# Beauty and the Beast (2012)

> A New York homicide detective uncovers that the man who saved her as a child is a secret beast living in hiding beneath the city.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/40529

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 70
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, fantasy, crime, romance
- Created by: Ron Koslow, Sherri Cooper-Landsman, Jennifer Levin
- Network: The CW
- Cast: Brian J. White, Kristin Kreuk, Jay Ryan, Max Brown, Nina Lisandrello, Austin Basis, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Nicole Gale Anderson
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2193041/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melancholic, intimate, brooding, romantic, suspenseful

## What critics say

Reviewers and audiences broadly found the series a mixed affair: a romantic, emotionally sincere fantasy-procedural whose strong lead chemistry and first season are offset by an uneven middle stretch.

## Synopsis

Beauty and the Beast (2012-2016) is an American network fantasy crime drama created by Ron Koslow, Sherri Cooper-Landsman and Jennifer Levin for The CW. Detective Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk) is a sharp, no-nonsense New York homicide cop whose childhood was shaped by witnessing her mother's murder and being rescued by a stranger. When a current investigation leads her to Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan), a man presumed dead for years, she learns he is alive and hiding beneath the city, a powerful creature who becomes a terrifying beast when enraged. Catherine must balance her police work with protecting his secret, while allies such as Dr. Evan Marks (Max Brown) and Tess Vargas (Nina Lisandrello) help navigate the danger. Each episode pairs a murder case with the wider question of what the couple can risk to be together. Across four seasons the series blends procedural crime, romance and supernatural mystery in a moody, melancholic register, with dark underground tunnels and city streets contrasting intimate devotion against violence. Fans of Angel, Moonlight and the classic Beauty and the Beast will find resonance in its blend of a hidden protector, a human investigator and a secret that threatens to unravel everything around them. Set in a present-day New York City, the story is grounded in contemporary urban life.

## Shows like Beauty and the Beast

- [Forever (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54184)
- [Wolf Lake (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/11663)
- [Tarzan (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/2095)
- [New Amsterdam (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/1076)
- [Blood Ties (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/4841)
- [Lost Girl (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/31164)
- [Sanctuary (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/1229)
- [Castle (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/1335)
- [Beauty and the Beast (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/2277)
- [Kindred: The Embraced (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/3401)

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