Should the Preacher TV Show Be Watched?

Fanboys were very excited to hear that a Preacher TV show was in development; the critically loved Vertigo comic was one that many wanted to be turned into a live action production. The story had gone through many different mediums (TV and movie) while being shuttled between different studios and sitting in delopment hell. Then AMC came in to save the day; for fans though, things went south after actor Seth Rogan announced he and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, were making the show.

Should fans be worried?

One thing in the show’s favor is the fact that AMC is running the show. They’ve had some successes in Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and the Walking Dead. I’ve watched BB and WD, and enjoy both; I haven’t see any of their other shows though.

Another positive is the showrunner and pilot writer is Sam Catlin, who worked as a writer, director, and producer on Breaking Bad. With his experience on Breaking Bad, he should be able to handle a show like this.

If a Breaking Bad alum were not enough, creators Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon are executive producers of the show. Having the people that know the source material best is a good addition to making this show. Hopefully they will have a say in the scripts and keep things on track.

The final positive is casting Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer. I wasn’t crazy about the casting at first, but it’s kind of grown on me. I enjoyed him as Howard Start in Captain America: The First Avenger and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (one of the better parts of that lame movie). I think he could pull off the look, which was my main beef originally.

The flip side is Ruth Negga as Tulip; I’m not a fan of that casting. Her role of Raina on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was subpar and I completely forgot that she was in World War Z (in all fairness, I’ve tried to forget everything about that movie). Her acting hasn’t been good and she doesn’t fit the look of the character.

Another negative is the fact that Rogen and Goldberg are making it. Let’s look at their writing resume:

• Superbad: funny, but not the best movie made.
• Drillbit Taylor (Rogen only): didn’t see it, but didn’t look good.
• Pineapple Express: OK, but I’m noticing a trend of comedies
• The Green Hornet: bad; flat out bad. This might be the closest thing to Preacher that they’ve done and it was bad.
• The Watch: see Drillbit Taylor.
• This is the End: had its moments, but nothing special.
• The Interview: better than I expected, but not great.

They also co-directed the last 2. They’ve mostly been associated with bad comedies, not a dramatic series with tones of action. Yes, there is some comedy, but not the raw comedy that these two have done.

Lastly, they added a new character to the cast. What’s the big deal with this? The comic is iconic; IGN rated the book the third best Vertigo title behind Sandman and Swamp Thing. Ennis and Dillon made this perfect to begin with, so adding new characters isn’t needed.

I’m mixed on this show and will probably give it a shot. AMC announced the show will run 10 episodes starting next May.