Back in 2007, the SyFy channel (which was then known as The Sci-Fi Channel) introduced viewers to The Dresden Files. While readers of the books were obviously quite familiar with the series, the TV program allowed an entirely new audience to meet the private detective who also happened to be a wizard.
At the time, the titular character of Harry Dresden was played by Paul Blackthorne, who fans of The CW will recognize as Quentin Lance (another detective of course) of the Arrowverse. And if you watched The Dresden Files when it aired, you might agree with me that he was truly a star.
Although the series only got one season on the SyFy network, it still made an impression for a lot of of us. It was an entertaining, fantasy meets police procedural style series.
It was definitely a grittier type of show and it was also one that I think needed more time to really build its audience. Which it clearly did not get.
Obviously, it has been 18 years since the series originally aired. But I believe that now is the time when we could see this series revived.
Do we need a reboot of The Dresden Files with Paul Blackthorne?
Not only has it been a long enough for more books to be released and an entirely new audience to find this character, but I also think that now is when people are looking for something with a more fantasy spin. Plus, with more books comes more ways to change up the way that the story begins and what tales there are to tell.
And I am not going to lie, but I would love to see Paul Blackthorne back as Harry Dresden. I think he did such a good job the first time around, that I would love to see him as an aged, darker, more intense version of the character that he already played.
Whether or not he would actually want to do that is an entirely different story. But I just believe that if we were ever to get a reboot of The Dresden Files, it would have to star Blackthorne. He is just such a good actor, and he has built his own following over the years. Plus, he has shown us over and over again that he has the acting chops to be a very engaging and believable detective on screen. So if you throw in the magic of being a wizard, I think we have television gold.
When The Dresden Files first came out, I just don’t think it was the right time for it. Then again, it is entirely possible that even now it would struggle to find its audience. However, I think it still deserves a chance to come back from the Sci-Fi channel graveyard.
I don’t think 12 episodes was nearly enough time for people to fall in love with this world, these characters, and Harry Dresden himself. But of course, we want to know what you think. Join us over on our social media channels and let me know what you think. Would you want to see a reboot of The Dresden Files and do you think Paul Blackthorne would be the person we need to fill the role of Dresden?