Scarefest: Canada's Haunted Attraction Convention

Attention fans of Halloween, and all things ghoulish: the 9th annual Scarefest Canada is taking place on Saturday, July 27th in Thornhill, ON. Brought to you by the Canadian Haunters Association, it's a one-of-a-kind show that caters to owners/operators of professional haunted houses, actors, home haunters, artists and halloween enthusiasts in the Canadian haunt industry. Admission is just $10.00, while kids 10 and under are FREE. For more information, visit the official website: Scarefest Canada.

Vampires in Variety Programming (part 3)

The following post is based on a paper I presented at TV Fangdom: A Conference on Television Vampires (June 7-8, 2013). There is much discussion devoted to modern vampires, in series such as True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Vampire Diaries. But to truly appreciate today's bloodsuckers, one must explore how they evolved on television, a process that has spanned over sixty years.

In part three of this lighthearted look at TV vampires, I examine modern productions, from 1990-Present. (Read part one | Read part two)

Vampires in Variety Programming (part 2)

The following post is based on a paper I presented at TV Fangdom: A Conference on Television Vampires (June 7-8, 2013). There is much discussion devoted to modern vampires, in series such as True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Vampire Diaries. But to truly appreciate today's bloodsuckers, one must explore how they evolved on television, a process that has spanned over sixty years.

In part two of this lighthearted look at TV vampires, I examine the "decades of decadence," from 1970-1989. (Read part one | Read part three)

Vampires in Variety Programming (part 1)

The following post is based on a paper I presented at TV Fangdom: A Conference on Television Vampires (June 7-8, 2013). There is much discussion devoted to modern vampires, in series such as True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Vampire Diaries. But to truly appreciate today's bloodsuckers, one must explore how they evolved on television, a process that has spanned over sixty years.

In part one of this lighthearted look at TV vampires, I examine the pioneering years, from 1949-1969. (Read part two | Read part three)

Vampire Series: The Worst

After compiling a list of my top 10 vampire series, I thought it would be amiss if I didn't also come up with a list of the worst. I'm usually happy when I see a new vampire series go to air, because if it's successful, then there's a good chance that even more opportunities will arise for undead storytelling. That said, when a series comes along that is absolutely horrible, it doesn't help the cause. Thankfully, I could only come up with three such examples.

Vampire Series: The Best

As the TV Fangdom conference approaches (which I'll be attending!), I've starting thinking a lot about my favourite vampires on television. As such, I've decided to post a series of blog entries detailing the best and worst of undead TV--beginning with television series. Here are my top ten favourites: