It’s Halloween! That means we can sneak one more scary story in under the wire. I recently wrote about some of our favorite vampire movies of all time. As I was writing that, I kept thinking about some great vampire-centric TV shows as well. So, I thought it would be fun to do one more vampire story this week and focus on some of the best vampire TV series of all time. You might not guess immediately, but there are actually quite a few to consider. But, we’re going to focus on our top 10.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
We’re starting with the best of the bunch. Taking off on the movie of the same name (but far sillier execution), Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains the best TV series in the vampire genre. With a great mix of humor, action, and the supernatural, this show really evolved over its 7 seasons. The special effects got better and the story became more involved and creative. The series featured a very much female-led plot, with loads of action, plenty of death and destruction, and characters that fans came to love. It set the standard for many shows to follow and still holds up today as the pinnacle of vampire shows.
Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
Vampires, werewolves, witches, Frankenstein’s monster, you name it. Penny Dreadful brought the Victorian era gothic ‘penny dreadful’ novel to the small screen. With a very talented cast (Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, and Billie Piper) this show took advantage of its place on Showtime to get a bit darker than a typical TV series could. In this one, there is no question that vampires are the bad guys,
Preacher (2016 – 2019)
So, Preacher is not technically a show about vampires. One of the main cast characters is a vampire and you do meet a few more vampires throughout the 4 seasons of the show. But, the main thrust of the plot is not at all centered on vampires. Still, it’s such a fun show that I had to include it since a vampire plays a pivotal role in the plot. This show is one of the craziest, most off-the-wall series I have ever seen on TV. It’s well worth a watch and the fact that it has vampires is just a bonus.
The Strain (2014-2017)
Now we’re getting to a more traditional vampire show, where the vamps are blood-sucking monsters, plain and simple. Based on the series of novels by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, the show looks at a vampire takeover of the world, through a viral outbreak and pandemic. It mixes science with old-school vampires in terrifying ways. A small group of humans tries to save the world from the vampire plague and let’s say it is no easy task. Dark, bloody, and super scary.
True Blood (2008-2014)
If there is one show that might try to rival Buffy the Vampire Slayer (even unsuccessfully) it is probably True Blood. Based on the Sookie Stackhouse series of novels (The Southern Vampire Mysteries) by Charlaine Harris, the show pushed boundaries of what they could show on a cable network (HBO). In some ways, it paved the way for later shows like Game of Thrones. A pretty serious mix of violence, gore, sex, and other mythical creatures, it was a trendsetter for future vampire shows to come.
What we Do in the Shadows (2019-2021)
Based on the feature film of the same name, this show brings full-on comedy to the vampire genre and does it with real flare. It follows the mockumentary style of the original film and shows like The Office, where a camera crew is following around this group of vampires in modern-day Staten Island, New York. it is hilarious, ridiculous, and not to be missed.
Angel (1999-2004)
We have to include the offshoot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which featured ancient vampire-with-a-soul Angel (aka Angelus) after he left Sunnyvale and went on to have his own adventures in LA. Other cast members from Buffy joined the show and had recurring guest appearances, but Angel eventually carved out its own niche as a strong vampire show.
The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017) & The Originals (2013-2018)
We can’t exclude these two series, which we’ll lump together, since they are possibly even more tied than Buffy and Angel. The Vampire Diaries was the first series, but a group of characters from that show then broke off for their own successful show as well. I’m not including the third show (Legacies) in the top 10 list, as it’s just a bit off the mark compared to the tone of the first two shows. Vampire Diaries is 100% a teen vampire romance, but it eventually tried to expand a bit beyond that initial premise as the stars grew up. The Originals was targeted a bit more toward adults, as there aren’t many teens in the cast. These shows aren’t as ‘good’ as some of the others on this list, but you have to hand it to them for finding a formula that works and execute it extremely well. You also won’t find a more vampire-focused show on this list.
American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
As one last entry, let’s include arguably the most famous and popular horror series running these days, American Horror Story. The season called Hotel revolved around a haunted hotel, with several vampires in residence. Like every season of AHS, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster with some episodes being better than others, but it’s still a strong addition to the vampire horror series genre.
