Tonight Syfy officially launches the new series Deadly Class, which is based on Rick Remender’s hit comic book series of the same name. Set in the 1980s, the series follows Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth, Teen Wolf), who was orphaned as a young boy when his parents were killed by a person with mental issues. He blames Ronald Reagan and his budget cuts for his parents’ untimely death. Marcus was sent to a boys’ home, where the living conditions were horrible. He literally burned the place to the ground when he left, killing dozens of children. Now he lives on the street, eating out of trash cans, and avoiding the cops. One day Marcus is approached by a group of teenagers, who abduct him and bring him to see Master Lin (Benedict Wong, Doctor Strange, Marco Polo). Master Lin tells him about King’s Dominion, a secret school for assassins, founded by his grandfather, where Marcus could learn to harness his hate, and master the deadly arts.

And so Marcus now finds himself in this strange and deadly new world, taking classes like AP Black Arts, Hand To Hand Combat, and Poison Lab. He learns of the various gangs and cliques on campus, and meets some of his fellow students—the mysterious Saya (Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) who has goals of being valedictorian, and is the person Master Lin sent to close the deal with Marcus; the unstable and wild Maria (Maria Gabriela de Faria, Yo Soy Franky), who causes Marcus to be the target of the cartel on his first day of class; skater punk misfit Billy (Liam James, The Way, Way Back, Psych), the son of a corrupt cop; and would-be gangster Willie (Luke Tennie, Vengeance), whose L.A. gang leader mother sent him to the school to toughen him up.

I really enjoyed tonight’s premiere, which sets up this elaborate and interesting world that feels both fresh, but also familiar in some ways—King’s Dominion is like Hogwarts or Brakebills, but for assassins rather than magicians. The episode also introduces viewers to a wide variety of characters, each with a unique background and reason for being at the school. The series has a bit of a darker, more mature tone, as it explores the angst of high school—just at a very usual and more deadly one than most of us attended. The 1980’s setting works well for the series as these students live in a world that isn’t flooded with social media and phone cameras to catch them doing their homework assignments—the first of which involves finding and killing someone who deserves it! Plus there’s a lot of great 80s rock/punk music in the show’s soundtrack. This show looks and feels like a feature film, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes next, and what lies ahead for these characters.

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, I got the chance to speak with some of the cast and creators of the series. Check out my interview videos here.

In tonight’s premiere, “Reagan Youth”, a disillusioned teen finds purpose and fights for survival at an elite academy for the Deadly Arts.

If you want to check out the episode early, for free, you can find it on iTunes, Vudu, and possibly On Demand.

Tonight I’ll also be watching/recording The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, Single Parents, Match Game, The Masked Singer, Schitt’s Creek, MythBusters Jr., and I’m Sorry.

For additional suggestions on what to check out tonight, including All American, Modern Family, and You’re the Worst, check out the If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/16/19 post at TVisMyPacifier.com.