Stan Against Evil is a 2016 American supernatural comedy horror television series created by Dana Gould (The Simpsons) and Susan Burke. Directed by Jack Bishop and Justin Nijm, the TV series is a 3 Arts Entertainment and Radical Media production and is currently showing in the US on the IFC Channel.
Main cast:
John C. McGinley (The Belko Experiment; Se7en), Janet Varney, Deborah Baker Jr., Nate Mooney (Vampire Vermont), Mick Ignis, Danielle Phelan, Gregory Nassif St. John.
Plot:
Stan Miller (McGinley) is a perpetually disgruntled former sheriff of a small New England town who was forced into retirement. Stan has trouble relinquishing his authority to Evie Barret (Varney), the tough and beautiful new sheriff in town, but they form an unlikely alliance when both begin to realize things are not quite right in their quaint New England town.
Together, they valiantly fight a plague of unleashed demons that have been haunting the town, which just happens to be built on the site of a massive 17th century witch burning.
Reviews:
“Stan Against Evil might not be the most original program that you watch on TV this season, but there’s no denying the passion and love for the genre that just oozes out of IFC’s new series. There is a strong, fun, macabre mentality at play here and the episodes push binge-worthy storytelling where cliffhangers are populating most of the episodes.” Daniel Kurland, Den of Geek!
“The main reason to tune in to this cheerfully goofy show is to see typically excellent performances from leads John C. McGinley and Janet Varney, who work well together … The only recurring annoyance is that the title character’s constant litany of complaints contain a lot of lazy sexist jokes, which the show seems to think are funnier and more original than they are.” Maureen Ryan, Variety
“The effects for the witches (who love popping up for jump scares) are familiarly latex-looking or CGI cheap, an economic necessity that’s either endearingly part of the joke or tossed-off, depending … Still, the cast is game, and, if you’re looking for a knockoff Bruce Campbell this Halloween season, you could do a lot worse than John C. McGinley.” Dennis Perkins, A.V. Club
“ …it’s a sort of Mayberry RFD strained through Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with as many bad words as basic cable will allow. There is a bit of a through line, a low-lying arc; but it’s basically episodic television, each week giving its heroes a new sort of spook to understand and dispatch … Stan is busy enough and its players … appealing enough to keep you interested if not really invested.” Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
“Stan’s nothing more than an insufferably sexist and homophobic throwback, willing to risk everyone’s life in order to prove that Starsky and Hutch were secretly gay. At best, Stan Against Evil could be described as a campy mash-up, some sort of would-be Wet Hot American Horror Story, but Gould’s no Lloyd Kaufman, and his series will be lucky if it runs longer than the buffoonish cartoon of a series it most echoes, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo.” Aaron Riccio, Slant magazine
