The Crow on TV

In 1998 The Crow embarked on a journey to fly high on the small screen. Created by Bryce Zabel, who previously worked on Dark Skies and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven premiered on September 25, 1998. Based off the 1994 film, the series sees the return of characters Eric Draven, Shelly Webster, Sarah Mohr, and Officer Albrecht. Actor and martial artist Mark Dacascos starred as Draven alongside Marc Gomes (Albrecht), Sabine Karesnti (Shelly), Katie Stuart (Sarah), and Lynda Boyd (Darla). The plot of the show is identical to the movie: Eric is brought back by the Crow to right the wrongs done to him and Shelly. To reunite with his love, he sets out on a search for redemption helping others along the way.

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven starred Mark Dacascos

The first two episodes “The Soul Can't Rest” and “Souled Out” takes a lot of cues from the movie following most of the same events, similar outcomes, and even some dialog. But the show begins to find its own footing after these episodes. There are a number of differences made to the crow mythos and Draven himself. The biggest one is the crow being an alter ego for Eric. Rather than putting on makeup and resorting to violence, Eric only turns into the crow, makeup and all, when he's pushed to the limit. New rules are also introduced, like villains coming back as “snakes” if they are killed by crows. For example, Eric gets vengeance on Top Dollar, only for him to come back as a crow-like creature. Another major difference between the show and movie is the major part the Skull Cowboy plays. He’s featured in various episodes, helping Eric in his own, cynical way.

Kadeem Hardison as the Skull Cowboy

An essential part of the original comics, the Skull Cowboy was actually written into the script of the film. Some footage was even shot of the character, but was ultimately cut due to time constraints and being unhappy with the character's appearance. In the show, the Skull Cowboy is played by Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) and acts as Eric’s guide in the Land of the Living. It’s great to see the character fleshed out and Haridson does a great job being the knowledgeable, but mischievous helper.

The female crow also gets a nod in the episode “Birds of a Feather,” though it's not Iris Shaw from Flesh and Blood. Another difference between the TV show and film is how much the violence, black humor, and Eric's unstable mindset is reduced. The action itself is thrilling with Dacascos pulling off the choreography with ease, style, and attitude, but there's rarely any bloodshed. Eric doesn't kill his victims in a gruesome fashion as he did in the comics and movie. The first episode shows him kicking Tin Tin’s ass, but just as he’s about to finish him off, he backs off instead. This a calmer, more rational version of the character. It’s not necessarily what we’re used to from the Crow series, but it works well for the show.

Eric (Mark Dacascos) and Shelly (Sabine Karesnti)

In an eerie turn of events, the show suffered a fatal accident similar to the movie. While filming an episode in August, a special effects explosion went wrong and sent debris flying. Some of it struck stuntman Marc Akerstream in the head resulting in his death. It another unsettling death surrounding The Crow franchise, which makes you wonder if a reboot is indeed a good idea.

Though the show was met with good reviews it ended after one season when studio Polygram was sold to Universal, who decided not to continue the series. Since the show ended on a cliffhanger, the producers wanted to make a TV movie to wrap up the story, but it never came to fruition. The second season got as far as the writing stage before it got the axe. It remains a cult favorite among fans. The show is pretty good. There are some cheesy moments of dialog and bad acting, particularly in the first few episodes, but the rest of the series is gripping, exciting, and thrilling.

All of the actors are great in their roles, but Dacascos stands out in his role of Eric. Though he plays a different version than what we’re used to, it’s still a strong follow-up to Brandon Lee’s performance. Though his demeanor is toned down, he still has some of cynical humor as Eric. Some of the lines are bad, but others are clever and funny. Believe it or not, Dacascos actually didn’t like working on the show. The 60 – 70-hour work weeks left him exhausted and put a strain on his marriage. And shooting some of the sadder scenes left him depressed. Makes you question how long he would’ve stuck around if the series wasn’t canceled.

Mark Dacascos as The Crow

Some of the new mythos and the rules of the Crow will disgruntle some longtime fans, and Eric constantly lying in the formation of a crow will make you roll your eyes. But if you give the show a chance, you get used to it. Maybe these changes wouldn’t be so shocking if we followed a brand new character, rather than one that’s been well established, which seems to be the problem when Eric’s story is rewritten.

Though many still hope for a second season, it’s hard to imagine how the series would continue to engage audiences. Eric and Shelly can only be separated for so long before viewers start questioning why his journey is taking forever. And with the first season having 21 episodes, it already suffers from the Monster of the Week formula where Eric fights a new super powered villain every week. Rather than shining light on his story, some episodes feel like filler where he became a superhero trying to stop the bad guys.  Still, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven is a strong retelling of Eric and Shelly’s story, even if there are some hiccups here and there. But this wouldn’t be the last time Eric’s story would be adapted and retold. Jon J Muth resurrected Eric one more time for the next comic series.

Join Reality-Comics next month when we look at the Todd McFarlene Presents: The Crow.

BY ASHLEY PEREZ