VAN HELSING'S LAST DESCENDENT BATTLES THE UNDERWORLD OF MODERN-DAY LONDON

-Philip Glenister stars in the new U.S. premiere series Demons-

A contemporary spin on the legacy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Demons witnesses the rise of the dark underworld of half-lives, monsters and in-humans that lie deep beneath the streets of modern-day London. From the writers of Hex and Merlin, Demons stars Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) as the straight-talking American Rupert Galvin mandated to inspire the last descendent of Van Helsing to join forces and commit to living a double life - before he is assassinated. Demons premieres Saturday, January 2, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on BBC AMERICA. The following episodes will premiere Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

On the surface Luke Rutherford (Christian Cooke, Doctor Who) is every bit the average teenager, but with the arrival of his dead father's best friend Rupert Galvin (Glenister), Luke's life is about to change. Galvin has come to inform Luke that his father's death fifteen years ago wasn't an accident and he holds a secret destiny as the real-life great-great grandson of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Now Luke must lift the family mantle as a warrior against the supernatural entities behind every myth and legend from vampires to werewolves while maintaining an ordinary life of school exams, parties, driving tests and keeping it all from his mother.

To train Luke in his quest, Galvin calls on the beautiful but icy cold Mina Harker (Zoe Tapper, Survivors, Affinity), a blind concert pianist with a history - who is also the foremost authority on the undesirable entities preying on humanity. The sinister and mouldering Father Simeon (Richard Wilson, Merlin, One Foot In The Grave) is Luke's other counsellor on the lore and myth behind the creatures he faces.

Luke's first opponent is the villainous Gladiolus Thrip (Mackenzie Crook, The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean), a "type 12" sinister vampire with a burning hatred for the Van Helsing line. The list of terrifying adversaries grow with the cockroach-munching "type 5" called Redlip (Martin Hancock, Kingdom of Heaven, Chasing Liberty), a "type 9" child-snatching demon-in-angel's clothing called Gilgamel (Rick English, Merlin, stunt performer in Sherlock Holmes), and the half-man half-rat Mr. Tibbs (Kevin McNally, Valkyrie, Pirates of the Caribbean), who bears a deep and personal grudge against a member of the team.

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CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS

Rupert Galvin Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes)
Luke Rutherford Christian Cooke (Doctor Who, Echo Beach)
Ruby Holliday Grainger (Robin Hood, Merlin)
Mina Harker Zoe Tapper (Survivors, Affinity)

Guest stars:

Father Simeon Richard Wilson (Merlin, One Foot In The Grave)
Gladiolus Thrip Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Redlip Martin Hancock (Kingdom of Heaven, Chasing Liberty)
Jenny Rutherford Saskia Wickham (Midsomer Murders, Green Wing)
Ally Dunelm Grace Vance (Ashes to Ashes)
Jamie Ben Walker (The Golden Compass, Torchwood)
Mr. Tibbs Kevin McNally (Valkyrie, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Grace Laura Pyper (MI-5, Hex)
Gilgamel Rick English (Merlin, stunt performer in Sherlock Holmes)

Production: Executive Producer Dean Hargrove (Hex, Perry Mason, Matlock, Columbo)
Directors Tom Harper (Cherries, Spoil)
Matthew Evans (Robin Hood, Daziel and Pascoe)
Writers Peter Tabern (Hex, Johnny and the Bomb)
Howard Overman (Merlin, Hotel Babylon)
Lucy Watkins (Hex, Synchronicity)

Demons is a Shine production for ITV1.

EPISODE SYNOPSES

Episode One - They Bite

Luke Rutherford is your average teenager - until his dead father's best friend, Rupert Galvin, turns up. Galvin has come to tell Luke his secret destiny - he's the real-life great-grandson of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Luke is set to inherit the family mantle as a warrior against the supernatural entities swarming the earth. Unfortunately, powerful half-life, Gladiolus Thrip (Mackenzie Crook) is standing in his way.

Episode One premieres Saturday, January 2, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Episode Two - The Whole Enchilada

Six-year-old Madge might think her sister Ally (Grace Vance) has been "taken up to heaven by an angel" but Galvin suspects otherwise. Everything points to half-life involvement and he thinks it's the perfect project for Luke. A visit to the cadaverous Father Simeon confirms Galvin's suspicions. Gilgamel is no angel - he's a travesty demon, a type nine entity attracted by the odor of sanctity. When Ruby's younger brother Jamie (Ben Walker) is also caught by the creature, they are left with no choice. Luke must summon the two thousand year old half-life and defeat him if the children are not to be lost forever.

Episode Two premieres Saturday, January 9, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Episode Three - Saving Grace

Galvin lets his emotions get the better of him when his wife's murderer, Mr. Tibbs (Kevin McNally), arrives in town. Hell bent on revenge and with no regard for his own safety, Galvin arms himself to the hilt. Embarking on what amounts to little more than a suicide mission, he attempts to break into the hideous rat man's lair alone to exact his much dreamt of retribution. But Galvin, blinded by his emotions has played straight into Mr. Tibbs' hands�

Episode Three premieres Saturday, January 16, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Episode Four - Suckers

Galvin grows suspicious when the reappearance of Quincey, a bad boy vampire from Mina's past, prompts a change in her behavior. Mina confesses that Quincey is back. He has come for her and wants her to give in to her half-blood heritage. Galvin reassures her that he, of all people, understands - but they both know that sentiment has no place in the smiting game. One thing's for sure - a battle of epic proportions is in the offing.

Episode Four premieres Saturday, January 23, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Episode Five - Smitten

With news of a strange murder in the capital, Mina and Galvin investigate. Mina's abilities give her terrifying visions and she begins to fear for Luke's safety. Then Ruby discovers that the entity chasing Luke can take the form of a woman in order to stalk her prey and alarm bells start to ring. Could Luke's new girlfriend Alice really be more half-life than human?

Episode Five premieres Saturday, January 30, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Episode Six - Nothing Like Nebraska

In the final episode of the series, after a run-in with a pyromancer, Luke is haunted by dreams about the car crash that killed his father and Galvin's connection to it. Psychic Karen convinces him his godfather is not the man he seems and, with Gladiolus Thrip back on the scene and showing an unhealthy interest in Luke's past, the vampire-fighting duo look set to be torn apart.

Episode Six premieres Saturday, February 6, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT