Television series

The Originals

Name: The Originals
Genre: Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Released: 2013
Cast: Joseph Morgan, Charles Michael Davis, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Danielle Campbell

The Originals drops Klaus Mikaelson and his ancient, endlessly bickering vampire family into the New Orleans they built centuries ago and lets them fight to reclaim it. It's lush, soapy, gothic melodrama: witches, werewolves and vampires scheming over territory and each other, with family loyalty as toxic as it is unbreakable. Best for anyone who wants their immortals petty, their romances doomed, and their siblings genuinely dangerous.

TVMaze rating

8.3

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

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But Stagey 1970s production values and deliberately theatrical pacing, with zero supernatural element.

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What We Do in the Shadows2014

Same vampire-politics furniture - ancient rivalries, hierarchy, centuries-old grudges - stripped of prestige and turned inside out for comedy.

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