Netflix pick: Sanctuary

Viewer,

It would be nice to say the Syfy show Sanctuary is something that could become a guilty pleasure.

It does star Amanda Tapping of Stargate SG-1 fame, she's easy on the eyes. It also stars Emilie Ullerup, who has the makings of a TV hottie of the highest order. But that's about it.

Guilty pleasures tend to have some dark humor, or social commentary or something. Sanctuary, to me, falls short.

Don't get me wrong the concept is a good one. Have a place where monsters of myth and legend can have a place to call home. Every episode means you can see anything from a mermaid to a lizard monster. Any fan of B-movies would love it.

In theory it's a great idea. It's the application that seems a bit off.

Now I can understand bad special effects on a TV show; budgets aren't high and time frames are short. But I get the feeling the producers didn't give the audience credit for knowing what a fake fire elemental would look like. Each set seemed to be a 3-D work in progress, with the actors working in front of a green screen every 3 minutes.

The acting is wooden, which can be attributed to a new cast working together for the first time. That should improve over the course of a season. But after watching the first three episodes, I wonder how many fans should have the patience to keep watching.

Apparently enough people kept watching for Syfy to renew the show for a third season, which means the initial headaches the show gave me would disappear over time.

Or people just need an excuse to look at women in tight plastic suits.

Whichever.

-Paul


P. S. This series is a box of candy.