Salem (TV series)

Salem is an American supernatural fiction drama television show. It was created by Brannon Braga and Adam Simon. The first episode was made public on April 20, 2014. Salem is WGN America's first scripted series. Janet Montgomery and Shane West are the main actors/actresses of the show. Salem is influenced by the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century.

 Overview 
Salem is a fictional story that is based on the real Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts. The Massachusetts government at the time was dominated by conservative Puritan leaders. Unlike today there was little difference between church and state., The Salem Witch Trials (Minneapolis: Lerner Pub. Co., 1997), p. 21

In 1692 the Puritan colony was affected by young girls "crying out" accusations of devil worship against other members of the congregation. A mix of fear and superstition caused a hysteria among the Puritans that devil-worshiping witches were among them. A mob mentality caused people to torture and execute others women (and a few men) for no reason other than hysteria over the possibility of them being witches. Over 150 people were accused of being witches and placed on trial.

Salem, the WGN America series, reworks this history into a fictional story full of magic, witches as actual beings, and sexy characters. In the TV series the main characters, John Alden (Shane West) and Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), find themselves in love even though the whole town is in a frenzy over witch hunts. The New York Times review called it "perversely entertaining."

 Cast 
Most of the characters are based on the names of real people.

 Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley
 Shane West as Captain John Alden
 Seth Gabel as Cotton Mather
 Tamzin Merchant as Anne Hale
 Ashley Madekwe as Tituba
 Elise Eberle as Mercy Lewis
 Iddo Goldberg as Isaac Walton
 Xander Berkeley as Magistrate Hale
 Oliver Bell as John
 Joe Doyle as Baron Sebastian von Marburg

 Reviews 

Salem scored 49 out of 100, based on 16 critic reviews on Metacritic. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season scored 54%, with an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 based on 26 critic reviews. The show was also nominated for two awards.

 References 

 Other websites 
 Salem on IMDb
 Salem on TV Guide
Category:2010s American drama television series
Category:2010s American thriller television series
Category:2014 American television series debuts
Category:2017 American television series endings
Category:American drama television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:American thriller television series
Category:Television series set in Massachusetts