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Being Human (BBC America), True Blood (HBO), BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Season 3, 1996-2003 (©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection); What We Do in the Shadows (FX), THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, (from left): Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, (Season 1), 2009-. (photo: Andrew Eccles / © CW / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

(Photo by BBC America; HBO; ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection; FX; Andrew Eccles / © CW / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

60 TV Vampire Shows Ranked By Tomatometer

Updated: September 28, 2023

While the fall 2008 premieres of True Blood on HBO and Twilight in theaters ushered in the vampire craze of the aughts and early 2010s, television 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 several 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. Shows without Tomatometer scores — either because the seasons don’t have enough reviews to get a score or there are more seasons without scores than with them — are listed at the bottom.

The most recent to join the list, animated sequel series Castlevania: Nocturne, launches on Netflix on Friday, September 29, and currently has a 100% Tomatometer score. We’ll keep watch to see if it rises to Certified Fresh level and takes over the top spot.

True Blood and its sister in the outsider-caught-between-two-vamps camp, The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, of course, feature prominently. But there are other shows that have brooding undead men and the women who love them — the grand dame of teen supernatural soap operas, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for one. Other newcomers, like the 2022 titles Reginald the Vampire, Interview with the Vampire, Let the Right One In, Vampire Academy, First Kill, and animated series Vampire in the Garden, as well as 2021’s Firebite, and 2019’s The Passage and V Wars are all on the list.

The series are ranked by Tomatometer score, then shows without Tomatometer scores are listed by Audience Score (denoted by “A” and its rank; see Audience Scores on the series’ pages), then those without any scores are listed alphabetically.

Sink your teeth into our list of the best vampire TV shows ranked by Tomatometer:

Being Human (2008)
100%

#1
Synopsis: Deciding to turn over a new leaf, a group of friends who also happen to be vampires and werewolves move... [More]
Starring: Michael Socha, Damien Molony, Kate Bracken, Steven Robertson
Directed By: Philip Trethowan, Rob Pursey

Castlevania: Nocturne (2023)
100%

#2
Synopsis: As revolution sweeps France, Richter Belmont fights to uphold his family's legacy and prevent the rise of a ruthless, power-hungry... [More]
Starring: Edward Bluemel, Pixie Davies, Thuso Mbedu, Nastassja Kinski
Directed By: Clive Bradley, Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert, Adi Shankar

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
100%

#3
Synopsis: Newspaper reporter uncovers supernatural causes in his investigations.... [More]
Starring: W. Lyle Richardson, Simon Oakland, Jack Grinnage, Ruth McDevitt

Interview With the Vampire (2022)
98%

#4
Synopsis: In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac lives in Dubai and seeks to tell the story... [More]
Starring: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey Bass, Eric Bogosian
Directed By: Rolin Jones, Mark Johnson, Anne Rice, Christopher Rice

What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
97%

#5
Synopsis: Based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, "What We Do in the... [More]
Starring: Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen
Directed By: Jemaine Clement, Paul Simms, Taika Waititi, Scott Rudin

Castlevania (2017)
94%

#6
Synopsis: Inspired by the popular video game series, this anime series is a dark medieval fantasy. It follows the last surviving... [More]
Starring: Richard Armitage, James Callis, Alejandra Reynoso, Jessica Brown Findlay
Directed By: Warren Ellis, Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert, Adi Shankar

Supernatural (2005)
93%

#7
Synopsis: This haunting series follows the thrilling yet terrifying journeys of Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who face an increasingly... [More]
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Alexander Calvert
Directed By: Jeremy Carver, Robert Singer, Philip Sgriccia, Adam Glass

Penny Dreadful (2014)
91%

#8
Synopsis: Many people are familiar with classic literary characters like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. "Penny Dreadful" brings those and other... [More]
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Reeve Carney
Directed By: John Logan, Sam Mendes

Preacher (2016)
87%

#9
Synopsis: Fulfilling a promise to his deceased father, one-time outlaw Jesse Custer returns home to West Texas to take over his... [More]
Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Colletti
Directed By: Sam Catlin, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Midnight Mass (2021)
87%

#10
Synopsis: The arrival of a charismatic priest brings miracles, mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town.... [More]
Starring: Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Annabeth Gish
Directed By: Mike Flanagan

A Discovery of Witches (2018)
87%

#11
Synopsis: "A Discovery of Witches" is a fantasy series based on the similarly-named novel of the "All Souls" trilogy, written by... [More]
Starring: Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer, Alex Kingston, Valarie Pettiford
Directed By: Juan Carlos Medina, Alice Troughton

Angel (1999)
87%

#12
Synopsis: Leaving his true love, Buffy, behind in Sunnydale, the vampire Angel tries to get a fresh start in Los Angeles.... [More]
Starring: David Boreanaz, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, Amy Acker
Directed By: Joss Whedon, Gail Berman, Fran Rubel Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui

The Vampire Diaries (2009)
86%

#13
Synopsis: This supernatural drama, based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith, details the lives of two brothers, Damon and... [More]
Starring: Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, Kat Graham
Directed By: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Leslie Morganstein, Caroline Dries

Vampire in the Garden (2022)
86%

#14
Synopsis: After humanity loses its battle with vampires, a young survivor named Momo has a fateful encounter with Fine, a vampire... [More]
Starring: Megumi Han, Yu Kobayashi
Directed By: Tetsuya Nishio, Ryoutarou Makihara

Firebite (2021)
86%

#15
Synopsis: When the Vampire King arrives to the last colonial stronghold in a remote Australian mining town, it's up to two... [More]
Starring: Rob Collins, Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Yael Stone, Thibul Nettle
Directed By: Warwick Thornton, Warwick Thornton, Iain Canning, Brendan Fletcher

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
85%

#16
Synopsis: Sarah Michelle Gellar takes on the role of Buffy Summers in this TV version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," based... [More]
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters
Directed By: Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, David Fury

The Originals (2013)
84%

#17
Synopsis: Klaus, the original vampire/werewolf hybrid, returns to New Orleans -- which his family helped build -- to investigate rumors of... [More]
Starring: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Charles Michael Davis
Directed By: Julie Plec, Leslie Morgenstein

The Munsters (1964)
83%

#18
Synopsis: The family at 1313 Mockingbird Lane is a little... different. Dad Herman looks like Frankenstein's monster; mom Lily and her... [More]
Starring: Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Patrick Lilly

American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)
80%

#19
Adjusted Score: 87233%
Critics Consensus: Though its second tale is still a mystery, the first half of Double Feature proves a spine-tingling good time with terrific performances - especially from the spectacular Leslie Grossman.
Starring: Neal McDonough, Craig Sheffer, Mike Vogel, Sarah Paulson
Directed By: Laura Belsey, Axelle Carolyn, Tessa Blake, John J. Gray

Death Valley (2011)
80%

#20
Synopsis: Maintaining law and order is the mandate of the UTF, but this isn't exactly Benson and Stabler working the streets... [More]
Starring: Texas Battle, Bryce Johnson, Tania Raymonde, Charlie Sanders
Directed By: Austin Reading, Julie Kellman Reading, Drew Daywalt, Austin Reading

The Strain (2014)
79%

#21
Synopsis: Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the CDC's New York-based Canary Project, is called upon to investigate when an airplane... [More]
Starring: David Bradley, Corey Stoll, Kevin Durand, Richard Sammel
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan, Carlton Cuse, Gary Ungar

Being Human (2011)
77%

#22
Synopsis: "Being Human," based on a BBC series of the same name, features three 20-something roommates who each try to keep... [More]
Starring: Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Dichen Lachman
Directed By: Anna Fricke, Michael Prupas, Rob Pursey, Toby Whithouse

Vampire Academy (2022)
77%

#23
Synopsis: Lissa, a royal vampire, and her best friend and protector, Rose, navigate romance, class politics and ancient magic at their... [More]
Starring: Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves, Kieron Moore, André Dae Kim
Directed By: Julie Plec, Marguerite MacIntyre, Emily Cummins, Don Murphy

Shadowhunters (2016)
76%

#24
Synopsis: On her birthday, Clary Fray discovers a surprise concerning her life. The teenager is not who she thinks she is... [More]
Starring: Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Emeraude Toubia
Directed By: McG, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Michael Reisz

NOS4A2 (2019)
72%

#25
Synopsis: Based on Joe Hill's New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, "NOS4A2" is a different kind of vampire... [More]
Starring: Zachary Quinto, Ashleigh Cummings, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jahkara J. Smith

Dracula (2020)
71%

#26
Synopsis: The Count Dracula legend transforms with new tales that flesh out the vampire's gory crimes -- and bring his vulnerability... [More]
Starring: Claes Bang, Dolly Wells, John Heffernan, Joanna Scanlan
Directed By: Sue Vertue

Reginald the Vampire (2022)
70%

#27
Synopsis: Reginald lives a life of dreams deferred. One night he meets a stranger named Maurice, who decides to help Reginald... [More]
Starring: Jacob Batalon, Mandela Van Peebles, Em Haine
Directed By: Todd Berger, Brett Burlock, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Peter Emerson

True Blood (2008)
68%

#28
Synopsis: Small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse already is viewed as an oddball by her friends and neighbors, since she can read... [More]
Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Directed By: Alan Ball

Let the Right One In (2022)
68%

#29
Synopsis: The lives of Mark and his daughter, Eleanor, were forever changed 10 years earlier when she was turned into a... [More]
Starring: Demián Bichir, Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer, Madison Taylor Baez
Directed By: Andrew Hinderaker, Seith Mann, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements

American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
64%

#30
Adjusted Score: 65470%
Critics Consensus: Favoring garish style over effective storytelling, the fifth American Horror Story strands a talented cast at Ryan Murphy's Hotel.
Starring: Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Wes Bentley
Directed By: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear, Bradley Buecker

Demons (2009)
63%

#31
Synopsis: A teenager discovers he is the last descendant of vampire hunter Van Helsing.... [More]
Starring: Philip Glenister, Christian Cooke, Zoe Tapper, Holliday Grainger

The Passage (2019)
62%

#32
Synopsis: Based on author Justin Cronin's trilogy of the same name, "The Passage" is a character-driven action drama that focuses on... [More]
Starring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie
Directed By: Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker

First Kill (2022)
61%

#33
Synopsis: Falling in love is tricky for teens Juliette and Calliope because one's a vampire and the other's a vampire hunter... [More]
Starring: Sarah Catherine Hook, Imani Lewis, Elizabeth Mitchell, Aubin Wise
Directed By: Emma Roberts, Karah Preiss, Victoria Schwab, Felicia D. Henderson

Midnight, Texas (2017)
61%

#34
Synopsis: Based on Charlaine Harris' book series by the same name, "Midnight, Texas" follows the lives of the strange inhabitants of... [More]
Starring: François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Arielle Kebbel
Directed By: Eric Charmelo, Nicole Snyder, David Janollari

Chapelwaite: Season 1 (2021)
60%

#35
Adjusted Score: 61699%
Critics Consensus: Chapelwaite's drab proceedings are stretched a bit thin over ten episodes, but those looking for an atmospheric whodunit with a few genuine frights could do worse.
Starring: Adrien Brody, Jennifer Ens, Sirena Gulamgaus, Emily Hampshire
Directed By: Michael Nankin, David Frazee, Rachel Leiterman, Jeff Renfroe

V Wars (2019)
60%

#36
Synopsis: A doctor is pitted against his best friend when an ancient disease turns people into vampires; from the comics by... [More]
Starring: Ian Somerhalder, Adrian Holmes, Jacky Lai, Kyle Breitkopf

Dracula (2013)
53%

#37
Synopsis: In an update of Bram Stoker's iconic novel, Dracula travels to London, pretending to be an American entrepreneur with an... [More]
Starring: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jessica De Gouw, Thomas Kretschmann
Directed By: Daniel Knauf, Tony Krantz, Colin Callender, Gareth Neame

Blade: The Series (2006)
50%

#38
Synopsis: Krista Starr returns from Iraq to learn that her twin brother, Zack, has died under mysterious circumstances. Krista soon meets... [More]
Starring: Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones, Jill Wagner, Jessica Gower, Neil Jackson

The Gates (2010)
50%

#39
Synopsis: The Monahan family abandons Chicago to settle into a private mountain community, The Gates, where father Nick becomes the new... [More]
Starring: Frank Grillo, Marisol Nichols, Rhona Mitra, Luke Mably
Directed By: Gina Matthews, Grant Scharbo, Richard Hatem

Dark Shadows (1991)
50%

#40
Synopsis: When a modern-day groundskeeper opens the Collins family crypt during a treasure hunt, Barnabas Collins, the 200-year-old family vampire, emerges... [More]
Starring: Ben Cross, Jean Simmons, Roy Thinnes, Joanna Going
Directed By: Dan Curtis

Hemlock Grove (2013)
38%

#41
Synopsis: Based on the book by Brian McGreevy and executive produced by acclaimed horror master Eli Roth ("Hostel"), this Netflix original... [More]
Starring: Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Dougray Scott
Directed By: Eli Roth, Brian McGreevy, Lee Shipman, Mark Verheiden

Kindred: The Embraced (1996)
30%

#42
Synopsis: "Dracula" meets "The Godfather" in this complicated but short-lived supernatural drama, in which San Francisco Police Detective Frank Kohanek makes... [More]
Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Mark Frankel, Kelly Rutherford, Stacy Haiduk
Directed By: Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, John Leekley

Moonlight (2007)
22%

#43
Synopsis: In this eerie mystery series, private investigator Mick St. John is charismatic, resourceful and undead. Alex has been a vampire... [More]
Starring: Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring, Shannyn Sossamon

Dark Shadows (1966)
--

#A1
Synopsis: A vampire returns to his family mansion in Collinsport, Maine.... [More]
Starring: Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Alexandra Isles, Louis Edmonds

Valemont (2010)
--

#A2
Synopsis: A young woman investigates the mysterious death of her brother at an elite university.... [More]
Starring: Kristen Hager, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Eric Balfour, Nikki Blonsky

Sirius the Jaeger (2018)
--

#A3
Synopsis: In Imperial Tokyo, a group calling itself "Jaegers" secretly hunts the vampires seeking the Ark of Sirius; among them is... [More]
Starring: Yuto Uemura, Takahiro Sakurai, Kenyu Horiuchi

From Dusk Till Dawn (2014)
--

#A4
Synopsis: Bank robber Seth Gecko and his violent brother, Richie, are on the run -- a robbery gone bad left several... [More]
Starring: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia

Legacies (2018)
--

#A5
Synopsis: The town of Mystic Falls has a new generation of protectors in this spin-off of "The Vampire Diaries" and "The... [More]
Starring: Danielle Rose Russell, Jenny Boyd, Quincy Fouse, Aria Shahghasemi
Directed By: Julie Plec, Brett Matthews, Leslie Morgenstein, Gina Girolamo

#A6
#A6
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A teen (Matthew Knight) learns that his beautiful baby sitter is a bloodsucking creature of the night.... [More]
Starring: Matthew Knight, Vanessa Morgan, Atticus Mitchell, Cameron Kennedy
Directed By: Bruce McDonald

Van Helsing (2016)
--

#A7
Synopsis: In this reimagining of the classic Dracula story, the world is dominated by vampires, requiring humans to work together to... [More]
Starring: Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Christopher Heyerdahl, Paul Johansson
Directed By: Neil LaBute, Chad Oakes, Michael Frislev, Simon Barry

Blood (2015)
--

##
Synopsis: This drama is about a vampire surgeon who treats patients and struggles for justice and the value of human life.... [More]
Starring: Ahn Jae-hyun, Baek Seung-hwan, Ji Jin-hee, Koo Hye-sun
Directed By: Ki Min-su, Lee Jae-hoon

Blood Ties (2007)
--

##
Synopsis: While trying to solve a complicated murder case, Toronto private investigator Vicki Nelson encounters dashing Henry Fitzroy, who looks to... [More]
Starring: Christina Cox, Dylan Neal, Kyle Schmid, Gina Holden

Forever Knight (1992)
--

##
Synopsis: Nick Knight is an 800-year-old vampire working as a homicide detective on the graveyard shift in modern-day Toronto, a result... [More]
Starring: Geraint Wyn Davies, John Kapelos, Catherine Disher, Natsuko Ohama

Immortals: Season 1 (2019)
--

##
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus:
Starring: Elçin Sangu, Kerem Bürsin, Birkan Sokullu

Morganville: The Series: Season 1 (2014)
--

##
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus:
Starring: Lindsay Seidel, Amber Benson, Ben Easter, Jordan Farris
Directed By: Blake Calhoun

Salem's Lot (1979)
--

##
Synopsis: A writer (David Soul) and a boy (Lance Kerwin) hunt a vampire in their New England town.... [More]
Starring: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia
Directed By: Tobe Hooper

Salem's Lot (2004)
--

##
Synopsis: When writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood hometown of Jerusalem's Lot, he discovers that it is being terrorized by... [More]
Starring: Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Donald Sutherland, Samantha Mathis
Directed By: Mikael Salomon

Tokyo Vampire Hotel (2018)
--

##
Synopsis: After narrowly escaping being killed in a murder rampage, Manami runs for her life; she is chased by a member... [More]
Starring: Kaho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Ami Tomite, Megumi Kagurazaka
Directed By: Sion Sono

Ultraviolet (1998)
--

##
Synopsis: Detective Sergeant Michael Colefield discovers a secret government vampire-hunting unit while investigating the disappearance of his partner.... [More]
Starring: Jack Davenport, Susannah Harker, Idris Elba, Philip Quast
Directed By: Joe Ahearne

Young Dracula (2006)
--

##
Synopsis: Vlad and Ingrid move to Britain from Transylvania with their father, Count Dracula.... [More]
Starring: Gerran Howell, Keith-Lee Castle, Simon Ludders, Craig Roberts

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