Season 1 (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels)

Season 1 of Showtime's supernatural drama television series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was ordered straight-to-series on November 1, 2018.^[1]

It premiered on Sunday, April 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

On August 21, 2020, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was cancelled by Showtime after one season.^[2]

Synopsis[]

A spiritual descendant of the original PENNY DREADFUL story set in Victorian-era London, PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS opens in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and his partner Lewis Michener (Lane) become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city's first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Before long, Tiago and his family are grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart. PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS explores an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of the period. This chapter is a bold new vision that will employ all new characters and storylines.^[3]

Cast[]

Main[]

Natalie Dormer as Magda (10/10)
Daniel Zovatto as Tiago Vega (10/10)
Kerry Bishé as Sister Molly Finnister (9/10)
Adriana Barraza as Maria Vega (10/10)
Jessica Garza as Josefina Vega (9/10)
Michael Gladis as Charlton Townsend (10/10)
Johnathan Nieves as Mateo Vega (10/10)
Rory Kinnear as Peter Craft (10/10)
Nathan Lane as Lewis Michener (10/10)

Supporting[]

Dominic Sherwood as Kurt (10/10)
Julian Hilliard as Tom Craft (9/10)
Sebastian Chacon as Fly Rico (8/10)
Adam Rodriguez as Raul Vega (8/10)
Amy Madigan as Adelaide Finnister (8/10)
Thomas Kretschmann as Richard Goss (8/10)
Hudson West as Trevor Craft (8/10)
Santino Barnard as Frank Branson (8/10)
Piper Perabo as Linda Craft (6/10)
Adan Rocha as Diego Lopez (6/10)
Brent Spiner as Ned Vanderhoff (6/10)
Kyle McArthur as Brian Koenig (6/10)
Stephanie Arcila as Bernadette Romero (6/10)
Lin Shaye as Dottie Minter (6/10)
Christine Estabrook as Beverly Beck (5/10)
Lorenza Izzo as Santa Muerte (5/10)
Rod McLachlan as Jimmy Reilly (4/10)
David Figlioli as Randolph (4/10)
Ethan Peck as Herman Ackermann (3/10)
Brad Garrett as Benny Berman (3/10)
Brian Dennehy as Jerome Townsend (1/10)

Episodes[]

#	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1	Santa Muerte	John Logan	Paco Cabezas	April 26, 2020
Los Angeles, 1938. LAPD detective Tiago Vega and his partner, Lewis Michener, investigate a murder. While at City Hall, Tiago’s activist brother Raul Vega battles with the fiery Councilman Charlton Townsend over the construction of California’s first freeway. Meanwhile, Peter Craft, the head of the German-American Bun, meets Elsa, the mysterious mother of one of his patients. Sensing danger, Tiago’s mother Maria pleads with Santa Muerte to protect her family as the rising tensions in the city threaten to explode. Series premiere.
2	Dead People Lie Down	John Logan	Paco Cabezas	May 3, 2020
Raul Vega lies on the brink of death as his brother Mateo meets the charismatic Pachuco Fly Rico. Tiago and Lewis's investigation leads them to the temple of the radio evangelist, Sister Molly Finnister and her formidable mother, Miss Adelaide. Councilman Townsend and his cunning assistant Alex capitalize on the discord in the city to further their political goals. Peter Craft has a chance encounter with Elsa at the beach and his sons meet her unnerving boy, Frank. Lewis and his old friends investigate clandestine Third Reich activities.
3	Wicked Old World	John Logan	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	May 10, 2020
Tiago and Molly visit Santa Monica Pier in an effort to escape their complicated lives. Livid at the murder of his friends, Lewis interrogates Brian Koenig, a young Cal-Tech student. Townsend and Alex's political agenda is jeopardized when Councilwoman Beverly Beck vows to fight them. Peter Craft discovers a dark truth when he visits Elsa at home. Mateo visits the Crimson Cat dance hall and is invited into a seductive, dangerous new world.
4	Josefina and the Holy Spirit	John Logan	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	May 17, 2020
Tiago scours Sister Molly's beach house for clues, leading to disquieting revelations. Councilwoman Beck proposes an alternate route for the Arroyo-Seco motorway, infuriating Townsend. Peter Craft invites Elsa to a party at his home, inflaming the suspicions of his wife Linda. Lewis asks the gangster Benny Berman to help battle the growing Nazi menace in LA. And after Josefina Vega has a harrowing encounter with the police, Mateo seeks retribution with his new Pachuco friends as Josefina pursues spiritual enlightenment with Sister Molly.
5	Children of the Royal Sun	Jose Rivera	Roxann Dawson	May 24, 2020
Mateo grapples with the aftermath of his actions. Josefina confides in Sister Molly, who's shocked to discover Josefina is Tiago's sister. Tiago and Lewis's investigation takes them from the Sonoratown slums to the Vega House. Dottie befriends Brian as Alex lectures Townsend about his personal life. Peter receives an alarming phone call from Elsa and Tiago confronts Mateo.
6	How It Is With Brothers	Vinnie Wilhelm	Roxann Dawson	May 31, 2020
Tiago and Lewis interrogate Diego, seeking a confession, while Lewis senses Tiago is hiding something from him. Adelaide warns Molly about her personal desires jeopardizing the Temple's future. Townsend learns of Kurt's surprising past. Peter Craft makes a dramatic decision about his marriage with Linda. Maria tracks down Mateo and pleads with him to come home.
7	Maria and the Beast	John Logan	Sheree Folkson	June 7, 2020
Molly visits Tiago at his apartment as he wrestles with guilt over Diego’s confession. Dottie and Lewis confront Brian for lying about his dueling allegiances. Elsa and Frank move in with the Crafts, igniting fear in Tom and Maria. Alex and Townsend deliberate about how to defeat Councilwoman Beck. Josefina’s newfound faith puts her at odds with her family. Lewis enlists a reluctant Tiago to join his covert operations and Maria summons Santa Muerte, but an uninvited guest arrives with her.
8	Hide and Seek	Tatiana Suarez-Pico	Sheree Folkson	June 14, 2020
Lewis confronts Townsend in his office and Tiago questions Adelaide, where he discovers Josefina is now a member of the Sister Molly’s congregation. Rio implores Mateo to forget his old family and embrace her and the Pachucos. Peter visits Linda at the asylum, only to find her ready for war. Townsend and Kurt go on a dangerous outing, while Peter Craft argues with members of the German-American Bund. In the Craft home, Frank terrorizes Tom and Trevor as Maria fights to protect them from the demonic child.
9	Sing, Sing, Sing	John Logan	Daniel Attias	June 21, 2020
In danger, Tiago and Lewis must make bold decisions. With Townsend at the end of his rope, he’s forced to turn to a last resort. Spurred by Elsa, Peter decides to take Tom, Trevor and Frank to the movies. Lewis oversees the prison transfer of Diego Lopez as Tiago and Molly go dancing at the Crimson Cat, where they confront the rest of the Vega family.
10	Day of the Dead	John Logan	Richard J. Lewis	June 28, 2020
When sad news spreads through the Crimson Cat, Fly Rico tries to placate the volatile crowd while Rio argues for vengeance. Peter Craft, Elsa and the boys are trapped in their car amidst a riot as Tiago tries to help Mateo. Townsend celebrates the sudden rise of his political fortunes. Tiago and Molly face reality about their relationship and Molly confronts Miss Adelaide. Lewis and Tiago rush to protect Brian from the Nazis. The Vega family gathers for a moving Day of the Dead ceremony.

Production[]

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels was ordered to series on November 1, 2018 by Showtime.^[1]
Production is set to start this spring with a premiere date of sometime later this year or early 2020.^[4]
Thanks to tax credits from the state of California, the series, which was initally set to film in Dublin, Ireland, will film in Los Angeles. Penny Dreadful: City of Angels has conditionally received $24.7 million as a relocating series under the Golden State's $330 million annual incentives program.^[4]
- This is also the most any small-screen project has ever been awarded under the incentives program.^[4]
- The series is projected to employ more than 350 cast members, 150 crew and 10,000 extras in its during its first season.^[4]