To say, "been there, done that..." in regards to the new TV show Moonlight would be more than redundant. Most viewers will think it is like the show Angel (1999-2004), the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin off, about a vampire that is also a private eye. I didn't think that because I wasn't into the whole Buffy/Angel scene.
I say, "been there, done that" because of a show called Forever Knight (1989-1996). Forever Knight follows the evening activities of police Detective Nick Knight (Geraint Wyn Davies), an 800 year old vampire, who resides in a Toronto, Canada and drives a 1950s convertible Caddy. The episodes featured him solving crimes, on the night shift, with his partner (played by veteran actor John Kapelos) and avoiding the bad influence of the vampire underworld lead by, another veteran actor, Nigel Bennett. There is also Natalie, the night morgue worker, who lusts after our vampire hero - she knows he's a vampire. He of course cannot let himself love her because he's a vampire...yeah, yeah, we know the rest. There were many flashbacks during every episode, ala Highlander, but it never really got old because of how long his life spanned. An interesting episode is when you got to see how the head vampire was turned...just before the erupting of Pompeii. There is also a cool vampire club in town where Nick has to go on occasion to find a vampire that has been making trouble. Forever Knight was never actually on any network. At that time networks like USA and TNT were not in the major TV episode market. Instead it was on one of the big 3, after the news, on what they called "Crime time after Prime time." They also showed a wonderfully decadent show called Silk Stalkings (a fluffy Miami Vice type show). Basically, if you were up late...you may have seen an episode of Forever Knight.
This brings us to Moonlight. And here is a rundown of the originality...or lack there of. Moonlight follows the story of a private detective named Mick St. John - who was made a vampire in the 1950s and drives a 1960s Mercedes. Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin grumbles his lines, in his best American accent, through some pretty lame episodes (so far). He bounces his troubles off a vampire friend and you do see other vampires around Los Angles including ones that clean up after sloppy vampire activity. Mick also has someone he wishes he could be with and that is a young police detective whom he saved when she was a young girl. In the second episode of the season he tells her the truth about himself. I really don't know where the show is going to go at this point. I mean, the really can't do the whole flashback thing because...well...the guy only has about 80 years to flashback into. And there really isn't an interesting supporting cast. I have watched a couple episodes so far...I might stick with...but then again...I might not.
If you are into this kind of thing...rent episodes of Forever Knight.
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