The 23 Best Vampire Shows

23 Vampire TV Shows to Sink Your Teeth Into

Oct 25 2023 by Megan Hippler

While it's been more than two decades since "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" — perhaps the most iconic vampire show of all time — captivated weekly audiences in front of their television sets, that certainly hasn't been the end of vampires taking to the small screen or streaming platforms. Following rumours of a "True Blood" reboot at Max (which has since been axed) and recent vampire shows like "First Kill," "Interview With the Vampire," and "What We Do in the Shadows," vampire fans can still find new content to satisfy their cravings.

Don't worry, we still have a lot of love for classic vampire shows like "Angel" and "The Vampire Diaries." But if you're perhaps more enthralled with the comedic absurdity of vampires being mismatched roommates, a happy sitcom family, or a babysitter who stops the silliest villains at the local high school, this genre has you covered. With vampire shows like "Being Human" and "Vampire High," you can still get all the thrills and chills of sharp fangs and bloodsucking but with a campier twist.

If you have a vampire craving right now, there are plenty of shows you can sink your teeth into. To help you find your next binge, we've rounded up the best vampire shows, spanning a variety of genres. From horrifying and hilarious to romantic and thrilling, prepare for a bloody good time when you give one of these vampire shows a try.

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1. "Interview With the Vampire"

AMC+'s "Interview With the Vampire" series is a new adaptation of Anne Rice's classic series of novels following Louis de Pointe du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt, and their vampire cohort. Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise brought the characters to life in the 1994 film adaptation, but the new series, which premiered in 2022, leans into the queer subtext of Rice's work, making it explicit, and it changes the setting of the story, too. Jacob Anderson plays Louis, now a Black New Orleans businessman, and Sam Reid plays the always-wild Lestat. Season two is on the way in 2024.

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2. "What We Do in the Shadows"

Based on the 2014 horror-comedy mockumentary of the same name, 2019's "What We Do in the Shadows" follows four vampire roommates as they attempt to survive and thrive in modern-day Staten Island. The show kicks off with Baron Afanas, an ancient vampire from the Old Country, arriving to Staten Island and exclaiming that he wants to take over the entire western hemisphere. Even though this plan interferes with the vampire roommates' mostly carefree lifestyles, the group and their familiars attend a city-council meeting to convince officials to hand over New York. From there, plenty of hijinks and misadventures ensue.

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3. "V Wars"

This 2019 Netflix series is based on a comic book series and anthology of the same name. In "V Wars," climate change has melted the ice enough to release a millennia-old biological agent that quickly spreads across the world. For some people, when the outbreak infects them, it interacts with a dormant part of their DNA that changes them into a vampire or a werewolf. As tensions mount between the growing number of vampires and the unaffected human beings, war looms on the horizon. Although the series was cancelled after one season, the show is still a fun watch for those looking for drama, action, and sharp fangs.

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4. "First Kill"

Based on a short story of the same name by Victoria Schwab, Netflix's "First Kill" follows Juliette Fairmont, a teenage vampire who falls in love with Calliope "Cal" Burns, the new girl in town. However, it also turns out that Juliette is in fact a monster hunter from the Guardian Guild. Juliette needs to make her first kill to earn her place within her powerful vampire family, while Cal is supposed to kill vampires and other terrifying supernatural creatures. However, the duo can't help their feelings for each other, causing rifts between themselves and their respective families.

Image Source: Netflix

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5. "The Vampire Diaries"

Based on L.J. Smith's teen book series of the same name, 2009's "The Vampire Diaries" follows Elena Gilbert, a teenaged orphan resident of the supernatural town of Mystic Falls. In the series, Elena falls in love with Stefan Savatore, a 162-year-old vampire, but when Stefan's selfish brother Damon comes to town, things get complicated. Damon not only holds a grudge against his brother, but he also has an intense fascination with Elena, who looks exactly like a former vampire lover of his. The brothers are supposedly cursed to always have a sibling rivalry, but with both of them in Mystic Falls, Stefan and Damon slowly work to overcome their poor relationship. However, their little love triangle with Elena causes plenty of juicy drama.

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6. "The Originals"

2013's "The Originals" is a spin-off of "The Vampire Diaries" that focuses on the Mikaelsons, a vampire family that are considered to be the first vampires to ever exist. After Klaus Mikaelson, the son of a witch and werewolf, impregnates another werewolf, his other siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, come to New Orleans to take care of the situation. However, tension rises between vampires, werewolves, and witches in the city as their presence causes quite a stir amongst the supernatural community. Together, the family must ease conflicts, all while keeping Klaus' unborn child safe from those who see it as a threat.

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7. "A Discovery of Witches"

Based on the historical fantasy "All Souls" trilogy by Deborah Harkness, 2018's "A Discovery of Witches" follows Diana Bishop, a history professor at Yale University who shies away from her magical bloodline. When she accidentally summons a long-lost manuscript with important information on the supernatural, she and the manuscript become targets. Witches, demons, and vampires are all in decline, and the manuscript could hold the key to strengthening each respective species. Vampire Matthew Clairmont, a biochemist by profession, is an interested party, but his repeated attempts to get close to it reveal a growing connection with Diana as well.

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8. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

What is a list of vampire television shows without "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" High school student Buffy Summers did not ask to fight vampires, demons, and everything else that goes bump in the night, but that's what happens when her new town is located over a Hellmouth. While her Watcher, Rupert Giles, trains Buffy to hone her new abilities, her mortal best friends, Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg, fight by her side. Along the way, Angel, a vampire cursed with a human soul, as well as other humans and supernatural creatures, join Buffy in her fight to stop evil.

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9. "Angel"

A spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the 1999 television show "Angel" follows the titular vampire burdened with his human soul as he tries to find his own redemption. While he struggles with his own inner demons, Angel opens a private detective agency in Los Angeles, and takes on supernatural cases that other traditional detectives will not touch. Half-demon, Allen Francis Doyle, and former cheerleader and fellow "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alum, Cordelia Chase, join the team early to help Angel out. However, more original and crossover characters pop in and and out throughout the series, especially as the cases grow more difficult and have more serious consequences.

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10. "Vampire High"

The vampire genre is not immune to the boarding school trope with this 2001 Canadian television series. By day, Mansbridge Academy is a private boarding school where rich and frustrated parents can ship off their troubled teens in hopes that the discipline and distance will set their children straight. By night, though, the Academy houses five troublesome vampires sent by their frustrated Elders as part of an experiment to find their humanity and civility. The story centres around mysterious vampire Drew French, and his potential soulmate, Sherry Woods, a mortal girl who dumps her controlling boyfriend to be with Drew. Prepare for plenty of backstabbing and drama when you give "Vampire High" a watch!

11. "True Blood"

Based on "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" novels by Charlene Harris, 2008's "True Blood" is set in a world where synthetic blood, called Tru Blood, has eliminated the need for vampires to remain hidden from the rest of the world. Since this "Great Revelation," vampires have found themselves divided, with some believing co-existing with humans goes against their predatory nature, and others believing equality is both possible and desirable. The show follows Sookie Stackhouse, a telepath who falls in love with Bill Compton, a vampire. The series primarily takes place in Bon Temps, Louisiana, a small town that deals with its fair share of murders, disappearances, and supernatural threats that Sookie and Bill constantly get wrapped in.

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12. "The Munsters"

No list of vampire television series would be complete without recognising "The Munsters." The 1964 show is a satire on the wholesome suburban American family sitcom genre, with a lovable cast of supernatural creatures that make up the the Transylvanian-American Munster family. Hermann, the family's patriarch, is a Frankenstein's monster, and his wife Lily and grandfather-in-law are vampires. His son Eddie is a precocious, werewolf-like boy, and their live-in niece seems to be a normal human to viewers. However, she is considered the odd-one-out, and the ugly duckling of the Munster clan. Together, The Munsters experience tons of hijinks that get them into all sorts of situations.

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13. "Preacher"

Based on a DC Comic's Vertigo series, 2016's "Preacher" follows Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher with a mysterious violent past. Jesse reunites with Tulip O'Hare, an ex-girlfriend with a fondness for shooting first and asking questions later, and meets Cassidy, an Irish vampire. With all the chaos and doubt in his life, Jesse asks God for a sign to keep on his path with his church. Instead, a half-demon, half-angel with a penchant for blowing up those it possesses, takes over Jesse, giving him immense power. Afterwards, Jesse sets out on a mission to unravel this mystery, and perhaps, find God along the way.

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14. "Young Dracula"

Vampire television shows are not just for adults and teens! The 2006 children's television show "Young Dracula" is based on a children's book of the same name by Michael Lawrence. The show centres on Vlad Dracula, the teenaged son of the cruel and violent Count Dracula. After angry mobs drive Vlad and his family out of Transylvania, they all wind up in Wales. When Vlad discovers he is The Chosen One, he buries himself in researching how to become human. As new threats find Vlad, Count, and his older sister Ingrid, Vlad has to decide what is the best path forward for him, his family, and even the humans.

15. "Being Human" (UK)

2008's hit British show "Being Human" follows three unlikely flatmates: a ghost, a werewolf, and a vampire. Both George and Mitchell, the werewolf and vampire respectively, are attempting to reject their supernatural traits, living quiet lives with unassuming jobs in an area full of human beings. Mitchell has vowed not to feed from human beings, but abstaining is a constant struggle. George sees his werewolf as something other than himself, something to be controlled viciously. Meanwhile Annie does not know why she hasn't moved beyond this world. Although the show is about their struggles, there is a ton of laugh out loud moments that are sure to delight viewers.

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16. "Being Human" (US/Canada)

After the success of the UK's "Being Human," a North American version was launched in 2011. While the starting premise is the same (a werewolf named Josh and a vampire named Aidan move into a house haunted by a ghost named Sally), the North American version of the show is less of a comedy riddled hijinks, and more of a character drama. After the first season, the North American version strays even further from the source material, moving onto bigger, badder antagonists and relationship dramas. Due to these major differences, the North American version of "Being Human" can be considered its own show entirely, but still an intriguing watch nonetheless.

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17. "Dark Shadows"

A cult classic of the vampire television genre, "Dark Shadows" is a gothic soap opera that began airing in 1966. Despite only airing for five years, the show released a new episode about the Collins family every weekday, meaning the final episode count is 1,225. The saga begins with Victoria Winters, an orphaned young woman who is hired to look after David Collins. What follows is the typical melodramatic tangle of soap opera storylines, with vampires, ghosts, zombies, witches, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures thrown in the mix. Time travel and alternate realities also play a major role in the series, creating a complex web of drama.

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18. "The Strain"

Based on Gueillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's novel trilogy of the same name, 2014's "The Strain" follows Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, the head of a major project at the CDC. When a plane lands at JFK Airport and stops responding to ground control, Eph and Dr. Nora Martinez are summoned to the scene. They discover that nearly all of the passengers and crew are dead from a contagion, and a coffin-like cabinet is taken from the plane and immediately stolen. As the contagion spreads and signs of vampirism emerge, Eph and the citizens of New York must fight to contain the problem.

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19. "The Lair"

"The Lair" is a 2007 gay-themed campy television series that centres around Thom Etherton, a local news reporter investigating a series of murders occurring in a small island community. The investigation takes him to the local sex club called The Lair where he meets the owner Damian Courtenay, the leader of the local vampire coven. Damian is instantly infatuated with Thom because he resembles the vampire who originally sired Damian. As the investigation unfurls, sparks start to fly, vampires start to turn against each other, and the dead start issue warnings. As tensions run high, things only get even more dangerous in The Lair.

20. "My Babysitter’s a Vampire"

Based on the made-for-tv film of the same name, 2011's teen drama "My Babysitter's a Vampire" follows Ethan Morgan, a seer and high school student. In the film, Ethan's parents don't trust him to keep an eye on his little sister, so they hire Sarah, who turns out to be a half-vampire. In the series, Ethan and Sarah befriends with Ethan's best pal, Benny Weir, a spellcaster. Together the three of them get pulled into supernatural hijinks, such as accidentally resurrecting dead pets, going undercover as cheerleaders to unmask the head cheerleader as a witch, and finding vampire nurses at the school blood drive.

21. "From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series"

2014's "From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series" is part of the great multi-media franchise of the same name. The series follows Richie Gecko — a character from the original film — who constantly has visions of a woman urging him to kill. After springing his brother Seth from prison, the duo go on a crime spree and flee toward Mexico. Meanwhile, Jacob Fuller — also from the original film — is on an RV trip in Mexico with his two children, but their peaceful holiday turns into a nightmare when the Gecko brothers hold them hostage. In order to escape authorities on their tail, the Gecko brothers head toward a strip club that so happens to be crawling with serpentine vampires that have a thirst for blood.

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22. "Vampire Academy"

"Vampire Academy," based on the series of novels of the same name by Richelle Mead, follows Rose Hathaway, a half-human, half-vampire who's training as a guardian, and Lissa Dragomir, her best friend (and also a vampire). At St. Vladimir's Academy, a boarding school, they fall in love and find adventure. Peacock cancelled the 2022 series after the first season.

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