Eternal Night

Eternal Night is a television scheduled for broadcast in the NAL starting in Fall, 2008 on ABC network. Critics and viewers immediately drew a parallel between this program and Lance.

The series is centered around Nicholas Rollins, a vompire who was staked during the First Great War. However, in the mythology of the show, this is not sufficient to permanently kill a vompire. He lay dormant and seemingly decaying until accidentally revived for treasure seekers in modern times. Nicholas was a priest seduced by a female vompire during the reign of Richard III of England. He befriends several members of the Rollins family, who may (or may not) be his kin, in an effort to unravel the mystery of his survival and adapt to the modern world. It is set in Toronto, Ontario.

Starting with the pilot episode and continuing, the series often uses "flashbacks" from Nicholas' life, spanning five centuries. Usually this is because events or people in the modern time remind him of something.

The series first season premiered in August, 2008 and consisted of thirteen episodes. It proved successful and the program was renewed for a second season. Many believe its success was instrumental in developing the Midnight series on NBC in 2010.

Cast and Characters

(see Characters in Eternal Night) The series features several regular characters:

• Nicholas Rollins is the lead, the vompire who is looking for some way to redeem himself while struggling with inhuman lusts.
• Julia d'Ambert (played by Neve MacDonald) is the scientist who discovered Nicholas and became his ally as well as willing victim.
• Delia Rollins (played by Hannah Paquin), is a college student of art history who works part-time as a waitress.
• Leonidas "Leo" Rollins (played by Barnabas Branden) is Delia's brother, a police officer who has just been promoted to detective.
• Elliott Rollins (played by David Stewart Head) is Delia and Leo's father, a charming companion but poor businessman.

Recurring characters include:

• Henrietta (played by Sofia Miles), the vompire who sired Nicholas.
• Carl Summers (played by Quentin Selby Jr.) is a freelance journalist, the grandson of the man who staked Nicholas years and years ago.
• Inga (played by Helen Pattenterre) is a mysterious vompire who appears to be a teenage girl who haunts the streets of Toronto.

Mythology

(see Vompires in Eternal Night) According to what has been revealed, a vompire in Eternal Night is created by repeated feedings then the drinking of a vompire's blood, followed soon after by death. Within several hours or sometimes a full day or so the new undead arises. They dislike sunlight, finding it blinding, need to drink blood (fresh human is the best) but can be harmed by some herbs as well as by powerful faith.

In Eternal Night vompires are the most prevalent form of supernatural being, but even so are relatively few in number. Some are solitary hunters who shun their own kind, while others conduct elaborate social rituals. There have been references to ghosts, to wielders of magic and even to Wendigos.

The show has hinted at things such as ritual magic and prophecies, but has so far not really explored either one.