For the Final Day of 31 Days of Vampire Movies, I’m going to cheat a little, because this one isn’t a movie, it’s a TV series. But, it’s my list, so I can do whatever I want with it. And I’m putting this one here because it was a formative vampire media experience for baby bat Zevon, a little weirdo who loved vampire movies and spooky stuff but had little access to either back in early 90’s Appalachia. So, with no further ado, here is my favorite vampire TV show: Forever Knight.
Forever Knight first appeared on a block of shows on CBS dubbed Crime Time After Prime Time. It was a spin-off of a made for TV movie called Nick Knight, starring Rick Springfield (yeah the Jessie’s Girl Guy) which was made to be a TV pilot but never got picked up. Instead, it was retooled into Forever Knight, and the first two episodes are a retelling of the Made for TV Movie, with a few changes that work for the better in my opinion. Geraint Wyn Davies makes a much better Nick, showing out with a roguish charm that can turn both brooding and vicious on a dime. And of course, Nigel Bennett steals the show and everything else not nailed down with his turn as Lucien LaCroix, an overarching villain in the series and Nick’s own personal devil on his shoulder. Deborah Duchene absolutely smolders as Nick’s sometimes lover, sometimes nemesis fellow vampire Janette, and Catherine Disher plays a wonderful confidante and eventual love interest for Nick. As a coroner, she holds her own against all the supernatural shenanigans, and works to help Nick overcome his addiction to blood and try to find his way out of his vampiric curse and back to being human again.
Don’t get me wrong, the show can be all kinds of cheesy, as typical of early 90s TV shows (and vampire shows in general) but that cheesiness is part of its charm. It’s a stylish show that does a lot with its budget, and it makes its characters both charismatic and believable. It’s a hoot and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves vampires.
So there you have it, my friends. 31 Days of Vampire Movies has come to an end, but I hope I’ve given you all lots of ideas for movie nights, and maybe even introduced you to some movies that you may have missed the first time around. As always, stay spooky, and watch the shadows. You never know what you may find out there.
Happy Halloween!