If you are one of the millions of primetime TV viewers every night, chances are you've heard of NBC's new fantasy/cop-drama, Grimm. Airing Friday nights at 9/8 Central on NBC, and premiering just days before Halloween, Grimm has already shown promise as a fan favorite for the Fall season. So what makes it stand apart from the droves of new shows currently blasting into your eye sockets?
5. The Premise
Okay, yes it's another cop drama, but it's more than that. Grimm centers
on Nick Burkhardt (played by David Guintoli), an overeager cop who
finds out he is a direct descendent of the fairy-tale weaving Brothers
Grimm bloodline. Weirdness ensues as he befriends a reformed werewolf,
or Blutbaden, and he begins to unravel the burden of his heritage. As
you may have guessed Grimm weaves classic Brothers Grimm fairytales into
the storyline, but re-imagines them while staying true to their dark
roots. Sure there are other TV shows that utilize fantasy or fairy-tales
in their story line, but none have the hard edge that Grimm boasts. There are beasts aplenty in the two episodes thus far, and judging from
the creepy pseudo-hallucinations Nick has in the pilot, the best is yet
to come.
4. The Production Design
Grimm's production design team really has a handle on creating a
fantastical but believable world where fairytale creatures actually
exist. The choice to film in Portland, Oregon was a smart one seeing as
the Twilight films also brought mythical beasts to life in their dark
forests. The show creates a menacing atmosphere with carefully designed
eye candy that sets the perfect mood. Everything from the leather
jackets Nick and his partner Hank Griffin, played by Russell Hornsby,
wear to the decision to use the Eurhythmic's "Sweet Dreams" make this
show both hip and edgy.
3. The Mystery
What's a good story without a little mystery? There's plenty to go
around as more questions arise for the characters and the viewers.
What's with Aunt Marie's trailer? What does that key she gave him
open? Where are the other Grimms? Who killed Nick's parents? All
these questions will keep viewers guessing and coming back for more
action.
2. The Potential for Cult Status
While the horror and fantasy genres haven't always been the most
popular, their fans are often the most die-hard. The writers of these
shows seem to know this and have a formula for making them work even in
relative obscurity. While Grimm has the advantage of airing on a major
network, it doesn't hurt to have the writers of such cult favorites as
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf,
penning episodes and producing. Add to that a relatively unknown cast
ripe with potential and Grimm is well on its way to at least becoming a
cult hit.
1. The Numbers
As they say, the numbers have it or rather the Nielsen ratings have it. In its second week, Grimm dominated its time slot over 20/20 (ABC),
CSI: NY (CBS), Fringe (FOX), and Supernatural (CW) and increased NBC's
viewership by 38% in the target 18-49 market compared to last season.
That's reason to celebrate considering NBC has fallen behind the other
Big 5 networks. Garnering 6.5 million viewers during the series premiere
and 6 million the following week, Grimm is keeping its viewers
interested and is off to a solid start. Only time will tell how it
fares, but for now NBC should count its blessings that its creepiest new
show is also its biggest hit.
--Liana Minassian
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