Vampire TV
To mark the re-commissioning of True Blood for a third season we’ve taken a look at other vampire shows on TV from hits such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer to short-lived shows like Vampire High. Take a trip down memory lane as we look at the Bloodsuckers that have graced our televisions.
Vampire High
A short-lived Canadian series that ran for 26 episodes between 2001 and 2002 which was set in a boarding school where young vampires where tested by the “elders” and where mortals also schooled. The series covered the typical teen-drama storylines of love, friendship and betrayals but also threw in bloodsucking and lust for a few added twists. The series isn’t widely known outside of Canada but has aired on UK TV on the digital channel Zone Horror and has been released on DVD thanks to a successful campaign by fans of the series. It even has its own official website which, again, was due to the fans. Not as memorable as Buffy or Angel and not as camp as The Lair, Vampire High is largely forgotten or unknown by fans of the vampire genre.
The Lair
Camp, gothic-horror show from the producers of Dante’s Cove – a supernatural series dealing with a coven of witches and over-sex gay men. The Lair is sort of a spin-off from Dante’s Cove but revolving 
around ancient vampires instead of witches. The Lair is a gay sex-club run by a coven of Vampires who are responsible for a series of murders which leads journalist Tom [David Moretti] to the doors of The Lair. The series has so far run for three seasons in America and airs on Here TV!, a channel aimed firmly at gay audiences. The first season was released in the, on DVD, earlier this year and the second season has just hit the shops. Sexy, camp, trashy and fun, The Lair is a new take on the vampire genre and is a show that doesn’t really take itself too seriously.
Hex
Supernatural Sky One drama series that covered fallen angels, witches, demonic fairies, lesbian ghosts, gay ghosts, the anti-Christ and the end of the world all in the space of two seasons and 19 episodes. Hex was set in an English boarding school and revolved around Cassie McBain [Christina 
Cole] being stalked by Azazeal, the leader of the fallen angels – Nephilim, a cross between a vampire and an angel. As Azazeal continues to stalk Cassie she discovers she is the last in a long line of witches and her best friend, Thelma [Jemima Rooper], dies and comes back as a ghost. The first season ended with Cassie being pregnant to Azazeal’s child, the Anti-Christ who would bring about the ‘end of days’. The second season saw Cassie killed off and Ella Dee [Laura Pyper] arrive to try and kill Malachi, the anti-Christ, but in the end she failed and the End of Days began. As well as all the supernatural elements the series also dealt with love, homosexuality, binge-drinking, affairs, drug taking and murder along the way.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Obviously no look at vampires on television would be complete without covering this series; the show that kicked started the vampire genre back into life and re-wrote the book of codes and conventions in 
Sci Fi. Buffy Summers [Sarah Michelle Gellar] was an ordinary teenage girl who attended high-school, hanged out with her friends, argued with her mum and oh slayed vampires by night. Vampires weren’t the only evils that Buffy fought in the first season alone she also battled an a large praying mantis disguised as a human, a witch who had swapped bodies with her daughter and a pack of human hyena’s. Along the way she meets the mysterious Angel who is revealed as a vampire with a soul and battles the Master, leader of the local coven of vampires, and Angel’s sire, Darla. As Buffy progresses across the year’s vampires always remained a firm part of it with the introduction of Spike and Drusilla, old pals of Angels, and other such characters across its seven year run. Buffy didn’t just slay vampires she bedded them as well having both Angel and Spike at different points.
Angel
After three years helping Buffy defeat all kinds of evil, and turning evil himself and needing to be 
defeated, Angel left Sunnydale and headed to Los Angeles to help the folks in the big city. Vampire with a soul Angel was ‘aided’ by Cordelia [Charisma Carpenter] who evil Angel had tried to kill. Angel is a tale of redemption as the character tries to atone for his past crimes but they come back to haunt him as sire Darla is resurrected and Drusilla and Spike [James Masters] both turn up at various points. In the fifth and final season Spike, who turned good during the course of Buffy, became a regular cast member. The fifth season ended on a cliff-hanger which has yet to be resolved as Angel was cancelled even though audience levels rose across its run.
Ultaviolet
A short-lived British series which aired on Channel Four and was written and directed by Joe Ahearne. 
The series revolves around a government funded unit, which is alluded to have connections to the Roman Catholic Church, which battles a worldwide vampire conspiracy – although the word vampire isn’t actually used during the series. The series ran for just six episodes but is fondly remembered by fans and critics alike. An American spin-off was developed for television in 2000 with at least one actor from the British series reprising their role but the idea never progressed beyond a pilot made for executives.
Moonlight
Another short-lived Vampire series from America which ran for 16 episodes between 2007 and 2008. The series was presented as a new twist on the vampire genre as it was more of a romance story than 
anything else. The series revolves around Private Detective and Vampire Mick [Alex O’Loughlin] who falls for mortal Beth [Sophia Myles]. Mick had been turned into a vampire by his wife Caroline [Shannyn Sossamon] on their wedding night fifty years ago. The story dealt with Mick’s relationship with Beth, Caroline, other vampires and his investigations. The pilot didn’t go down well with critics but rated well enough for broadcasters CBS to commission a weekly series however, production halted due to the writers’ strike. CBS later cancelled the series although the success of True Blood on HBO has raised speculation CBS may try to revive the series.