Luke (Christian Cooke) checks for evil..


Welcome to the world of Demons!

Here's all the info on the latest Australian TV premiere, screening this Thursday night at 8.30pm.

WHAT'S ALL THIS THEN?

Originally made in the UK for ITV, Demons is a fast-paced action packed six part mini-series that has been described as the UK's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

On the surface Luke Rutherford (Christian Cooke) is every bit your average teenager, but with the arrival of his dead father’s best friend Rupert Galvin (Philip Glenister), Luke’s life is about to be flipped upside down. Galvin is a straight-talking, hardline American who has come to tell Luke his secret destiny: he’s the real-life great-great grandson of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Luke’s destined to inherit the family mantle as a warrior in the coldest of cold wars against the supernatural entities behind every myth and legend from vampires to werewolves to things that go bump in the night.



The lovely Mina Harker (Zoe Tapper). We can see her, but she can't see us. She's blind as a vampire bat!


Galvin’s a larger-than-life character with a tragic past and a zero tolerance policy to“half-life” entities, be they the cockroach-munching “type 5” called Redlip (Martin Hancock), a “type 9” child-snatching demon-in-angel’s clothing called Gilgamel, or the “type 12” master vampire Thrip (Mackenzie Crook).

In Galvin’s view there’s only one thing to be done with these nefarious entities: Grade ‘emand smite ‘em. His mission is clear – he’s going to turn Luke into the Ubersmiter and together they’ll keep the entities down in the half-life where they belong.


The smiting duo are assisted in their endeavours by Mina Harker(ZoeTapper), a beautiful, blind concert pianist with mysterious powers. And caught up in the action is Ruby (Holliday Grainger), Luke’s best mate, who’s keen to getin on the smiting game, and even keener that Luke should one day see her as more than just a friend.



Luke Rutherford, Abraham Van Helsing's heir, does a bit of 'smiting' after school.

DEMONS: MEET THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

LUKE

Luke Rutherford’s (Christian Cooke) life as a normal teenage boy is thrown upside down when Rupert Galvin, his godfather, reappears after 17 yearsand informs him that he is the last Van Helsing: the scion of a dynasty of warriors in the coldest of cold wars between half-lives and humans.

Luke’s always been a popular boy but now he finds himself under siege from every supernatural bad guy and weirdo in town. It’s not something he was looking for and he’s reluctant to take on such a role –but when the baddies kidnap his best friend Ruby he decides to take the fight to the freaks –no-one messes with Luke’s mates and gets away with it.

Realising that the only way that he can keep those he cares about safe, Luke launches into a gruelling training programme – and boy does he need it. Demons, vampires, harpies, you name it, he has to smite it. And all whilst carrying on his college work and pretending to his Mum, Jenny, that’s there’s nothing going on.


The gruff Rupert Galvin (Philip Glenister) has no time for evil. Or excuses.

RUPERT GALVIN

Galvin (Philip Glenister) might look like a CIA agent, with his button-down Brooks Brothers shirt, through his gabardine raincoat to his polished wing-tipped shoes, and indeed he does perform an important public service. But no government agency would want Galvin on their payroll. He’s the sort of politically incorrect maverick who’d last five minutes in a government job. Galvin’s an agent of a very different kind -a hard-line secret agent in the coldest of cold wars: the ongoing battle between half-lives and humans.

Galvin is a one-man wall against the creeping threat of the supernatural entities which have stalked the human race throughout the centuries, giving rise to the myths and legends of werewolves, vampires and things that go bump in the night. Galvin’s fighting days might be nearly over, but he still knows how the entities think, and exactly how to get them where it hurts.

Galvin has neither friends nor family. Indeed, he has no past as far as official paperwork is concerned, and he’s not telling anyone how he got into the half-life smiting game. He’s from Texas and proud of it, that’s all you’re going to get.



Gladiolus Thrip (Mackenzie Crook) gives Ruby (Holliday Granger) an up close and personal lesson in bad breath.

RUBY

Ruby (Holliday Grainger) was always hoping for something exciting to happen, but being kidnapped by a drooling seven foot supernatural monster wasn’t the kind of thing that she really had in mind. Now her eyes have been opened to the evil underworld that lies beneath the streets of London, she’ll be the first to tell you that she’s well up for it.

Not only does she get to kick the crap out of some serious half-lives, she also gets to spend more time with Luke, her best friend. She’s wishing friends is not all they were, but Luke’s totally oblivious to that.

MINA HARKER

Mina Harker (ZoeTapper) has a past that is solidly linked with that of the half-life and vampires. On this earth longer than her young and beautiful looks would have you believe, Mina has lived through a lot and the things in her past have made her a very strong and very wise person.

Mina is blind.

Most people would see this as a disability but ithas only heightened Mina’s senses and given her powers and gifts she never thought capable. A beautiful and talented concert pianist, losing her sight also gave Mina a “second sight” with the ability to see into the past and track half-life activities.

Mina’s past is not only linked with vampires, Mina’s ancestors are the founders and creators of the Stacks, the vast library which holds the answers and secrets behind all of the half-life’s and the Van Helsing history. Mina knows the stacks inside out and despite her lack of sight, if it’s in there, Mina will find it.


Luke and Mina smiting evil again. She can't see them in the room, but she can sense them coming.

REDLIP

Redlipis a Type 5 entity. He’s a watcher who hides in the shadows of London stalking those unfortunate enough to be chosen as his victims. A tall and menacing looking creature, Redlip conceals his pale and disfigured features with a long black coat and a tatty slouch hat. When he can’t get hold of ‘fresh meat’ Redlip feeds on cockroaches. But whatever his prey, he can’t keep any meal down for long. After every serving Redlipunhinges his jaw and coughs up a pool ball sized owl pellet. This disgusting creature provokes fear in anyone who crosses his path.

Sent by his master, Gladiolus Thrip, to hunt and capture Luke, Redlip uses the shadows and his strength to lure the team deep down below the city to the Baltic Stairs where the half-lives dwell…

GLADIOLUS THRIP

Gladiolus Thripis a Type 12 entity, one of the most dangerous in the underworld. Thrip is shrouded in mystery, an enigma with a natty dress sense and a greasy quiff. Thrip has no nose. The theories behind how he lost it range from losing it during battle to a mangy disease. Now in its place is a beak-like piece of carved ivory, intricately worked in scrimshaw, covering whatever horrors lurk beneath. Thrip’s nails are fashioned into large talons, with his index finger sporting a particularly unnatural, sinister point. And inside his mouth lies possibly the most terrifying thing of all; two sharp canines. Thrip is a Vampire, the most dangerous and deadly of all the half-life.

With a cockney twang and a colourful vocabulary Thrip is a bounty hunter with his fangs set on Luke Van Helsing. Possessed of a dark and twisted sense of humour, Thrip enjoys taunting and mocking his victims before killing them in the most extravagant and inventive ways possible.



The Demon Smiting team. Ruby, Luke, Rupert and Mina. Are they bovvered? 'Ardly!


DEMONS screens Thursdays on SCI FI, Channel 132, starting August 27.

For an introduction, goto SPECTRUM for Full Episodes !