10 Shows With Vampires If You Miss The Vampire Diaries – Screen Rant

It has been several years since The Vampire Diaries wrapped, although the franchise is still going strong with its second spin-off (the first being The Originals), Legacies, currently airing on The CW. That said since the show ended, it seems like there has been a relative shortage of television shows featuring vampires.

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There are plenty of shows to watch if you enjoy the general tone and characters of TVD, but not as many if you're specifically after a vampire drama or horror show. The following list details several vampire-themed series out there that you may not have heard of before, but should definitely check out.

True Blood is the most obvious choice for those in need of more vampire goodness. True Blood aired around the same time as The Vampire Diaries, except it was a summer show, and it was geared toward a more adult audience since it aired on HBO.

If you don't mind extra gore and sex than was present in TVD, then True Blood is right up your alley. The show is based on a popular book series written by Charlaine Harris. It also told a story where vampires were out in the open and the many obstacles they and humanity had to face because of it.

Penny Dreadful is another "adult" show. It aired on Showtime for three seasons and featured many characters from the public domain, lots of classic literature characters turned up, including Dorian Gray, Frankenstein, and his monster, and Dracula himself.

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Unfortunately, you don't get to the vampire storyline until the third season, but there is plenty of horror goodness to enjoy before that. Plus, the vampire storyline is worth it if you enjoy the classic, violent, and downright demented version of vampires. It's also cool to see Dracula show up, and the show truly treats him like a big bad.

Van Helsing is somewhat different from some of the shows on this list because it gives you a version where the vampires are the actual villains. Van Helsing's plotline is sort of similar to The Walking Dead, except instead of zombies, they're fighting a vampire outbreak.

The show follows the descendant of Van Hesling, Vanessa Helsing -- who happens to be immune to vampire bites. She also can turn vampires back into humans. After humanity descends into chaos due to the vampire reign, Vanessa rises as a potential savior of humanity.

The Strain is a super underrated vampire horror series that was created by one of the masters of horror, Guillermo del Toro, and Chuck Hogan. It was based on the book series of the same name also created by del Toro and Hogan.

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The series was violent and intense, it offered genuine scares and grotesque old-school body horror. The show followed a viral outbreak that resembled the ancient vampire strain. Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the CDC, and his team must work together to find a way to contain the outbreak before humanity succumbs to its deadly effects.

Being Human was originally a U.K. series that was remade in America. Both versions are great, so it's up to you which one you want to watch, or if you want to binge both, that's a good plan too.

The series follows a vampire, werewolf, and ghost who compose an unorthodox trio attempting to find their place in the world. It is both a horror and a comedy, although the U.S. version is a little more on the serious side. The three characters are thrown together as roommates and each one has their own journey to take and secrets to keep.

One of the great things about V-Wars is that it actually features one of the actors from TVD in the main role. Damon Salvatore himself, a.k.a. Ian Somerhalder leads the cast of the Netflix series as Dr. Luther Swann.

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Swann has to try and come up with a vaccine when a vampiric virus breaks out and begins to turn people into monsters. The plotline is a little similar to another medical horror show that released last year called The Passage.

Dracula is one of the newest shows on this list as it just premiered last month on BBC and Netflix. If you're a Sherlock or Doctor Who fan in addition to loving TVD, then you definitely don't want to miss out on this show as Steven Moffat served as one of the creators alongside Mark Gatiss.

It's all about the original and iconic legend of Count Dracula and his infamous rivalry with the renowned vampire hunter, Van Helsing. The show begins with Dracula's Eastern European origins and explores his story while fleshing it out along the way. Plus, it's currently only three episodes so it's definitely a quick binge.

What We Do In The Shadows is a little different from the other choices on this list as it is a comedy. If you've seen the film of the same name by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, then you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

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The television series, which airs on FX and was renewed for a second season, is a hilarious horror-comedy show that parodies vampires and the culture surrounding them. It follows a group of four vampire housemates who live in Staten Island and it's basically like a regular sitcom except it stars vampires and it's seriously hilarious.

Based on the popular cult-favorite Quentin Tarantino film of the same name, From Dusk Till Dawn was an excellent horror series developed by notable director, Robert Rodriguez. It ran for three seasons before sort of just stopping as it wasn't ever officially "canceled."

The show followed the infamous Gecko brothers, who were wanted by the FBI after a deadly bank robbery. On the run, they wind up in a strange strip club filled with mysterious snake people, including Santanico Pandemonium.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most iconic teen dramas and vampire shows of all time. Without Buffy, there probably wouldn't even be a Vampire Diaries. It also helped launch the career of Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of her most notable roles.

The show is all about a teenage girl who also serves as the titular slayer. She has to keep Sunnydale safe from vampires, demons, and other monstrous beings while still trying to be a regular teenage girl. Plus, if you love Buffy, you can watch its spin-off series, Angel.

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Horror Junkie. Blogger. Fiction Writer. The main things I care about in life can be found on a screen, film, television, video games, add horror into the mix and I'm in love. I write for several online sites and am currently working full-time as a freelance entertainment writer!

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10 Shows With Vampires If You Miss The Vampire Diaries - Screen Rant