We know that television’s most popular monsters were created by shows likeBuffy the Vampire SlayerandThe Vampire Diaries. Their romanticized imagery of danger captivated the audience, making immortality look like a piece of cake. But for decades now, there have been TV shows that explore the seductive and terrific metaphorical potential of the undead creatures. As the medium advanced and budgets and writing grew more pronounced and decent, television became an arena for tales of vampires navigating their odd lives.
Now that we are in television’s golden age, these shows have become more creative and entertaining than ever. Through sprawling narratives and a batch of fresh and compelling characters, these shows satiate our deeper fascination withsupernatural predators. In their human form, on television, they do not have fangs for teeth, they don’t wear pointy cloaks. But they still manage to bewitch us. In this list, we will take a look at shows that raised the bar for quality genre storytelling, season after season.
20Dark Shadows (1966 – 1971)
One of the oldest pioneers of vampire television,Dark Shadowsbroke new ground by introducing the mainstream audience to supernatural elements like werewolves, parallel universe, warlocks, zombies, and even time travel. Its premise wasn’t glorious, but the complex characters and exploration of social issues was enough to make it popular during the ‘60s. The story begins with Barnabas Collins being released from imprisonment after 200 years and returning to his town to wreak absolute havoc on people.
As vicious as he seemed, our hero was nothing more than a tragic man cursed to prey on his loved ones under the Moon’s spell. At four seasons. This outstanding TV show, with more than 1500 half-hour episodes, featured an uncanny blend of Gothic soap opera paired with piercing social commentary. Actor Jonathan Fred played Barnabas with tenderness and fairness at the same time, setting up a template for many future television shows.
19The Originals (2013 – 2018)
A spin-off of the wildly popularThe Vampire Diaries, this five-season long series focused on Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, and his doomed family of power-crazed vampires. InThe Originals, the Mikaelsons move back to their hometown, New Orleans, to form an alliance with the witches that currently occupy the place, and hope to live in harmony with their coven.
Related:The Originals: 10 Times The Mikaelsons Were a Normal Family
Filled with mythos and family drama and captivating backstories, the show steers into incredible direction and immerses you in the deeply complex lives of its characters. Joseph Morgan had already stunned fans in the predecessor, so watching the anti-heroembrace the fierce bonds with his immortal siblingsis nothing short of a delight. Flashbacks to their beginnings as Klaus’ prey really bring nuance and depth.
18The Strain (2014 – 2017)
Created by Guillermo del Toroand Chuck Hogan,The Strainpresents a chilling quasi-medical vision of a virus outbreak that is threatening humanity’s total collapse. Turns out the plague in New York City is caused by an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. Playing out as an apocalyptic thriller, the series is FX’s 2014 foray into original, gory vampire drama.
Corey Stoll leads the show brilliantly by playing Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the good guy working hard to get to the bottom of the disease, racing against time to understand just how this ancient scourge related to vampires had evolved to wage a war in the modern world. With four intense seasons, fans are drawn in the world of the dead and the undead by the series’ incredible use of horror, cliffhangers, and nail-biting moments.
17Forever Knight (1992 – 1996)
An immensely exhilarating series that features intricate characters and enough plot twists to get you binge-ing,Forever Knightpremiered at a time when the big screen scenario was dominated by zombie horrors, low-budget vampire flicks, and creature stories. The show follows Nick Knight, a 800-year-old vampire who has killed countless people but is now seeking redemption so he works as a homicide detective in modern-day Toronto.
Wrestling his bloodlust and hiding his true identity with all colleagues but one – medical examiner Natalie Lambert – Nick deals with harrowing cases in the city that never sleeps. His powers, like enhanced senses and mind control, also help enforce justice and eradicate crime. But when fellow vampires and beings from the past arrive in his scene, Nick faces new difficulties. Geraint Wyn Davies’ tortured vampire keeps the audiences satiated for three whole seasons.
16Preacher (2016 – 2019)
Originally aired on AMC, this unconventional, over-the-top Western vampire drama is adapted from a comic book franchise created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon in the 1990s. Jesse Custer is harmless as a one-time outlaw. Plus, his only plan in life is to take over his deceased father’s church. But when he’s possessed by a mysterious entity, Jesse unleashes a hidden fury and unpredictable flair. Paired with a volatile Irish vampire, Cassidy, his actions of cosmic villainy bring violence and darkness in West Texas.
Both Dominic Cooper and Joseph Gilgun are incredible as bloodsuckers, but the true attraction of the series is Gilgun’s Cassidy. He brings a Tarantino-esque style, his own brand of humor, and questionable morals to the table and makes the episodes more interesting to watch. Under the creative guidance of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin,Preacherstretches the genre’s scope far and wide.
15Legacies (2018–2022)
Legaciescontinued the extraordinary universe ofThe Vampire DiariesandThe Originalsby featuring a whole new band of fresh and young supernaturals. Unlike the previous installments that only ever revolved around drama and internal conflict, this one allows the heroes to fashion their own stories while also discovering their identities and battling inner demons. At the center of it all is Hope Mikaelson, daughter of the beloved vampire-werewolf hybrid Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall-Kenner, who attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted to understand her own abilities and practice their uses. Alaric Saltzman also returns from the original series as the headmaster of the school, adding charm and intrigue to the narrative. Legacies isextremely innovative with its characters, the adventures they embark on, as well as themes of found family and saving the world.
14American Horror Story: Hotel (2015 – 2016)
As one of the longest-running supernatural television shows,American Horror Storyhas a devoted fan base that returns to the series time and again because of its sheer brilliance. The show, in its entirety, fuses campy horror and seductive thrillers.Hotelis the fifth season of the anthology series and it transports the viewers to the lavish and ominous Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, which also becomes the backdrop for some ofthe most disturbing episodesever seen.
Related:American Horror Story: What Order You Should Watch Each AHS Season
Leaving the mainstays behind, the season featured Lady Gaga, who was breathtaking and frightening as the deranged vampiress The Countess. Her ease in switching from elegance and pure evil deserves much praise. Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson also deliver chilling performances. Overall very delightful,Hotelamplifies AHS’s morbid tone.
13A Discovery Of Witches (2018 – 2022)
A witch and a vampire form a compelling alliance in this supernatural romance series. Hoisted by a contemporary twist to the age-old tropes,A Discovery of Witchesfollows Diana Bishop, a historian obsessed with learning about magical creatures. When she finds a book in the Bodleian library and digs into it, she finds herself transported to a world long asleep, full of vampires, witches, demons and other beings.
Matthew Clairmont is a vampire who helps Diane protect the book and solve its many secrets by exploring magical histories and fighting off the evil destroyers. Forbidden but fated, their love blossoms in an alternate reality. Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode play their smoldering roles with grace and sincerity. Adapted from Deborah Harkness' trilogy, the show is a feast for fans of the genre.
12Van Helsing (2016 – 2021)
We’ve seen heroines wanting to turn into vampires and heroes yearning to become human again. But seldom do we see a main character being immune to the thirst of their enemies.Van Helsingputs a novel spin on vampire tropes seen on television by taking them to a post-Rising world where behind every shadow, lies a new horror. Vanessa Helsing is a badass who wakes up from a coma and realizes that she has nothing to be afraid of.
Banding up with the sympathetic Dr. Luke and a few others, she decides to battle the undead terrorists and rival sci-fi conspiracy. While Kelly Overton and Jonathan Scarfe are mesmerizing as the protagonists, we really need to appreciate Neil LaBute’s intention of making the series a character-driven one. Drowning in plot twists and emotional depths,Van Helsingisdefinitely a cult favorite.
11Penny Dreadful (2014 – 2016)
In 19th century Britain, there used to be cheap comic book publications featuring grisly, salacious stories, and ‘penny dreadfuls’ was the pejorative term used to describe them. The show references the same term and guides its viewers to a lyric Victorian nightmare. Vanessa Ives is an unassuming woman who mysteriously becomes a conduit for several supernatural beings to intersect with the real world after she seeks the help of two other humans to find a killer.
As a tortured anti-heroine, she battles the demons within her and conjures several fictional villains like Dr. Frankenstein, Abraham Van Helsing, and of course, Dracula, who masquerades as a zoologist to get close to Eva Green’s broken angel. Giving off a Gothic vibe,Penny Dreadfultakes disturbing turns and challenges your psychological beliefs.
