From best-selling novels to blockbuster hits, you couldn't escape the vampire mythology during the 2000s. And while not all of it was award-winning fare, there was still a lot to like about the genre of horror entries that embraced the creatures of the night.

On the small screen, various shows have tackled vampirism over the years, and now, with so many avenues to view older shows, there are a plethora of series you can get into well past their expiration date.

We compiled a list of some of the best vampire shows available to binge during this spooky season and where you can find them. So, dig in, and let us know in the comments which bloody-tastic series you want to sink your teeth into next!

The Vampire Diaries

If you're in the mood for vampires, werewolves, witches, and everything in between mixed with teenage drama, this is the one for you.

Arguably, The CW's most famous series, The Vampire Diaries, was a massive hit and is still popular nowadays. The story of the Salvatore brothers and their battle for the heart of Elena Gilbert took the world by storm when it was released and launched the cast into stardom.

If you're looking for a lengthy series to binge, this one has eight seasons with 171 episodes ready to be devoured. And you won't regret taking that stroll in Mystic Falls and immersing yourself in the supernatural world that inhabits it.

Where To Watch: Peacock, Max, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video

The Originals

The Vampire Diaries spawned a universe of series that included The Originals, which took the vampires out of Mystic Falls and settled them in New Orleans. Centering around the Mikaelson siblings, this series went heavy on the vampire lore, as the Mikaelson's were, you guessed it, the world's original vampires.

With fan-favorite Klaus at the helm, The Originals was a worthy follow-up to the flagship series, bringing in a whole new set of fans who loved traveling around the French Quarter with the world's oldest vampires.

The series had a solid five-season run, with 92 episodes. That's a nice little series to get invested in!

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Freevee, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

Legacies

There's room for even more Vampire Diaries fun with another spinoff, Legacies, and it'll give you lots of throwback vibes to the original series.

Following Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall's daughter, Hope, the series takes us to the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, where vampires and other supernatural creatures look to learn about their abilities and control them.

While the series was unceremoniously cut a little short, there are still four seasons with 68 episodes to be enjoyed. And it's a glorious end to The Vampire Diaries run.

Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

True Blood

Ah, who could forget this classic HBO show that introduced us to a world where vampires co-existed with humans and even had their own form of synthetic blood, called Tru Blood, which they drank to stay alive.

Like most other vampire tales, this one had other supernatural beings as well, but the heart and soul of the series were with the various vampires who looked to assimilate and even fight for equal rights in this new society.

The series is about a lot more than just vampires, and when it was on its game, it was one of the best series on television. With seven seasons and 80 episodes, that's plenty of time to fall in love with the world of Bon Temps, Lousiana.

Where To Watch: Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

What's a list of vampire series worth watching without the GOAT, Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

The Sarah Michelle Gellar-fronted supernatural drama detailed Buffy's journey as the "Chosen One" and thrust a young woman into the battle against vampires, demons, and all kinds of scary creatures.

The series was a critical darling and a hit among viewers, who followed Buffy and company through seven seasons and 144 episodes. And it's worth every single binging second to discover how Buffy's journey as a slayer begins and ends.

Where To Watch: Hulu, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

Angel

We've got another spinoff on the list, and this one comes from the aforementioned Buffy.

Angel was a favorite on the original series, and the spinoff saw him moving to Los Angeles, California, where he began work as a private detective and fought against both evil demons and the humans alongside them.

The series is dark and more about the supernatural than vampires particularly, but it's still a worthy entry to the vampire library. The series didn't last quite as long as its predecessor, but with five seasons and 110 episodes, it was around long enough to leave its mark.

Where To Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

Van Helsing

Remember that forgetful Hugh Jackman movie about the famous Dutch monster hunter Van Helsing? Well, this series was not that.

The Syfy series followed Vanessa Van Helsing, a descendent of Abraham Van Helsing, who awakens from a coma to see a post-apocalyptic world where vampires run amok. But armed with a team around her, they fight bravely to lead a resistance against the powerful vampires.

The series is a good time, with a solid group of characters to get invested in over the five seasons and 65 produced episodes. It's definitely worth a gander, as the tale of Dracula gets a pretty cool makeover.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Freevee, Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

George Clooney may not be in this one, but it's still worth your attention.

The series's premise was much like the movie, as the Gecko brothers look to avoid the law and find themselves in Mexico at a strip club littered with vampires who are anything but nice.

The series isn't spectacular, but it is a sexy and exhilarating entry into the vampire category, unlike anything else on this list. And with three seasons and 30 episodes, it's an easy series to get wrapped up in this October.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Being Human

Being Human is a fabulous show.

It's less horror than many other shows here, but it allows room to dive into vampirism through the eyes of Aidan, who, alongside ghost Sally and werewolf Josh, navigate rooming together and living double lives.

The series is based on the BBC show of the same name and lives up to its reputation as a phenomenal entry into the supernatural genre. And with four seasons and 52 episodes to enjoy, you'll have plenty of time to fall in love with this ensemble.

Where To Watch: AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

Preacher

Preacher is one bloody affair.

Jesse is a preacher who smokes a pack a day and drinks to his heart's content but inherits a superpower he tries to understand alongside his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and a vampire named Cassidy, who becomes Jesse's best friend.

We might be pushing the limits by calling this a vampire show, but in a series with a heavy-hitting cast, Joseph Gilgun's Cassidy is a standout, and he uses his vampirism in some imagined ways that make the four seasons worth of 45 episodes worth checking out.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

The Strain

Who doesn't love a tale about global outbreaks?

The Strain revolves around a strain of vampirism that threatens to take over the world and the people working hard to save the human race.

The Strain has some absolutely terrifying monsters that must be seen to be believed. And that tease alone should get you seated for the four seasons and 46 episodes this series has.

Where To Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu

A Discovery of Witches

Who doesn't love a supernatural tale full of vampires, witches, daemons, magic, and love mixed into one glorious package?

A Discovery of Witches was based on the All Souls trilogy and followed witch Diana Bishop as she and geneticist vampire Matthew Clairmont looked to unravel the secrets found in an enchanted manuscript.

The series had a nice run, ending with 28 episodes over its three seasons. It boasts one of the greatest vampire families of all time, and for that reason alone, it belongs on your binge list.

Where to watch: Max, AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Apple TV, Redbox, The Roku Channel

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The post The Best Vampire Shows To Binge appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Tales fell in and out of vogue throughout literary history, crazes reigniting with the publications of books by Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer.

In television, two shows that come to mind when one thinks vampires; cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer and popular teen drama, The Vampire Diaries.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered in 1997 and focused on a peppy blonde high school girl who also happened to be a vampire slayer.

The Vampire Diaries premiered in 2009 and centered on two vampire brothers who loved the same girl … and her doppelganger. 

These shows varied, both being the product of their time but, which is the superior vampire show? 

Our TV Fanatics Paul DailLy and Leora Waltuch sat down to discuss how the shows differ and to prove why Buffy the Vampire Slayer of The Vampire Diaries is the superior vampire show.

Leora: Why do you feel The Vampire Diaries is superior to Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

Paul: Both shows are different in their own right, and they each brought fresh and exciting dynamics to vampire dramas.

However, I think The Vampire Diaries brought many aspects of the lore to life in a better way.

The Vampire Diaries, at least the first few seasons, kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Those initial seasons were consistently good, and while it fell off in the later seasons, it was still a cut above the other supernatural shows.

Buffy, for me, at least, started much slower and hit its groove further into its run. 

How about you with Buffy? 

Leora: I do agree that Buffy had a slower start. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1 was definitely campier. But they were able to build on that, and by Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 14, they had something very deep going for them.

Buffy was always about empowerment and conquering the difficult realities of life through the lens of the supernatural.

The Vampire Diaries seemed to center around two things:

One was the love triangle, two brothers who love the same girl and the dynamic that creates. That became a problem when Elena left the show.

It also meant the show was more about shipping than anything else, and you would always have this one conflict that never got resolved.

The second theme was relatively original. Instead of the vampires being the bad guys, they were going to be the guys you are rooting for.

As the show evolved, though, and as more of the characters became vampires, the vampires crossed lines, and it became clear that the vampires were, in fact, the bad guys.

While rooting for the villain is an interesting concept, and I applaud the attempt, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

We want to sympathize with the bad guys, but we want to relate to and root for the good guys. Of course, it isn't always that black and white.

When Buffy began, the lines drawn were very black and white. Vampires were always bad. You could almost forgive them for their behavior because it was just their nature to be evil. They couldn't help it.

So you killed them, and you moved on, as opposed to on The Vampire Diaries, where vampires are more like junkies who occasionally choose to be evil and heartless because it is easier and because they can.

Things didn't stay black and white for Buffy though. We had Angel, the exception to the 'all vampires are evil,' rule.

We had the way Spike and Dru cared for each other. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 7 was particularly poignant about the lack of black and white in the world.

And as the show evolved, we saw that all the characters, good and bad, were multi-layered.

But the monsters they fought were meant as a metaphor for the struggles people face every day, and sometimes you just need to be able to punch those struggles in the face and defeat them without them having some moral high ground. 

Buffy straddled the line between black and white and gray and did so beautifully. And while ships existed, and many were quite epic, they were never the point of Buffy.

This was a show about people, especially women, and teenagers, and losers, and outsiders overcoming struggles.

Paul: I definitely agree about the lines on Buffy being black and white. That's one of the great things that sets the two shows apart. 

However, I don't agree about The Vampire Diaries only being about a love triangle. There were some great themes on the show but, the most recurring was loss.

The jumping-off point was a teenager who lost her parents, and her life was upended by the arrival of a mysterious vampire.

I may be in the minority, but I think the final two seasons of The Vampire Diaries proved that the show was more about the bond between the two brothers than anything else.

Even when they hated each other, they were drawn back together, and the final scene will always stick with me because it was them reuniting in the afterlife.

They fought like crazy over the affections of Elena and Katherine but still managed to let the past be the past.

Leora: I agree that the bond between the brothers was at the center of the show, but that's what made the love triangle so tragic. Because it isn't just a love triangle, it's a love triangle between two brothers.

Now, I haven't seen The Vampire Diaries Season 8 yet, but there were definitely earlier instances that proved the importance of the relationship, like how Stefan reacted on The Vampire Diaries Season 6 when Damon and Bonnie were trapped in that 1990s hell-world.

Loss played its role in both shows, but I would argue that it had more impact on Buffy. In The Vampire Diaries, most of the characters came back from the dead two, three, four times.

I swear Bonnie was resurrected seven or eight times. Death stopped meaning anything and that really soured me on the show.

On Buffy, there was a lot of loss. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode 2 had Xander forced to stake one of his two best friends since childhood; I think you can draw a line between his black and white hatred of all vampires, including Spike, to that experience. 

When Jenny died on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 17, the audience realized that even a regular could be killed off, and the death meant something because it stuck. 

Joyce's death was like losing a mom for the audience. It was such a natural, human thing that had nothing to do with vampires and that Buffy couldn't fight, even with all her powers.

The Vampire Diaries did something similar with Caroline's mom, and no question it was moving, but Buffy did it better, I think. Plus, they did it first. There were often times when it felt lie The Vampire Diaries was copying something from Buffy. 

Of course, when Buffy died, they had to bring her back. However, they did it in a way that had such intense ramifications.

All of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6 was about the characters coming back from Buffy's death and resurrection on an emotional level. This was particularly true of Buffy herself, and Willow, who had crossed a line in resurrecting her friend.

Then the Big Bad of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 was only able to surface and be a threat to the world at large because the slayer had died and come back.

Meanwhile, the loss of Tara was devastating to fans and characters alike. It also led to the conclusion of Willow's arc the whole season, which defined her path moving forward.

Loss was a big part of Buffy, but they kept the significant losses to a lower number, so they actually meant something.

It wasn't everybody dies and comes back or becomes a vampire all the time like on the Vampire Diaries. Then there were Elena's parents who we never met and weren't even her birth parents, and then there was Aunt Jenna, who nobody ever talked about again. 

The Vampire Diaries may have included loss, but they did it a disservice more often than not. 

How do you feel about the way both shows handled loss and death?

Paul: You know what, I agree about Buffy handling loss better. 

The Vampire Diaries started to go off the rails the moment they brought characters back, and while I think they could have closed The Other Side sooner to prevent dead characters returning, some deaths did stick.

I feel like some deaths allowed characters to do things they wouldn't normally do. For instance, you had Caroline going entirely off the rails, introducing us to a whole new side of her. 

The loss of Buffy was raw and emotional because there was a greater sense of finality because characters generally didn't pop back up from the dead.

However, my biggest gripe with Buffy was the way she was killed off at the end of Season 5.

She was always going to return, and given that she had already died before, I would have much rathered that type of development to happen in the series finale.

Joyce's death was one of the most gut-wrenching on TV. That being said, the Vampire Diaries delivered more shock value when it killed people off. For example, Kai killing the entire Gemini Coven at Jo and Alaric's wedding.

I know it isn't all about shock value, but that episode propelled the story forward in an emotional way, what with Elena being put in a magical coma, and Alaric being forced to face up to the fact that he couldn't save his family.

Leora: I mean, in a lot of those cases, you're dealing with behind-the-scenes stuff. 

Elena had to go into a magical coma because the actress wanted to leave the series if memory serves.

Buffy's death on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 5 Episode 22 nearly was the series finale. I think they thought it might be at the time because the network had canceled the show.

Luckily, it was then picked up by another network. Still, you can see in the writing how it was set up like an end. 

Sometimes I think it would have been better if it ended there. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6 is my favorite season, and I'd hate to live in a world without it, but most of the characters were better off at the end of Season 5 than they were at the end of the series.

Namely, the Willow/Tara and Anya/Xander of it all. We could just imagine it all worked out for them. Wouldn't be fair to the others, I suppose.

I agree that what Kai did at the wedding was a big deal. Jo died  (more or less), and Carolina ended up with the twins, which is how Legacies is a thing now.

I haven't seen it yet, but it looks like a great show, even if they did have to kill off Hope's parents and Elijah to make it happen.

But Kai was a good villain, one of the better ones they had, and the actor did a great job with the role. I would have liked them to explore his mental/emotional state more. Maybe they do in Legacies.

Speaking of, both shows had spin-off(s) that continued on the universe. I haven't really seen The Originals or Legacies, though I want to, and I've heard good things.

Angel I have seen, and it is so different than Buffy, yet so good. It says something about the shows that they were able to continue on in other shows like that.

Paul: I would say The Originals is to The Vampire Diaries what Angel was to Buffy; darker and edgier.

Leora: Good to know.

As for Buffy having died before, I never really counted her first death. It meant something obviously, because of Kendra/Faith, but I feel like if you can be brought back by medical means, that's not a resurrection.

That's just science. I mean, she was only dead for a minute.

Also, one of the things with Buffy versus Angel was a difference in the gender of the lead. I'm not sure that applies as much to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

I guess Elena was a lead on The Vampire Diaries, but so were the brothers and, as you pointed out, they were the constant relationship we saw go through ups and downs. Elena was even written out, and the show kept going.

Now, you say The Vampire Diaries isn't about a love triangle, but there was one front and center with Stefan/Elena/Damon and some say it mirrors Angel/Buffy/Spike.

Personally, I've never felt that Angel/Buffy/Spike was technically a love triangle, but I'd love your thoughts on the dynamics of that and how they compare before I go into my reasons. After all, shipping isn't everything, but it sure as heck ain't nothing.

Paul: I think with Buffy and Angel in particular, they had their time, and Buffy and Spike happened while she and Angel were apart.

The slow burn of Buffy and Spike's relationship was one of the better aspects of Buffy in my book. I would have appreciated it more if Angel and Spike were not adversaries, I think.

I wouldn't say it mirrors the Damon/Elena/Stefan because of the whole doppelganger thing.

I think it comes down to the two times the shows aired. Social media was barely a thing when Buffy aired, but there was still a legion of fans worldwide.

It broke out in a way most shows could not, and one thing that sticks with me is Sarah Michelle Gellar saying in an interview that people looked down on it in her social circle because it was a midseason replacement.

The Vampire Diaries, however, was coming off the success of Twilight, and people were looking for the next big vampire romance.

In some way, The Vampire Diaries played into that early on, but when we were introduced to the wider mythology, and the bigger picture, it became less about that.

Leora: Fair enough. Always fun to learn the history and context of a show.

I agree that Spuffy and Bangle were two separate things at two separate times.

That's sort of what I meant about it not being a love triangle. It was never a choice because by the time Spike was a possibility for Buffy, Angel was out of the picture.

As for the rivalry, that was there from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2, at which point, I don't think Spuffy was even a thought in Joss Whedon's mind.

It came before Buffy was on the table. If one is good and one is evil, or they're both evil, or they're both good, there was always this complicated relationship between them.

In a way, that is what is most similar to The Vampire Diaries about the dynamic because there is something close, and complicated, and almost familial about Spike and Angel's relationship, though you see it more on Angel Season 5 than any other time.

Now, what about each show's HBIC; the horrible popular girl who becomes deep and a fan favorite? Is Caroline Forbes for you, or Cordelia Chase?

Paul: Cordelia versus Caroline is a tough one. On the one hand, Cordelia was consistent throughout her time on Buffy, but I would say her final arc was handled terribly on Angel.

Caroline, on the other hand, had a consistent arc and was always growing as a character. On The Vampire Diaries, she found herself in a lot of troubling situations and managed to come out the other side stronger. But, much like Cordelia, she was ruined on a spin-off of the show she originated from.

Leora: Caroline was a surprise at the beginning of The Vampire Diaries because I was expecting her to be like Cordelia or all the other horrible, popular cliches, but she was actually a really loyal friend.

There was an episode early on, The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 9, where Caroline didn't even know about magic but she had a seance with Bonnie and Elena because Bonnie was upset about Emily's ghost haunting her.

We saw Caroline as having more depth than I would have expected even from The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 1, and she grew to be more likable than the lead.

I can't say much about what the spin-offs did to her character because I haven't seen them, but I did read your post about why she needs to be killed off on Legacies.

Cordelia's development was a more slow progression. In the beginning, she seemed truly horrible and not at all sympathetic, but she grew over time. I really liked her arc in Angel Seasons 1-3, but the later seasons really screwed with her and screwed her over. Even the actress admitted that.

I guess Cordelia was more of a bitch than Caroline ever was. I found it really interesting that the thing that really developed Caroline's character and allowed her to grow was turning into a vampire on The Vampire Diaries Season 2 Episode 1.

The thing is, on Buffy, Cordelia wasn't so much Buffy's friend as a mirror of who she used to be before she became The Slayer. She was in the group, but she also wasn't. She wasn't a member of the core four. She didn't really stand on her own until Angel.

I think if we're just talking about the character and their development in the original series, I prefer Caroline. However, if we're including evolution on both shows, its a much closer race.

Cordelia wasn't supposed to overshadow Buffy on her own show, and she never did. I don't know if Caroline was supposed to overshadow Elena or not, but she definitely did.

The ships also tell a tale. In both cases, the guy who had the 'epic love' with the main girl developed a slow, unexpected, friends to more than relationship with these Queens Cs.

Both women had great development. I concede that Caroline was probably my favorite thing about The Vampire Diaries.

I don't know that The Vampire Diaries ever addressed social issues the way Buffy did, such as suicide attempts, gun violence, and sexuality.

That being said, what was groundbreaking and earth shatterings in the early 2000s is a little behind the times and the movement now. Do you think there was anything particularly, for lack of a better term, 'woke' about The Vampire Diaries?

Paul: Honestly, for as much as I loved The Vampire Diaries, I wouldn't say it was 'woke.' It was more about the gang grappling with the latest big bad and all their minions.

Buffy, I think, was definitely ahead of its time in addressing social issues. What The Vampire Diaries did address was just par for the course with teen dramas at the time.

I don't think there were any shows on the air at the time of Buffy that addressed these important issues, and I think that was part of the attraction for a lot of fans.

Leora: You talked before about vampire mythos a bit.

I don't think either show did bats. The Vampire Diaries seemed to be implying something with crows and fog in the beginning that they never really followed up on.

Both burn in the sun, though the rings everybody seemed to have on The Vampire Diaries kind of took away from that, but it was an interesting take.

I remember vampires could eat garlic on The Vampire Diaries and, I don't remember if they have reflections.

And of course, the lore on where vampires come from is very different.

Do you think either is more true to classic tales, or if not, do you think it brought something to the table that was new and better?

Paul: I definitely think Buffy was truer to those classic tales.

The Vampire Diaries seemed to want to do something different with the genre, so it allowed them to eat like humans, and  I found that fascinating because it was not what I expected.

I even loved the whole vervain thing. I think, given that The Vampire Diaries premiered after the market had become saturated, it did well to set itself apart, and some things worked better.

But deep down, the two shows came out at different times, so I would say both did as well as each other on that front.

Leora: Let's talk about villains.

So vampire Diaries had Kai, Katherine, and Klaus. All their villains who started with the letter K were great. The rest don't stand out in my memory so much.

Buffy started off with the campiest villain ever in the master, but that gave them something to work up to, and when season two brought us Angelous, they really delivered.

I love sadistic villains, and Angelous was an artist. Plus, it tugged on the heartstrings with the drama of him being the evil alter-ego of Buffy's old flame.

Some of their villains, later on, were more humorous than scary, like The Mayor, or Glory, or the trio, but they were powerful enough. Adam was laughable.

And of course, the best villains were when they took a character we knew and made them evil, like with Angel of Willow. I also thought The First was pretty good.

It was sort of what I imagined The Source in Charmed would be like, and then they took off his hood. He was a big let down.

But one show at a time.

Anyway, The First was pretty iconic, and Caleb was a bastard. I felt like even if not all the villains were scary, most were memorable, and they provided for fights with ever-increasing stakes without having to fall back on the resurrection issue we discussed The Vampire Diaries having.

I also remember reading someone say something about how Warren was a really good villain because he is exactly the type of villain that exists in the real world.

People and guns. It's a big issue, and as the special feature on The Buffy Season 6 DVD says, life was the big bad for that season.

You'll have to refresh my memory on the non-K Vampire Diary villains, but the fact that most were forgettable to me says something.

I think I read somewhere that they could never really top Klaus, and they spent too long trying. All though Klaus did lack depth until the spin-off.

Katherine was awesome and having her played by the same actress as Elena made a big difference. It goes back to what you said about the show focusing on brothers and what tore them apart and put them back together.

Paul: I have to agree about the Klaus, Katherine, and Kai. The three of them were the best, for sure.

The other villains struggled to break out and prove they were forces to be reckoned with. What was fascinating, however, was the way The Vampire Diaries Season 5 flatlined because of Silas and Markos — two of the worst villains on TV, like ever.

But the writers took note and introduced Kai the following year, and it was perfect to bring Katherine back as the final villain. For her flaws, there was progression, but all bets were off when she got some semblance of power.

If I look at Buffy, none of those villains stick out to me as much as Klaus, Katherine, and Kai. The First Evil wasn't scary the first time, but the second, it was, because it could legitimately tear the world apart.

However, most of the villains were too sappy for me to care about. I think my biggest issue was that they tried to the villain of the week, and it became difficult to top some of the earlier ones.

Leora: I remember Silas now that you bring him up, but I do not remember Markos at all. it was nice to finally have some explanation for the whole doppelganger thing, which was original to the show and not at all from the books.

I wonder if they had planned that explanation from the beginning or if they just pulled it out of their you know where.

I can concede that, excluding Angelous, The Vampire Diaries had better villains.

Maybe it wasn't so much about villains for Buffy. They were focusing on the battle on a more metaphorical level and the development of the characters.

It wasn't about whom they were fighting, it was about them, why they were fighting, what they were fighting for, how the fight affected them year after year.

Despite better villains overall, I stand by Buffy as the better show. It had all the important things that I look for in a show, and I wanted to watch again and again, which I just can't say is true about The Vampire Diaries.

While The Vampire Diaries definitely had some things to offer the genre as well as some truly memorable characters, I stand by my assessment that Buffy is the superior show.

It highlighted life and death, love and loss, strength and weakness, good, evil, and everything in between.

It had strong characters to admire and relate to, and its mythos is now taught in theology courses at some universities. All Hail Buffy The Vampire Slayer, She Saved The Genre A Lot!

Paul: I do think both shows were going for something different with villains, and maybe that's another thing that helps set them apart. 

I can't deny that TVD towered above Buffy in those earlier seasons. The villains were better fleshed out, and each brought something new and exciting to the series, and that made it more worthwhile to watch for me.

I agree that Buffy saved the genre back then, but I stand by my assessment that The Vampire Diaries is the best.

Both shows did a lot for the genre, but I can't deny that TVD towered above Buffy in those earlier seasons. The villains were better fleshed out, and each brought something new and exciting to the series.

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What do you think TV Fanatics? Which is the superior show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or The Vampire Diaries?

Let us know in the comments and take our poll right here!

The post Battle of the Shows: Buffy The Vampire Slayer vs. The Vampire Diaries appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful — they all make us who we are. 

Read on as we discuss TV characters who allowed themselves to grow and become stronger, not only despite but because of, the pain and tragedy of their pasts. 

Dean and Sam Winchester – Supernatural

Their tragic lives started with the loss of their mother at the hands of Yellow Eyes. Mary Winchester's death set in motion a chain of events that shaped Dean and Sam's lives. The brothers were dealt blow after blow.

From John dragging them into the hunting business instead of letting them live normal lives, to Sam's fiance Jess being murdered by the same demon who killed their mother, to John dying, and that was all before the second episode of Supernatural Season 2.

All of the loss that was thrown at them by the supernatural world only served to make Sam and Dean the strongest hunters around. 

Dex Parois – Stumptown

We are just starting to get to know Dex, but we already know that Dex has been through a lot in her life. 

Her ex-boyfriend Benny's mother drove them apart. After joining the military, Benny followed her in hopes of winning her back, only to get killed in the line of duty. 

Benny's death, and her experience in the military in general, Dex suffers from PTSD, but her experiences led to an inner strength that has made her the badass that we already love. 

Meredith Grey – Grey's Anatomy

There aren't many people on television that have gone through as much trauma as Meredith Grey.

After Meredith's parents split up, Meredith was left to be raised by Ellis alone. Ellis was an absentee mother who left Meredith feeling inadequate, even in her adult years. 

As a child, Meredith found Ellis after what appeared to be a failed suicide attempt, but what Meredith later realized through therapy was a cry for help. 

As a young intern her streak of bad luck continued. 

Finding out the love of her life was married, having her hand on live ammunition, and surviving a near-drowning experience to name a few. 

It isn't until Ellis dies and her spirit gives Meredith the push to be extraordinary, that Meredith becomes the strong woman that we see today. 

Meredith continues to face obstacles but she always manages to come out stronger. 

Jason Street – Friday Night Lights

Jason had everything going for him. He was good looking, popular, and on the way to being a professional football player. Everything changed in an instant, though.

After an improper tackle, Jason is left paralyzed from the waist down, ending his football career and changing his life forever.

Jason's struggles pushed him to the lowest place he had ever been in, but he was eventually able to grow from it and realize that just because he can't play football anymore, doesn't mean that his life is over.

This realization allowed him to become a strong adult and an incredible father to his child.

Veronica Mars – Veronica Mars

Veronica was just a normal teenage girl before her best friend Lily was murdered.

Lily's murder set her on a much different path than she ever could have imagined.

While grieving the death of Lily, she also becomes the victim of sexual assault. 

Veronica became hardened by her losses, but as her best friend Wallace reminds us, she is just a marshmallow. 

Veronica is arguably one of the strongest female characters ever on television, but that would have never been possible without her tragic past.

Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel

Angel was turned into a vampire when he was in his mid-twenties.

For over 100 years he killed countless people and was one of the most notorious vampires in existence.

After being cursed with a soul by a gypsy clan, Angel was forced to live with the guilt of the horrors of his past. 

For years, Angel let this guilt hold him back from the world before finally finding his calling in being a force of good. 

Ryan Atwood – The OC

Ryan enters the lives of the Cohen family after being put in jail thanks to being there when his brother stole a car. 

After getting out of jail, Ryan is abandoned by his mom, leaving him with nowhere to go.

Being raised by an alcoholic mom, with no father in the picture, forced Ryan to be independent. 

Ryan showed us, though, that sometimes showing that you're strong doesn't mean doing everything alone, but instead being willing to let people in, which he slowly can do with Cohens. 

Dylan Mckay – Beverly Hills, 90210

An abusive father raised Dylan due to his absentee mother. 

Dylan fended for himself the majority of the time, which wasn't always a bad thing because things were less than perfect when his father was around.

After spending time in prison, Dylan's father fakes his death and joins the witness protection program — a fact that Dylan doesn't learn until years later.

Despite Dylan's upbringing, Dylan was mature beyond his years. 

Caleb Rivers – Pretty Little Liars

Caleb got abandoned by both his mother and his father as a child. Caleb spent his life in the foster system, and when he meets the Liars he is living out of the school after a foster situation goes wrong. 

Caleb spent his time hacking as a means to an end and even spied on Hanna for Jenna to get money. 

Caleb eventually rose above his past, though, and became one of the best assets the Liars had. 

Jo Wilson – Grey's Anatomy

Jo spent her youth in foster care and then homeless. 

In her early adulthood she ended up married to a man who was so abusive that she had to change her name and flee to get away from him. 

Jo's past lead her to be incredibly independent. 

The recent revelation that she was the product of a sexual assault threw her into a depression. Her storyline showed that no matter how strong someone is, we all can use help sometimes.

It takes real courage to admit that you need help and Jo showed that courage when she checked in for an inpatient psychiatric stay. 

Shawn Hunter – Boy Meets World

Shawn's parents went in and out of his life with no sense of responsibility for him whatsoever. 

Shawn was never really alone, though, and was taken in as an unofficial member of the Matthews family. 

After Shawn's dad's death, Shawn considers running from his life, but eventually, realizes that between the Matthews and his half brother Jack he has everything he needs to stay strong. 

Shawn never believed he would amount to much, but we learned in Girl Meets World that he is a successful photojournalist, proving that we do not have to be the products of our upbringing. 

Alex Karev – Grey's Anatomy

Alex was raised by a drug addict father and a mother with significant mental health issues. 

Alex was not the greatest person when Grey's Anatomy began.

However, after going through what he has on the show like dealing with Ava having a mental breakdown and helping Izzie through cancer only to later be left by her, Alex grew so much as a person. 

Alex is one of the rocks of the show now and holds things together. 

Sansa Stark – Game of Thrones

When we met Sansa, she was an unlikeable spoiled brat who felt entitled to the world.

After watching her father get killed on the orders of Jothri, her betrothed, she was effectively held captive by his family, eventually getting forced into marrying his uncle Tyrion. 

Once she finally escapes the clutches of the Lannisters, she thought her troubles would be over, but they were only beginning.

Forced into yet another marriage, she is raped and tortured. 

The Sansa we knew during Game of Thrones Season 1 would have never been able to handle such horrors, but Sansa rose like a phoenix from the ashes and eventually become the Queen of the North. 

Jessica Davis – 13 Reasons Why

Hannah may have been the focus of 13 Reasons Why Season 1, but she wasn't the only one who had been hiding a secret that was leading them to terrible pain.

Bryce had raped Jessica, and Justin had let him do it. 

Fueled by the loss of Hannah, Jessica found the strength to fight back against her attacker. 

Even though Jessica didn't get the retribution she had hoped for in going after Bryce, her experience changed her and she became a leader and a voice for change. 

Kelly Taylor – Beverly Hills, 90210/90210

Kelly's mom Jackie was a drug addict alcoholic who didn't do much parenting. 

Kelly may have had her fair share of ups and downs, even facing her problems with addiction.

However, she came out the other side as a strong woman and wonderful role model to Silver, who she ends up taking in even though she is already a single mother. 

Zoe Benson – AHS: Coven

Zoe's gift that she is cursed with is the ability to make a man die from a hemorrhage during intercourse. When she loses her virginity, oblivious to her gift, she kills her boyfriend. 

Zoe is then ripped out of her home and brought to New Orleans to get trained in the ways of witchcraft. 

Because of Zoe's powers, she is unable to be physically intimate with anyone unless she wants them to die at her hands. She finds inner strength in her witchcraft, though, and goes on to train the next generation of witches. 

Alison Dilaurentis – Pretty Little Liars 

Alison may have started as Rosewood's resident mean girl, but she went through her fair share of nightmares. 

After being tormented by Mona under the guise of "A", Alison is buried alive by her mother. Scared to let her attempted murderer know she is alive, Alison is forced to stay on the run. 

Once she returns she is framed for Mona's "murder" and is even found guilty of the murder and goes to jail. 

She is then lied to by Charlotte, making her believe that she is her sister. Charlotte's boyfriend Archer tricks Alison into marrying him, and then he has her locked up in a psychiatric institute, and her money gets stolen by Archer and her aunt Mary. 

Alison still, after everything that she was put through, ended up coming out as the most changed and most improved Liar. 

Daenerys Targaryen – Game of Thrones

Daenerys started Game of Thrones as an orphan who was being married off to a man much older than her to a secure an army for her power-hungry brother. 

After losing her husband, who she grew to love, and bringing to life three dragons, Daenerys finds herself the ruler of her own people.

Daenerys faces many threats and betrayals over the years, but all her hardships hardened her and made her a fearless leader. 

Say what you will about Daenerys by the end of Game of Thrones, but she was one bad bitch. 

Carter Wilson – Finding Carter

Carter spent the majority of her life thinking she was being raised by a loving mother, Lori, only to find out that she had been abducted as a child by her.

Carter is forced back into her birth family where she feels like a stranger and struggles to bond with them. 

Just when she finally starts to feel like part of the family, Lori kidnaps her again and reveals she is her biological mother as she was a surrogate for Carter's parents. 

To add to Carter's troubles, she witnesses her boyfriend shoot her best friend accidentally, almost killing him, giving her no choice but to help turn him in to the police.

So many other people would have crumbled under the stress of Carter's dramatic life, but Carter remains a strong independent woman. 

Jon Snow – Game of Thrones

Jon was raised as a bastard and spent his whole life being treated as such.

After going to the Nightwatch he felt like he had a sense of purpose, but still, he found himself suffering more pain. 

Jon had not one, but two of the woman he loved, die in his arms, one at his own hands.

Jon rose from the dead after being murdered by his men. The betrayal only made him an even greater leader though. 

As King of the North, he showed his strength, and even would have probably become the King of Westeros if he hadn't been the one to put an end to Daenerys. Not bad former bastard. 

Emily Thorne – Revenge

Emily, also known as Amanda, had the only person she loved ripped away from her when her father went to prison for a terrorist act that he got framed for. 

Emily finds herself in and out of foster homes and even spending time in juvie. 

As strong as she may have felt as a rebellious teenager, her real strength comes when she finds out the truth about her father and his set on a path to avenge his name. 

Maeve – Westworld 

Maeve may be an AI, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have feelings.

Living the story of a mother — one who saw her child murdered — left an imprint on her that she couldn't shake, and aided in her becoming aware of her reality.

Maeve's new found consciouness forces her to live out the horrors of being a host. 

Maeve finds power in this though and eventually helps to lead a rebellion. 

Callie Adams Foster – The Fosters/Good Trouble

Callie spent her childhood being tossed around various foster homes.

Through it all she is forced to be a mother figure to her brother, as just a teenager herself. 

During her time in foster care she is faced with abuse. 

As she finally finds a safe place to land with the Adams Fosters, she is allowed to deal with her trauma and becomes an advocate for other foster children. 

Over to you TV Fanatics! What other characters on the shows that you love are stronger because of their pasts? Comment below! 

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The post These Characters Found Strength From Their Tragic Pasts appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff lasted five seasons after premiering in October 1999. 

Thankfully, Entertainment Weekly rounded up the cast and creators of the series, and there were a lot of topics discussed. 

David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, J. August Richards, James Marsters, Amy Acker, and Alexis Denisof gathered with series creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. 

Boreanaz revealed during the sitdown that he thought he was getting fired from Buffy when he was pulled in to the first meeting about the potential spinoff. 

Related: David Boreanaz Reacts to Buffy Reboot

"I think we started talking about the Grateful Dead," Boreanaz dished.

"Then he's like, ‘Yeah, we're thinking about spinning your character off.' And I'm like, ‘alright.'"

But the entire cast and crew were essentially fired a few years later, with the show being canceled. 

The series finale aired in 2004, and it left fans with a lot of emotions, primarily because there wasn't much in the way of closure. 

The world was supposedly coming to an end, and Angel and his surviving team members gathered to take down Wolfram & Hart, once and for all. 

Angel says "Let's go to work" as the final battle commences, but the screen faded to black. 

When Buffy concluded its run, it did so with an epic battle that resulted in Sunnydale being wiped from existence, so fans were clearly expecting something huge with the Angel finale. 

"I understand why people would want closure, but for me, that would be like adding a cliff note to the end," Whedon revealed to Entertainment Weekly.

"What I always wanted to say is trying to become worthy of the life that you have, is a life's work. The fight is for always."

Another key talking point was a moment early in the show's run that had the WB execs at odds with the creators. 

Production came to a grinding halt early because the WB allegedly had issues with just how dark the show was. 

Related: Buffy Reboot in the Works

“[WB execs] completely freaked out, and they were right because in our effort to go dark, we went a little too dark,” Greenwalt says about a scene that involved Angel watching a girl die, before licking her blood up off the ground.

“If you’re gonna go that dark, you have to earn it. So, we shut down for a few weeks, revamped some things and we were off and running.”

But the show was always supposed to be darker than its predecessor. 

“We thought, ‘Let’s do a noir thing that’s about addiction and redemption, and we’ll put them in L.A.,’” Greenwalt added. “The stories will be darker and, more important [and Angel] will be darker.”

The cast of Angel will assemble to celebrate the series at New York Comic Con in October. The issue in question of Entertainment Weekly will be released Friday, June 21. 

What are your thoughts on this?

Hit the comments below. 

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The post Angel Cast Reunites, Talks Controversial Series Finale & More! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Time flies, right?

The show's leading man who played the titular vampire drama, David Boreanaz, stopped by The Talk on Tuesday and dropped quite the bombshell:

A reunion could be in the works!

“We’re coming up on our 20 years,” the actor noted, adding:

“That’s amazing to have been blessed with a show like that. That’s really where I started my gig in this acting world."

Related: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot in the Works

"I love that character," he continued, before he went on to reveal the goodies. 

"So I will say there may be something coming up," he teased. 

"I don’t want to give away a lot. It’s 20 years coming up this fall, and we may have something in the works.”

That was about as far as the conversation went, but it's pretty awesome to think that some sort of reunion could be in the works, right? 

It's hard to imagine a full-fledged revival, but even to have some of the cast members together looking back on the series would be pretty great. 

Angel launched as a spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999 and went on to last 110 episodes. Many thought the series was canceled in its prime. 

There was no conclusive ending. It ended on the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. The story has continued a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer in comic book form, but getting a live-action finale would still be fun … even after all these years. 

The series also boasted a cast that included Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, James Marsters, Mercedes McNab, as well as the late Glenn Quinn and Andy Hallett.

Related: David Boreanaz Defends Buffy Reboot

Boreanaz was revealed last fall that he was open to the idea of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot which was revealed last summer. 

“Come on, guys, it’s a good thing,” he told the crowd who did not seem excited at the prospect of a reboot, adding:

“Let’s just embrace [it]. I’m very happy for them. They want to embrace a new generation, something new.

“Everybody wants old, they want to go back, which I can understand,” he continued.

“You want to see us back in these roles. It’s great, it’s cool, [but] things move on, stories evolve, times change. I think it’s a great opportunity for a reboot like this to show where we are with society now, what you can do with technology… I’m all for it.”

He even went as far as giving his blessing for another actor to take on the role of Angel. 

“If someone can step in my shoes and play my character, f–k, go ahead!” he laughed. “I think that’s great, because I ain’t putting on that makeup anymore!”

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Okay, Angel Fanatics!

What would you like to happen? 

Hit the comments below. 

The post Angel Reunion: David Boreanaz Teases ‘Something Is In the Works’ appeared first on TV Fanatic.