DANIEL TV

Vampires are all the rage these days. In fact, I can’t think of one medium they haven’t sunk their teeth intothere are movies, books, comic books, and television shows. There’s only one of those that you can get for free every weekwell, besides cable fees. But then we TV fans have always known we have it easy, right? Anyway, with The Vampire Diaries and True Blood ruling the airwaves right now, we decided to honor some of our favorite shows of yesteryear.

• Moonlight (2007-2008): This short-lived series was originally planned as a novel and then a feature film before being pitched as a TV series, under the name Twilight (good thing they changed that one, huh?). The series was very similar to the vampire detective series Angel, but strong performances from Shannyn Sossamon and Jason Dohring make this a joy to watch regardless.
• Dark Shadows (1966-1971): This cult series will gain many more new fans when the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp film adaptation is released in 2011. Both of those celebrities grew up as fans of the show, which centers around the mysterious vampire Barnabas Collins. Over the course of the series, the show incorporated many other monsters, including phoenixes, Lovecraftian beings, werewolves, and ghosts.
• Ultraviolet (1998): This British 6-part serial was part vampire tale and part conspiracy thriller. A paramilitary unit is conducting a secret war against a race of vampires trying to take over the world. Besides its close attention to scientific detail and sense of style, the series is notable for featuring Stephen Moyer, who would go on to play Bill in True Blood.
• Count Duckula (1988-1993): What’s better than normal vampires? Vampire ducks, of course. That’s just what you get with Count Duckula, the animated British series that spun off from DangerMouse. The complete series is available on DVD in Region 2, while the first season is available in Region 1.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003): Whether you were a fan of the show during its initial run or not, there’s no denying the lasting effect Buffy has had on popular culture. Over seven seasons (and now in continuing comic book form), the character proved time and time again that a girl didn’t have to be a saint to be the hero of a horror story. We could go on and on about the most popular episodes (the almost-silent “Hush,” the musical “Once More, with Feeling”), but it’s probably more worth your time to just go back and watch it yourself.