Beauty and the Beast is an American fantasy-drama series which first aired on CBS in 1987. Creator Ron Koslow's updated version of the fairy tale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent (Ron Perlman), a mythic, noble man-beast, and Catherine (Linda Hamilton), a savvy Assistant District Attorney in New York; and a secret Utopian community of social outcasts living in a subterranean sanctuary. Through an empathetic bond, Vincent senses Catherine's emotions, and becomes her guardian.
The series follows the developing relationship between the characters and the division between New York and the hidden world beneath it. In a twist from the original tale, however, this "beast" does not transform into society's idea of beauty after gaining the love of Catherine. Rather, Vincent's inner beauty is allowed to remain the focus of who he is, and it is Catherine's life that transforms from her relationship to Vincent.
In the third season after the death of the character Catherine, Jo Anderson became the new female lead playing Diana Bennett, a criminal profiler investigating Catherine's murder.
Production
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's 1946 French film, La Belle et la Bête.
George R.R. Martin, who would later write the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, was a writer and producer on the show.
Catherine Chandler (played by Linda Hamilton) is abducted, beaten, slashed and left to die in Central Park because she was inadvertently mistaken for somebody else. She is rescued and cared for by Vincent (played by Ron Perlman) who has taken her to Father (played by Roy Dotrice), head of a hidden community of people dwelling in tunnels below the city of New York. Ten days later, Catherine returns to the surface with the promise of keeping Vincent's secret and the challenge to go on after her terrible attack. After completing her recovery, her life begins a serious transition: she takes self-defense lessons, leaves her comfortable job at her father's law firm and joins the Manhattan District Attorney's office as an Assistant District Attorney. Her first action involves her asking Carol Stabler about those men that attacked her, where she states that they were part of an illegal escort service run by Martin Belmont. When Catherine is attacked by Martin Belmont's men, she is saved by Vincent, who mauls the men.
During the course of the first season, the production team fashioned a blend of romance and crime drama, which used both Catherine's position as an ADA and her will to help Vincent and his world to place her in moments of physical danger that would bring the idealized romantic figure of Vincent to the surface world as her guardian angel.
Season 2
During its second season, the series shifted its focus slightly to add more character development, as the central characters spent considerable time exploring their relationships with the inhabitants of the Tunnel World, where Catherine had finally been accepted as a friend and "Helper" (someone who assists the Tunnel community with what they need to survive and by keeping their secret). More people from the World Above turned up for emotional support and healing in the secure environment of the World Below.
Near the end of the season however, in an effort to boost faltering ratings, the action orientation returned as a result of the misleadings of the recurrent villainParacelsus (played by Tony Jay). In a cliffhanger final episode, Catherine is seen walking down a tunnel into a chamber, where Vincent is suffering from a violent madness.
Season 3
When the series returned for its abbreviated third season late in 1989, Linda Hamilton had announced her decision to leave the series as she was pregnant at the time. It was a decision that, along with the network's desire to attract more male viewers, would have serious repercussions for the show's continued survival. In the resolution to the previous season's cliffhanger, Catherine rescued Vincent from his inner demons but was kidnapped by a man named Gabriel (played by Stephen McHattie), the ruthless head of a huge criminal empire she had been investigating, which was trying to corrupt the D.A.'s office. She was killed, but not before giving birth to Vincent's son, who was held hostage by the evil Gabriel. Catherine's boss and close friend Joe Maxwell (Jay Acovone) hired Diana Bennett (Jo Anderson), a criminal profiler with the police department, to track down Catherine's killer. Quite naturally, her investigation ultimately led her to the now darkly obsessed and grieving Vincent.
Although still popular with its dedicated fans, the darker, more resolutely violent aspects of the reworked concept, coupled with the fatal loss of the all-important central relationship between Catherine and Vincent, led to further declining ratings and ultimately cancellation.
Main cast
Catherine Chandler (portrayed by Linda Hamilton) – A corporate attorney in her father's law firm. After she's abducted, beaten, and her face slashed upon being mistaken for Carol Stabler, Catherine was rescued and tended to by Vincent. After that experience, Catherine changes her life completely and becomes an investigator for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. In Season Three, Catherine becomes pregnant with Vincent's child and is captured by Gabriel. She is later killed by Gabriel who overdoses her with morphine.
Vincent (portrayed by Ron Perlman) – A man of extremely large build with the facial characteristics of a lion (fanged teeth, a flattened nose and a cleft upper lip) and fingers tipped with claw-like nails. He is also much stronger than ordinary humans and, when enraged, growls and roars like a lion. He wears a hooded cloak to hide his appearance from strangers while walking the city streets at night. His parentage is unknown as he was found as a baby near St Vincent's Hospital and brought to Father by Paracelsus' wife Anna. Vincent has empathic abilities that let him know when Catherine is in danger. Following the death of Catherine, his baby son was captive in the clutches of Gabriel prompting him to take down Gabriel's operations. He does end up surrendering to Gabriel when he hears that his son is ill. This leads up to a rescue mission by Diana and the rest of the "World Below." Following the death of Gabriel, Vincent saves his son and names him after Father's real name. Vincent's makeup was devised by veteran Hollywood makeup artist Rick Baker.
Diana Bennett (portrayed by Jo Anderson) – Diana is a criminal profiler with the "210 Division" of the New York Police Department, which investigates unusual cases beyond the scope of the normal police. She debuted in Season 3 where she was called to investigate Catherine's murder. She later becomes a friend of "The World Below" and plays a part in the final battle against Gabriel.
The "World Above"
Joe Maxwell (portrayed by Jay Acovone) – A Deputy District Attorney for the Borough of Manhattan and Catherine's immediate superior in the office. In Season Three, Joe is injured in a car explosion caused by Gabriel's crime syndicate. After the murder of Catherine, Joe hires Diana Bennett to find her killer. Joe later meets Father (when it comes to tracking down Gabriel), but has never met Vincent.
Isaac Stubbs (portrayed by Ron O'Neal in "Once Upon a Time," Delroy Lindo in "Terrible Savior" and "No Way Down") – A street-fighting instructor who teaches Catherine to defend herself after she recovers from her attack.
Jenny Aronson (portrayed by Terri Hanauer) – A friend of Catherine's.
Edie (portrayed by Ren Woods) – Works in the computer division of the DA's office in Season 1.
Elliot Burch (portrayed by Edward Albert) – A self-made millionaire and New York building developer who is in love with Catherine. In Season Three, Elliot becomes familiar with Vincent after an encounter with him. Due to a deal with Gabriel, Elliot is involved in a plot to kill Vincent on his boat. Elliot is presumably killed by the boat explosion which wounded Vincent.
Charles Chandler (portrayed by John McMartin) – Catherine's father who is seen in Season 1 and 2 where he runs a law firm that Catherine used to work at. He dies of a stroke in the episode "Orphans." Before Charles died, Catherine was able to have Vincent meet her father.
Laura Williams (portrayed by Terrylene Sacchetti) – A deaf girl who lived in "The World Below."
Devin Wells (portrayed by Bruce Abbott) – A former inhabitant of "The World Below" who grew up with Vincent where they had a brother-like relationship.
Dr. Peter Alcroft (portrayed by Joseph Campanella) – A "Helper" who is a fellow medical student and old friend of Jacob Wells. In "Dead of Winter," Peter is among the "Helpers" that attend Winterfest
John Moreno (portrayed by Bill Marcus) – The District Attorney that Catherine Chandler and Joe Maxwell work for.
Gabriel (portrayed by Stephen McHattie) – A highly-influential crime boss and the biggest drug trafficker on the East Coast who debuted in Season 3 as a recurring antagonist. He was responsible for Catherine's death and the kidnapping of her baby. After Gabriel's men captured Diana, Vincent surrendered himself to Gabriel's men. In the final battle, Vincent's son is rescued as Vincent wounds Gabriel. After Gabriel mentions that no court would be able to convict him, Gabriel is then shot by Diana who avenges Catherine's death using Catherine's gun.
Jonathan Pope (portrayed by John Lehne) – Gabriel's right-hand man who issues out Gabriel's orders.
Doctor (portrayed by Kenneth Kimmins) – An unnamed doctor who works for Gabriel. He had the Doctor overdose Catherine with morphine following her giving birth to Vincent's baby. When Gabriel revealed this to Vincent at the time when he was his prisoner, he offered Vincent revenge on the Doctor even though the Doctor stated to Vincent that Gabriel made him do it. Vincent was unable to take the Doctor's life causing Gabriel to have one of his men shoot the Doctor as Gabriel says to Vincent "I always pay my debts."
The "World Below"
Jacob Wells/Father (portrayed by Roy Dotrice) – The patriarch of the "World Below" and Vincent's adoptive father. A physician who left the "World Above" after being unjustly blacklisted, fired from his job, and having his license to practice medicine stripped from him, he found sanctuary in an early tunnel community and became its leader. Father was also the one who helped Vincent heal Catherine after she was attacked by Martin Belmont's men.
Ellie (portrayed by Mayim Bialik) – A young girl who lives in "The World Below" as seen in "No Way Down."
Geoffrey (portrayed by Phillip Waller) – A young boy who lives in "The World Below."
Jamie (portrayed by Irina Irvine) – A teenage girl who lives in "The World Below." In "To Reign in Hell," Jamie is shown to be skillful with a crossbow when she uses it in a fight with Paracelsus' minion Erlik. She is particularly protective of Mouse, defending his often erratic behavior to their elders.
Mary (portrayed by Ellen Geer) – The matriarch and midwife of the "World Below." Befitting her position, she is very motherly and generous. Mary is particularly devoted to giving back to the "Helpers."
Mouse (portrayed by David Greenlee) – Apparently having no other name, at least none that he remembers, he is young tunnel dweller who originally hid from the "World Below" community until Vincent caught him stealing some food and invited him into their family. He is infamous for stealing from the "World Above," which, in his opinion, exists for no other reason than to be stolen from where he once commented "Everyone takes things from Up Top. It's what Up Top is there for." Mouse loves tinkering with machinery and has invented several "gizmos" to help his fellow tunnel dwellers. He owns a pet raccoon named Arthur.
Narcissa (portrayed by Beah Richards) – An elderly and nearly blind inhabitant of "The World Below," she has resided there at least as far back as Vincent's childhood. Narcissa eventually moved far from the other inhabitants into the furthest tunnels where few others venture and even Vincent's knowledge of these areas does not surpass her own. She pretends to be nothing more than a senile old woman, but she is actually a skilled magician and fortune-teller.
Pascal (portrayed by Armin Shimerman) – The shy and gentle "pipe master" who is the supervisor of the tunnels' communication system that involves the inhabitants of "The World Below" speaking through banging on the pipes. He was born in "The World Below" and was trained into understanding morse code by his father.
Rebecca (portrayed Kathryn Spitz) – A female inhabitant of "The World Below" and an expert candlestick maker.
William (portrayed by Ritch Brinkley) – A heavyset man and inhabitant of "The World Below" who serves as their cook. His experiences in "The World Above" left him bitter and suspicious of almost everyone. William's role as cook makes him feel needed and appreciated as "The World Above" never did and he is usually the first to suggest a violent response to any threat to "The World Below."
Winslow (portrayed by James Avery) – A very influential member of the underground community and a member of Father's council. Winslow is a blacksmith by trade. When on a rescue mission with Vincent to save Catherine from Paracelsus in "To Reign in Hell," Winslow is killed by Paracelsus' minion Erlik who threw Winslow against the wall.
John Pater/Paracelsus (portrayed by Tony Jay) – An inhabitant of "The World Below" who was featured in Season 1 and 2 as a recurring antagonist. John Pater was a scientist and a former friend of Father's who helped organize "The World Below." But when he eventually desired power for himself, the community was forced to exile him. Father describes him as a "philosopher, scientist, magician" like the real Paracelsus, the name John Pater eventually takes for himself. When Father tries to reason with Paracelsus by calling him by his real name, he commented "John is dead." Paracelsus' late wife Anna was the one who discovered the infant Vincent near St. Vincent's Hospital and brought him to Father. Paracelsus tried to lead Vincent to siding with him while disguised as Father, but was ultimately killed by Vincent during a fit of rage. In his dying breath, Paracelsus quotes "At last, you are my son."
Nielsen ratings
1987–88: #49 (13.31 rating)
1988–89: #65 (10.38 rating)
1989–90: #93 (8.82 rating)
Note: Ratings data from TVTango.com
Novelizations
Avon Books published three books novelizing various episodes from the series.
Beauty and the Beast by Barbara Hambly – October 1989 ISBN 0-380-75795-8, a novelization and expanding of the pilot episode
Masques by Ru Emerson – September 1990 ISBN 0-380-76194-7, a novelization of the episodes "Arabesque", "Masques" and "The Watcher"
Song of Orpheus by Barbara Hambly – November 1990 ISBN 0-380-75798-2, a novelization of the episodes "Fever", "Song of Orpheus" and "Shades of Grey"
WaRP Graphics also published two graphic novels based on the series.
DVD releases
CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released all three seasons of Beauty and the Beast on DVD in Region 1. They also released Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Series, a 16-disc boxset featuring all 56 episodes of the series.
On November 11, 2014, CBS Home Entertainment released a repackaged version of the complete series set which featured a lower price but did not include the bonus disc that was part of the original complete series set.
Fabulous Films has released the entire series on DVD in Region 2.
A Blu-ray release in Region 2 was announced for March 2011, but was canceled.
Fandom
An active fan community (self-titled "Helpers" or "the tunnel community") arose during the show's run, helping organize a petition drive to assure that there would be a third season. They have published the usual fanzines, fan fiction and collections of filk music inspired by the show, and as of 2013 continue to hold various fan conventions around the world.
Reboot
CBS Television Studios, which owns the rights to the series, developed a reboot for the series. Ron Koslow, the creator of the original, is executive producing, along with the earlier show's producers, Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. The reboot has been described as a "modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist." In the United States, it airs on The CW.
The television series stars New Zealand actor Jay Ryan as Vincent (the "beast") and Canadian actress Kristin Kreuk as Catherine (the "beauty"). The pilot was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in March 2012.
