 26, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Scorpion' and 'Superstore' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (April 26, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'The Voice' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- ^ de Moraes, Lisa (May 27, 2016). "Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings: 'Blindspot', 'Life In Pieces' & 'Quantico' Lead Newcomers". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (October 31, 2016). "'Lucifer' gets a full second season at FOX with back-9 pickup". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ Porter, Rick (September 20, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Gotham' adjust up, 'Kevin' and 'Good Place' hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^ Wickline, Dan (July 10, 2015). "SDCC '15: Pilot Screening of Lucifer – 'An Invaluable Crime-fighting Tool'". Bleeding Cool.
- ^ Nicholson, Max (January 23, 2016). "LUCIFER: "PILOT" REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ "LUCIFER: SEASON 1 (2016)". Flixster/Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Lucifer : Season 1 (2016)". Metacritic. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ Eliahou, Maya (June 9, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016—Captain America: Civil War Leads Second Wave of Nominations". E! Online. NBC Universal. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ Richter, Greg (June 7, 2015). "Fox's 'Lucifer' Series Draws Protests". newsmax.com.
- ^ Deen, Sarah (June 8, 2015). "Christian group One Million Moms is really unhappy about the new Lucifer TV show". metro.co.uk/.
- ^ "Urge FOX – Drop Plans to Air 'Lucifer' – Sign Petition Now!". onemillionmoms.com. June 10, 2015.
- ^ "FOX Network to air 'Lucifer' – portraying Satan as a good guy". afa.net. May 27, 2015.
- ^ Smith, Samuel (May 29, 2015). "'Lucifer' Fox TV Series 'Mocks the Bible,' Says One Million Moms' Petition to Cancel the Show". christianpost.com.
- ^ Leane, Rob (June 1, 2015). "Lucifer: Neil Gaiman reacts to petition against TV show". Den of Geek!.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 7, 2016). "'Lucifer', 'Rosewood' Renewed For Season 2 By Fox, Who's Still On the Bubble There?". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
External links[edit]
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