The creators of the show, as far as I understand it, feel like these characters have been devalued over the years because of how they're used in modern culture. The idea of the show is to bring that original fear and intrigue back that the characters were created for back when penny dreadfuls were released in the 19th century as opposed to the cheap, sensationalized fiction they are today.

The pilot was fantastic. It officially airs tonight on Showtime. I'll be watching again, this time in HD