Line #10 Series/TheCrowStairwayToHeaven


1	[[quoteright:317:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crow_banner_1632.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:317:Yup, Eric is played by the future Chairman of Iron Chef America.]]
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4	''The Crow'' is a television adaptation of ''Film/TheCrow1994'', itself the film adaptation of the [[ComicBook/TheCrow original comic]]. Produced by Bryce Zabel and starring Creator/MarkDacascos, the series ran for a single 22-episode season in 1998-99.
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6	The series follows Eric Draven, a murdered man who has [[RiseFromYourGrave risen from the grave]] to get vengeance on the murderers of both him and his fiance Shelly. When Eric is enraged or under stress, his super-powered Crow personality comes out, giving him the ability to fight evil.
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8	Unlike the source material, Eric's Crow personality is confined to an alter-ego, and he's otherwise able to function more or less normally. The series also prolongs the timeline, with Eric engaging in multiple plot lines while under the gun to "put right what was wrong" before Shelly is forced to move on in the afterlife, preventing him from ever reuniting with her. Of course, the series is also LighterAndSofter to make it acceptable for broadcast television at the time, with most of the shocking violence and drug references removed.
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10	The series garnered decent ratings but was canceled when Creator/{{Universal}} bought out its production company Creator/PolygramFilmedEntertainment. The whole series was released on VHS, DVD, [[http://www.hulu.com/the-crow-stairway-to-heaven Hulu]], and Netflix.
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13	!!This series contains examples of the following tropes:
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15	* ActionGirl: Hannah Foster, the first female avenger to be reborn through the crow in the franchise.
16	* ADayInTheLimelight: "Disclosure" for Eric's friend Shea, and "Dead To Rights" for Albrecht's boss Lieutenant Vincennes.
17	* AlcoholicParent: Darla to Sarah. In the comic and film she was a drug addict, but this was softened for television.
18	* BackFromTheDead: Eric, of course, at the start of the first episode. There are a few other examples throughout the series, including Talon in "Birds of a Feather" [[spoiler:and possibly Shelly at the end of the final episode]].
19	* BigBad: Top Dollar. [[spoiler:Even after being killed by Eric.]]
20	* BloodKnight: Hannah Foster, aka Talon (the second Crow in the series).
21	* {{Bouncer}}: Funnily enough, Eric starts working as one at the Black Out club where his band used to play (and still plays).
22	* ByTheBookCop: Lt. David Vincennes.
23	* CommissionerGordon: Albrecht, even more so than in the movie due to being a detective rather than a beat cop.
24	* CoolBike: Eric owns one.
25	* DaChief: Lt. Vincennes.
26	* DeadpanSnarker: The Skull Cowboy. And Eric's Crow half.
27	* DontMakeMeDestroyYou: Eric.
28	* EtherealWhiteDress: Shelly's primary costume for the series is the commitment ceremony dress she was wearing when she and Eric were killed.
29	* EvilCounterpart: If a Crow murders the person(s) who killed him/her, that person will return as a supernatural being called a "Snake".
30	** A Crow can become a Snake if they kill an innocent.
31	* GenreSavvy: Albrecht. He immediately realizes that Sarah is hiding something when she immediately agrees to go to school.
32	* HeelFaceTurn: Funboy, eventually becoming TheAtoner.
33	* ImmortalityImmorality: What the Lazarus group is involved with.
34	* ItsAWonderfulPlot: The episode "It's a Wonderful Death".
35	* LighterAndSofter: In comparison to the Brandon Lee movie, which was in turn lighter and softer than the original comic (yes, really).
36	* MagicMusic: In one episode.
37	* MindRape: Eric does this to Top Dollar in lieu of killing him in the first episode.
38	* MythologyGag: The way Eric and Shelly die at the end of Eric's third chance in "It's a Wonderful Death" is similar to how they died in the original comic, with the pair being forced out of their vehicle by the gang, who shoot Eric in the head before gang raping and killing Shelly.
39	* {{Reincarnation}}: In one episode, Eric undergoes hypnotic regression, which reveals that he and Shelly were StarcrossedLovers in a past life in the 1800s. In this lifetime, Eric was a Native American brave named Black Feather, while Shelly was a preacher's daughter. Interestingly, Black Festher ''also'' sufferered an untimely death and was resurrected by The Crow.
40	* SuperpoweredAlterEgo: The Crow persona is this for Eric.
41	* SuperpoweredEvilSide: In the series finale, [[spoiler:the Crow becomes this for Eric.]]
42	* TricksterMentor: The Skull Cowboy is this to Eric.
43	* VigilanteMan: Eric.
44	* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: Eric.
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Context Series / TheCrowStairwayToHeaven