Lightbox brings you the dark, cruel and twisted this winter

Lightbox brings you the dark, cruel and twisted this winter

Coming exclusively to Lightbox on 23 May is Preacher, a new series which Forbes Magazine calls “darkly hilarious in ways that will make you feel twisted”.

Preacher is produced by comedian Seth Rogan (Knocked Up, Superbad) and based on the highly controversial cult comic book franchise of the same name. It stars Dominic Cooper (Captain America, Need for Speed) as a West Texas cleric named Jesse Custer who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that causes him to develop a highly unusual power.

Jesse, his ex-girlfriend and an Irish wanderer embark on a journey to literally find God. The show promises a thrilling, funny and somewhat haunting first season.

The original comic books were once deemed too controversial for television. Fortunately Lightbox’s parental controls will keep the kids watching SpongeBob while the adults delve in to the twisted horrors of Preacher.

The second season of viciously hilarious comedy UnREAL returns to Lightbox 7 June. UnREAL received critical acclaim for its ‘behind the scenes’ look at reality TV dating shows. Constance Zimmer (House of Cards, Entourage), who plays unscrupulous boss Quinn King in the series, won best supporting actress at the Critics’ Choice Awards earlier this year.

UnREAL is centred on Rachel Goldberg (Shiri Appleby – Girls, Roswell), a producer on the popular dating show Everlasting. Rachel pulls out all stops to ensure she manipulates the contestants enough to create the outrageous drama that viewers expect. A timely watch in the wake of The Bachelor New Zealand season 2.

For mystery fans, Australian drama The Kettering Incident will be one to watch from 4 July. This thrilling series follows Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager, Everest, The Great Gatsby) as Doctor Anna Macy. She finds herself inexplicably linked to the cases of two girls who mysteriously disappeared 15 years apart in identical circumstances in the Tasmanian wilderness.

In order to clear her name, Anna is forced to delve in to her troubled past, unearthing truths about herself and the otherworldly nature of this gothic land.

The drama filled lives of the sorority sisters at Kappa Kappa Tau is suddenly thrown in to mayhem when they are haunted by an evil red devil.Scream Queens is a terrifyingly funny series, perfect for those seeking a light-hearted dark comedy. It is available from 1 July and stars Emma Roberts (Meet the Millers, American Horror Story) Lea Michele (Glee) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday, A Fish Called Wanda). It also features guest appearances from Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande.

Baywatch star David Hasselhoff is back for the second season of Hoff the Record on 1 July. Styled as a fly-on-the-wall mockumentary, David plays a fictionalised version of himself in the autumn of his career, relocating to the UK to seek new opportunities. David tries to get his career back on track while working to make sense of his increasingly surreal life.

Like Preacher, Powers is another series that’s based on a successful comic book. It’s set in a supernatural world where certain individuals have extraordinary abilities, referred to as Powers. The second season is available from 1 June and stars Justice Leak (Insurgent) and Sharlto Copley (District 9).

Show descriptions, reviews and dates:

Preacher – Season 1, 23 May – each episode coming express from the US

Based on the popular, cult comic book franchise of the same name, Preacher is a supernatural, twisted and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas cleric named Jesse Custer, who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that causes him to develop a highly unusual power. Jesse, his badass ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy come together. When they do, they are thrust in to a crazy world populated by a cast of characters from Heaven, Hell and everywhere in between.

“It’s funny too, and not in the dude-bro style you might expect from Rogen, but really darkly hilarious in ways that will make you feel twisted” - Forbes

UnREAL – Season 2, 7 June – each episode coming express from the US

UnREAL is an American comedy / drama starring Shiri Appleby as a young reality television producer pushed by her unscrupulous boss (Constance Zimmer) to swallow her integrity and do anything it takes to drum up salacious show content.

“As you may have heard by now, Lifetime’s UnREAL is fantastic…UnREAL was, by a large margin, the best show of the summer” – The Young Folks

The Kettering Incident – Season 1, 4 July – each episode coming express from Australia

Doctor Anna Macy finds herself inexplicably linked to the cases of two girls who mysteriously disappeared in identical circumstances in the Tasmanian wilderness 15 years apart.

Scream Queens – Season 1, 1 July

On the 20th anniversary of a 1995 sorority pledge which went wrong, a college campus is rattled by a series of murders.

“Shiny, gory and whip-smart, Scream Queens thus attempted to pummel the viewing into submission with sheer, rictus-grinning relentlessness. And it worked.” – The Telegraph

Hoff the Record – Season 2, 1 July

Hoff the Record is a British television comedy show starring David Hasselhoff. It follows a mockumentary style with Hasselhoff playing a fictionalised version of himself in the autumn of his career, relocating to the UK to see new opportunities.

“The Hoff bares his soul and mines his past for laughs so gamely, you end up admiring him and rooting for him.” – The Telegraph

Powers – Season 2, 1 June – each episode coming express from the US

Powers is an edgy dramatic series inspired by the graphic novel of the same name. It follows the lives of two homicide detectives who are assigned to investigate cases involving people with extraordinary abilities, referred to as Powers.

Lightbox costs $12.99 after a free 30-day-trial with no fixed-term contracts. See www.lightbox.co.nz

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