Salem | |
---|---|
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Genre | Supernatural horror Drama Thriller |
Created by | Brannon Braga Adam Simon |
Starring | Janet Montgomery Shane West Seth Gabel Tamzin Merchant Ashley Madekwe Elise Eberle Iddo Goldberg Xander Berkeley Joe Doyle Oliver Bell |
Theme music composer | Marilyn Manson Tyler Bates |
Opening theme | "Cupid Carries a Gun" |
Composer | Tyler Bates |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 36 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Brannon Braga David Von Ancken Kelly Souders Josh S. Barry Jeff Kwatinetz Joe Menosky Elizabeth Sarnoff Tricia Small Adam Simon Jon Harmon Feldman Richard Shepard Brian Wayne Peterson Josh S. Barry |
Producers | Brannon Braga Coby Greenberg David Von Ancken Danielle Weinstock |
Production location | Shreveport, Louisiana |
Cinematography | Mark Vargo Michael Goi Sarah Cawley |
Editors | Rick Tuber Scott Boyd Dan Liu Carole Kravitz Aykanian Monty DeGraff John Duffy Jo Francis Nina Lucia Misha Syeed |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Production companies | Beetlecod Productions Prospect Park (2014–15) The Firm (2016–17) Fox 21 Television Studios[a] |
Original release | |
Network | WGN America |
Release | April 20, 2014 January 25, 2017 | –
Salem is an American supernatural horror television series created by Brannon Braga and Adam Simon, loosely inspired by the real Salem witch trials in the 17th century.
The series premiered on WGN America on April 20, 2014,[1] becoming the network's first original scripted drama series.[2] As the network's first and highest-rated series, it was renewed for a second season on May 15, 2014.[3] A third season was commissioned on July 11, 2015[4] and premiered on November 2, 2016.[5] On December 13, 2016, it was announced that WGN had cancelled the show after three seasons, with the final episode airing on January 25, 2017.[6]
Plot overview
The series stars Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley, a powerful witch who controls the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials by exacerbating hysteria among the Puritans while executing her plan of summoning the Devil. Problems arise when her long lost love, John Alden (played by Shane West), returns to Salem, complicating Mary's plans. The show has prominent elements of Gothic romance.
Cast and characters
Main
Actor | Character | Seasons | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||
Janet Montgomery | Mary Walcott/Mary Sibley | Main | ||
Shane West | Captain John Alden | Main | ||
Seth Gabel | Cotton Mather | Main | ||
Tamzin Merchant | Anne Hale | Main | ||
Ashley Madekwe | Tituba | Main | ||
Elise Eberle | Mercy Lewis | Main | ||
Iddo Goldberg | Isaac Walton | Main | ||
Xander Berkeley | Magistrate Hale | Main | Guest | |
Oliver Bell | John / the Devil (Samael) | Guest | Main | |
Joe Doyle | Baron Sebastian von Marburg | Main |
Recurring
Actor | Character | Seasons | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||
Michael Mulheren | George Sibley | Recurring | ||
Azure Parsons | Gloriana Embry | Recurring | Recurring | |
Sammi Hanratty | Dollie Trask | Recurring | ||
Stephen Lang | Increase Mather | Recurring | Guest | |
Lucy Lawless | Countess Palatine Ingrid Von Marburg | Recurring | ||
Stuart Townsend | Dr. Samuel Wainwright | Recurring | ||
Samuel Roukin | The Sentinel / Beelzebub | Recurring | ||
Marilyn Manson[7] | Thomas Dinley | Recurring |
Production
Development
The series first appeared as part of WGN America's development slate in July 2012, under the title Malice.[8] On June 4, 2013, WGN America bypassed the pilot stage and placed a series order for 13 episodes, under the new title Salem.[9] On November 8, 2013, filming of the series began in Shreveport, Louisiana, on an expansive set reflecting 17th-century Massachusetts.[10] On May 15, 2014, Salem was renewed for a 13-episode second season by WGN America.[3][11][12] On July 11, 2015, Salem was renewed for a 10-episode third season by WGN America.[4][13] It began production on January 21, 2016.[14] In December 2016, a month after the third-season premiere, it was announced that the series had been cancelled. Its series finale aired on January 25, 2017.[15]
Casting
Casting announcements began in October 2013, with Ashley Madekwe first cast in the role of Tituba.[16] Seth Gabel was the next actor cast, in the regular role of Cotton Mather.[17] Janet Montgomery and Xander Berkeley were cast in the lead role of Mary Sibley and the role of Magistrate Hale, respectively.[18] Shane West later signed onto the series regular role of John Alden.[clarification needed] Also cast was Tamzin Merchant as Anne Hale.[19] Elise Eberle was later cast in the series regular role of Mercy Lewis.[20] On the June 1, 2014 episode, Stephen Lang joined the cast in the recurring role of Increase Mather.[21]
For the second season, Lucy Lawless and Stuart Townsend joined Salem in the recurring roles of Countess Marburg and Samuel Wainwright, respectively. Joe Doyle and Oliver Bell also joined the second season in regular roles of Baron Sebastian Marburg and Mary's lost son, respectively.[22] During the third season, singer Marilyn Manson joined the cast in a recurring role as barber and all-around problem solver Thomas Dinley.[23]
Music
The majority of Salem's score was composed by Tyler Bates.[24] Bates selected "Cupid Carries a Gun", a song he co-wrote with Marilyn Manson and recorded by the band for their album The Pale Emperor, as the show's title track.[25]
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 13 | April 20, 2014 | July 13, 2014 | |
2 | 13 | April 5, 2015 | June 28, 2015 | |
3 | 10 | November 2, 2016 | January 25, 2017 |
Home media
The first season was released on DVD in the United States on October 28, 2014, by Fox Home Entertainment.[26] The second season was released on DVD on April 5, 2016, and is manufactured by Amazon's CreateSpace MOD Program.[27] As of November 2023, the third season has not been commercially released on DVD or Blu-ray in the United States. It was released on DVD in the United Kingdom and Australia,[28] and the complete series was released in a boxed set in Australia.[29]
Reception
Critical reception
Salem scored 49 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews on Metacritic, which the site characterizes as "mixed or average reviews".[30] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season scored 54% and an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 based on 26 critic reviews. The critical consensus reads: "While the horror scenes are well-executed, Salem lacks enough substance to sustain even a guilty-pleasure interest."[31] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times, upon reviewing the first season, said the show is "brash and well executed... perversely entertaining".[32] He went on to say that "when Salem isn't being deliberately outrageous, it's cultivating a dynamic that could be fruitful as things move along. Here in the 21st century, science and reason rule, but in a world of sorcery, clinging to rationality just makes you stupid."[32] Mark Dawidziak of The Plain Dealer gave the first few episodes a positive review, saying "Slowly drawing you into its heightened version of that Puritan community, Salem casts its spell with an opening episode that is a witch's brew of romance, fear, deceit, revenge, hysteria, evil and uncertainty."[33] Zack Handlin of The A.V. Club called the series "a collection of shallow stock characters and ramshackle plotting" that attempts tacky exploitation of a tragedy.[34] Brian Lowry wrote in Variety that although the series is not bad, it "plays like a rather flat supernatural soap".[35]
Ratings
Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | Average viewers (in millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Premiere viewers (in millions) |
Date | Finale viewers (in millions) | ||||
Season 1 | Sundays 10/9c | 13 | April 20, 2014 | 1.52[36] | July 13, 2014 | 0.43[37] | 1.7[38] |
Season 2 | 13 | April 5, 2015 | 0.51[39] | June 28, 2015 | 0.34[40] | 1.1[41] | |
Season 3 | Wednesdays 9/8c | 10 | November 2, 2016 | 0.27[42] | January 18, 2017 | 0.23[43] | TBA |
The series premiere rose to 3.4 million viewers in Live+7 ratings, and had more than 1.5 million viewers in adults 18–49.[38] The season two premiere rose 150% in adults 18–49 in Live+7 ratings, from 0.2 to 0.5,[44] while it rose to 1.5 million viewers in Live+3.[45] The second episode rose 300% from 0.1 to 0.4.[46]
Awards and nominations
Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[47] | Favorite Actress on Television | Janet Montgomery | Nominated |
Saturn Awards[48] | Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series | Salem | Nominated | |
2016 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[49] | Best TV Actress | Janet Montgomery | Nominated |
Best TV Make-Up/Creature FX | Matthew Mungle, Clinton Wayne | Nominated | ||
Best TV Series | Salem | Nominated | ||
Best TV Supporting Actor | Seth Gabel | Nominated | ||
Best TV Supporting Actress | Lucy Lawless | Nominated | ||
2017 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[50] | Best TV SFX | Matthew Mungle, Clinton Wayne | Nominated |
Best TV Supporting Actor | Seth Gabel | Nominated | ||
Best TV Supporting Actress | Tamzin Merchant | Nominated |
References
- ^ Credited as Fox 21 for the first season
- ^ "Shows A-Z - salem on wgn". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ Bacardi, Francesca (December 19, 2013). "Watch WGN America's 'Salem' Teaser". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ a b Eggersten, Chris (May 5, 2014). "Supernatural series is the network's first original scripted drama". HitFix. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- ^ a b Kondolojy, Amanda (July 11, 2015). "'Salem' Renewed for Third Season by WGN America". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ "'Salem' Season 3 Premiere Date Revealed — Release Date". Release Date. August 11, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "'Salem' to End After 3 Seasons on WGN America". The Wrap. December 13, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "'Salem' Season 3 Spoilers: New Witches, Cotton Is Not The New George Sibley, John Alden Changed — Will Mary Kill Her Son? Plus, The Tunnels Are Important". August 15, 2016.
- ^ "Development Update: Thursday, July 12". The Futon Critic. July 12, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 4, 2013). "WGN America Greenlights Its First Original Scripted Series, Brannon Braga's 'Salem'". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "WGN America Announces Start of Production on First Original Scripted Series, "Salem"". The Futon Critic. November 8, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 28, 2015). "'Salem' Season Two Premieres Sunday, April 5 at 10PM". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ^ "SALEM Season 2 Teaser Trailer". WGN America. November 25, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 11, 2015). "Comic-Con: 'Salem' Renewed for Third Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ West, Shane (January 21, 2016). "Shane West on Twitter: "First day of work. Season 3."". Twitter. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ "'Salem' Cancelled: WGN America Show to End After Season 3". Variety. December 13, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ Masters, Megan (October 8, 2013). "TV Line Items: Revenge Vet's Witchy New Role, Idol Champ's CSI Gig, Lies Lands T.I. and More". TV Line. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (October 14, 2013). "'Fringe,' 'Arrow' alum Seth Gabel cast as lead role in 'Salem'". Zap2it.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 28, 2013). "Janet Montgomery To Topline WGN America Drama Series 'Salem'". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (November 1, 2013). "'Nikita's' Shane West Set as Male Lead in WGN America's 'Salem'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "Development Update: Wednesday, November 6". The Futon Critic. November 6, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Team, The Deadline (April 18, 2014). "Stephen Lang Joins WGN America's 'Salem'".
- ^ Lesnick, Silas (January 14, 2015). "Salem Season Two Adds Lucy Lawless, Stuart Townsend and more". CraveOnline.
- ^ "Marilyn Manson to Guest Star as Barber/Surgeon on 'Salem'". Rolling Stone. January 22, 2016. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ "Tyler Bates scoring WGN's 'Salem'". Film Music Reporter.
- ^ "WGN America's 'Salem' Enlists Marilyn Manson for Opening Titles (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. April 24, 2014.
- ^ Lambert, David (October 28, 2014). "Salem - A DVD Release for 'The Complete 1st Season' of the WGN America Series". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Lambert, David (March 25, 2016). "Salem - Catchy Cover Art Arrives for 'The Complete Season 2' on DVD". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- ^ "Salem: Season 3". Amazon.co.uk.
- ^ "Salem - The Complete Collection: Seasons 1-3". Amazon.com.au. October 31, 2018.
- ^ "Salem – Season 1". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ "Salem: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- ^ a b Genzlinger, Neil (April 27, 2014). "Once Again, Fires Burn and Cauldrons Bubble: 'Salem,' About You-Know-What, on WGN America". New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ Dawidziak, Mark (April 18, 2014). "'Salem' casts an eerie spell with its story about witches". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ Handlen, Zack (April 18, 2014). "Salem makes a mess of history for no good reason". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (April 17, 2014). "TV Review: Salem". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Sunday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: "Game of Thrones" Tops Easter Demoss". The Futon Critic. April 22, 2014.
- ^ @SonoftheBronx (November 28, 2014). "In viewers, respectively: 476k, 465k, 591k, 432k "@mralphafreak viewership numbers for SALEM on May 25, June 22, June 29, and July 13?"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "WGN America's Spellbinding Drama "Salem" Renewed for Second Season". The Futon Critic. May 5, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Cantor, Brian (April 7, 2015). "Ratings: WGN America's "Salem" Falls from Season One Premiere, Bests Finale". Headline Planet. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (June 30, 2015). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 6.28.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ "WGN America's Spellbinding Original Drama "Salem" Renewed for Third Season". The Futon Critic. July 11, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Metcalf (November 3, 2016). "ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.2.2016". ShowBuzzDailyfirst=Mitch. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 26, 2017). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.25.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ "'Better Call Saul' Leads Adults 18-49 Gains, 'The Americans' Tops Percentage Increases in Live +7 Cable Ratings for Week 28 Ending April 5". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "Impressive Gains for WGN America's 'Salem' Season Two in Live + 3 Viewing". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "'Better Call Saul' Leads Adults 18-49 & Viewership Gains, 'Salem' Tops Percentage Increases in Live +7 Cable Ratings for Week 29 Ending April 12". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (June 1, 2015). "The 2015 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Winners and Full Results!". Fangoria. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- ^ Blake, Emily (March 3, 2015). "2015 Saturn Awards: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Walking Dead lead nominees". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ "The 2016 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Winners and Full Results!". Fangoria. May 10, 2016. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "Never mind Oscar, here's the 2017 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Nominees Ballot!". FANGORIA. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.