Beauty and the Beast (TV series)

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Beauty and the Beast
Image:Hamilton-perlman-BandB.jpg
Pictured: Linda Hamilton (Catherine), Ron Perlman (Vincent)
Format Drama, romance
Created by Ron Koslow
Starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, Roy Dotrice, Jay Acovone
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 56
Production
Running time approx. 52 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Original run 1987 – 1990

Beauty and the Beast is an American television series, written by George R. R. Martin originally broadcast in 1987, centered around the relationship between Catherine (Linda Hamilton), an Assistant District Attorney who lived in New York City, and Vincent (Ron Perlman), a gentle, but lion-faced "beast" who belongs to a society of misfits and outcasts (see "mole people") dwelling in the tunnels beneath the city. The beast makeup was devised by veteran Hollywood makeup artist Rick Baker. During the short third season, the character of Catherine was killed, to be replaced by Diana Bennett, a special-investigations policewoman played by Jo Anderson[1]; however, the presence of Catherine was often nearby in the stories.

The show often dealt with antagonists in New York's organized crime world, while also following the relationship of Catherine and Vincent. It was both a romantic and crime drama. It was cancelled after only three years, but continues to have a large fan base online. Women in particular responded to the series and trade in taped episodes through the mail via fan newsletters was often brisk.[citation needed]

As the title indicates, the premise of the series is inspired by the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast"; in particular, there is some connection to the Jean Cocteau French film of 1946, La Belle et la Bête.

Contents

While returning to her Manhattan apartment, Catherine Chandler (Hamilton), a wealthy socialite and corporate lawyer, is abducted off the street by a pair of thugs, is beaten and her face slashed, and abandoned in the middle of Central Park. She is discovered by Vincent (Perlman), a member of a secret community of people who dwell in caverns and tunnels beneath the borough. Vincent, due to his extraordinarily abnormal, leonine appearance, only emerges from the Tunnels during the night, and it is on one of his rambles that he discovers the wounded Catherine. Carrying her down to the home chambers of his community (the World Below), Vincent nurses Catherine back to health with the aid of his adoptive parent Father (Roy Dotrice), who is reluctant to host the woman because of the risk of exposure she represents to the Tunnels. During this time, a bond develops from Catherine's emotions to Vincent, as well as a deep love on Vincent's part for her.

Partially recovered, and told the truth of Vincent's community, Catherine promises to hold their secret safe, and returns Above. After completing her recovery, she changes her life from its previously shallow round and joins the Manhattan District Attorney's office as an investigator and trial lawyer. Vincent, still empathically "connected" with her, visits her on her apartment terrace at night, and a romantic relationship grows between them, but one which can never be physically consummated. (This leads to the sexual tension that was one of the series' drawing cards with fans.) Catherine's duties as an investigator lead her frequently into situations where she is placed in danger; although she has taken self-defence instruction, she is often placed in a situation from which she cannot extract herself. Vincent, sensing her fear through their bond, uses various tunnels and interior paths (sometimes even riding atop subway trains) to reach her in time and save her.

Toward the end of Season 1, and through the majority of Season 2, the above action-oriented situations were decreased in favor of character development and more pure dramatic situations. Emphasis was placed more on the lovers' relationship with each other and with their friends and families; Catherine's role as a "Helper" (one of the people living Above who know or have befriended the Tunnel community, assisting them with food and aid) also grows during this period. Near the end of Season 2, however, in an effort to boost faltering ratings, the action orientation returned, emphasizing a seeming breakdown or reversion in Vincent to the animal side of his dual nature (See also: Personality). In a cliffhanger final episode, Catherine is seen walking down a tunnel into a chamber, where Vincent is suffering from a violent madness.

The season begins with a two-hour (later split into two parts) episode in which Catherine pulls Vincent from his insanity, but with his empathic connection to her broken. Though the viewer is never given the specifics, Catherine becomes pregnant with Vincent's child.

Later, in the course of her work, Catherine stumbles onto evidence of massive corruption in high places. She is kidnapped by Gabriel (played by Stephen McHattie[2]), an apparent druglord who is at the center of the corruption, in an effort to find out the hiding place of a book which contains evidence of the corruption. Following Vincent's discovery of her hiding place and his attempted rescue, Gabriel discovers Catherine's pregnancy and holds her until she comes to term. Vincent finds where Catherine is being held, but Gabriel knows that Vincent is coming and orders the doctor to get the baby, by C-Section if necessary, then kill Catherine. After Gabriel escapes with the baby, Catherine makes her way to the roof of the building. The doctor has given her a lethal dose of morphine. She dies in Vincent's arms after she tells him about their son. The remainder of the season, except for the final two episodes, follows Vincent's quest to bring Gabriel to justice and rescue his child. He is aided in this by Diana Bennett (Anderson), a special police investigator specializing in criminal profiling, who is apparently gifted with a degree of intuition verging on extra-sensory perception. She has discovered the existence of Vincent and the Tunnels through her investigatory work, and joins him in his efforts.

Catherine was the daughter and only child of Charles Chandler (see below), a partner in a large corporate law firm based in New York City. She was of less than average height, with honey-brown hair, grey-green eyes, and a ready smile. She usually dressed very fashionably, in accordance with her social and economic position, even in the less "formal" world of the Tunnels.

A graduate of Radcliffe College, she is a very capable lawyer, but lacked purpose or direction to her life until she was mistaken for a witness in a criminal case, beaten severely, and left by the thugs in Central Park to bleed to death. Her rescue and nursing by Vincent gave her the opportunity to turn her life around; his example that she could survive adversity and trauma focused her determination. Additionally, she was given the deeper support of her love for Vincent, and, as an extension of him, the other Tunnel Dwellers.

Following plastic surgery operations to restore her face from its severe scarring (except for one near an ear that was not able to be corrected — but one that she gladly wore as a reminder of what she gained), Catherine found a way to put her legal talent to good service by working in the District Attorney's office. She also discovered the satisfaction of aiding others more directly by becoming one of the team of Helpers that supplies and protects the Tunnels. Though Father, the leader of the community, resisted Catherine at first, he was gradually won over by Catherine's determination and steadfastness, and by her unashamed love for Vincent.

Catherine proved herself to the Tunnels many times. In "Ozymandias," she was willing to marry Elliott Burch (see below) in an attempt to stop his development of the Burch Tower that threatens to expose the existence of the Tunnels. In "Ashes, Ashes," she risked her life to assist Vincent and Father in nursing the Tunnel residents through an epidemic of pneumonic plague. She several times placed her life and career on the line to search for and rescue Vincent ("No Way Down," "Nor Iron Bars a Cage"). Though the empathic bond generally ran only from Catherine to Vincent, it could also flow in the opposite direction as well when he was himself in extreme danger ("Shades of Grey").

In exchange for her devotion, the Tunnel community eventually declared her an official Helper at "Winterfest," their winter celebration of fellowship and community (similar to winter solstice celebrations in other cultures).

Shortly after rescuing Vincent from his madness ("The Rest is Silence"), Catherine was kidnapped in order to extract evidence pointing to the criminal organization led by Gabriel (see below), then held as Gabriel's plans changed upon learning of Vincent and Catherine's carrying of his child. She was murdered by Gabriel's minions after the baby was delivered.

Joseph Maxwell (Jay Acovone[3]) is a Deputy District Attorney for the Borough of Manhattan, and was Catherine's immediate superior in the office. He possesses dark hair and equally dark "good looks." His family background is in law; his father was a police officer, killed in the line of duty. Joe is very proud of his Italian heritage.

Joe is a generally easy-going boss; he commonly referred to his best investigator as either "Cathy" or "Radcliffe" (an allusion to her alma mater), and in slow moments or periods of thought throws darts at an office dartboard (placed perilously close to the door.) He can, however, display intensity during investigations, especially when personally involved. Upon taking over the position of District Attorney following the murder of John Moreno (see below), the previous office holder, Maxwell reopened the investigation into Catherine's own murder, appointing Diana Bennett (see below) to take over the investigation.

He has never known of Catherine's relationship with Vincent or the existence of the Tunnels. Since Vincent was in part responsible for Catherine's success rate in investigations, Joe has often wondered how a "socialite corporate lawyer" could produce so heavily on seemingly uncrackable cases. He is aware of her mysterious disappearance prior to joining the District Attorney's office, but never pressed her upon the subject. There have been indications that he was attracted to Catherine romantically ("Chamber Music" et al.), but the feeling was reciprocated only by friendship.

Following the death of Catherine Chandler, the character of Diana became the "Beauty" of the title. Diana is a special investigator with the "210 Division" of the New York Police Department, which investigates extremely difficult cases beyond the scope of the normal police. She is taller than average, with long red hair and the accompanying pale complexion of the redhead. She wears a ring with a large cabochon stone on a forefinger (which has intrigued many fans as to its significance in the frequently symbol-laden world of the series).

Diana's investigative technique is based on criminal behavioral profiling, in which she uses subtle clues to slowly draw inferences and build her case. There is some suggestion that her technique has at least a part basis in extra-sensory perception, due to the extremely vague nature of some items of evidence that she uses; however, it could also be attributed to excellent imagination and intuition.

Called in by Joe Maxwell (see above) to assume the investigation into Catherine's murder, Diana acquires enough clues to deduce the existence of the Tunnels, and actually begins exploring them at one point (forcing a sealing of the old access door from Catherine's apartment building). Later, she discovers Vincent (whose existence she also had deduced, though not in its entirety), lying upon Catherine's grave, close to death from the effects of a blast planted to kill him and Elliott Burch (see below). Nursing him back to health, she slowly gains his trust, and is given by him enough information to lead her to the location of Gabriel (see below) and Vincent's son.

There is a suggestion in at least one episode that Diana has begun to conceive an attraction toward Vincent; if so, it has come too soon (within the episodes of the canon) for Vincent to return it, if ever, due to his continued grieving for Catherine's death. There is no evidence of a psychic/empathic connection between the two characters.

Vincent's true nature is difficult to explain, and has been the source of conjecture in the fan community. Physically, he is a person of extremely large and powerful build; however, he differs from human norms in that he possesses the facial characteristics of a lion, complete with blonde "mane" and fangs. His fingers are tipped with claws that can leave deep wounds when he attacks. In contrast to this intimidating form, his voice, while gravelly, is quite soft. When angered, Vincent emits a deep, throaty, feline, growl and when fully roused has been known to emit loud roars, also similar to a lion's. Normally dressed in a welter of various patched garments and homespun, he often wears a large cloak about his shoulders, especially when walking the city streets so as to conceal his appearance from others Above. Only during Halloween night does he feel safe enough to venture outside openly. He has also been seen to wear (at more festive or formal occasions) a costume somewhat similar to an 18th Century gentleman's formal dress, with a ruffed stock tie (see definition 12) at his throat.

His parentage is unknown; he was found abandoned as a baby in the garbage behind Saint Vincent's Hospital and brought to Father, who drew his name from the location. Nursed to health by Father and the early Tunnel community, who viewed him as an optimistic symbol of their outcast status, he was raised with the other children of the Tunnels, and given an education heavily grounded in the humanities and European literary tradition. (This may have been an effort by Father to compensate for his lack of opportunity to play in the daylight.) The results of this education are found in Vincent's speech, which is both pithy and expressive, and contains many literary allusions. He serves as the English and literature teacher to the new generation of Tunnel children. He is also a member of the Tunnels' representative Council, where the habits of thought and examination encouraged by study of the liberal arts aid him and lend weight to his voice.

He has twice suffered from attacks of madness or some other mental aggravation, which resulted in his withdrawing into his more animal nature: once as an adolescent, and the second some two to 2-1/2 years after meeting Catherine. It is unknown if this will happen again in the future.

Vincent's devotion to those he loves is profound, but is not unquestioning. He is unafraid to argue with Father when he believes Father is wrong about something, and ignored the man's advice to break off all relations with Catherine (Season 1). He is commonly a champion of the underdog, and will often support the petition of newcomers to join the Tunnels. He is also the last line of defense against intruders, though he does so with the greatest of reluctance ("China Moon," "The Hollow Men," "Snow"). At such times, Vincent has exhibited a strong grasp of tactics; combined with the power of his attack, Vincent is a formidable adversary.

His devotion to Catherine was complete (as was hers to him), leading him into many dangerous situations (most episodes of Season 1 and 3). Since her death, he has grieved powerfully for her; however, he finds solace in Jacob, their son, and a hope for the future; as well, his friendship with Diana Bennett (see below) has given him a new direction in his life.

Jacob Wells was an English born research physician, working for the federal government on nuclear projects in the 1950s. When he spoke out against certain activities, he was blacklisted , fired from his job and his license to practice medicine stripped from him. Unable to find new work, left by his wife (whose family easily coerced her into getting the marriage annulled), he wandered alone and homeless until he was led to a series of tunnels beneath the surface of New York by a woman named Grace. Finding sanctuary there, and assistance from friends that would not desert him, Jacob gathered together other outcasts and misfits of society to band together to found the Tunnel Community. Among this early group was John Pater, who later would become infamous as Paracelsus (see below). Following the power struggle between Pater and Wells, Pater was ejected beyond the "boundaries" and Wells declared their titular leader.

Today, Father, as he became known, is loved and respected as the patriarch of the Tunnel world. Grey-haired, with a mustache and goatee, he walks the passageways of the living areas with the aid of a cane, dressed in the collection of castoffs and homespun that is the normal mode of dress among the underground dwellers. As well as being the head of the Council, Father continues practicing as a physician to his people, aided by Mary (see below) and using supplies contributed by Peter Alcott (see below). He acts as surrogate father/grandfather to the children, telling them stories as well as reading to them, and also serves as one of their teachers. (A memorable scene from "A Children's Story" has Father and Vincent drawing the class into a scene from Romeo and Juliet by acting out the roles.)

Father has returned Above only twice since his removal to the Tunnels. The first time, in answer to a summons by his dying former wife Margaret, he was arrested and charged with murder, but cleared by Catherine and Vincent ("Song of Orpheus"). On the second, he became involved for a time with an old love (played by Fionnula Flanagan).

Still English to the core, Jacob Wells continues to enjoy an occasional "spot of tea" and a game of chess which he generally loses.

John Pater was a scientist and former friend of Father's who helped organize the Tunnel World, but desired power for himself. Father describes him as a "philosopher, scientist, magician" and says that much of what the tunnel-dwellers have created below, they owe to Pater.1 After his exile beyond the boundaries (see above) and an accident that horribly scarred his face with burns, he took the name Paracelsus (after the 15th-century alchemist). He is a recurring nemesis of both Father and Vincent in the series, and devotes himself to undermining Father's rule and suborning Vincent, believing himself to be Vincent's rightful mentor and that he alone can guide Vincent to fulfill his destiny of power. In his first appearance, he intimates to Vincent that Father has misled him as to his true origins and that he, Paracelsus, knows the real story. In addition to his formidable intellect, Paracelsus also possesses some skill with makeup and disguises and the ability to imitate the voices of others (which he describes as "a trick of the throat"). In the second season, he uses these talents to fool both a reporter and Vincent, impersonating Elliot Burch (see below) and Father himself to drive Vincent into animal madness, in a demented bid to prove to Vincent that he is not in fact human at all and that his bestial inner nature will always win out. Paracelsus is portrayed by Tony Jay.

Jenny Aronson (Terri Hanauer[4]) was Catherine's closest friend outside of the Tunnels. She is slightly taller than Catherine, with dark features and a head of curly brown or black hair. She works as an editor with a New York publishing house.

Though, like most of Catherine's acquaintances Above, Jenny never knew anything about the Tunnel World, she realized that there was a special man in her friend's life. Additionally, in "The Watcher," Jenny exhibited a degree of intuition that, had Catherine survived the Gabriel incident, might have led her to discover the full truth of Catherine's secret.

Jenny helped Catherine to contact the art gallery that ultimately sold Kristopher Gentian's paintings, discovered by Catherine and Vincent in "When the Blue Bird Sings."

Burch (Edward Albert[5]) was a Donald Trump-like character, a self-made multimillionaire in the profitable New York construction business; however, he suffered the fatal flaw of cutting corners with the law by hiring thugs to force out a group of tenants from a rent-controlled building so as to tear it down (Siege); and later breaking other regulations to pave the way for his planned "Burch Tower" (Ozymandias). Deeply attracted to Catherine, he courted her actively in "Siege," and remained infatuated with her even as she discovered the facts that brought his plans to a halt and ended their romantic relationship. In Shades of Grey, to save Vincent and Father, who had been trapped by a cave-in, Catherine was forced to go to Burch in order to get drilling equipment and explosives, which he gave after her plea to trust her without any explanations. This unselfish act on his part rekindled their friendship and his hopes of one day winning her. In Ozymandias, Burch proposed marriage, but after her initial acceptance (in a desperate bid to save the Tunnel World from being destroyed by the Burch Tower) upon condition that construction of the Tower be stopped, he was unable to choose her over his dream and in the end lost both Catherine and the Tower.

In the second season episode "A Kingdom By The Sea", Burch was pursued by a death squad and Catherine led him through the tunnels to safety while behind them Vincent dealt with their pursuers.

During Season 3, Gabriel targeted Burch for death because of his efforts to uncover the truth about Catherine's death, but Burch was saved by Vincent at the Central Park carousel, during which District Attorney John Moreno (who was revealed to be working for Gabriel in "Though Lovers Be Lost") was killed and Vincent and Burch came face to face for the first time. Burch maintained a modus vivendi with Vincent in the effort to discover and bring down Catherine's killer. Gabriel (see below) temporarily co-opted Burch first by bringing Burch's financial empire to the brink of ruin and then playing on his jealousy of Vincent's relationship with Catherine, but Burch went through a change of heart at the last instant before he was killed in an explosion, saving Vincent from death by sacrificing his own life.

Charles Chandler (John McMartin) was a full partner in the firm of corporate lawyers that was also home to his daughter, Catherine. He was tall and silver-haired, dressing in line with the dictates of his profession.

A devoted single father, Charles gave his daughter every advantage, up to and including expensive education at Radcliffe and a position in his firm. He was also present for her when he was needed, especially following his wife's death. Deeply concerned because of Catherine's seeming lack of purpose at the beginning of the series, he grew to be quite proud of her accomplishments with the District Attorney.

During Season 2, Charles suffered a stroke, dying not many days after. Vincent, supporting Catherine, visited him at night in the hospital before his death to speak to him; it is unsure wheteher the unresponsive Chandler was aware of his presence -- although Catherine later had a dream or vision of him while grieving for him in the Tunnels, in which he expressed his approval of Vincent for her ("Orphans").

Edie (Ren Woods[6]) works in the computer division of the NYPD. A database virtuoso, she frequently discovered facts that allowed Catherine to find an angle of attack on a case, beginning with the thugs who originally attacked the lawyer. They grew to be close friends, though there was sometimes a joking element of quid pro quo when Catherine needed information quickly.

(Edie was present during Season 1 only.)

Mouse (David Greenlee) was a child taken in by the World Below. Painfully shy following some traumatic incident, he was completely withdrawn and was unable to even speak, and it was Vincent reaching out to him which encouraging him to come out of his shell. Though he still had some trouble communicating, stuttering at times, and speaking with as few words as possible, he did develop into something of a genius, able to scavenge (or steal), dismantle and reassemble (usually), just about anything, as well as create functional equipment out of what others would consider hopeless junk. Often overeager and keen to please he sometimes tries to achieve more than he can reasonably deliver, but his good natured approach and the value of his contribution when he does succeed earn him a lot of leeway with other tunnel dwellers.

  • A DVD box set was released on February 13, 2007, consisting of the collected first-season episodes. No special features or commentary were added to the set.

Avon Books published three books novelizing various episodes from the series.

  1. Once Upon a Time in New York
  2. Terrible Savior
  3. Siege
  4. No Way Down
  5. Masques
  6. Beast Within
  7. Nor Iron Bars a Cage
  8. Song of Orpheus
  9. Dark Spirit
  10. A Children's Story
  11. An Impossible Silence
  12. Shades of Grey
  13. China Moon
  14. The Alchemist
  15. Temptation
  16. Promises of Someday
  17. Down to a Sunless Sea
  18. Fever
  19. Everything Is Everything
  20. To Reign in Hell
  21. Ozymandias
  22. A Happy Life

  1. Chamber Music
  2. Remember Love
  3. Ashes, Ashes
  4. Dead of Winter
  5. God Bless the Child
  6. Sticks and Stones
  7. A Fair and Perfect Knight
  8. Labyrinths
  9. Brothers
  10. A Gentle Rain
  11. The Outsiders
  12. Orphans
  13. Arabesque
  14. When the Blue Bird Sings
  15. The Watcher
  16. A Distant Shore
  17. Trial
  18. A Kingdom By the Sea
  19. The Hollow Men
  20. What Rough Beast
  21. Ceremony of Innocence
  22. The Rest is Silence...

  1. Though Lovers Be Lost... (part 1)
  2. Though Lovers Be Lost... (part 2)
  3. Walk Slowly
  4. Nevermore
  5. Snow
  6. Beggar's Comet
  7. A Time To Heal
  8. The Chimes At Midnight
  9. Invictus
  10. In the Forests of the Night
  11. The Reckoning
  12. Legacies

On February 13, 2007 Paramount Home Entertainment released the first season of Beauty and the Beast on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Season 2 was released on July 10, 2007 and the third and final season will be released on February 5, 2008 [1]

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Beauty and the Beast: The Complete First Season 22 February 13, 2007
Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Second Season 22 July 10, 2007
Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Third Season 12 February 5, 2008

  1. ^ Jo Anderson at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ Stephen McHattie at the Internet Movie Database
  3. ^ Jay Acovone at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ^ Terri Hanauer at the Internet Movie Database
  5. ^ Edward Albert at the Internet Movie Database
  6. ^ Ren Woods at the Internet Movie Database

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