TNT gets their chance at an anthology series with The Alienist
By Rachel Roth
TNT is getting their own anthology series following The Alienist.
Turns out The Alienist is not such a limited series after all. In early 2018, TNT aired the period crime drama, The Alienist based on the novel by Caleb Carr. (A side note for beatnik fans, Caleb Carr is the son of Lucien Carr, the man who introduced Allen Ginsberg to Kerouac and Burroughs at Columbia University.)
The series is about a criminal psychologist investigating gruesome murders of boy prostitutes. Before criminal psychology was taken seriously, psychiatrists were called alienists because they studied those who behaved like aliens. Most of the series drives along that line, studying the criminal, not just solving the cases.
The series, starring Daniel Bruhal, Luke Evens and Dakota Fanning, was met with mixed reviews, but it did well enough. Incorporating real historical figures, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Paul Kelly, and digging into the start of profiling, it kept people’s interest. The main three characters are interesting and work well together. Dakota specially. She’s no longer a little girl or a red-eyed vampire staring at the screen like it’s a cheeseburger.
Running for ten episodes in a limited format, its final episode was on March 26. Then TNT pulled a fast one by revealing that it’s not a limited series, but actually part one of their own anthology series. TNT Suspense Collection is the official name. Not sure about the name, sounds like a DVD box rather than a series
At @TNTDrama, we think well-crafted suspense is the ultimate form of compelling drama. We are pleased to announce that #TheAlienist was the first limited series in our new anthology, the TNT Suspense Collection. In the coming weeks, you’ll see some changes to our page. pic.twitter.com/4VJbY9bvfB
— Angel of Darkness on TNT (@theAlienistTNT) July 2, 2018
What can we expect?
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Is this at all surprising? It was only a matter of time before TNT got their chance at an anthology, they’re the new “it” show. What is surprising is that The Alienist is part of it. We never saw it coming. It’s a clever move , airing part one of a new series without announcing their plans. A pre-announcement would have put viewers expectations on a different scale. Almost every network has their own anthology or tried to have one; HBO has one, FX has at least three, even Netflix has one.
TNT wants to join the party , and if The Alienist is part one than we can safely assume that the rest will follow its theme. Criminals and investigators playing cat and mouse in different cities. They are calling it the suspense collection after all, must be all thrillers. It’s also quite possible that they’ll include more historical figures. We might get a Elliot Nash or a Jack the Ripper. However, The Alienist is based on a book, so it’s possible the rest of the series can be different adaptations of crime solving novels. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?
Next: 5 Things we hope to see in the AHS season 8 crossover
Are you a fan of The Alienist? If you haven’t seen the series you can catch up on the TNT app before season two airs, you have some time though. They haven’t even begun filming yet.