Looking back atPreacher, I am shocked that more people did not see this series.Created by Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen,Preacheris a dark supernatural fantasy series that ran for four seasons on AMC from 2016 to 2019. It stars Dominic Cooper as a preacher whose supernatural encounter at church leads him to team up with a vampire and his ex-girlfriend on a multi-season-long search for God. In addition to Cooper,Preacher’s leading castfeatures Joe Gilgun, Ruth Negga, Ian Colletti, and several more, many of which play roles based on Biblical figures.
Preacheris based on the Garth Ennis-created comic series of the same name, but watching the AMC show adaptation, one can see how different the series is from the source material.Preachermay have ended after four seasons, but Rogen has previously clarified that the show was not cancelled, but rather, had a plan to end. Five year’s afterPreacher’sending, I was pleased to see that the show had been made available on Netflix. As this streaming update reminded me of the wacky show that wasPreacher, I am surprised to reflect on how so few people watched this show upon its release.
Preacher Has A Different Ending Than The Comics: Here’s What Changed
The Preacher TV adaptation has drawn to a close, but Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy’s story ends quite differently in the original comic book series.
Preacher Is One Of The Most Shocking TV Shows In Recent Memory
When it comes to shock value,Preacherhad this in abundance. The premise itself is daring, combining God, vampires, and other supernatural occurrences to create a religiously based show that is pretty decidedly sacrilegious. This themeing is inherently jarring to a number of viewers, who are not used to seeing scenes be this staunchly non-pious. As horror films such asThe WitchandThe Nunhave intrigued audiences, though,I’m surprised that the religious horror tie-in was not of greater appeal to audiences.
That said,Preacher’sshocks go far beyond just its sacrilegious nature. In all four seasons of the series,Preacherinundates the audience with violence, gore, and sexual content throughout the duration of the series. This includes a graphic sex scene that involves Jesus Christ, who is portrayed in an atypical light in the series. Other jarring moments include portraying a king of poop and meat and a vicious, fiery massacre on a plane. Though it is not to everyone’s taste, I do admirePreacherfor its gutsiness and consistent commitment to off-the-wall scenes.
Why Preacher Wasn’t More Popular At The Time
Preacher’s Ratings Struggled
On the one hand, I would usually imagine that such a shock value would be a draw to some audiences. This was not the case forPreacher, however, which struggled to maintain its rating throughout its four seasons.Preacherseasons 1 and 2 managed to skate by, getting over one million views per episode.Season 3 saw a significant drop in ratings, failing to get one million views for every single episode except its finale.
All four seasons ofPreacherare available to watch on Netflix.
There are several reasons whyPreachermay not have been very popular at the time of its release. Though they are on different networks, I believe thatPreacherwas disadvantaged by the fact that it was released during a peak era for dramatic television. WhilePreacherwas trying to make a splash, critically acclaimed shows likeGame of Thrones,The Americans,House of Cards, andMr. Robotwere also still on air. This made for an incredibly difficult environment forPreacher, which had a comparatively smaller profile.
Preacher Was A Prelude To Shocking TV Shows Like The Boys
Preacher and The Boys Share Similar Production Backgrounds
WhilePreachermay not have been a smashing success during the time of its release, it was a precursor to later shows that leaned into similar elements. When I watchedThe Boysseason 4, for example, I could not help but realize how a lot of these over-the-top, Twitter-bait scenes seems like they could have been lifted right out ofPreacher.The Boysmay even dial things up fromPreacher, but nonetheless shares a similar sensibility of using gore as a principal artistic mechanism.
Other than their shared shocks,PreacherandThe Boysalso share a lot in common in terms of their production background. Both series are based on comics created by author Garth Ennis, which in both cases are comic series that exist outside of the typical Marvel or DC superhero fare.Rogen was also involved in both shows, serving as a creator onPreacherand an executive producer onThe Boys. These shared backgrounds likely contribute to some of the shows' similarity, creating the strong yet over-the-top groundwork forPreacherthat audiences should enjoy now that it’s on Netflix.
Preacher
Cast
Preacher follows Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher, on his quest to confront the divine for abandoning humanity. Aided by Cassidy, a vampire, and Tulip, a gun-toting Texan, he wields the power of Genesis, a potent force born from an angel and a demon, to challenge celestial authority.
