Above & Below

Beauty and the Beast may be a tale as old as time, but never has it been more imaginatively told than in the 1987-90 live action television series created by Ron Koslow. The concept has a noble lion-man, Vincent (Ron Perlman), member of a vast, wondrous community located beneath the streets of Manhattan, who saves the life of New York socialite turned assistant district attorney Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton). As he nurses her back to health, a connection is formed between them that drives the rest of the series as their worlds intertwine, exploring their love as well as the darker underpinnings of society. Now as the show celebrates its 25th anniversary, 'Above & Below: The Unofficial 25th Anniversary Beauty and the Beast Companion' looks back at the making of the series, beginning with profiles of Hamilton and Perlman and continuing with a behind the scenes look at every episode through the eyes of the various writers and directors who helped bring it to life, among them George R.R. Martin, creator of Game of Thrones; and the team of Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, creative minds behindHomeland. Together, they recount struggles with the network (including fears regarding the Catherine/Vincent romance), the challenge of changing creative course in response to declining ratings, and being forced to completely reconceptualize the series when Hamilton departed at the end of season two. How could a show calledBeauty and the Beast survive without its leading lady?