# Beauty and the Beast (1987)

> A savvy assistant district attorney is secretly protected by a beast-like man who lives in a hidden utopia beneath New York City.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2277

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 56
- Episode runtime: 47 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, crime, drama
- Created by: Ron Koslow
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, Roy Dotrice, Jay Acovone, Ren Woods, Stephen McHattie, David Greenlee, Ellen Geer
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092319/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: wistful, romantic, atmospheric, earnest

## What critics say

Audiences broadly praise the first two seasons for the Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman chemistry and romantic mythology, while judging the show weaker after Hamilton's departure.

## Synopsis

Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990) is an American fantasy crime drama created by Ron Koslow for CBS, a 1980s network series spanning three seasons and fifty-six episodes. Linda Hamilton plays Catherine Chandler, a savvy assistant district attorney in New York City whose life is saved by Vincent, a noble, beast-like man played by Ron Perlman. Vincent lives in a secret, utopian community beneath the streets, and the two share a psychic bond that lets him watch over her from the shadows. Each week the engine is a clash between her legal work in the city above and his hidden world below, with Father Wells, Joe Maxwell and other tunnel dwellers helping or hindering. The episodes mix case-driven crime plots with mythic, romantic longing, creating a melancholic, earnest and atmospheric register shaped by the gritty textures of Manhattan. Its wistful romance and fairy tale sensibility will appeal to viewers who enjoy Forever Knight, Angel and Moonlighting, and to anyone drawn to a fantasy take on a city's hidden underside. The show's period charm and tender central bond define its identity.

## Shows like Beauty and the Beast

- [Moonlighting (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/1889)
- [Penny Dreadful (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/49015)
- [Neverwhere (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/12519)
- [Castle (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/1335)
- [Midnight, Texas (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/59627)
- [Gargoyles (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/1617)
- [Lost Girl (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/31164)
- [Millennium (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/4115)
- [Grimm (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36158)
- [Moonlight (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/5381)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt