Poltergeist: The Legacy

"Derek Rayne: (asking about Nick's reason for joining the Legacy) All I want to know is why. Nick Boyle: Because I believe in what we're doing. Derek Rayne: Why? Nick: Because it's right! Because we're fighting evil, because we're making the world a better place, because I haven't got anything else to do!"

- "The Man in the Mist"

Poltergeist: The Legacy is a series from Canada and the United States which ran from 1996 to 1999, and had four seasons (three on Showtime, the last on Syfy). This Horror-themed show had little to do with the movies; rather, the plot followed a group called the Legacy which filled the role of humans who have seen through The Masquerade and choose to quietly deal with a partly Unmasqued World.

The series featured interesting plot-lines, well-defined characters, a score of frequently overdramatic strings, and talented actors who appeared to have been directed rather strongly over the top at times. In the more natural scenes, they show their talent quite well, but when something supernatural occurs, the scenes start getting pushed into the area of Melodrama. This tendency could be said to cause the show to ebb and flow between good and So Bad It's Good.

Each episode concluded with a brief personal inner monologue from the character featured in the episode. The show almost definitely qualifies as a Cult Classic.


 * Badass Normal: Former Navy SEAL Nick Boyle is one guy that you would not want to mess with. He's like a male Murphy (from The Dresden Files) with Dresden's downright insane defiance of authority.
 * Badass Bookworm: Derek Rayne would be right at home with Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; he is considered by some to be a silver fox, good with the book-research, experienced at fighting the darkness, and a European who watches over the group in a slightly fatherly capacity.
 * Black and Nerdy: Alexandra Moreau, the Creole computer expert who speaks French and has a head for research, is the rare female example of this trope, and she is definitely portrayed in a positive light.
 * Boarding School of Horrors: Season 1's "The Substitute."
 * Celibate Hero: Father Philip Callaghan is a tormented priest, torn between the Legacy and his parish, and torn between the aforementioned celibacy and the fact that (in this troper's opinion) he is just too darned handsome to avoid women trying to get a glimpse of what's under his robes. *cough Fetish Fuel cough*
 * Demon Slaying
 * Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Nick and Derek did this a lot.
 * Eiffel Tower Effect
 * Fantasy Kitchen Sink: And how. Name a supernatural theme and it's likely there was an episode about it.
 * Haunted Heroine: Rachel fits this pretty well. She is a single Mama Bear who stumbles onto the supernatural completely unaware.
 * In Name Only: Has nothing to do with the movies.
 * Our Ghosts Are Different: And usually murderous.
 * Paranormal Investigation: The purpose of the Luna Foundation a.k.a. the Legacy.
 * Psychic Powers: Derek and Alex. See below.
 * Sexy Priest: Phillip
 * Spider Sense: Both Derek and Alex have slight and uncontrolled psychic abilities -- small, odd snatches of visions and dreams.