Television Shows
Introductions
So let's begin! This month we are going to talk about vampires on the silver screen, or vampires on television. It's a natural progression, as they slowly migrated from the big screen onto the smaller one. Of course, the vampires have had to change a bit over time, depending on what channel they show on, as they are accessible to nearly anyone of any age. But, these vampires tend to be more familiar to the public, as it was easier to watch the vampires on television than in the theatres.
The Munsters
To begin the vampire journey through television, we have to talk about The Munsters. The show started in 1964, which was also the year the Addams Family started as well. But The Munsters were a lovable, wacky family based on spoofing people of the horror genre. Both shows ran for roughly two years, but without a doubt, The Munsters provided a brilliant way of easing the public into accepting vampires as leading characters, and to not always be so evil. The family lived in a spooky house at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, with a Frankenstein main character, married to a vampire who had a vampire dad too, a werewolf son, and a perfectly human niece. The grandfather played a definition vampire as he hung from the rafters like a bat, had a pet bat named Igor, and a cat named Drag-u-la (to pay homage to Grandpa's last name: Dracula.) John Carradine, who played Dracula several times as you may remember, made a few appearances on the show as well.
Despite the "horrific" background, the Munsters were just like any other red-blooded American family. To contradict a bit, the Addams family tended to be a bit eccentric and macabre. It received lower ratings in the 60s, though it is remembered just as much, if not more.
Despite the "horrific" background, the Munsters were just like any other red-blooded American family. To contradict a bit, the Addams family tended to be a bit eccentric and macabre. It received lower ratings in the 60s, though it is remembered just as much, if not more.
Dark Shadows
Once these two shows were over, 1966 brought on a new show featuring a dark and dramatic breed of vampire whose sinister past eventually turns him into the characteristic reluctant vampire. His name is Barnabas Collins, and he stared the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows. It ran every weekday afternoon from June 1966 to April 1971, and has pretty much been turned into a cult classic. It also spawned two movies: House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows. It resulted in over 1200 episodes. The show consisted of time traveling, seances, ghosts, witches, werewolves, and many other tricks and things.
The show didn't begin with a vampire, until it was facing cancellation six months after it began. It was then that the creator Dan Curtis took a bold step and introduced the 200 year old vampire, who was released from his slumber and arises to wreak havoc upon a new generation. A tortured soul, Barnabas reintegrates himself into the wealthy Collins family by claiming to be a long lost relative. He fits the typical stereotype of the drawing room vampire: sleeps in a coffin, casts no reflection in mirrors, and the ability to transform into bats. It was cancelled in 1971, but there has been many attempts to revive the show over the years. In fact, Johnny Depp may be attempting to revive it again soon in a movie...
The show didn't begin with a vampire, until it was facing cancellation six months after it began. It was then that the creator Dan Curtis took a bold step and introduced the 200 year old vampire, who was released from his slumber and arises to wreak havoc upon a new generation. A tortured soul, Barnabas reintegrates himself into the wealthy Collins family by claiming to be a long lost relative. He fits the typical stereotype of the drawing room vampire: sleeps in a coffin, casts no reflection in mirrors, and the ability to transform into bats. It was cancelled in 1971, but there has been many attempts to revive the show over the years. In fact, Johnny Depp may be attempting to revive it again soon in a movie...
Forever Knight
Although there are many series between Dark Shadows and Forever Knight, (such as Night Stalker, and Nightlife) and many "made for tv" movies, the next successful series was Forever Knight. It began in 1989, with the made-for-tv movie Nick Knight. This movie gave us our first glimpse at one of the most tortured, reluctant vampires ever conceived. Rick Springfield played a four hundred year old vampire who worked in Los Angeles as a detective solving grisly murders with victims being drained of blood. Then in 1992, it was turned into a television show staring Geraint Wynn Davies. (They also aged him to be eight hundred years old too....)
The series played out for three seasons, with Lucien LaCroix being played by Nigel Bennett. While I've never personally seen the show, as it was ended when I was very young, and I didn't know much about it until I started my research, it can be concluded that this show was really a good show for it's time. The fans even made several attempts to keep it from being cancelled.
The series played out for three seasons, with Lucien LaCroix being played by Nigel Bennett. While I've never personally seen the show, as it was ended when I was very young, and I didn't know much about it until I started my research, it can be concluded that this show was really a good show for it's time. The fans even made several attempts to keep it from being cancelled.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy is probably one of the most influential vampire shows for this time period. Even if you have not watched it, most vampire fanatics have heard of Buffy. It began as a movie in 1992, directed by Josh Whedon. Buffy was a self-obsessed, flitty shoaholic cheerleader played by Kristy Swanson. It was sort of successful, though not a terribly great movie. But in Whedon's mind, it was a complete and total flop as his intent was not to create a high school horror romp but an extraordinary character of staunch female embodiment.
Five years later in 1997, Whedon got his chance again. Buffy lasted the longest out of any vampire series so far, playing for SEVEN seasons, even winning an Emmy. Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, kicked all kinds of demonic and vampire butt in her new hometown of Sunnydale, California, which was based right on the "Hellmouth," a demonic gateway below the high school. (High school is hell. Get it?) She was often surrounded by her "Scooby Gang," who consisted of witches, werewolves, vampires, former killers, former demons, sometimes her makeshift sister Dawn, and always had Xander (and Willow.) While I don't want to talk in too much detail about the Buffyverse, as someone has claimed it for the project, I hope you understand how big and important this show was for vampires in media. While the show has technically ended, the fans of it still say it is in it's eighth season, as it has moved to the graphic comics now. (Never read any of them, but if anyone knows where I can find them let me know!)
Five years later in 1997, Whedon got his chance again. Buffy lasted the longest out of any vampire series so far, playing for SEVEN seasons, even winning an Emmy. Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, kicked all kinds of demonic and vampire butt in her new hometown of Sunnydale, California, which was based right on the "Hellmouth," a demonic gateway below the high school. (High school is hell. Get it?) She was often surrounded by her "Scooby Gang," who consisted of witches, werewolves, vampires, former killers, former demons, sometimes her makeshift sister Dawn, and always had Xander (and Willow.) While I don't want to talk in too much detail about the Buffyverse, as someone has claimed it for the project, I hope you understand how big and important this show was for vampires in media. While the show has technically ended, the fans of it still say it is in it's eighth season, as it has moved to the graphic comics now. (Never read any of them, but if anyone knows where I can find them let me know!)
Angel
Another one of the best things about Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, is that it gave us the brooding, sometimes even emo vampire we all fell in love with named Angel, played by David Boreanaz. During the show Buffy, Angel was her first love, her first everything. However, Angel was really Angelus: a 200 year old vampire who actually has a soul, who spent his first millennia killing with reckless abandon until a band of revenge-minded gypsies restored his human soul. Shortly after the end of the second season of Buffy, Angel left to go to Los Angeles in order to fight the badies there. Angel highlights the triumphs and failures of his adventures as a private investigator in a quest to alleviate his eternal angst and remorse.
This show is darker that the campy Buffy, but both series tend to cross over with one another. In fact, two other main characters of Angel originally started in Buffy. It is told in serial format, as Buffy did (in other words, each episode is a self-contained story that adds to a more powerful long term story line.) Angel can be compared to Nick Knight in his brooding and angst. The show only ran for five seasons, ending about the same time as Buffy, and due to the show's ambiguous ending and fan outrage, has also spawned a comic book series called Angel: After the Fall.
This show is darker that the campy Buffy, but both series tend to cross over with one another. In fact, two other main characters of Angel originally started in Buffy. It is told in serial format, as Buffy did (in other words, each episode is a self-contained story that adds to a more powerful long term story line.) Angel can be compared to Nick Knight in his brooding and angst. The show only ran for five seasons, ending about the same time as Buffy, and due to the show's ambiguous ending and fan outrage, has also spawned a comic book series called Angel: After the Fall.
True Blood
I must state right up front that this series is NOT. FOR. CHILDREN. There is a reason it is on HBO, GUYS. While the other series mentioned may have dark episodes or some content really not suitable for children, True Blood is on the far end of that spectrum. I'll be brief in my description, as I know that if I don't include it, I might get killed by several different HOLers. Anyways, True Blood is based on the Sookie Stackhouse book series written by Charlaine Harris. It began in 2008, and has recently completed it's second season. It has been renewed for a fourth season, which should begin filming soon actually.
Basically, the series takes place in Bon Temps, a fictional town in Lousiana that is home to the eccentric, reluctantly telepathic Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin) and the 173 year old vampire she falls in love with, Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer.) Thanks to the invention of synthetic blood by Japanese scientists, vampires have now become accepted among society (for the most part.) .
Basically, the series takes place in Bon Temps, a fictional town in Lousiana that is home to the eccentric, reluctantly telepathic Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin) and the 173 year old vampire she falls in love with, Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer.) Thanks to the invention of synthetic blood by Japanese scientists, vampires have now become accepted among society (for the most part.) .
Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a recent vampire show on television. It is based off the book series written in the early nineties (so NO, this show is not stealing from Twilight. Although now you can all ponder where exactly Stephanie Meyers got her ideas for the book…) The story, though vastly different from the books and only nine episodes into the show, is actually quite entertaining. It revolves around Elena, who has recently lost her parents. She's a bit down when the Salvatore brothers (Stefan and Damon) show back up in Mystic Falls, the town they left back after the Civil War. It turns out, Elena looks exactly like the lover that both brothers lost named Catherine.
The show revolves around Stefan, the vegetarian vampire, Damon, the vampire who doesn't give a damn, and the havoc they bring to the town. While it's not the best vampire show I have ever watched (Buffy will ALWAYS have a soft spot in my heart) it isn't too terrible. If they had put the guy who plays Stefan into Twilight, well then it might have actually been a decent movie!
The show revolves around Stefan, the vegetarian vampire, Damon, the vampire who doesn't give a damn, and the havoc they bring to the town. While it's not the best vampire show I have ever watched (Buffy will ALWAYS have a soft spot in my heart) it isn't too terrible. If they had put the guy who plays Stefan into Twilight, well then it might have actually been a decent movie!
Count Duckula
A British cartoon that ran from 1981 to 1992. It was a spin-off of Danger Mouse. Duckula is an obsessive, stage-struck vegetarian vampire duck who resides in Castle Duckula with his bumbling vulture manservant Igor and his equally inept hen nursemaid called Nanny. Duckula is a vegetarian because during his resurrection, Nanny provided Igor with ketchup instead of blood, thereby rendering the vampire more inclined to consume vegan rather than red-blooded victims. He fights German goose and vampire hunter Dr. Von Goosewing. Sixty-five episodes were created.
Also, see The Groovie Goolies and Scooby-Doo, both of which often deal with vampires and other bumps in the night.
On a last night, over the years, many of television's most highly rated prime time shows have featured vampires in their repetoire. Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, Tales of the Crypt, Tales of the Darkside, The Twilight Zone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Starsky and Hutch, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The X-files, Crossing Jordan, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? have all embraced the immortal undead. So as you can see, vampires are EVERY WEHRE!
Also, see The Groovie Goolies and Scooby-Doo, both of which often deal with vampires and other bumps in the night.
On a last night, over the years, many of television's most highly rated prime time shows have featured vampires in their repetoire. Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, Tales of the Crypt, Tales of the Darkside, The Twilight Zone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Starsky and Hutch, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The X-files, Crossing Jordan, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? have all embraced the immortal undead. So as you can see, vampires are EVERY WEHRE!