DEMONS is a fresh take on a classic theme: An ordinary person is plucked from obscurity to assume a great destiny, usually with a bit of supernatural help (see Harry Potter, Buffy, King Arthur, et al.). There’s a reason this storyline is so common -- it works. Who doesn’t want to think that they're secretly destined for a life of magic and greatness?
This version works, too. Cooke is appealing as a teenager trying to juggle school, a social life, and his extracurricular activities chasing the undead. And Glenister, as the veteran, adds a bit of jaded panache. The series quickly creates a compelling backstory, introducing Luke’s tutors Mina Harker (Zoe Tapper) -- a blind pianist with a complicated history -- and Father Simeon (Richard Wilson), a mysterious cleric who isn’t always certain what century it is. There are plenty of TV shows out there about a secret world of monsters and demons just barely hidden from ordinary mortals, some worse than others. While Demons doesn’t completely set itself apart from the pack, it’s certainly better than average.