The Brand New Beauty and the Beast

I've been waiting to see this new take on Beauty and the Beast and after watching the pilot episode, I wasn't disappointed.

Jay Ryan plays Vincent and  Kristin Kreuk plays Catherine Chandler. I expected a lot of changes as they brought the original storyset in the 1980s up to date and for some reason I didn't expect them to keep the same names, but they have and I am glad about that.

Vincent, was a doctor and when his two brothers were killed in 9/11 he joined the military. There he was given drugs that enhanced his strength and changed his senses. He didn't realise at the time that he and other soldiers were being experimented on. But things went wrong and the soldiers turned and had to be killed. Somehow Vincent escaped.

This explains his extaronary powers and his appearance isn't lion like, as the original Vincent was.  He isn't lion like as the original Vincent on then right was.  Instead they have opted for someone who looks faily normal, except for the scar and I think when he is 'in character; the new Vincnent's eyes change and it looks much more menacing.

Jay Ryan has a great face, high cheek bones and haunting eyes. We saw him change once in the pilot and it reminded me a little of the Incedible Hulk.


Catherine, no longer an attorney and instead a detective who drinks beer from the bottle and fights baddies, much more a modern women. She's tough, but pretty with a petite frame. Her boss, just like in the earlier version is called Joe. I quite enjoyed the way it remained faithful to the original at times.

The only sad thing is that I loved the idea of the underground world, full of different characters with their own stories. Instead the modern day Vincent lives with a nerdy friend in a building that looks derelict. Together they are trying to find an antedote to Vincent's condition.

I wondered if they could possbily bring back that special relationship the original Catherine and Vincent had together. Their love caught the imagination of so many people, and even today you can web sites dedicated to a love that would never die.

When the final credits rolled I saw two names that made my pulse quicken - Ron Koslow, the original writer of Beauty and the Beast and Paul Junger Witt the original producer both now exectutive producers for this new series. So maybe, just maybe, some of the original magic will be there after all. We just have to wait and see. I hope so.