The Reluctant Vampire is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with Tom Davis praising Lenny Rush and revealing what it was like to bring Eric Morecambe’s beloved characters back to life.
Where to Watch: The new BBC comedy The Reluctant Vampire premieres on Sunday, October 4, 2026, with the first episode airing on BBC One at 6.40pm and the complete six-episode box set available on BBC iPlayer from 6am that morning.
Starring Lenny Rush, Tom Davis and Sian Clifford, the six-part sitcom is based on Eric Morecambe’s The Reluctant Vampire books and has been adapted for television by Rob and Neil Gibbons, the writers behind Alan Partridge.
Rush plays Val, a young vampire who discovers a rather inconvenient truth: he is not actually a vampire.
His discovery forces him to lead a double life as he explores his newly discovered human side while attempting to keep his secret from his vampire family.
Davis plays Victor, Val’s father and the patriarch of the family, who is deeply committed to vampire traditions and has high expectations for his son.
The Reluctant Vampire: What is the BBC comedy about?
Set around a vampire castle overlooking a typical English village, The Reluctant Vampire follows Val as he attempts to reconcile his family identity with the discovery that he is actually human.
Val has grown up surrounded by the traditions and expectations of vampire life, but his inability to master the usual bloodthirsty rites of passage becomes increasingly difficult to hide.
After discovering his own reflection, Val realises he is alive rather than undead. He then begins exploring his human side with the help of village girl Gertie, played by Ellie May Sheridan, while trying to ensure the locals do not discover his secret.
At home, however, Val has to contend with his traditionalist father Victor, suspicious brother Vernon, played by Gabriel Nagy, and his mother Valeeta, played by Sian Clifford, who already knows the truth about her son.
The series mixes the family story with a wider cast of supernatural and comic characters, including gargoyles, a werewolf and vampire hunters.
Tom Davis on playing Victor in The Reluctant Vampire
Davis, known for King Gary and Wonka, takes on the role of Victor, Val’s larger-than-life vampire father.
Asked how he felt when he first read the scripts, Davis said:
“I was blown away, I’d been a fan of the books as a kid and the Gibbons brothers perfectly encapsulated Eric Morecambe’s writing and tone.”
For Davis, taking part in the BBC adaptation was also an opportunity to become part of Morecambe’s enduring comedy legacy.
Asked what it was like bringing the characters to life, he said:
“It was a real joy. It felt like a really special thing to be trusted to work on a show that felt it was part of the Eric Morecambe legacy.”
The series is based on Morecambe’s books and has been developed for television by Rob and Neil Gibbons. Gary Morecambe, Eric Morecambe’s son, has also been involved as script consultant.
Tom Davis praises Lenny Rush as The Reluctant Vampire’s young star
One of the central relationships in the series is between Victor and his son Val, with Davis sharing the screen with Rush and Sian Clifford as part of the vampire family.
Davis said the cast developed an immediate connection during filming:
“I think the instant chemistry between us all. Lenny, Sian and Gabe are all so brilliantly talented and such fun to be around. The laughs we had behind the camera quickly transferred to on camera. Lenny Rush is a superstar, his ability to navigate the laughs and the heart of this show left me in complete awe.”
Rush leads the series as Val following his BAFTA-winning performance in Am I Being Unreasonable? and his role in Slow Horses.
His performance is at the centre of a story about identity, family expectations and growing up, albeit with a vampire twist.
How Tom Davis describes Victor in The Reluctant Vampire
Victor is not exactly a low-key parent.
Asked to describe his character in three words, Davis offered a particularly succinct assessment:
“Pompous, bumbling, idiot.”
Victor’s obsession with vampire traditions creates much of the pressure surrounding Val as the teenager attempts to hide his increasingly complicated secret.
The character also helps establish the show’s central comic tension: Val is expected to behave like a vampire while privately discovering that he is actually human.
The Reluctant Vampire cast includes a host of comedy favourites
The BBC series has assembled a large ensemble of British comedy talent alongside its three central stars.
Charlie Cooper plays John, while Esther Smith plays Susan. Their daughter Gertie, played by Ellie May Sheridan, becomes an important part of Val’s new human life.
The cast also includes Asim Chaudhry, Joe Wilkinson, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Bill Bailey, Ray Fearon and Ross Noble. Bailey and Noble play the castle’s gargoyles, while Wilkinson appears as Wilf the Werewolf and Chaudhry plays Igon.
Davis singled out several of his fellow performers when discussing the series:
“The cast of this show is stacked, it really is a special thing to have been a part of. I think everyone brought something unique to the show – Joe Wilkinson, Asim Chaudhry, Esther Smith and Charlie Cooper are all incredible performers I’ve known for years and was so excited to work alongside. Bill Bailey and Ross Noble are comedy royalty and every scene they’re in is an utter master class. Ellie-May Sheridan is someone to watch, she has so much talent and lights up the screen whenever she’s on it.”
The ensemble is one of the major draws of the new BBC comedy, bringing together performers from shows including Ghosts, People Just Do Nothing, This Country, Trying and After Life.
Tom Davis reveals the joke that stood out from The Reluctant Vampire
The series promises plenty of comic dialogue as Val attempts to navigate his two conflicting worlds.
Asked whether any of the show’s one-liners or filming moments particularly stood out, Davis highlighted the writing:
“The dialogue and the jokes are so deftly written you’re constantly just trying to do them justice. There is a line about Moths and Butterflies that just wooed me from the first read, you’re then just hoping that you land those brilliant lines.”
The scripts were written by brothers Rob and Neil Gibbons, whose previous credits include Alan Partridge. The series is produced by Boffola Pictures, with Shane Allen serving as executive producer, Ali Marlow as series producer and Emily McDonald directing.
The Reluctant Vampire BBC release date and how to watch
The Reluctant Vampire premieres on BBC One on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 6.40pm.
The complete six-episode series will also be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am on October 4, meaning viewers can watch the full box set from the day of the broadcast premiere.
Each episode runs for approximately 30 minutes, with the series comprising six episodes.
The Reluctant Vampire cast
The main cast includes:
- Lenny Rush as Val
- Tom Davis as Victor
- Sian Clifford as Valeeta
- Gabriel Nagy as Vernon
- Charlie Cooper as John
- Esther Smith as Susan
- Ellie May Sheridan as Gertie
- Asim Chaudhry as Igon
- Joe Wilkinson as Wilf the Werewolf
- Bill Bailey as Guy the Gargoyle
- Ross Noble as Gary the Gargoyle
- Kiell Smith-Bynoe
- Ray Fearon
The series is based on Eric Morecambe’s books and was commissioned for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Why The Reluctant Vampire could be one of BBC’s standout new comedies
At its heart, The Reluctant Vampire is a coming-of-age story about a young person discovering that the identity expected of him by his family does not necessarily match who he really is.
The supernatural setting gives that familiar theme an unusual comic spin, with Val caught between his vampire upbringing and his newly discovered human identity.
For Tom Davis, the opportunity to work with the material also carries an added significance because of its connection to Morecambe.
His comments suggest that the production has approached the source material with an emphasis on preserving the spirit of Morecambe’s writing while creating a new story for a contemporary BBC audience.
With Lenny Rush at its centre and a cast packed with established British comedy performers, The Reluctant Vampire arrives on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this October as a new take on the vampire comedy genre — with one very reluctant vampire at its heart.
The Reluctant Vampire starts Sunday, October 4 at 6.40pm on BBC One, with all six episodes available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
Get entertainment news, where to watch guides & lifestyle/travel recommendations in your inbox for free:
Discover where to stream the best TV shows and movies. Get fresh entertainment news, streaming guides, and real-life pop culture experiences at WhereToWatch.tv.
Share this post with someone you think would like it…