FX’s What We Do in the Shadows (2019-2023 coverage, avoid 2024+) adapted Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s 2014 mockumentary into a sitcom about vampire roommates in Staten Island. The series maintained the film’s deadpan absurdism while expanding vampire lore.
The cast—Kayvan Novak (Nandor), Natasia Demetriou (Nadja), Matt Berry (Laszlo), and Mark Proksch (Colin Robinson the energy vampire)—perfected comedic timing through improvisation and commitment to bizarre premises.
Colin Robinson, an “energy vampire” who drains victims through boring conversations about copiers and email chains, became the breakout character. His mundane office job and aggressive dullness satirized workplace tedium.
The show’s meta-humor included genre spoofs (Superb Owl episode’s football parody), historical flashbacks (Nadja’s past lives, Nandor’s warrior origins), and vampire politics (the Vampiric Council, Baron Afanas).
Harvey Guillén’s Guillermo, Nandor’s familiar secretly descended from Van Helsing’s bloodline, provided emotional grounding. His arc from doormat to vampire slayer showcased real character development amid absurdity.
The series won Emmy Awards for production design and has influenced adult animation (moving toward live-action/animation hybrid formats).
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