10 Best Vampire Shows of All Time, Ranked (original) (raw)
Published Oct 24, 2024, 9:37 PM EDT
Hannah R. Wing is a freelance writer. Hannah has over eight years of experience as a theatre critic for BroadwayWorld.com. When she isn't reviewing plays or musicals, she is diving into the world of TV and movies for Collider. Her portfolio can be found at wingwrites.com.
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Ever since the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and John Polidori's The Vampyre, the vampire has been a staple of the horror genre. The vampires of the 1800s morphed into what we know as vampires today, thanks to the influence of popular vampire TV shows, such as Dark Shadows. Arguably, Interview with the Vampireled to the 90s cultural obsession with vampires, and later on, a resurgence in the 2000s happened due to Twilight and, of course, True Blood. Now, vampires are very seductive mythical creatures who walk among the living (with day jobs) and feast on their blood at night (or even sometimes during the day).
The rise of the vampire in pop culture has created space for TV shows that range from very cheesy to experimental approaches to nightwalkers. The best vampire TV shows put their characters in interesting, sometimes action-packed situations, embrace new perspectives on what it means to be a vampire, and feature complex characters, whether they are vampires or not.
10 'The Vampire Diaries' (2009-2017)
Developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Stefan (Paul Wesley), Bonnie (Kat Graham), and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) standing around a fire in Season 2 of The Vampire Diaries
Image via The CW
Before The Vampire Diaries became a beloved TV show on the CW, it started out as a young adult book series written by L.J. Smith. The Vampire Diaries ran for eight seasons, and stars Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert, Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore, and Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore. In The Vampire Diaries, vampire brothers Damon and Stefan return to their hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia, and meet Elena, a high school student who is struggling with grief after the death of her parents. One of the most iconic love triangles in television forms between Elena, Damon, and Stefan, and the brothers must fight to protect her from supernatural threats.
The Vampire Diaries is often compared to Twilight. However, these two franchises are extremely different. The Vampire Diaries avoids the cheesy vampire clichés and builds a supernatural horror story filled with complex characters, with very interesting and spooky backstories. The Salvatore brothers are the most iconic vampire brothers to grace television screens. Yes, there is high-school drama, but that isn't the show's main focus. The town of Mystic Falls itself becomes a character itself as it is the hometown of Stefan and Damon, the main vampire characters of The Vampire Diaries.
Release Date
September 10, 2009
Seasons
8
9 'Being Human' (2008-2013)
Created by Toby Whithouse
Mitchell, George, and Annie stand in their apartment's living room.
Image via BBC
Being Human is a supernatural TV series by the BBC, which ran for five seasons. This BAFTA award-winning show is about Annie Sawyer (Lenora Crichlow), a ghost, Mitchell (Aidan Turner), a vampire, and George Sands (Russell Tovey), a werewolf, who all live in the same house together. They desire to live normal lives among humans, and each struggles with their own challenges as they navigate their lives as supernatural beings.
While the BBC's Being Human features other supernatural characters who aren't vampires, it does a great job of exploring the complexities of living as a vampire among humans. Being Human isn't a lighthearted show; it is dark, sharp, and witty, which comes beautifully through in the show's script and character development. Mitchell's character isn't a blood-sucking mystical creature; he is trying to disavow the traditional ways that a vampire is supposed to live, which is a refreshing take on the classic vampire story. It's fun to see Mitchell interact with Annie and George, and watch their friendship grow over the seasons.
Release Date
January 17, 2011
Creator(s)
Jeremy Carver, Anna Fricke
Seasons
4
Main Genre
8 'Salem's Lot' (1979)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Ronnie Scribner as Ralphie floating toward Danny in 1979 Salem's Lot
Image via CBS
Before the horror of The Salem's Lot (2024), there was the original, and very scary, Salem's Lot, a miniseries written by Paul Monash for CBS. Salem's Lot, based on the book by Stephen King, takes place in the small town of Salem's Lot, Maine. Ben Mears (David Soul), a writer, returns to his hometown to write about the Marsten House, a haunted house. The arrival of a mysterious crate at the Marsten House sets off a chain of mysterious and tragic events as the townspeople start to disappear. The series also stars Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, James Mason as Richard K. Straker, and Lance Kerwin as Mark Petrie.
Director Tobe Hooper, known for his horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, creates one of the best TV versions of a Stephen King novel. Under his direction, Salem's Lot embraces the Nosferatu version of vampires. These vampires aren't the romantic type. Instead, Salem's Lot features one of the most horrifying vampires in storytelling, Kurt Barlow, played by the talented Reggie Nalder, whose blue skin and long fangs are the stuff of nightmares. Fans of Stephen King and anyone who enjoys good old-fashioned scary vampires will love the whole aesthetic of this TV miniseries.
Release Date
November 17, 1979
Runtime
200 Minutes
Director
Main Genre
7 'True Blood' (2008-2014)
Created by Alan Ball
True Blood is one of the best vampire TV shows from the late aughts. The show stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who lives in a small town in Louisiana. Sookie isn't a normal human; she is telepathic. She falls in love with Bill Crompton (Stephen Moyer), who just happens to be a vampire. Soon, Sookie becomes engrossed in the supernatural world and a target for vampires. The series also stars Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse, Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds, and Carrie Preston as Arlene Fowler.
True Blood goes full-on into the blood and gore and amplifies the sexiness of the vampire world. The vampires in True Blood have quite the personalities, especially Bill Crompton, who gives off a Southern gentleman vibe. Each episode is pretty action-packed and full of bloody vampire drama. There are lots of epic brawls between vampires and other supernatural beings, and no shortage of powerful adversaries for Sookie and Bill to face. Best of all, True Blood gives both its human and vampire characters room to explore their sexual freedom.
Release Date
September 7, 2008
Creator
Alan Ball
Seasons
7
6 'The Strain' (2014-2017)
Created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
A young man and vampire look up at something in the distance; from The Strain's finale
Image via FX
Based on the novel by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, The Strain is a creative twist on the human-vampire relationship. vampirism becomes a virus. The vampire hunter becomes an epidemiologist named Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, played by Corey Stoll, who assembles a team of scientists, including Dr. Nora Martinez (Mía Maestro), and citizens to try to tame the strain of vampirism which is spreading rapidly around the world under the influence of an ancient vampire known as The Master.
The Strain is a very entertaining watch, as it blends elements of a high-stakes thriller with brilliantly done horror elements. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan are a dream team as they create a dark world in which their characters struggle against a horrific force in the form of this vampire virus. Everything from the acting to the CGI is well done. Fans of The Strain book will love how the TV series brings the vampires to life, especially The Master, who is one of the most frightening vampires in the series. Watch on Hulu
5 'Castlevania' (2017-2021)
Created by Warren Ellis
Dracula and Lisa, voiced by Graham McTavish and Emily Swallow, hold hands and stare into each other's eyes in Castlevania
Image via Netflix
Castlevania stands out as the best anime about vampires. Vlad Dracula Țepeș (voiced by Graham McTavish) falls in love with a human named Lisa Țepeș (voiced by Emily Swallow). However, their love is shattered when Lisa is falsely accused of witchcraft and put to death. Dracula seeks revenge and raises an army to destroy the town of Wallachia. But, he is unaware that a descendant of monster hunters, Trevor Belmont (voiced by Richard Armitage), is determined to stop Dracula and his army.
Fans praise Netflix's Castlevania as a great television adaptation of the video game. The animators took the game's best elements and translated them well to the TV screen. The animation is gorgeous and very detailed. What makes Castlevania one of the best vampire TV shows is its fight scenes, especially Alucard vs. Dracula, and the Trio vs. The Vampire Lords.
Release Date
July 7, 2017
Seasons
4
4 'What We Do in the Shadows' (2019-)
Created by Jemaine Clement
Kayvan Novak in What We Do in the Shadows Season 6 photoshoot
Image via FX
What We Do in the Shadows is a humorous take on the vampire genre. The series is shot in a mockumentary style like The Office and Abbott Elementary. Laslo (Matt Berry), Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robertson (Mark Proksch) are vampires who live together with Nandor's human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), who is a descendant of a famous vampire hunter. The vampires often find themselves in laugh-out-loud situations as they navigate modern society together.
What We Do in the Shadows has a great cast of actors who all shine with comedic brilliance. The jokes are hilarious, and each episode is a fun, zany glimpse into the world of vampires who are just trying to live their best lives. Kudos to the all-star writing team for finding the humor in the often horrifying and bloody world of vampires.
Release Date
March 27, 2019
Directors
Kyle Newacheck, Jason Woliner, Jackie van Beek
Seasons
6
3 'Dark Shadows' (1966-1971)
Created by Dan Curtis
Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) standing in front of Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) in a cobweb-covered room, with Maggie wearing a wedding dress and veil, in Dark Shadows
Image via ABC
Dark Shadows is a vampire TV series about the Collins, a rich family living in Collinsport, Maine, their governess, Victoria Winters, played by Alexandra Isles, and the strange occurrences of the paranormal kind around the family. Things begin to get even stranger when Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), who happens to be a vampire, turns up in town to reunite with the Collins family.
Dark Shadows has become a cult classic due to its gothic twist on the soap opera genre. The show starts slowly, and eventually, more and more paranormal activities are introduced into the plot. While the supernatural circumstances surrounding the Collins family are interesting, Barnabas stands out as one of the most fascinating characters on the show. He is one of the most beloved characters on the show by fans due to his charismatic charm and brooding nature. Frid's portrayal of Barnabas is praised by Dark Shadows fans, and is known for boosting the perception of the modern vampire.
Release Date
June 27, 1966
Creator(s)
Dan Curtis
Seasons
6
2 'Interview with the Vampire' (2022-)
Created by Rolin Jones
Louis and Le Stat take a walk around town at night.
Image via AMC+
Interview with the Vampire is Anne Rice's most famous novel, which was turned into a 1994 movie starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst.Now, Interview with the Vampire has been rebooted into a TV series, which surpassed many Anne Rice fan's expectations. Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), a journalist, interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), a vampire, about his life. The interview takes place in 2022, while the rest of the story takes place during different time periods in Louis' life. The series also stars Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, Delainey Hayles as Claudia, and Assad Zaman as Armand.
Interview with the Vampire is one of the best TV shows about vampires and is a thrilling adaptation of Anne Rice's novel. It goes beyond the movie in many ways, especially with the character development. The TV series creates a more romantic storyline between Louis and Lestat. Fans cannot help but want to root for Louis and Lestat due to Reid and Anderson's electric chemistry.
Release Date
October 2, 2022
Seasons
2
1 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997-2003)
Created by Joss Whedon
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) stabs a monster in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' Buffy the Vampire Slayer - School Hard - 1997
Image via The WB
The best vampire TV show of all time is one which is known by just one name: Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered in 1997, and it is based on the movie by Joss Whedon. The show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a young woman who finds out that she is destined to be the Slayer. Slayers are chosen people who are skilled at killing demons and vampires. As Buffy deals with her destiny, she also must get through her own challenges as a teenager growing up in Sunnydale.
Buffy is a strong and complex female character, which makes her stand out from how women are typically depicted in the horror genre. She has flaws and isn't afraid to back down from a fight. Besides the character of Buffy, what also makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer a great watch is the vampires within the Buffyverse. There is a ton of vampire lore within Buffy, from how vampire society works to their powers and abilities.
Release Date
March 10, 1997
Seasons
7