Showtime's Penny Dreadful had its first season finale last month, receiving praise from critics and audiences alike. While the show possesses a variety of striking qualities, many have noted it as Josh Hartnett's (Pearl Harbor, 30 Days of Night) return to the spotlight after nearly a decade of keeping a low profile.

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The actor has done a number of independent films over the last few years, but mostly he's spent his time living quietly in his home-state of Minnesota. Penny Dreadful marked his first appearance on a television series since he was 18, and the 35-year-old actor claimed in a recent interview with Sky News (featured below) that the landscape of television has changed.

"The reason that I wanted to do this wasn't about the format...it was about the people involved...For me it's all about the collaborators..." explained Hartnett.

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"These days you go back and forth between TV and film very easily," added the actor, "Much more easily than it was... back when I did it."

The hype for television has also escalated since Hartnett's early years. He admitted that Penny Dreadful received more advertising for the first season than any film he'd done since Black Hawk Down in 2001.

So what's in store for season two of the series? Hartnett wouldn't say, though it might not be as shocking as some audiences expect. "The gore I think is a good way to get audiences involved in the beginning," he said, "But really... it's not about the gore... it's about the characters and how they grow and how they interact."

Could Penny Dreadful be toning things down for season two? Perhaps. Hartnett wouldn't say.

When asked about the popular "Bond" connection on the set of the Showtime series, which includes a James Bond writer, director, and three actors, the actor agreed that that element was certainly there.

"There are a lot of bond connections..." admitted the star, adding jokingly, "I thought that maybe they were grooming me to be the first American bond, but I doubt that's going to be the case".

Penny Dreadful returns for a second season on Showtime in 2015.

Tags: Penny Dreadful showtime television