Few monsters from the world of classic horror thrive on the small screen quite like vampires. Whether in a comedy like What We Do in the Shadows or a deadly serious drama like The Vampire Diaries, vampire TV shows always have bite.

Classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or modern hits like Interview With The Vampire prove how popular vampires have remained across every era of entertainment. Yet beyond those staples is an entire shadowy corridor of forgotten vampire TV shows worth revisiting. Each one offers a surprising twist on vampire mythology and demonstrates just how flexible, and how fun, the genre can be when creators take risks.

Among the countless vampire shows produced over the years are a handful that inexplicably faded from the public consciousness. Each overlooked gem brings something genuinely fresh to the table, and they all make it easy to see exactly why small screen vampire stories will always remain a favorite among horror TV fans.

Kindred: The Embraced (1999)

A Stylish Slice Of ’90s Gothic Melodrama That Goes Harder Than Anyone Remembers

Kindred: The Embraced adapted the tabletop RPG Vampire: The Masquerade into a sleek, noir-tinged network drama long before prestige horror TV became the norm. The series follows detective Frank Kohanek (C. Thomas Howell) as he becomes entangled in the secret world of the Camarilla, an underground society of vampire clans battling for control of San Francisco. For a show that only lasted eight episodes, it packs in astonishing worldbuilding.

What truly makes Kindred: The Embraced stand out from other vampire TV shows is just how confidently it treats its mythology. Instead of easing viewers in, the show throws them straight into political tensions between clans, personal vendettas, and complex rivalries. Julian Luna (Mark Frankel), the brooding Prince of the City, gives the show a commanding center, blending vulnerability and power in a way vampire leaders rarely manage onscreen.

It was immediately clear from the first episode that Kindred excels at scale. The layering of conspiracy, romance, and horror left nothing feeling diluted. It proved in 8 episodes how expansive a vampire drama can be when writers trust their audience to keep up. Even its episodic moments feel grand, as if each chapter reveals a deeper corner of a massive supernatural society.

For fans of TV shows featuring complex and powerful vampires, Kindred: The Embraced is essential viewing: stylish, richly imagined, and filled with untapped potential. Had it continued, it easily could’ve been one of the defining vampire sagas of the ’90s.

Moonlight (2007)

A Charismatic Supernatural Procedural That Perfected The Romantic Vampire Detective Formula

Airing during the early boom of modern vampire television, Moonlight follows private investigator Mick St. John (Alex O’Loughlin), a vampire trying to maintain his humanity while navigating cases that often collide with the undead. His complicated connection with journalist Beth Turner (Sophia Myles) gives the show a grounded emotional throughline that still holds up.

Moonlight’s balance of mystery, romance, and tight worldbuilding remains incredibly engaging. It’s not just a detective show with fangs; it takes the lore seriously, exploring vampire hierarchies, history, and rules without ever slowing the pacing. Mick’s immortality isn’t treated as a gimmick but as a burden, and O’Loughlin sells every moment of internal conflict.

The show’s sense of style also stands as a notable highlight of Moonlight. Its neon-noir atmosphere gives Los Angeles an eerie glow, and episodes often feel like supernatural noir shorts with a romantic edge. The more the show leans into its moody tone, the better it gets, especially when Mick crosses paths with other vampires who challenge his moral code.

Though it only lasted one season, Moonlight remains one of the best obscure vampire TV shows, delivering a satisfying arc, a memorable central romance, and some of the most atmospheric vampire fantasy storytelling of its era.

Ultraviolet (1998)

A Razor-Sharp Sci-Fi Twist That Treats Vampirism Like A Biological And Technological Threat

Before sleek techno-thrillers became common on TV, Ultraviolet delivered a strikingly original take on vampires as a scientifically understood menace. The story focuses on detective Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport), who is drawn into a covert government unit tracking and combating a vampiric faction referred to only as “Code V.” Their methods are clinical, brutal, and frighteningly believable.

Instead of Gothic aesthetics or romantic entanglements, Ultraviolet leans into paranoia and procedural intelligence work. Its vampires aren’t charismatic predators. they’re organized, strategic, and terrifyingly modern, using technology and biology to expand their reach. This grounded, speculative approach makes the show feel startlingly ahead of its time.

Above all else, Ultraviolet’s true strength was moral ambiguity. Each mission forces Michael and his team to face impossible ethical questions, from infected children to political manipulation. The fact that vampires never fully appear onscreen heightens the tension, making them a looming presence rather than a visual spectacle.

Ultraviolet is one of the boldest and most distinct reinterpretations of the vampire genre, and it deserved much better than fading into obscurity. It proves that vampire stories don’t need Gothic castles or emotional melodrama to be compelling. Sometimes, clinical realism is far more unnerving.

Being Human (2009-2013)

A Witty, Heartfelt, And Surprisingly Dark Paranormal Character Drama Disguised As A Roommate Sitcom

The US version of Being Human may have earned a loyal following when it first aired, but the UK original has unfairly slipped into the realm of forgotten vampire TV shows despite being one of the genre’s most inventive works. The series centers on three supernatural roommates, including vampire Mitchell (Aidan Turner), as they attempt to maintain some semblance of normal human lives.

Being Human’s emotionally grounded storytelling immediately sets it apart from many other vampire TV shows. Mitchell’s struggle with addiction, morality, and relapse remains one of the most nuanced portrayals of vampirism as metaphor. Turner gives him layers rarely afforded to TV vampires, capturing both the charm and the monstrousness that define the character.

The show also juggles tones masterfully. Being Human manages to be genuinely funny without undercutting its horror, warm without becoming sentimental, and gripping without sacrificing character depth. As its mythology grows, from vampire politics to ancient forces, it maintains a beating heart, grounding every arc in personal stakes rather than spectacle.

Across its run, Being Human continually reinvented itself, offering new threats, shifting dynamics, and bold narrative risks. It’s rare for a supernatural show to evolve so organically, and rarer still for one to remain so affecting. If any series deserves renewed appreciation, it’s this one.

The Strain (2014-2017)

A Gruesome, Apocalyptic Reinvention That Turns Vampirism Into Full-Scale Biological Horror

Created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, The Strain stands as one of the most ambitious vampire TV projects ever attempted. The show begins with epidemiologist Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) investigating a mysterious virus that quickly spirals into a vampiric pandemic. Its scope is massive, transforming New York City into a battleground for an ancient parasitic force.

As expected from a Guillermo del Toro project, the creature design in The Strain is flawless. These vampires aren’t seducers; they’re horrifying organisms with stingers, hive-like coordination, and terrifying transformation sequences. Every episode leans into body horror, giving the show a visceral edge that separates it from nearly every other entry in the genre.

Yet amid the spectacle, the series delivers rich lore. The mythology spans centuries, weaving in ancient texts, immortal warriors, and deep-rooted conflict. Characters like the relentless vampire hunter Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) bring emotional weight, grounding the series’ grand scale in personal tragedy.

As the story expands into full apocalypse, the show demonstrates how far vampire narratives can go when treated with the intensity of a horror epic. Among forgotten vampire TV shows, The Strain deserves to stand tall. It’s bold, terrifying, and wildly imaginative in a way few modern horror TV shows dare to be.