In the Dark (American TV series) explained

Genre:Police procedural
Crime
Creator:Corinne Kingsbury
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:4
Num Episodes:52
Runtime:42 minutes
Network:The CW

In the Dark is an American crime drama television series, created by Corinne Kingsbury for The CW, which debuted as a mid-season entry during the 2018–19 television season.

On January 30, 2018, The CW ordered the show to pilot, with Michael Showalter set to direct. In May 2018, the show received a series order. The series premiered on April 4, 2019. In April 2019, the series was renewed for a second season that premiered on April 16, 2020. In January 2020, The CW renewed the series for a third season which premiered on June 23, 2021. In February 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on June 6, 2022. In May 2022, it was announced that the fourth season would be its last. The show ended its run on September 5, 2022.

Premise

An irreverent blind woman in her twenties, Murphy, drifts through life in a drunken haze. She has only two friends—Jess, her understanding roommate, and Tyson, a teenage drug-dealer who saved her from a violent mugging. Out for a walk with her guide dog, Pretzel, she stumbles upon a corpse that must be Tyson's, but it disappears before the police arrive. When they do not seem inclined to investigate, Murphy clings onto the only thing that can keep her together: figuring out what happened to her friend.[1] She resolves to solve the murder herself, while also managing her colorful dating life and the job she hates at "Guiding Hope", a school run by her parents for training guide dogs. After falling for Max, who is secretly associated with the drug kingpin that employed Tyson, Murphy gets dragged into criminal activity and, soon after, pulls friends and acquaintances with her into the criminal underworld.

Cast and characters

Overview

Main cast of In the Dark
ActorCharacterSeason
Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4
Perry MattfeldMurphy Masoncolspan=4
Rich SommerDean Riley colspan=2
Brooke MarkhamJess Damon
Casey DeidrickMax Parishcolspan=4
Keston JohnDarnell Jamescolspan=4
Morgan Krantz Felix Bellcolspan=4
Tyson Parker
Hank Masoncolspan=2
Joy Masoncolspan=3
Theodore Bhat Josh Wallacecolspan=2
Gene Clemenscolspan=2
Leslie Bell

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Season 4 (2022)

Production

Development

The series was created by Corinne Kingsbury for The CW, to debut during the 2018–19 television season.[2] [3] On January 30, 2018, The CW officially ordered the pilot.[4] The series was greenlit on May 11, 2018.[5]

In the Dark is the first CW primetime series to carry Descriptive Video Service audio, though The CW, as a minor network, is not required to have any DVS provisions under the regulations for audio description for their affiliates, so the base of stations carrying that track is smaller than other networks where carriage of descriptive video is required. The series premiered on April 4, 2019.[6] On April 24, 2019, The CW renewed the series for a second season,[7] that was originally scheduled to premiere on May 28, 2020,[8] however it was moved to premiere date on April 16, 2020.[9] On January 7, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on June 23, 2021.[10] [11] On February 3, 2021, The CW renewed the series for a fourth season which premiered on June 6, 2022.[12] [13] On May 12, 2022, The CW announced that the fourth season will be its last.[14]

Casting

On March 2, 2018, it was announced that Perry Mattfeld had been cast in the protagonist role of Murphy in the series' pilot, along with Brooke Markham as Jess, Murphy's roommate and best friend, and Keston John as Darnell, a local drug dealer;[15] followed on March 9 with Kathleen York as Joy, Murphy's mother, and Derek Webster as Hank, Joy's husband.[16] Austin Nichols was cast as Dean, a cop with a blind daughter, on March 12.[17] On May 16, 2018, The CW announced that the role of Dean had been recast;[18] with Nichols thereafter replaced by Rich Sommer on July 13, 2018.[19] On September 10, 2019, Matt Murray was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[20]

The show received some criticism for casting a sighted actor to play a blind character. British actor James Moore, who plays a disabled character in the soap opera Emmerdale and has a disability himself, argued that disabled actors will always be better placed to play disabled roles due to their life experience.[21] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, critics worried that the "questionable treatment of physical handicaps may leave some viewers with a dim impression."[22] During a panel discussion at the Television Critics Association press tour, executive producer Nicky Weinstock defended the choices, claiming that they initially auditioned blind actors, but ultimately cast Perry because she was the best actor for the role.[23]

Filming

Filming on the pilot began on March 12, 2018,[24] in Toronto, Ontario, Canada;[25] and wrapped on March 28. Principal photography on season 1 began on August 8, 2018, and ended on December 21, 2018.[26] Principal photography for the second season began on August 19, 2019, and ended on January 24, 2020, in Toronto and Cambridge,[27] Ontario, Canada.[28] Filming for the series' third season began on November 2, 2020, and concluded on April 21, 2021.[29] Filming for the fourth and final season began on November 29, 2021, and concluded on May 31, 2022.[30]

Broadcast

In the Dark premiered on The CW on April 4, 2019 and ended on September 5, 2022.[31]

In Canada, the series premiered on April 4, 2019, on Bravo!.[32] The series continues to be broadcast on the channel, which is now branded as CTV Drama Channel. In fall 2020, the second season was re-run on CTV 2 starting September 15.[33]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 73% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.16/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Perry Mattfield is compelling as an amateur sleuth In the Dark, although the series' recycling of mystery tropes and questionable treatment of physical handicaps may leave some viewers with a dim impression." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[34]

Ratings

Season 4

Notes and References

  1. Web site: In the Dark . tv.nu . sv, en . January 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190122144953/https://www.tv.nu/program/in-the-dark-2018 . January 22, 2019 . dead .
  2. Web site: 'Roswell' Reboot, Projects Produced By Greg Berlanti & Rob Thomas Among 6 CW Pilot Orders For Record Total Of 9 Pilots. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. January 30, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180403112355/https://deadline.com/2018/01/roswell-reboot-p-greg-berlanti-rob-thomas-6-cw-pilot-orders-record-total-of-9-pilots-1202274800/. April 3, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: 'The Big Sick' Helmer Michael Showalter Set To Direct the CW Pilot 'In the Dark'. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. February 15, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180323173745/http://deadline.com/2018/02/the-big-sick-michael-showalter-direct-the-cw-pilot-in-the-dark-1202290872/. March 23, 2018. live.
  4. Web site: 'Roswell' Reboot Among Six CW Pilot Pickups. Goldberg. Lesley. The Hollywood Reporter. January 30, 2018. March 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180305001850/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/roswell-reboot-six-cw-pilot-pickups-1080380. March 5, 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Petski. Denise. The CW Picks Up 'Charmed' & 'Roswell' Reboots, 'TVD'/'Originals Offshoot, 'In The Dark' & Greg Berlanti Pilot To Series. Deadline Hollywood. May 11, 2018. May 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516060159/http://deadline.com/2018/05/the-cw-picks-up-charmed-roswell-reboots-tvd-originals-offshoot-ilegacies-n-the-dark-greg-berlanti-pilot-to-series-1202388840/. May 16, 2018. live.
  6. Web site: The CW Sets Spring Premiere Dates: 'Jane The Virgin' & 'iZombie' Final Seasons, 'Legends Of Tomorrow' & 'The 100' Return. Andreeva. Nellie. Dent. Mark. Deadline Hollywood. January 10, 2019. January 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190110214804/https://deadline.com/2019/01/the-cw-spring-premiere-dates-jane-the-virgin-izombie-final-seasons-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-arrow-1202532950/. January 10, 2019. live.
  7. Web site: The CW Renews 'All American,' 'The 100,' 'In The Dark' and 'Roswell, New Mexico'. Thorne. Will. Variety. April 24, 2019. April 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190425140813/https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/the-cw-renews-all-american-in-the-dark-roswell-new-mexico-the-100-1203196720/. April 25, 2019. live.
  8. Web site: The CW Sets Premiere Dates For 'Stargirl', 'In The Dark' Season 2 & Final Season Of 'The 100'. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. March 4, 2020. March 4, 2020.
  9. Web site: The CW Shifts 'In the Dark' & 'Stargirl' Premiere Dates, Summons 'Whose Line' In COVID 19-Related Scheduling Changes As 'Supernatural' & 'Legacies' Bow Out. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie. Andreeva. March 26, 2020. March 26, 2020.
  10. Web site: CW Renews Riverdale, Batwoman, Roswell, Black Lightning Plus 9 Others. Ausiello. Michael. TVLine. January 7, 2020. January 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200108032431/https://tvline.com/2020/01/07/the-cw-renewed-shows-2020-list-riverdale-flash/. January 8, 2020. live.
  11. Web site: The CW Sets Summer Premieres For Final 'Supergirl' Season, 'DC's Stargirl', 'Roswell, NM' & More; 'Riverdale' Moves To August. Deadline Hollywood. Erik. Pedersen. April 29, 2021. April 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210429195340/https://deadline.com/2021/04/the-cw-summer-premiere-dates-stargirl-roswell-riverdale-supergirl-finale-set-1234746797/. April 29, 2021. live.
  12. Web site: The CW Renews 12 Series Including Freshman Drama 'Walker'. Deadline Hollywood. Peter. White. February 3, 2021. February 3, 2021.
  13. The CW Network Announces Summer 2022 Premiere Dates for Returning Favorites. The CW. The Futon Critic. April 7, 2022.
  14. Web site: 'In The Dark' Will End With Season 4 On CW. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. May 12, 2022. May 12, 2022.
  15. Web site: 'In The Dark': Perry Mattfeld To Topline the CW Drama Pilot; Brooke Markham & Keston John Co-Star. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. March 2, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180402151145/https://deadline.com/2018/03/in-the-dark-perry-mattfeld-lead-the-cw-drama-pilot-brooke-markham-keston-john-cast-1202307097/. April 2, 2018. live.
  16. Web site: 'In The Dark': Kathleen York & Derek Webster Cast In the CW Drama Pilot. Petski. Denise. Deadline Hollywood. March 9, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180401031945/https://deadline.com/2018/03/in-the-dark-kathleen-york-derek-webster-cast-the-cw-drama-pilot-1202325662/. April 1, 2018. live.
  17. Web site: 'In The Dark': Austin Nichols To Star In the CW Drama Pilot. Petski. Denise. Deadline Hollywood. March 12, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180401171414/https://deadline.com/2018/03/in-the-dark-austin-nichols-star-the-cw-drama-pilot-1202336340/. April 1, 2018. live.
  18. Web site: 'In the Dark' New CW Series Recasts Role. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. May 16, 2018. May 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517063610/http://deadline.com/2018/05/in-the-dark-austin-nichols-recast-new-cw-series-1202392844/. May 17, 2018. live.
  19. Web site: 'In the Dark': Rich Sommer To Co-Star On The CW Drama Series In Recasting. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. July 13, 2018. July 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180715074153/https://deadline.com/2018/07/in-the-dark-rich-sommer-cast-the-cw-drama-series-recasting-1202426130/. July 15, 2018. live.
  20. Web site: 'All Rise' Casts Mitch Silpa; Matt Murray Joins 'In The Dark'. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. September 10, 2019. September 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190911194209/https://deadline.com/2019/09/all-rise-casts-mitch-silpa-matt-murray-in-the-dark-1202730524/. September 11, 2019. live.
  21. News: Emmerdale actor calls out cripping up in new US drama. Campbell. Katie. 20 March 2019. Unite Magazine. 15 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015145210/https://unitemagazine.co.uk/emmerdale-actor-calls-out-cripping-up-in-new-us-drama/. October 15, 2019. live.
  22. Web site: In the Dark: Season 1 . . . 2019 . April 12, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190407041429/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/in_the_dark_2019/s01 . April 7, 2019 . live .
  23. News: 'In the Dark' Producers Explain Why They Didn't Cast a Blind Actress in the Lead Role. Baysinger. Tim. 31 January 2019. Unite Magazine. 15 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015145207/https://www.thewrap.com/in-the-dark-producers-explain-why-they-didnt-cast-a-blind-actress-in-the-lead-role/. October 15, 2019. live.
  24. Web site: What's Shooting?. ACTRA Toronto. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180922205319/https://www.actratoronto.com/whats-shooting/. September 22, 2018. live.
  25. Web site: Pilot Locations 2018: New York Business Booming, Chicago Gains As Atlanta Slips. Andreeva. Nellie. Deadline Hollywood. March 9, 2018. April 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180506032758/http://deadline.com/2018/03/tv-pilot-locations-2018-new-york-los-angeles-rankings-1202311512/. May 6, 2018. live.
  26. Web site: What's Shooting. ACTRA Toronto. 2017–2018. 19 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180922205319/https://www.actratoronto.com/whats-shooting/. September 22, 2018.
  27. Web site: Turcotte. Spencer. 2019-12-08. Cast and crew from In The Dark filming in Cambridge. 2020-07-16. Kitchener. en.
  28. Web site: Current Productions IATSE 873 . IATSE 873 . November 1, 2019 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191101160158/https://www.iatse873.com/current_productions. November 1, 2019.
  29. Web site: Current Productions IATSE 873. IATSE 873. October 10, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201010225305/https://www.iatse873.com/current_productions. October 10, 2020.
  30. Web site: Current Productions & News - Currently Filming. City of Toronto. August 7, 2017 . April 17, 2022. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220417213157/https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/industry-sector-support/film/current-productions-and-news/. April 17, 2022.
  31. "In The Dark" premieres Thursday, April 4. Burbank, CA. The CW. January 2019. 19 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190419185639/https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/in-the-dark/about. April 19, 2019. live.
  32. Web site: Sandra Oh Makes Her Triumphant Return When Season 2 of KILLING EVE Debuts on April 7, Exclusively on Bravo # # # KILLING EVE, IN THE DARK, and PROJECT RUNWAY Highlight Bravo's Nationwide Freeview March 28 – May 1 . Bell Media . 3 October 2020 . 18 March 2019.
  33. Web site: CTV Acquires Reboot of Game Show Phenomenon WEAKEST LINK as Initial Fall 2020 Premiere Dates Announced for CTV Channel Group . Bell Media . 3 October 2020 . 3 September 2020.
  34. Web site: In the Dark: Season 1 . . . 2019 . April 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190419133127/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/in-the-dark . April 19, 2019 . live .

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