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I love vampires on TV. From the too-hot-to-be-alive Salvatore brothers from The Vampire Diaries to stone-cold Eric Northman from True Blood, these characters are the addictive properties within their respective shows. And since they’re sans a lifespan, there’s always room for another chapter.
While there are many key elements to a successful vampire storyline, the tale of the one torn vampire who’s on the wagon is the hook. We stick with the bad vamps in hope of perhaps seeing their humanity make a cameo.
Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries), Bill Compton (True Blood), John Mitchell (Being Human), and most successfully Edward Cullen (The Twilight Saga) have denied their biological blood lust and in turn gained our trust and hearts. And we think the vampires are the suckers...
But see, the thing is, these shows have built their reputations on the bandwagon – what happens when it moves on? These shows are expertly crafted, well cast and extremely suspenseful, but perhaps their greatest quality is their timing. Will they survive without it?
Or more pertinently, will we? What shall we replace the blood with – alien snot? Hidden treasure? MORE singing idiots? This subject has managed to produce quality TV (ahem, as opposed to movies of late – read: Twilight) that we will most likely be robbed of once the trend bends.
It’s going to happen. By the end of 2012 the Twilight movies will be done and I predict so will our fascination with vampires. Really good vampire shows will start moving to the Friday night “death slot” and Anna Paquin might go back to being a brunette. The blood lust will be gone.
Sure, something will fill the void. But it will be something just as disposable as the previous fad. I really hope someone succeeds in keeping the dead alive. Alan Ball, here’s looking at you, kid. There’s an opportunity to change the rules (most TV vampires are now daywalkers by some spell, magical blood or natural occurrence) and let this trend grow into a fully-fledged genre of its own.
Do you think vampire TV is here to stay?
Sam Brighton is Channel24’s TV and gossip editor by day and a TV junkie by night.
While there are many key elements to a successful vampire storyline, the tale of the one torn vampire who’s on the wagon is the hook. We stick with the bad vamps in hope of perhaps seeing their humanity make a cameo.
Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries), Bill Compton (True Blood), John Mitchell (Being Human), and most successfully Edward Cullen (The Twilight Saga) have denied their biological blood lust and in turn gained our trust and hearts. And we think the vampires are the suckers...
But see, the thing is, these shows have built their reputations on the bandwagon – what happens when it moves on? These shows are expertly crafted, well cast and extremely suspenseful, but perhaps their greatest quality is their timing. Will they survive without it?
Or more pertinently, will we? What shall we replace the blood with – alien snot? Hidden treasure? MORE singing idiots? This subject has managed to produce quality TV (ahem, as opposed to movies of late – read: Twilight) that we will most likely be robbed of once the trend bends.
It’s going to happen. By the end of 2012 the Twilight movies will be done and I predict so will our fascination with vampires. Really good vampire shows will start moving to the Friday night “death slot” and Anna Paquin might go back to being a brunette. The blood lust will be gone.
Sure, something will fill the void. But it will be something just as disposable as the previous fad. I really hope someone succeeds in keeping the dead alive. Alan Ball, here’s looking at you, kid. There’s an opportunity to change the rules (most TV vampires are now daywalkers by some spell, magical blood or natural occurrence) and let this trend grow into a fully-fledged genre of its own.
Do you think vampire TV is here to stay?
Sam Brighton is Channel24’s TV and gossip editor by day and a TV junkie by night.
