Telling the story of the original fallen angel Lucifer is a tough task for anybody, but that's exactly what creator Tom Kapinos has decided to do with his new series, loosely based on Neil Gaiman's comic book character from the series The Sandman and its spin-off series Lucifer.
Bored of his life as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar decides to resign from his throne and retires to Los Angeles, the City of Angels. Enjoying his time now as the owner of an upscale piano bar named Lux, Lucifer is living a life that many would be jealous of. With the finest women, wine and song at his disposal, he's visited by brother Amenadiel - God's emissary - who says that he must return to Hell or face the wrath of God. Refusing he instead offers advice to beautiful pop star Delilah, but when she's murdered in a spray of bullets outside of the club, something's awakened in Lucifer for the first time in 10 billion years.
Teaming up with LAPD homicide detective Chloe Dancer - who's strangely immune to his charms - he becomes fascinated by her inherent goodness after being used to dealing with some of the worst personalities humanity has to offer, and offers his skills up to the authorities - at least when it suits him.
Tom Ellis steps into the titular role and is masterful in his portrayal of the cocky, sometimes repulsive yet mostly charming Underworld veteran. He's smoldering and a sheer delight to watch - you'll find yourself questioning just whether or not you'd be able to resist his allure if he came to you sniffing for answers.
Meanwhile, Lauren German portrays Chloe and also brings a sense of experience to the role. She lands lines perfectly and brings balance to Lucifer, shooting him down like no person has ever done before.
In a world of heavy and intense dramas, Lucifer is a jolly spectacle that's absolutely hilarious at times but story-driven enough to keep you invested. The acting is spot-on and the script remains tight throughout most of what's shown. Keep an eye out for the young girl who plays Chloe's kid - I usually can't stand to see children attempt to act in television shows such as this one, but she hits the nail right on the head.
The hinting at a 'war' in the future between God and Lucifer worries me a little as the handling of such a subject would be open to a lot of persecution, so I hope we don't tread down that path anytime soon. It would really go against the whole appeal of the show not taking itself too seriously and indeed poking fun at itself at times. Despite that, it'd be brave, but could lose a lot of potential viewers if done badly.
For now I'm sticking with Lucifer. It's far from perfect but it's done enough to see me come back for the next few weeks. Now that case one is wrapped up, hopefully it doesn't turn into a police procedural drama and will offer something fresh and exciting, just like its characters.
Lucifer premieres in the US on FOX on Monday, January 25 at 9pm ET, following in the UK on Tuesday, January 26 on Amazon Prime Video.