Angel Meets Lucifer In NBC’s 13-Episode Supernatural Thriller That Was Canceled Too Soon

Published Sep 21, 2026, 8:02 PM EDT

Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.

Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses.

They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer.

In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.

Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.

These urban fantasy shows show that this underrated subgenre can be just as memorable as high fantasy series like The Witcher or Shadow & Bone. What’s more, they represent the exciting intersection between fantasy with strong lore and neo-noir detective stories. While these are two of the best examples of this combination, they are not the only ones. They are simply the ones that lasted the longest onscreen.

Based on the Hellblazer comics, Constantine was a fantastic supernatural thriller, akin to Angel or Lucifer, that was canceled after just 13 episodes, despite having the potential to run much longer. This TV show lasted only one season on NBC, but it had a major ripple effect.

NBC’s Constantine Feels Like Angel Crossed With Lucifer

NBC’s Constantine TV show centers on a master occult magician, John Constantine, whose soul is sold to the netherworld. He teams up with Liv, the daughter of his closest friend and a young woman with second sight, the ability to see other worlds and predict supernatural occurrences. She and John team up to find demons and send them back to hell, creating a case-of-the-week format. While it has its own unique story and appeal, Constantine bears many similarities to Angel and Lucifer, two supernatural investigation TV shows with similar visual and narrative styles.

The three television shows exist within developed worlds filled with deep lore. The main characters in Constantine, Angel, and Lucifer are all morally gray and use manipulation and questionable tactics to get what they want. All three characters could be described as hard-boiled detectives, a traditional archetype in the neo-noir genre that the shows draw inspiration from. Except they have a supernatural twist rather than normal human mysteries. Constantine and Angel are both broody, Constantine and Lucifer are snarkier, and all three have a cynical view of the world. All three men grapple with the idea of redemption.

Constantine Was Canceled Far Too Soon

Though the character was previously played by Keanu Reeves in the 2005 movie, Matt Ryan is widely considered the definitive version of John Constantine, becoming virtually synonymous with the DC Vertigo character. Although the story didn't always match the source material perfectly, Matt Ryan embodied Constantine in his looks, costume, mannerisms, and personality. As such, NBC's cancellation of the TV show was disappointing. The story improved by the end of Constantine season 1, and it had huge potential to thrive if given a second season.

Luckily, the character was mostly saved when Matt Ryan's character was absorbed into the Arrowverse. They kept almost all the lore as canon. The key aspects of John Constantine stayed the same, though. He fit perfectly in Legends of Tomorrow. The Arrowverse wrapped up some of the biggest cliffhangers. What's more, they were able to use one of the key parts of Constantine's character, his aggressive lung cancer from smoking, in Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits.

The downside is they had to polish him visually a bit to fit with the rest of the Arrowverse aesthetics. The trench coat is a little cleaner and less worn-in, and his hair is a little lighter blonde, though these are very slight changes. He uses magic more freely, though that eventually comes back around to bite Constantine in the butt. John Constantine’s loner status drastically changes when forced into a group dynamic. However, they made the right choice. If NBC wouldn’t keep Constantine going, Legends of Tomorrow was the next best option.