In the Company of Vampires: A Moonlight Preview

By Heather Cee
You can almost see the wheels of the network think tank turning on this one: the reliability of crime-as-entertainment combined with the instant drama and history of a sexy mythology. Take a brooding vampire, drop him in Mystery of the Week storylines that help push the all-important redemption angle, toss in romantic complications that challenge the tenuous barrier between our hero’s humanity and darker nature, and sprinkle liberally with angst.

Heard this all before? So has CBS. It was called Forever Knight.

Back in 1996, the network cancelled one of the few vampire-centric shows that managed to survive a downright miraculous three seasons, thanks in large part to a passionate fanbase. Knight featured Nicholas Knight, an 800-year old vampire working the graveyard shift as a Toronto P.D. homicide detective. Eight centuries was ample time to rack up a litany of misdeeds and crimes against humanity, and Knight was determined to atone; too bad his sensuous ex and unapologetic mentor were there to constantly remind him that resistance was futile.

Then there is the inevitable Angel comparison, though even it caught some flak at the start for hewing close to Forever Knight’s overall concept. (Angel producer David Greenwalt was even briefly affiliated with the show.) But Angel’s advantage was a smart group of writers who understood that the character was the most difficult (and, IMO, often the least interesting) of Buffy’s distinct cast of regulars. They quickly branched out from the claustrophobic weekly mortal-in-distress plots and into huge, emotionally resonant arcs that allowed Angel to prove he was more than another self-loathing monster working the guilt machine into overdrive.

[nms:cbs moonlight,4,0]

With supernatural detective novels currently the flavor du jour in popular fiction, and a unique genre gap left on the network TV slate by Angel’s cancellation three years ago (!), it’s still a surprise to find Moonlight in the CBS fall line-up. With the notable exception of the Jossverse’s singular stylings, and perhaps Sam “Bring me the young, supple flesh of another assistant DA” Waterston, the undead have had a less than immortal run on American television. The most recent, Blood Ties, is safely ensconced (for now) on cable channel Lifetime, but has yet to finish a full season; Blade: The Series didn’t make it to its second year, and Kindred: The Embraced aired only a handful of episodes back in 1996 before receiving the axe. In the end, the most successful, Joss-free, quasi-vampire series ever was Dark Shadows, a daytime soap high on gothic trappings and melodrama. Not exactly an endorsement for the discerning genre enthusiast. (Sorry, Barnabas.) And, let’s be honest, Joss Whedon’s vision of vampires wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For those who prefer their bloodsuckers vacuum-sealed in PVC or bumping teeth and uglies (preferably at the same time) beneath pieces of religious iconography, and without crazy morphs of the forehead, TV has been slim pickings.

So the pressure’s on for Moonlight, which centers around a vampire bearing the arcane-meets-rock n’ roll name of Mick St. John (Alex O’Loughlin). Turned unwillingly on his wedding night by his bride and now 60 years undead, St. John is recently divorced, sleeps in a freezer, and makes a living as a private investigator in the decadent n’ dirty playground of Los Angeles. He has a food hook-up at the local blood bank (food that he shoots up like heroin, a symbolic can of worms), a 400-year old vampire playboy as a friend (Jason Dohring, already a favorite with the geek crowd as another playboy, Logan Echolls, on Veronica Mars), a burgeoning romance with a very pretty and very mortal online investigative reporter (Sophia Myles, previously seen as a vampire-on-the-ceiling in Underworld), and of course an ex-wife with fangs and a less than generous view of humans (Shannyn Sossamon, who was destined to play a vampire eventually).

The first official promo trailer for this show is dire; why CBS hasn’t pulled it from their website since the casting overhaul is inexplicable. Recent promos fare better, with less emphasis on the Ghost Whisperer-friendly “power of love” schmaltz-fest and more on St. John’s special investigating abilities: nocturnal eye action, super-strength, and even some neck-munching. Nothing new, but I dare say there’s potential lurking beneath the eager, self-aware pretext.

What could ultimately set Moonlight apart could also be its greatest weakness: 60 years of immortality is not a lot to draw on when introducing a penitent vampire to the world, but the lack of a bloated personal history removes the safety net of endless flashbacks and gimmicky guest stars. And the show’s creators have opted to keep vampires the only supernatural element, so no magical hijinks involving body-switching or vengeful ghosts. Moonlight needs to deliver grade A drama to retain the attention of both the mainstream audience and genre fans who have seen this all done before and done well. They do have star Alex O’Loughlin’s lazy good looks going for them and, if the promo snippets are any indication, St. John’s dry sense of humor and penchant for good jazz could provide a hardboiled, noir edge to the “When night falls a hero will rise” nonsense CBS has been pushing in promos.

But the real question is whether the world needs yet another vampire detective trying to do good by those who would be his lunch. Of all the possibilities vampire mythology has to offer, why recycle what’s been done not just once, but twice over? Particularly with Blood Ties also on the air? The bottom’s going to drop out of this sub-genre eventually; let’s hope Moonlight gives its hero the depth needed to survive a premature staking.

Heather Cee has been writing for music sites for several years but genre media is her original fandom. She’s a History major dropout, loves music, Batman, and the color green, and thinks Laura Roslin is the most kick ass woman on television. She currently works as a website editor in Tucson, Arizona, where she lives with her husband and a ridiculous amount of CDs, records, books, and DVDs. One day she hopes to own grown-up furniture and pants other than jeans.

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