TV Vampires By Tomatometer

Even before the fall 2008 premieres of True Blood on HBO and Twilight in theaters ushered in the vampire craze of the late 2000s, television had immortalized the mythological creatures in series dating back to the early days of the medium.

Off-kilter 1960s sitcom The Munsters included bloodsuckers in its cast of spooky characters, and supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows, which debuted in 1966, introduced a number of nightwalkers over its six-year run.

Rotten Tomatoes has compiled a list of TV’s best and worst vampire series. While the shows don’t all have to be solely about vampires, each of the series on this list must have significant characters with the urge to suck blood. That’s why even though General Hospital spin-off Port Charles didn’t start off as a supernatural series, it made this list anyway because of the series’ vampire-related story lines.

True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, of course, feature prominently, but there are also many that debuted before Edward Cullen sparkled in the sunlight — the grand dame of teen supernatural soap operas, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for one. We’ve also added newcomers, including the based-on-the-film FX comedy What We Do in the Shadows and Dracula, a Netflix-BBC co-production from Sherlock creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

Check out our list of the best vampire TV shows ranked by Tomatometer. Shows that don’t have series-level scores are listed alphabetically after the numbered entries.

Young Dracula (2006)

#38

Synopsis: The adventures of Dracula's son and daughter are chronicled in this children's series.... [More]

Starring: Donna Grant, Keith-Lee Castle, Gerran Howell, Clare Thomas

Directed By: Matthew Evans, Joss Agnew, Menhaj Huda, Pip Broughton

Van Helsing (2016)

#37

Synopsis: Vanessa Helsing is the last hope for survival in a world dominated and controlled by vampires, all of whom want... [More]

Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Christopher Heyerdahl

Directed By: Amanda Tapping, Michael Nankin, Jason Priestley

Valemont (2009)

#36

Synopsis: A young woman infiltrates a prestigious university to solve the mystery of her brother's murder.... [More]

Starring: Kristen Hager, Eric Balfour, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Nikki Blonsky

Ultraviolet (2017)

#35

Synopsis: A woman joins a group of amateur sleuths in her native Poland after witnessing a possible crime that appears to... [More]

Starring: Marta Nieradkiewicz, Agata Kulesza, Marek Kalita, Magdalena Czerwinska

Port Charles (0)

#34

Synopsis: The 'GH' spin-off had a bit of an identity crisis in that it began typically and ended gothically. A flop... [More]

Starring: Susan Brown, Kin Shriner, Carly Schroeder, Rachel Ames

Little Dracula (0)

#33

Synopsis: The young son of the Transylvanian count prefers to sink his teeth into rock and roll, and surfing. Based on... [More]

Starring: Joey Camen, Brian Cummings, Joe Flaherty, Edan Gross

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)

#32

Synopsis: A dogged Chicago reporter investigated the paranormal (everything from vampires and werewolves to a senator who could transform himself into... [More]

Starring: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Jack Grinnage, Ruth McDevitt

Directed By: Bruce Kessler, Allen Baron, Don Weis, Vincent McEveety

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014)

#31

Synopsis: This supernatural series follows a pair of fugitive brothers after a bank heist leaves several people dead. After crossing the... [More]

Starring: D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Brandon Soo Hoo, Don Johnson

Directed By: Joe Menendez, Alejandro Brugués, Nick Copus, Carlos Coto

Dracula: The Series (1990)

#30

Synopsis: A somewhat batty version of the Bram Stoker tale in which the vampire returns as a malevolent CEO at odds... [More]

Starring: Geordie Johnson, Jacob Tierney, Joe Roncetti, Bernard Behrens

Dark Shadows (1966) (0)

#29

Synopsis: Ghosts, witches and werewolves populated this creepy daytime serial about Maine's Collins family, which included Barnabas, a nearly 200-year-old vampire... [More]

Starring: Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, Alexandra Moltke, Kathryn Leigh Scott

Count Duckula (0)

#28

Synopsis: A British cartoon about a duck who's a vampire---and a vegetarian---and his two servants, Igor and Nanny. A spin-off from... [More]

Starring: David Jason, Ruby Wax, Jack May, Brian Trueman

Blood Ties (2007)

#27

Synopsis: Ex-cop Vicki Nelson becomes a private investigator and finds herself working with a vampire on supernatural crimes.... [More]

Starring: Ellen Dubin, Christina Cox, Kyle Schmid, Dylan Neal

Directed By: James Head, David Winning, Marek Nowicki, Holly Dale

Moonlight (2007)
22%

#26

Synopsis: An `undead' private investigator helps the living, instead of feeding on them, by using his acute vampire senses. His unending... [More]

Starring: Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring, Shannyn Sossamon

Directed By: Chris Fisher, James Whitmore Jr., Paul Holahan, Rod Holcomb

Hemlock Grove (2013)
38%

#25

Synopsis: A supernatural series about the goings-on in a Pennsylvania steel town, where two suspects in a young girl's murder set... [More]

Starring: Famke Janssen, J.C. MacKenzie, Bill Skarsgård, Camille De Pazzis

Directed By: Eli Roth, Vincenzo Natali, Deran Sarafian, David Straiton

Dark Shadows (1991)
50%

#24

Synopsis: A primetime revival of the 1960s Gothic serial about a 200-year-old vampire who was unwittingly unearthed from his crypt on... [More]

Starring: Ben Cross, Joanna Going, Roy Thinnes, Rebecca Staab

Blade: The Series (2006)
50%

#23

Synopsis: A half-human, half-vampire superhero battles demonic creatures with help from a weapons specialist and a military vet.... [More]

Starring: Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones, Jill Wagner, Neil Jackson, Jessica Gower

Directed By: Peter O'Fallon, Alex Chapple, Norberto Barba, Félix Eríques Alcalá

Dracula (2013)
53%

#22

Synopsis: It's the late 19th century, and the mysterious Dracula has arrived in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who wants... [More]

Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica De Gouw, Katie McGrath, Nonso Anozie

Directed By: Max Jenkins, Andy Goddard, Brian Kelly, Nick Murphy

Midnight, Texas (2017)
61%

#21

Synopsis: A haven for vampires, psychics and other strange folk, Midnight gives outsiders a place to belong. Viewed as outcasts, the... [More]

Starring: François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Sarah Ramos, Arielle Kebbel

The Passage (2019)
62%

#20

Synopsis: A young girl is chosen to be a test subject at a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with... [More]

Starring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Saniyya Sidney, Vincent Piazza

American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
64%

#19

Adjusted Score: 66.042%

Critics Consensus: Favoring garish style over effective storytelling, the fifth American Horror Story strands a talented cast at Ryan Murphy's Hotel.

Synopsis: A horror series set in an eerie hotel in downtown Los Angeles.... [More]

Starring: Kathy Bates, Chloë Sevigny, Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson

True Blood (2008)
70%

#18

Synopsis: HBO's hit drama series created by Alan Ball ('Six Feet Under') and based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by... [More]

Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten

Directed By: Simon Jayes, Nancy Oliver, Michael Cuesta, Alan Ball

Death Valley (2011)
75%

#17

Synopsis: Mockumentary following the LAPD's Undead Task Force as its members hunt monsters that roam the streets of California's San Fernando... [More]

Starring: Tania Raymonde, Bryan Callen, Caity Lotz, Texas Battle

Directed By: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Shadowhunters (2016)
76%

#16

Synopsis: On her 18th birthday, a woman discovers that she's an angel-human hybrid who hunts demons. Based on the book series... [More]

Starring: Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Emeraude Toubia

Directed By: Andy Wolk, Mairzee Almas, Kelly Makin, Tawnia McKiernan

Being Human (US) (2011)
77%

#15

Synopsis: A vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a townhouse in Boston, where they try to live like humans in... [More]

Starring: Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Mark Pellegrino

Directed By: Stefan Pleszczynski, Charles Binamé, Adam Kane, Jerry Ciccoritti

Dracula (2019)
72%

#14

Synopsis: TV series inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula, following the bloodthirsty count as he travels from Transylvania to London in 1897.... [More]

Starring: Claes Bang, John Heffernan, Tim Ingall, Clive Russell

Directed By: Jonny Campbell, Paul McGuigan

The Strain (2014)
79%

#13

Synopsis: A vampiric virus spreads through New York City.... [More]

Starring: Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand

Directed By: Norberto Barba, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Paco Cabezas, Roberto Barba

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
82%

#12

Synopsis: A cheerleader is chosen to battle the forces of evil as she weathers the storms of young adulthood in an... [More]

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Camden Toy, Kaarina Aufranc, Andrew J. Ferchland

Directed By: Chris Hibler, David Semel, Daniel Attias, Michael N. Grossman

The Munsters (1964)
83%

#11

Synopsis: A ghoulishly funny sitcom about a family of misfits residing at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Patriarch Herman, whose green complexion and... [More]

Starring: Bill Mumy, Dave Ketchum, Don 'Red' Barry, Emmaline Henry

Directed By: Norman Abbott, Seymour Berns, Richard Baer, David Alexander

The Originals (2013)
84%

#10

Synopsis: A spin-off of "The Vampire Diaries" focuses on the original vampire family who return to New Orleans to reclaim the... [More]

Starring: Moses Znaimer, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin

Directed By: Brad Turner, Kellie Cyrus, Joshua Butler, Nicole Cummins

The Vampire Diaries (2009)
86%

#9

Synopsis: It's Elena's first day back at Mystic Falls High School since the tragic death of her parents. Along with her... [More]

Starring: Charlie Bewley, Nina Dobrev, David Alpay, Paul Wesley (II)

Directed By: Ernest Dickenson, Josh Butler, Jeff Hunt, Kellie Cyrus

Preacher (2016)
87%

#8

Synopsis: A possessed minister teams up with his ex and a hard-drinking Irish vampire in search of answers.... [More]

Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Coletti

Directed By: Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, Michael Dowse

Angel (1999)
88%

#7

Synopsis: The enlightened vampire risks his soul to battle dark forces in the City of Angels in this noirish 'Buffy the... [More]

Starring: David Boreanaz, Camden Toy, Eyal Podell, Charisma Carpenter

Directed By: Krishna Rao, Michael N. Grossman, David Semel, Tim Minear

Supernatural (2005)
93%

#6

Synopsis: Twenty-six years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father... [More]

Starring: John De Santis, Jared Padalecki, Tricia Helfer, Jensen Ackles

Directed By: David Nutter, Paul Edwards, Charles Robert Carner, Philip J. Sgriccia

Castlevania (2017)
93%

#5

Synopsis: Inspired by the video game, this medieval fantasy follows the last surviving member of the Belmont clan and his attempt... [More]

Starring: Richard Armitage, James Callis, Graham McTavish, Alejandra Reynoso

Directed By: Sam Deats

Penny Dreadful (2014)
91%

#4

Synopsis: Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking... [More]

Starring: Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Billie Piper

Directed By: Brian Kirk, Kari Skogland, James Hawes, Paco Cabezas

A Discovery of Witches (2019)
94%

#3

Synopsis: A contemporary love story that begins against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, in a world where small numbers of... [More]

Starring: Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer, Alex Kingston, Valarie Pettiford

Directed By: Sarah Walker, Juan Carlos Medina

What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
97%

#2

Synopsis: Set in New York City, What We Do in the Shadows follows three vampires who have been roommates for hundreds... [More]

Starring: Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen

Being Human (2009)
100%

#1

Synopsis: Sci-fi series about three seemingly ordinary twentysomethings who live secret double lives as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost.... [More]

Starring: Kenny Glennan, Russell Tovey, Michael Socha, Aidan Turner

Directed By: Daniel O'Hara, Alex Pillai, Toby Haynes, Kenny Glenaan

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