From Dusk till Dawn: The Series

From Dusk till Dawn: The Series
Season one title card
Genre
Based onFrom Dusk till Dawn
by Quentin Tarantino
Robert Rodriguez
Developed byRobert Rodriguez
Starring
Opening theme"After Dark" by Chingon
ComposerCarl Thiel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMark McNair
Production locationsAustin, Texas
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time45 minutes
(approx.)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkEl Rey
ReleaseMarch 11, 2014 (2014-03-11) –
November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)

From Dusk till Dawn: The Series is an American horror television series developed by Robert Rodriguez. It forms part of the franchise of film, direct-to-video, and comics of From Dusk till Dawn, expanding on the chronicles of the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie; The Fuller family; and Santanico Pandemonium.[1] The series adds to the tone of the film, with new characters and backstories, while expanding the snake creatures' Mesoamerican mythology.[2] The series also references the Popol Vuh, drawing on its rich, mythological history and, in particular, on the legend of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué to add greater depth to the backstories and to fully flesh out the characters of the show's protagonists, the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie.[3]

The series premiered on March 11, 2014,[4][5] on Rodriguez's newly launched El Rey Network.[2] Outside the United States and Latin America, the series is marketed as a Netflix original but was removed in November 2022.[6][7] It was produced by FactoryMade Ventures in association with Miramax and executive produced by Rodriguez.[8][9]

The third season[10] aired from September 6 to November 1, 2016. While the series was never officially announced as cancelled, Deadline Hollywood reported that the actors were released from their contracts on October 31.[11]

Plot[edit]

In this supernatural crime series, Seth Gecko and his violent, unpredictable brother, Richard "Richie" Gecko, are wanted by the FBI and Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez after a bank robbery left several people, including policemen and Gonzalez's mentor Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, dead. Heading for the Mexico border pursued by Gonzalez, the Geckos encounter former minister Jacob Fuller and his family, whom they take hostage by commandeering the Fullers' RV. Drug lord Don Carlos reroutes them to a strip club populated by snakelike people that all must fight for food to survive until dawn.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main cast[edit]

Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3
D. J. Cotrona Seth Gecko Main
Zane Holtz Richie Gecko Main
Jesse Garcia Ranger Ferdinand "Freddie" Gonzalez Main
Eiza González Santanico Pandemonium / Kisa Main
Madison Davenport Kate Fuller / Amaru Main
Brandon Soo Hoo Scott Fuller Main
Robert Patrick Jacob Fuller Main
Wilmer Valderrama Carlos Madrigal Main
Jake Busey Aidan "Sex Machine" Tanner Recurring[a] Main
Esai Morales Lord Amancio Malvado Main
Danny Trejo[b] The Regulator Main
Don Johnson/Jesse Johnson[c] Ranger Earl McGraw Main Guest

Recurring cast[edit]

Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3
Jamie Tisdale Margaret Gonzalez Recurring
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Narciso Menendez Recurring
Brandon Smith Captain Chance Holbrook Recurring
Samantha Esteban Monica Garza Recurring
Briana Evigan Sonja Lam Recurring
Patrick Davis Rafa Infante Recurring
Alicia Sanz Paloma Gutierrez Recurring
Demi Lovato Maia Recurring
Jeff Fahey Uncle Eddie Cruickshank Recurring
Emily Rios Ximena Vasconcelos Recurring
Ana de la Reguera Lord Venganza Verdugo Recurring
Maurice Compte Brasa Recurring
Marko Zaror Zolo Recurring
Tom Savini Burt Recurring
Nicky Whelan Dr. Dakota Block Recurring

Guest stars[edit]

Production[edit]

From Dusk till Dawn is the first scripted original series on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey network. Series creator and showrunner Rodriguez, who also directed the pilot and other episodes, stated the original film is "one of the favorite movies that I did in the past with Quentin Tarantino and one that people still ask us about today. There was so much I wanted to explore in that movie that I didn't get to. And I delved a little deeper into Mesoamerican mythologies and Aztec and Mayan mythologies and where a vampire culture could have existed back then and found fascinating stuff".[12]

International broadcast[edit]

In Australia, the series premiered on SBS 2 on July 1, 2014.

In the UK, the series has been broadcast on Spike since January 4, 2016, as From Dusk Till Dawn.[13]

Episodes[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110March 11, 2014 (2014-03-11)May 20, 2014 (2014-05-20)
210August 25, 2015 (2015-08-25)October 27, 2015 (2015-10-27)
310September 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)

Reception[edit]

From Dusk till Dawn has received mostly favorable reviews. Review aggregator site Metacritic has given the first season a "generally favorable" score of 61 out of 100, based on nine critics.[14]

On another review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 75% rating with an average rating of 6.6 out of 10, based on 16 reviews.[15] It was picked #1 on Entertainment Weekly's Must list and as one of the Hottest New Fiction Shows by The Hollywood Reporter.[16][17]

Accolades[edit]

Year Award Category Recipients Outcome
2015 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards[18] Best TV Supporting Actor Zane Holtz Nominated
Saturn Award[19] Best Limited Run Television Series From Dusk Till Dawn Nominated

Music[edit]

Season 1 soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack for season 1, named From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 1 (Music from the Original Series), was released on May 5, 2015, through Chingon Music.[20] The album features music by Robert Rodriguez's band Chingon (tracks 1–6) and series composer Carl Thiel (tracks 7–20).

No.TitleLength
1."After Dark (Spanish Version)" (Tito & Tarantula cover; series theme song)5:54
2."Hey Baby Que Paso"3:08
3."El Rey"3:13
4."Cascabel"4:47
5."Malaguena Salerosa"4:07
6."Cuka Rocka (Extended)"6:11
7."It's Gonna Be a Long Day"2:07
8."The Lost Shepherd"2:52
9."Blood in the Sand"1:31
10."Encounter in Room 207"1:56
11."Border Station Shootout"1:53
12."Beyond the Border"1:57
13."A Lover's Prelude"1:58
14."El Rinche"1:56
15."Vampire Battle"2:30
16."A New World"1:39
17."Labyrinth of the Mind"2:15
18."The Trial Begins"2:44
19."Cheyenne or Phoenix"1:29
20."The Pyramid and the Farewell"3:34

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Jake Busey was listed in the title credits for the first episode of the first season in which he appeared, and was subsequently relegated to recurring cast for the remainder of the season.
  2. ^ Although part of main cast in Season 2, Danny Trejo was credited as "special appearance".
  3. ^ Both actors played the same character at different stages of the series, with different ages. Additionally, despite being part of the main cast, Johnson is only credited for the episodes he appears in.

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Deadline Team (November 15, 2013). "El Rey's 'From Dusk Till Dawn' Rounds Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Robert Patrick and More Join Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series". Coming Soon. November 15, 2013. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  3. ^ "From Dusk till Dawn: The Vampires' Mesoamerican Mythology Explained". Screen Rant. August 27, 2020. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  4. ^ "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series Debuts a Trailer and Poster". Coming Soon. January 12, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  5. ^ "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series - Episode Guide for Season 1". Zap2It. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Lawler, Richard (March 6, 2014). "'From Dusk Till Dawn' TV series R rated version is a Netflix original -- but only outside the US". Engadget. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  7. ^ Moore, Kasey (October 4, 2022). "'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series' Leaving Netflix in November 2022". What's on Netflix. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  8. ^ Hunter, Craig (November 15, 2013). "T2's Robert Patrick & More Join 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series'". The Hollywood News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  9. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (November 15, 2013). "'From Dusk Till Dawn' Adds to Cast as El Rey Launch Nears". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  10. ^ "'From Dusk Till Dawn' Gets Third Season on El Rey". Variety. October 26, 2015. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  11. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 31, 2016). "'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series' Releases Cast As El Rey Ponders Future". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  12. ^ Jakle, Jeanne (March 7, 2014). "TV's 'Dusk' delves deep into the horror". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  13. ^ "From Dusk Till Dawn – The Movie, The Series & The Game". Filmoria.co.uk. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  14. ^ "From Dusk till Dawn: The Series: Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  15. ^ "From Dusk till Dawn: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "Robert Rodriguez on Twitter: "So cool! @EW picked #FromDuskTillDawn as #1 on THE MUST LIST"". Twitter.com. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  17. ^ "MIPTV: The Hottest New Fiction Shows (Photos)". The Hollywood Reporter. April 6, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  18. ^ "The 2015 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners and Full Results!". Fangoria.com. June 1, 2015. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Blake, Emily (March 3, 2015). "2015 Saturn Awards: 'Captain America: Winter Soldier', 'Walking Dead' lead nominees". EW.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  20. ^ "From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 1 (Music from the Original Series) by Various Artists on iTunes". iTunes. Apple. May 5, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2016.

External links[edit]