User reviews

One of a number of horror/sci-fi shows that came as a result of X-Files suprise success, American Gothic stood out from the back because of its exploration of themes of family, nature vs. nurture, and the nature of good and evil. The show follows Caleb Temple who recently orphaned and a potential ward of corrupt sheriff Lucas Buck(also his biological father) after his adoptive father Gage and his catatonic sister Merly are killed(both by Buck). However other characters such as Caleb's cousin Gail and ER doctor Matt also try to place Caleb under their care for various reasons. This struggle over Caleb serves as the crux of the show's narrative as Lucas Buck is shown to have powers that are dark and unnatural which he uses not only to keep control over his town of Trinity but also to tempt Caleb away from those who seek to protect him. Also involved is Merly Caleb's newly deceased sister who despite being dead appears as a ghost with her purpose being to guide Caleb toward the path of light and away from the shadowy influences of Lucas Buck. There's a really good show that could've really resonated with audiences and become as big of a cultural staple as The X-Files if not bigger.....and then CBS happened. After airing its first 3 episodes in the correct order, CBS began "tinkering" with the show by airing episodes out of order, arbitrarily switching days and time-slots, and generally making it as inconvenient as possible to find the show in your local listings. The end result was the show was cancelled and its slot was given to mid-season replacement Nash Bridges which lasted 6 seasons and now NO ONE talks about. Since American Gothics here and gone run back in 95 CBS has stuck to its two staples of conveyor belt police procedurals and sitcoms and only occasionally experimenting outside their comfort zone. Sometimes successfully(Braindead) but more often unsuccessfully(Under the Dome, Extant that OTHER American Gothic). As it stands American Gothic had a brief but very well done run of 22 episodes. If one watches American Gothic it's clear its influence can be felt in other shows, it's just a shame the show never got a chance to take off.

They had me from the first show.

Welcome to Trinity County. A sleepy little Mayberry-like place with one slight difference. The sheriff is really Satan. There's the spoiler. Not like you wouldn't figure it out in 10 minutes anyway.

Oh, but that's not all. It turns out that Satan has a son named Caleb. Some people are trying to keep him good, but it's an uphill battle. Sheriff Buck (Satan) knows who Caleb is and likes to spend time with him teaching him the ways of darkness. Subtle. Sneaky. He doesn't always come off as evil. Most of the time he's a hero. Everyone owes him a big favor, because he often sets up a calamity and saves them from it. So every time you think someone will finally take him down, one of his friends comes out of nowhere to sabotage it.

In one of my favorite episodes, Lucas and Caleb were out in the woods in a cabin and some guys with guns decided to rob them. Lucas used it as an excuse to teach Caleb a lesson about evil.

The robber (Ted) was hesitant to shoot them. Lucas told Caleb that Ted had half a conscience. If he had no conscience, he would have shot them by now. If he had a real conscience, he never would have become a criminal. So he started calling him Half-Ted. It was pretty funny. He was taunting the criminals. And of course he stayed 10 steps ahead of Half-Ted at all times. And of course he was in complete control at all times. They actually had you favoring Satan.

Very very excellent show. it was one of my favorite horror shows of all time. Twilight Zone Night Stalker Circle of Fear American Gothic Supernatural

That's good company.

My late husband worked on this wonderfully perverse series as production controller (I believe that's what the studio called it) - anyway, the guy who managed all the money on location in Wilmington, NC. Over the years, he worked on many productions we could barely stand to watch when they were completed. Not so "American Gothic". We were both thrilled with "AG" and bitterly disappointed at how CBS ran this unique series into the ground. I do hope Universal gets a clue and releases all the episodes on DVD, I'll be at the top of the list to get a copy. It's great to read all your comments, It's so heartening to me that so many people saw "AG" for the breakthrough series it was and still regret its demise.

I stumbled on this series rather by accident. After half an episode, I was hooked. American Gothic was a dark, strange series with Gary Cole as the mysterious, probably evil Sheriff Buck who is trying to gain control of his illegitimate son Caleb, played by Lucas Black. I was impressed with Gary Cole's sinister sheriff and I was even more impressed with Lucas Black. Lucas Black's Caleb was able to stand up against Sheriff Buck, one of the most frightening characters ever created for a TV series. I have rarely seen a child actor with as much presence or talent as Lucas Black. If you were not lucky enough to see Lucas in American Gothic, see him in Slingblade.

It was a remarkable show with many ambiguities and mysteries that were never explained during it's short run.

This was one of the best, most original TV series I can remember. It was wonderfully creepy, and unpredictable. I waited anxiously every week for each episode. The casting was perfect. Gary Cole played his evil persona like none before. It pulled in those of us drawn to scary shows with its catch phrase, "Someone's at the door." It kept us wondering what Sheriff Buck would do next, and to whom. I was beyond disappointed when it wasn't renewed. I bought the DVD so I can watch the series whenever I felt the need for a good scare, which it did to perfection without gore, or monsters. Well done by all involved. Perhaps one day it can be resurrected, but I doubt they could find a better cast!

It's great to see so much love for this amazing show 26 years on. I saw this show back in the mid-90s on Australian TV and I've never forgotten it.

The twisted psychological storyline, the fantastic acting, and the gleeful darkness about this show really made it ahead of its time. It could stand up today against The Sopranos, The Handmaid's Tale or Mad Men.

I just bought the DVD box set and I'm getting into it again. Oh, wait, I have to go. Someone's at the door...

Show should've lasted longer than it did! They don't make shows like this anymore! Shaun Cassidy created perfection with this show!

Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) is the revered sheriff of Trinity, South Carolina. Underneath the facade, he uses his dark powers to manipulate and blackmail the folks in this town. It's Caleb Temple (Lucas Black)'s birthday. His father kills his disturbed sister Merlyn Temple (Sarah Paulson) with a shovel. It turns out that it is all Lucas Buck's doing. He had raped Caleb's mother in front of Merlyn and he is Caleb's biological father. Caleb's mother committed suicide after giving birth. Lucas intends to take Caleb by becoming his legal guardian. Caleb's cousin reporter Gail Emory (Paige Turco) returns to town to oppose it. Dr. Matt Crower (Jake Weber) suspects Lucas of improper dealings. Selena Coombs (Brenda Bakke) is Caleb's mysterious teacher. Deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy) struggles in fear under Lucas' command. Caleb sees the spirit of Merlyn who battles Lucas from the grave.

Gary Cole takes control of this series. Lucas Black gives it his all to play opposite him. I figured either Jake Weber or Paige Turco would be the star and the point of view for this show. However both characters become somewhat secondary. I would like less cheesy effects to denote the supernatural. Creator Shaun Cassidy is dipping his toe into this work and he shows some competency. It's damn good for an early effort.

I loved this show when it aired on television and was crushed when I found out that someone somewhere decided that it wasn't worthy of being continued! For years I hung onto my copies of this show, ones that I had taped or had someone tape for me. That is until now. The powers that be finally decided to release this beautiful series on DVD and I finally was able to get my eager little hands on the complete set. Which, brings me to this part; the part about that this show is all about.

American Gothic is about good verses evil, basically a struggle between Lucas Buck (that is Buck, with a B). He is an evil sheriff of a South Carolina small town that runs things the way he wants things to be ran and stops at nothing to get his way.

I felt the show was wonderfully written and directed and had lots of life left yet to be lived. I really hated when it was canceled, but that is the way it seems to go for me when I finally find something worth watching on television.

Gary Cole did a great job as the role of Sheriff Lucas Buck, he has just the right amount of charm verses evil to pull it off. The other actors did a super job as well, so I guess you could say, even the casting was a hit with me.

American Gothic was one of the best shows ever on TV. Stephen King took several stabs at TV with little success; American Gothic was the show he should have created but didn't.

CBS really seems to have deliberately killed this show. When I watched it I was confused by jumps from one episode to another, characters appeared and disappeared, motivations weren't explained. When the sci-fi channel showed the episodes I discovered the horrible truth: CBS had show the episodes out of order. They had left out episodes. They had taken a show with a series arc and chopped it into little pieces. They also, as I recall, moved the show around and showed it inconsistently. The sad thing is that the incompetent suit who did this is probably still working in TV, making tons of money and destroying other shows. This person should be working as a janitor somewhere.

I remember I was 12 when Picket Fences was canceled and this new show American Gothic took it's place on Friday nights. I immediately became engrossed in this show. It really had a great X-Files like vibe, which a lot of shows tried horribly to recreate, but AG took the genre in a new and exciting (and a little scary) direction. I loved it, and right out of the gun the show was a critical hit...a big success. So what do network execs do when a show's a rare hit? Why they yank it from the spot that made it a hit, and throw it on a new night at a new time. The show never recovered, the execs refused to switch the show back, it was sadly canceled, and then Nash Bridges took over for the next 5 years. Sad...Nash Bridges! I can only hope this show (like the underappreciated and canceled Sports Night) will be released on DVD. I mean, come on, the half season of My Big Fat Greek Life is coming to DVD. I'd love to see AG again; it's been nearly a decade since it premiered and I've never forgotten it.

This was one of the best shows ever made for TV. Full of mystery and intrigue and twists and turns. Compulsive viewing. I was lucky I saw this in the UK. They might have got the episode order wrong, I can't remember, but it at least was on at a regular time every week. My girlfriend and I got hooked from the trailer in, and neither of us is a big fan of American series normally.

After the pilot, we knew this was something special. We missed a couple of episodes, and it made you sad and mad for a week missing those ones lol.

Great casting, superb acting. Gary Cole was absolutely brilliant, better even than his role as Custer. Lucas Black turned in an amazing performance for a kid, and Paige Turco was at her best too since Party of Five. And Nick Searcy of course, as the Sheriff's long suffering sidekick.

Yes, there were some confusing and perplexing bits, which I presume would have been explained later, and no doubt would have been in a later series. That made the ending weak, and you could tell they'd killed it. Made us go WHAT? Why did they do that with one of the best shows ever? Shoot the exec.

I wanted to call my bump Caleb, I loved this show so much, it was groundbreaking and that lovely squeaky clean Shaun Cassidy was involved, shows come and go but this had horror and it was unlike anything on TV, I don't want it remade I just want to wallow in nostalgia and experience the full wonder of this show copied but NEVER EVER EQUALLED.

It was a bit bizarre and evil and i enjoyed it a lot, the characters in the show were great as well, and complimented one another well. I was sorry to see it cut off.. I would have loved to see where it could have went.You found yourself leaning toward Lucas Buck the sheriff who had more secrets than anyone. Lucas was frightening and alluring. And I would have liked to have seen more of him and how his character became. I will however buy the show just to enjoy, it was great to something different on TV. And Paige Turrco who was Caleb's cousin, she was a big mystery as to where and what she meant to Lucas. Its a shame it isn't around still.. or was never finished, i would have loved to see what would have happened.

I see a lot of folks on this site wishing AG would come out on DVD. Well, I bought it on DVD. (From Borders, no less!) While it is great to have this terrific show in a boxed DVD form, I am upset by the fact that they added very few in the way of "extra's" (A director commentary from Shaun Cassidy on the Pilot episode) and the episodes are shown in the same order they were put out on TV. The missing episodes that were never shown prior to being run on Sci Fi channel are in the box set, but are tacked on the final DVD. If you buy the DVD set, get the actual order they are to be viewed and you will be happier. (You will need to swap DVD's in and out of your player to see them in order, but you will be glad you did.)

S

I watched this show on the basis of it being told it was reminiscent of David Lynch's Twin Peaks - a show which I adore. The show quickly starts introducing us to the main characters and rather unusually the pilot episode is to me the best of the lot, its extremely dramatic and really gets out the whole evil side of the show ready to progress throughout the rest of the season. My one biggest criticism is I felt a little let down by the show - probably not through its own fault, as it got cancelled after a mere 1 season, it seemed to display show much potential and it deserved a lot better treatment than it got. The acting is excellent, and this show has some of the best characters (good and evil) in it I have ever seen that are well developed in a short space of time. There is the odd cheesy effect for the first 5 or ten shows which are a bit overly dramatic, but this is rectified as the season progressed. Well worth a watch, definitely something out of the ordinary!

I MAY have seen an episode or 2 when the show originally aired but when I watched 1 episode on netflix I was also hooked. I watched the whole series in like 2 days. :) I really liked Gary Cole's character. First he's thoroughly reprehensible then you start liking the character ("These things have a thousand uses")! His folksy Andy Griffith meets Charles Manson meets Satan is great. Charming, charismatic, smarmy, and uh kind of dangerous and by "kind of" I mean "really". I wanna be like HIM when I grow up. Lucas Black is great too. The accents are great too. Anyway, I thought this was one of the best TV shows ever and you owe it to yourself to see it.

Created by Shaun Cassidy and produced by the duo Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert we follow the town of Trinity, South Carolina, where Sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) seems to rule over the town through corruption and hellish evil. The plot over its single series run follows various members of the town as they are haunted and influenced by Buck, slowly going into his and the towns history. The acting all around is quite something, Gary Cole gives a chilling performance as someone truly without a heart, and we're introduced to Sarah Paulson in her first major acting role where she would go on to be a star of the horror genre. And I have to give the highest props to the young Lucas Black (who'd we'd know much later as the lead in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift) who plays Caleb Temple, a young boy in town. His performance is incredible for being a kid. Being produced by Raimi and Tapert it of course has all the directing styles and writing quirks you'd expect from them, with plenty of dutch angles and crazy movement with the camera. I kinda like their style in a goofy way, so it charmed me, although it can definitely be a bit much for some. The plots gets convoluted, but what supernatural show doesn't, and I learned after watching that the episodes were actually aired (and presented on the DVDs I watched) out of the intended order, which makes a lot of sense in hindsight as some of the plot continuity got real weird towards the middle end. Overall, if you like other works by Raimi + Tapert I think this was one of the strongest TV series from them I've seen, and if you like things with a supernatural horror / thriller vibe, was pretty good.

The best TV show in its genre.

With amazing performance from the young Lucas Black (Caleb Temple), and Gary Cole's best performance to date, as the sinister yet charismatic Sheriff Lucas Buck. You can not afford to miss out on this series.

One that should definitely see the light of day again, not only on DVD for everyone to enjoy but rejuvenated into the Movie that has been rumoured for the past two years.

From the stand alone episodes of "Damned If You Don't", "Meet The Beetles" and "The Strong Arm Of The Law" to the main story arc, anyone who has not seen this show has missed out on a real treat.

Recently when i was shopping, i saw the box-set of Americian Gothic, and i thought 'I remember that!' I used to set my alarm to get back up & watch this when it was on CH 4 in 1996 at 1.30am (i was 14). I remember it mostly because it was really scary and weird, no person could ever be as frightening as Lucas Buck (with a B!!) No one ever was anyway.

What annoyed me though was they did the same thing to the box-set as when on TV. Episodes in funny order, I kept thinking when does Dr Matt leave??? - they made it so confusing.

However this is not the writers, producers or directors fault (its TV people in background the money makers They still do the same - Just look at shows like Carnivale and Farscape they don't like originality in studios!!!!!)

To finish - If you've not seen this and you call yourself a Sci-Fi Fantasy, Horror, supernatural drama..Fan = YOU MUST. They even said the same in SFX when reviewing the box-set.