Honestly, if you mention a "Beauty and the Beast show" to a group of people, you’re going to get three very different reactions depending on how old they are. Some people immediately think of the 1980s cult classic with the big hair and the underground tunnels. Others picture the CW’s procedural drama from 2012 that felt more like a spy thriller than a fairy tale. Then you have the musical theater nerds who are still humming "Be Our Guest" from the 30th Anniversary special on ABC.
It’s a weirdly durable story.
Most TV shows die after a season or two and vanish from the cultural memory, but this specific dynamic—the "monster" with a heart of gold and the woman who sees past the fur—keeps coming back. Why? Because it’s not really about a beast. It’s about the fear of being unlovable and the high-stakes drama of hiding who you really are.
The 1987 Original: When Ron Perlman Lived in a Sewer
We have to start with the 1987 version created by Ron Koslow. It was bizarre. It was poetic. It was basically a romance novel come to life on CBS, which, at the time, was a very bold move for a network known for "Murder, She Wrote."
Ron Perlman played Vincent. He didn’t just wear a mask; he underwent hours of prosthetic application to become a lion-faced man living in a secret society beneath the streets of New York City. Linda Hamilton played Catherine, an assistant district attorney. Instead of a castle in the woods, the "Beast" lived in a literal steam-filled basement.
George R.R. Martin—yes, the Game of Thrones guy—was a writer and producer on this show. You can actually see his fingerprints all over it. The world-building was dense. The stakes felt real. It wasn't just a romance; it was a gritty urban fantasy.
The chemistry between Perlman and Hamilton was the whole engine. When Hamilton left the show in Season 3, it basically fell apart. Fans were devastated. You can’t just replace the "Beauty" in a show titled Beauty and the Beast and expect everyone to stay tuned. It was a lesson in how much the audience invests in the specific pairing rather than just the concept.
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The CW Reboot: Scars, Supersoldiers, and Procedural Grime
Fast forward to 2012. The CW decided they wanted a piece of the fairy tale pie, but they did something very "2010s" to it. They turned the Beauty and the Beast show into a police procedural with a sci-fi twist.
Kristin Kreuk, fresh off Smallville, played Cat Chandler. Jay Ryan played Vincent Keller. But here’s the kicker: Vincent wasn't a lion-man. He was a former soldier who had been experimented on by a shadowy government organization called Muirfield. When he got angry or his adrenaline spiked, he turned into a "beast," which mostly just meant he got some veins on his face and became incredibly violent.
Purists hated it. They really did.
They felt it stripped away the magic of the original. However, a very dedicated fanbase called "Beasties" kept that show alive for four seasons. It survived on the strength of social media engagement and international sales, even when the domestic ratings were, frankly, struggling. It proved that the brand name alone carries weight, even if you replace the magic with government conspiracies and DNA splicing.
Why the 30th Anniversary Special Was Different
In late 2022, ABC aired Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. This wasn't a scripted series, but it’s a crucial part of the show's TV legacy. It featured H.E.R. as Belle and Josh Groban as the Beast.
What made this interesting was the "live-to-film" format. It mixed the original 1991 animated movie with live musical performances. It was a massive production. Shania Twain played Mrs. Potts. Martin Short was Lumiere. It was a neon-soaked, high-budget tribute that reminded everyone why this story works: the songs.
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But even with all that star power, the critics were split. Some felt the blending of animation and live-action was jarring. Others loved the diversity in casting and the modern arrangements of Alan Menken’s classic score. It showed that Disney is still trying to figure out how to keep this specific IP fresh without just remaking the same movie over and over.
The "Monster" Trope That Won’t Die
There’s a reason we keep seeing variations of this. Shows like Grimm, Once Upon a Time, and even The Witcher lean heavily on the "Beauty and the Beast" archetype.
Psychologically, it’s a powerhouse.
We love the idea of "taming" something dangerous. We love the idea that someone could love us despite our literal or metaphorical scars. When a Beauty and the Beast show succeeds, it’s usually because it leans into the yearning. When it fails, it’s usually because it focuses too much on the "procedural" elements—the crime-solving or the conspiracy—and forgets that the audience is there for the soul-deep connection between two outsiders.
Real-world impact of these shows:
- The 1987 series pioneered the "fandom" culture we see today. Fans wrote letters (actual paper letters!) to save the show, a precursor to the hashtag campaigns of the modern era.
- The 2012 series was one of the first to prove that "social media buzz" could keep a low-rated show on the air for years.
- The Disney specials have become the gold standard for "event television" in an era where everyone is usually just streaming on Netflix.
Common Misconceptions About the TV Versions
People often think the 1987 show was for kids. It absolutely wasn't. It was dark, often violent, and incredibly melancholic. It dealt with social isolation and the "world above" vs. the "world below" in a way that was quite political for its time.
Another misconception is that the CW version was a direct remake. It really wasn't. Aside from the names "Vincent" and "Catherine," the two shows have almost nothing in common. One is a poetic romance; the other is a "freak of the week" action show.
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How to Watch Them Today
If you’re looking to dive back into these, it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt.
The 1987 series is often found on DVD sets or occasionally on niche streaming services like Paramount+ or Pluto TV depending on licensing deals. The CW version is a staple on various streaming platforms because it’s a CBS Studios/Warner Bros. co-production, making it easy to find on platforms like Netflix or the CW's own app.
The 30th Anniversary special is usually tucked away on Disney+, alongside the animated original and the 2017 live-action film.
Actionable Steps for the True Fan
If you're obsessed with the Beauty and the Beast show history, don't just stop at the TV screen.
- Check out the original 1740 fairy tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. It is much longer, much weirder, and involves a lot of dream sequences and fairy politics that never make it into the shows.
- Look for the George R.R. Martin scripts. If you can find the published scripts or behind-the-scenes books for the 1987 series, read them. You’ll see exactly how the man who wrote A Song of Ice and Fire handled a "beast" character decades before he wrote Tyrion Lannister or The Hound.
- Track the "Beast" makeup evolution. Study the work of Rick Baker (who did the 1987 makeup). It’s a masterclass in how to allow an actor’s eyes and mouth to communicate through thick layers of foam latex—a skill that is largely being lost to CGI today.
The story isn't going anywhere. We are probably only a few years away from another "dark and gritty" reimagining. Whether it’s in a sewer, a police station, or a magical castle, the core stays the same. We want to see if the Beast gets his humanity back, or if the Beauty decides she likes the monster better anyway.