Vampires have long been a fixture of folklore and popular culture, and these television shows perfectly capture the horror and intrigue of the supernatural bloodsuckers. From Carmilla to Dracula to Nosferatu, something about vampires captures our collective imaginations, and they have maintained a steady presence in literature, art, film, and television throughout history.
From F.W. Murnau’s 1922 version of Nosferatu to Robert Eggers’ 2024 adaptation of the same name, great vampire movies have been a fixture throughout the entire history of the medium. Vampires have popped up throughout television history as well, in horror, romance, and even comedy. These ten television series represent the best of the best when it comes to vampires, offering plenty of blood and intrigue.
10
The Strain
2014 – 2017 (4 Seasons)
the strain
6/10
- Release Date
-
2014 – 2017-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Carlton Cuse
Created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, The Strain portrays vampirism as a disease and focuses on the efforts of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) to save humanity. Del Toro and Hogan initially wrote The Strain as a trilogy of books, before adapting the story into a four-season television series.
With a fresh take on vampires and plenty of gore, The Strain is a thrill ride from start to finish, although some viewers felt the quality declined as the series progressed. Still, The Strain delivers shocking scares and twists, depicting vampires as truly monstrous rather than alluring romantic leads.
9
True Blood
2008 – 2014 (7 Seasons)
true blood
6/10
- Release Date
-
2008 – 2014-00-00
- Network
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HBO Max
Based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris, True Blood centers on Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her life in a rural Louisiana town. After the invention of synthetic blood two years before, the existence of vampires became public knowledge, an element that sets True Blood apart from other vampire stories.
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True Blood follows Sookie as she falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and learns more about herself and the supernatural creatures that surround her. Alexander Skarsgård’s former Viking turned vampire, Eric Northman, regularly steals the show, and True Blood ultimately delivers a fun and incredibly entertaining take on vampires.
8
The Vampire Diaries
2009 – 2017 (8 Seasons)
The Vampire Diaries may seem like a teen drama about a vampire love triangle, but it actually develops a complex mythology full of supernatural creatures and ancient magic. The series centers on Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and her relationships with two vampire brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) Salvatore.
With plenty of shocking twists and turns, The Vampire Diaries combines romance, horror, and drama to create an incredibly fun series that’s nothing if not entertaining. With the show’s relentless pacing and vampire gore, The Vampire Diaries has a lot to love for vampire enthusiasts.
7
Castlevania
2017 – 2021 (4 Seasons)
Castlevania
- Release Date
-
2017 – 2021-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Warren Ellis
Based on the Japanese video game series of the same name, Castlevania follows monster hunter Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) as he battles Dracula’s army of demons. With a stellar voice cast and a compelling take on vampire lore, Castlevania delivers an entertaining gothic romp that’s dripping in blood.
Netflix’s Castlevania was the first video game adaptation to receive a “Fresh” rating in Rotten Tomatoes’ history.
After an incredibly short first season of only four 25-minute episodes, Castlevania expands its scope and its cast in its later seasons to dive deeper into the video game’s lore. Combining a dark atmosphere with a compelling plot and hints of humor, Castlevania received mostly positive reviews from critics and currently has a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show also has a sequel, Castlevania: Nocturne.
6
The Originals
2013 – 2018 (5 Seasons)
A spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, The Originals centers on the first-ever vampires, the Mikaelson family, focusing primarily on Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and Rebekah (Claire Holt). With its New Orleans setting, The Originals feels suitably different from The Vampire Diaries, although it continues stories that began on that show.
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The Originals details the power struggle of the vampires, werewolves, and witches in and around New Orleans, with the werewolf Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) and her child with Klaus at its center. The Originals has all the drama, romance, and blood of The Vampire Diaries, but it feels more mature and even surpasses the first series in some ways.
5
Angel
1999 – 2004 (5 Seasons)
Angel
6/10
- Release Date
-
1999 – 2004
- Network
-
The WB
Like The Originals, Angel has a more mature tone than its predecessor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Buffy spin-off centers on Angel (David Boreanaz), the vampire with a soul who romanced Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). After his relationship with Buffy comes to an end, Angel moves to Los Angeles and begins working as a supernatural private detective.
With compelling new characters like Lorne (Andy Hallett) and familiar faces like Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Angel quickly steps out of Buffy’s shadow, developing into a fantastic series in its own right. Angel and his friends spend their time fighting to “help the helpless,” facing off against demonic forces as well as their own personal demons.
4
What We Do In The Shadows
2019 – 2024 (6 Seasons)
Created by Jemaine Clement and based on the 2014 film of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows delivers a hilarious take on vampires in a mockumentary style comedy series. Following four vampire roommates in Staten Island, the show depicts their often absurd conflicts with the real world and other supernatural beings.
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While the show’s sense of humor may not be for everyone, the excellent cast, led by Kayvan Novak’s Nandor and Matt Berry’s Laszlo, embraces the absurdity, delivering their lines with a straight face. What We Do in the Shadows received near-universal acclaim throughout its six seasons, landing a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
3
Interview With The Vampire
2022 – Present (2 Seasons & Counting)
Based on the iconic Vampire Chronicles book series by Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire chronicles the story of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Much of Louis’s story revolves around his relationship with the vampire who created him, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid).
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Interview With The Vampire embraces the romance between the two vampires, and both actors deliver incredible performances throughout the series. Deliciously gothic and beautifully written, Interview with the Vampire has already made a name for itself as one of the best horror series on television today.
2
Midnight Mass
2021 (Miniseries)
After Mike Flanagan’s horror masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House, took Netflix by storm, the writer/director continued making miniseries based on established horror stories. But with Midnight Mass, Flanagan told a completely original story that he has described as being incredibly personal to him.
No one in Midnight Mass ever utters the word “vampire,” which was a deliberate choice by Flanagan to keep the series from being bogged down by centuries of vampire lore.
When mysterious new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), arrives in the small town on Crockett Island, things quickly get weird. With devastating twists and stunning monologues, Midnight Mass tells a different kind of vampire story that serves as a powerful reflection on grief and faith.
1
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
1997 – 2003 (7 Seasons)
It’s impossible to talk about vampires on television without bringing up Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of the most beloved and influential shows of its time. The series centers on Buffy Summers as she balances her normal life as a teenage girl with her duties as the Slayer and protector of Sunnydale.
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With its relatable cast of characters, witty dialogue, and combination of genres, Buffy truly has something for everyone. Many (if not all) of the other horror shows on this list would never have existed without Buffy, and the show remains just as delightfully entertaining today as it was when it first aired.
