MovieChat Forums > American Gothic (1995) Discussion > “That’s Sheriff Lucas Buck. That’s ‘Buck...

“That’s Sheriff Lucas Buck. That’s ‘Buck,’ with a ‘B.’

posted 8 years ago by R_Kane (15828)
14 replies | jump to latest

Forget the abortion of a show with this title that ran recently. THIS American Gothic was a precursor of American Horror Story and in the same class with The Twilight Zone and Star Trek in terms of both quality and being completely unappreciated by its network (CBS). I often wonder if the creators of Banshee named their series protagonist Lucas in homage to this one. The lead in both shows is a sheriff who is really something else. In this one, he is Evil personified. If you love supernatural TV done seriously, you owe it to yourself to check it out, and I have no fiduciary interest in it at all. I know that Gary Cole, who plays Buck, is known for comic roles (Veep, the two Brady Bunch movies), but he will creep you out, charm you, and, unless you're a straight man (which I am), probably arouse you in this series. Of course, CBS canned it the first season, not even airing all the episodes. I have the boxed DVD set (no Blu-ray set is available), so that's one way you also can savor this delight. Hope to hear from other AG fans!

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[–] NZer (161) 8 years ago

Aha!! Another American Gothic fan! I have the DVD set. This show is so way out and amazing. I agree with every word of your post. The little boy - Lucas Black, is still appearing pretty regularly in films . The thing that always made me smile, was that it was created by Shaun Cassidy ! (yes - that one ! ). Produced by Sam Raimi, who is brilliant. So pleased I've found another fan.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

You might also enjoy a more recent show Cassidy produced, Emerald City. It has (had?) much higher production values but the same darkness as AG. The AG DVD set is a shame. Not only is the DVD transfer mediocre, the episodes are numbered in the wrong order. CBS actually ran the show out of sequence! The DVD set repeats that insult. If you watched AG on TV, you have a treat in store, because you never saw the REAL story! To find the correct episodes sequence, go to Amazon and start reading customer reviews of the DVD set. One of the very first reviews gives you the right order.

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[–] NZer (161) 8 years ago

Thank you. I am going to do that right now. !!

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[–] MinaVladimir (4081) 8 years ago

I remember watching American Gothic when I was a kid, in the 90s. I loved it, but I've forgoten most of it now, sadly. I've been debating with myself whether I should rewatch it now, as an adult.

It's great to see that it's not forgotten.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

Mina, you owe it to yourself to watch it again. You won't regret it 😉

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[–] NotoriousGIB (105) 8 years ago

I've been debating it too. Not decidedyet, I don't want to ruin the memories if I don't enjoy it.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

You won't ruin the memories, I promise you. You'll actually make better memories. You haven't yet seen the whole story, and you haven't seen it in the right sequence.

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[–] kaleidoscope0_0 (483) 8 years ago

I loved this show. I forgot Sarah Paulson was in it.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

First time I watched the DVDs I was shocked that SHE WAS MERLIE! "Someone's at the door!"

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[–] Drmccormack (743) 8 years ago

Wow, I'm so happy to see people talking about this show! It was certainly one of my favorites and I was tremendously disappointed when they cancelled it. I kept hoping it would somehow come back. No such luck. This and Twin Peaks were so different. They really stood out in my mind. I recently watched it again and it really retained its creepiness. As you said, Gary Cole was unbelievable! The entire cast was great.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

There are a lot of topics here all asking the same question: Is Lucas Buck the Devil, or, as I'd prefer to put it, the Satan (adversary)? I think that at least 80 percent of the motive behind this question is, "Why would the Satan spend so much time in Trinity, South Carolina, when he could do so much more harm in, say, Washington, D.C. or Las Vegas or Disneyworld?" First, let me say that I am stone-cold convinced that Lucas IS the Satan, and to answer why he's in a jerkwater town: Just as the Lord is everywhere at the same time, so is the Satan. THAT is one of the Satan's greatest strengths. You don't think he can be right in front of you.That is one of the many reasons why this show was so chilling--because he CAN be, and probably is!

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[–] Drmccormack (743) 8 years ago

I agree with your theory. Lucas was Satan and where better to hide than a small town in the South? Or as you say, God and Satan are everywhere. I still miss this show.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 8 years ago

So do I, Drmccormack. There are some TV shows that are legendary, like this one and The Prisoner, probably also the first two seasons of Dexter, the first three seasons of The Sopranos, the first three seasons of The Twilight Zone and all of Have Gun, Will Travel. Also, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which had that wonderful theme music, The Funeral March of a Marionette.

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[–] Drmccormack (743) 8 years ago

I love the shows you mention, but I haven't seen The Prisoner. Now that Twilight Zone is available on Netflix I can see the number of shows they made in one season. Can you believe it? That must have been an insane schedule and the episodes are excellent. I don't know how they did it. Remarkable, really.

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