TV: Ultraviolet

There's been a ton of vampire-related TV series, ranging in quality from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to "Port Charles." While most of these treatments tend towards camp or sensationalism, very few take the vampire mythos in a serious tone. One of the genuinely watchable examples of this approach is "Ultraviolet," a 1998 British show that is not to be confused with the awful 2006 film starring Milla Jovovich (I'll post about that horrid affair later).

The show is often compared to "The X-Files," though really it's more like a cop show than anything else. In the story, vampires are real and organizing to influence world events. Consequently, human governments commission agencies to investigate and contain the growing threat. To add to the mystique, the word "vampire" is never used - they're called "leeches" or "Code Fives" instead.

Instead of wooden stakes, the main characters use HK USPs with frangible carbon bullets. Instead of mirrors and garlic, they use handgun rail-mounted video cameras and allicin tear gas. The vampires, too, have also adapted to the modern world - they wear body armor and have many connections with human financial institutions.

Only six 1-hour episodes were ever made, and you can find all of them in one convenient DVD set. I think it's worth picking up. This trailer does a pretty good job of showing the series off, though the music is out of place: