Madeleine Stowe in Dolce&Gabbana in Revenge Season One

Madeleine Stowe in Dolce&Gabbana in Revenge Season One

Mike Kelly must be feeling pretty damn good at the moment. Who is he? He’s the guy who created Swingtown, One Tree Hill and, more recently, Revenge. He’s also worked on The O.C. and Providence, proving himself to have a knack with shows that involve the beautiful people, a plot full of twist and turns and a storyline that’ll have everyone gossiping. It is Revenge that has put the writer under the spotlight again, a series that is a contemporary re-imagining of Alexandre Dumas’ ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ but mixing things up a little and doing it from a female perspective. ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ is a regarded as a literary classic and deals with the themes of vengeance, mercy, justice and forgiveness. It follows the actions of Edmond Dantes as he get revenge on those who wrongfully imprisoned him, leading to consequences that don’t always pan out as he would have hoped. Fast-forward to 2012 and we have Revenge.

They say, ‘Revenge is Sweet’, and that certainly seems to be the case when it comes to ABC’s hit TV show. It’s ratings have been hard to beat, the show’s avid viewers have been growing over night and it’s topped the charts of numerous sites dedicated to popular culture and television. It seems that we just can’t get enough of the Mike Kelly’s reincarnation of Dumas’ novel, watching Emily Thorne discover that she is actually Amanda Clarke and track those down who wronged her and her father, who was convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit and sent to prison for life. Cue the violins. As with the original novel, the television adaptation has twists in it that pull at the heartstrings as the more she uncovers, the more her emotions get involved. The actress Emily VanCamp, who has the leading role, might strike you as very familiar, having played an integral role in ABC’s ‘Brothers & Sisters’. But it is with Revenge that the 26-year old is quickly becoming a household name and sparked rumours of an Emmy being in the pipeline. How rather very exciting! She says, ‘"I really wanted the next thing I do to be challenging and take me in a different direction," VanCamp says. "This has certainly been a challenge and it's a much bigger load, so at first it was a little more intimidating. But in so many ways, this is where I want to be."

Emily VanCamp in Dolce&Gabbana

Emily VanCamp in Dolce&Gabbana, leaving the hotel with boyfriend Joshua Bowman

Then there is Madeleine Stowe, a very familiar face whose fame rose with roles in The Last of the Moheicans, 12 Monkeys, The General’s Daughter and We Were Soldiers. Stowe has also been a favourite on the award circuit, having bagged gongs for best actress, and it appears that her role as Victoria Grayson in Revenge is having the same effect as she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a television series drama in 2011. It’s good to see the actress getting the attention that she deserves… if not only for the famous ‘bitch stare’ that her character Victoria pulls off with ease.

Madeleine Stowe in Dolce&Gabbana 

With critics placing the hit TV show next to the likes of Gossip Girl, we could be forgiven for thinking when these ladies were going to start getting printed in the best dressed columns of global gossip magazines. Well, they’ve gone and done it. Both Madeleine and Emily have been seen stepping out flexing their fashion knowhow and have been coming out on top in the style stakes.

With the hotly anticipated return of the show in September 2012, we’re gearing up for another round of the best dressed, not to mention more excitement and tension as the mystery surrounding Emily Thorne’s father and the characters that weave in and out of the plot. But, you’ll have to make do with repeats until then.

Here’s the original trailer.

Catch ABC’s Revenge this coming September.

Written by Ben Taylor