The gap was because the show was cancelled. A bunch of people wrote into the BBC asking for it to be brought back (including little me!) so they eventually brought it back. A rare case of a cancelled show being brought back because of fan response. it's also why the tone is darker in the later seasons because they were bringing it back for fans of the original show who were now older so could handle/would want more grown up themes
I also wrote in I remember it being a big deal at the time because lots of children bagged for it to return such a good show especially when you couldn’t afford TV
@@mujiescomedy279 Yeah the way they ended series 2 was great. They built up so many character arcs perfectly, brought them together and then left it on such a brutal cliffhanger, I remember going crazy as a kid for years because of it
I wrote in too, and I think there was a petition going around that I signed. It's such a genius show, even at 29 it's one of my favourite comfort shows. The writing really stood the test of time.
The way this show went from goofy Halloween special hijinks, to a damn near Shakespearean drama, is truly iconic. Also, they didn't really "choose" to take Count as their human surname for any reason. People just kept addressing their dad as "Mr.....?" and he would correct them with "Count", which the humans misunderstood as his surname, not title.
The moment that sticks out to me the most is from the episode where Vlad accidentally hypnotises his dad into thinking he's human, and he tells Ingrid he loves her, and she starts crying while her dad is hugging her. All she wanted was to be loved. Except when she wanted to rule the world out of spite.
I was obsessed with season 1 and 2 then I got “too old” for CBBC shows. And then years later I started babysitting and saw that those kids were watching new Young Dracula was - I decided to binge the entire series and it was INCREDIBLE! But I always missed Robin
I actually wish they had kept Magda as Vlad’s mother myself. Besides the fact the whole Half-Vampire cliche, I just liked that he had a bad mother as well. Don’t know why but I feel like having a bad mother like Magda also made Vlad’s character more interesting for some reason, plus bad mother’s were pretty rare on kids shows back then. But I am probably mis-remembering things.
I didn’t fine him attractive until season 3. And the way he was being so protective of Erin when she was injured before he bit her made me want someone to be like that for me. But brown hair and brown eyes in a guy has always been my kryptonite!
The continuity error might actually not be an issue - vamps don't appear in photos from older cameras (like the one Van Helsing was using) because they use mirrors. But modern digital cameras don't use mirrors so a modern camera set up would be able to see them
They don't show up in mirrors because mirrors used to be backed with silver, and they didn't show up on old school film because it used silver. It's the same reasoning behind silver bullets killing werewolves or whatever, silver is a precious and pure metal that makes perfect reflections, clearly it's divine to some extent and able to destroy impure or evil creatures. Modern mirrors of course aren't backed by silver, it's expensive and we have aluminium which bonds a lot better to give a nicer finish. Old silver mirrors used to require a tin impurity to the glass so the silver could bond to the tin, which had to be very evenly distributed or the mirror would have cloudy spots and precisely measured(too much and the glass would become very brittle, too little and the silver wouldn't bond evenly). Theoretically a modern vampire would appear in both mirrors and photographs.
@@scragar the silver mirror thing is BS spread by a tumblr post that everyone keeps parroting and it isn't true. They can't see their reflection in anything PERIOD or be taken photos of as it was believed reflections are a person's very soul, something which a vampire no longer has. Cameras were also believed to steal the person's soul in certains groups of people, like the Chinese.
I'd believe you only if the myth wasn't about reflection of the soul and nothing to do with mirrors silver is also a vampires weakness because???......... It's shiny and you can see your reflection in it. But good try love the enthusiasm.
@@ashleytaylor7621 silver as a weakness to vampires is also a modern thing. This is all easy to verify, look it up. Most of it stems from Bram Stoker's Dracula, where there is no mention of silver and the mirror/reflection thing I explained is from.
@@ashleytaylor7621 also if you go back to before the tumblr post was made (2017) there is no mention of the silver backed mirror myth in Google search results.
To See a Young Dracula Video on my FYP was not what I expected today, but thank you for this blast from the past. I actually own the book it’s “based on” and it’s really very different, maybe it’s inspired by it? But when I read it I just head-cannoned it as being about the dad when he was younger (this was before the reveal of an older brother and I though maybe Ivan just wasn’t born yet) Which would make the Counts name Wilfred or Smirk. Which I think is hilarious and is maybe the reason he only ever goes by Count
I used to adore this show as a kid. Coming home from school watching CBBC. Shows like trapped, prank patrol, the story of tracy beaker, school of silence and young Dracula. I do however remember losing Interest as the show became more serious than it's original comedic roots. I watched it again as the adult I reluctantly became and have grown to appreciate its spooky greatness. I remember relating to Ingrid being the only girl in my family. The episode I have stuck in my head is when Magda appears pregnant and how quickly Dracula is at her feet despite the obvious that Patrick the wolf is the actual daddy. lol "He's a baby, a puppy" iconic. Also the episode when Vlad accidentally hypnotises his dad into being "normal"
YES I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Young Dracula is a show that really is better than it has any right to be. Obviously as a CBBC show, you can’t exactly expect TVD level storytelling or effects, but for what what it could do? It was capable of coming really close. Even back in the more “kid friendly” Stokely era of S1 and 2, it was dark, serious, even gritty at times. It took itself and its content seriously and actually delved a lot into what it would be like for Vlad, and the people around him to be living with Count Dracula… but it was mostly really, really funny. The show has an almost unrivalled ability to make comedy out of some pretty dark concepts and ideas, because of where it is. Keith Lee Castle’s immaculate performance of the Count as a threatening but also blustering figure who was as powerful and scary as he was pitiable and pathetic. It’s a very nuanced and complex take on the character as he never outright abandons his sinister nature, but you can expect a lot more goofy moments from him than the majority of Dracula depictions without undercutting his evil. It’s really well done. The same goes for Vlad, who so often protests about the notion of being a vampire… but on some level, it’s really clear he wants to be. Or at least, he wants to be his father’s son. In the episodes where his status as heir is disputed, Vlad takes it very seriously and very personally, and wants to be the apple of his father’s eye again, which you wouldn’t expect in the scenes where he’s whining about how much he wants to be normal, but it is very clear that he craves that position even if he doesn’t like all the expectations that come along with it. (Although they couldn’t have come up with a less sympathetic character if they tried. Bro was born into the vampire life and he wants out??? I couldn’t relate less if I tried 💀) Be that as it may, the Stokely era balanced a somewhat dark premise with a healthy sense of humour that made these characters funny as well as interesting. The Garside era, however, leaned much more into the drama. For S1 and 2, they existed before the huge explosion of vampire media in the late 2000s, so they were mostly working off of existing tropes and doing their own thing, but for S3, you can tell that had an impact. The higher quality cameras, more serious tone, higher budget, more complex, season long stories and so forth were all clearly trying to ride the high of the Twilight and TVD waves of the time, understandably so. Though the series never lost its identity and while it took inspiration from them, it was never trying to be them. This Dracula family is entirely distinct in the world of vampire media, and I do think it’s a shame that the series was only on CBBC to an extent, because it deserved to be much more beloved and widespread. The series is not perfect, especially with some of the writing choices in late S4 and most DEFINITELY in S5 where they just gave up, but it is a consistently enjoyable experience. Vlad, the Count, Ingrid, Renfield, Eric, Jonno and so on are all characters about which I could say so much, because they all deserve the attention - Ingrid especially, I really haven’t said enough about my favourite character but she is such a gem of a character. Young Dracula was just… good, even if never perfect. It had a defined identity of being a somewhat light hearted comedy which was based in the macabre and sinister world of blood sucking demons of the night. It’s cast were all sublime, it’s aesthetic was on point and it’s tone allowed itself to be fun without ever being goofy nonsense - some Renfield scenes notwithstanding lol. It remains one of the best vampire related pieces of media I’ve seen, and I cannot sing its praises highly enough.
yes i agree overall this show was good you can tell the writer genuinely cared about making a good kids show which not all creators of kids content do. whilst i have a one sided beef with count Dracula he is the most constant character throughout the show he just wants to have vampire fun. i do understand vlad resistance to not wanting to embrace the title of count dracula having your whole life planned out for you, where you live, where you can go out, what you will do when you grow up and who you will marry can not be easy for a child to grasp.
This was actually the only reason I watched Being Human, because Robin finally got his wish lmao. Actually ended up loving that series though of course.
My dad worked and designed the sets for later seasons so when I was young I got to see some of the sets a lot but also got to meet the guy who played Count Dracula and he was really nice
ty for making my dreams come true, i love this show! fave production fact is that the role of the count was written for David Bowie, Keith-Lee Castle is fantastic but can only imagine what the show could've been
I was a massive Young Dracula fan as a kid, and personally, my preference will always be towards the first two series, mainly because I feel like the comedic tone fit the show better than than the darker, teen drama that came after. The darker tone of the S3 started off quite enjoyable as it helped to establish the characters after such a long absence while also adding a new dimension to the story, but as the show went on, I feel like they were just throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. E.g. everything in S3 was building up to the Praedictum Impaver being opened, but this turned out to be such an anti-climax as Sethius was resurrected for about 5 mins before he was defeated him and never mentioned it again. It seems like because the writers wanted more drama, they overcomplicated the story by adding more characters, plot points and vampire lore, which just led to unsatisfying payoffs and lot of characters with wasted potential e.g. Bertrand, Erin, Zoltan, Wolfie. In contrast, S1 and 2 was kept quite simple with the focus mainly being on developing the main cast of characters while keeping the show fun, which allowed them to execute such a great cliffhanger at the end of S2. This also brought the best out of characters like Van Helsing, Count, Zoltan, Renfield and Robin as they were able to contrast the darker moments with lighter comedic elements, making the show more enjoyable. I think one problem that held the show back after the revival was the lack of a consistent antagonist. Even though they tried it with the Ramangas, they didn't feel like a united threat for reasons such as the brothers coming across as less bloodthirsty and being more content with just getting even. If we look at the feud between the Draculas and Van Helsings during S1 and 2, it added a lot of depth to the story as it allowed us to connect with both sides. This rivalry grew as the show progressed as the hatred for each other strengthened. The contrast between Vlad and Johnny was also very symbolic as they were two boys that refused to follow the ways of their fathers but once Johnny realised the truth about vampires, he fully embraced his father's dream while Vlad remained determined to break the mould. Imo as they were building up Sethius in S3, they should have kept him as the main antagonist for S4, with Ingrid and other powerful vampires joining his side. This would've significantly raised the stakes and would've allowed writers to explore just how strong Vlad could become by overcoming such a powerful villain. Malik also would have also been a good foil for Vlad but his own character arc left a lot to be desired. I too agree that Ingrid was one of the best characters overall, but her character suffered from a lack of direction in the revival. Her dynamic with Vlad was really well done in S1 and 2, particularly as their vampiric nature accentuated their natural sibling rivalry, but in the rest of the show, it felt like overall there wasn't much progression, despite them being two of the most powerful and important characters. The lack of consistent character motivations hinders her as even though she still seeks power, sometimes it's because she is spurred on by revenge or causing chaos while other times she is chasing influence by trying to get on the High Council. This really hinders her development as even after 5 series, she admits that she doesn't really know why she schemes against her brother. I did enjoy that at times she was a caring older sister to Wolfie, which contrasted how she was with Vlad, but Wolfie himself was disappointingly underutilised. I also felt like having Piers there in S5 took away from her character as well. There were some funny moments between the two but their dynamic felt rushed and at times made Ingrid seem a bit helpless and meek. Even as she started liking him, we saw how she was around Will and after all she's said about Vlad and Count liking breathers, her acting like that felt a little bit out of character. There's also the fact that her 'happy ending' was Piers giving her 50% of Garside, which was extremely underwhelming. I would also like to say that I actually enjoyed the interactions between the Count and Ingrid in the first 2 series as it was such an important part of both their characters. It established some conflict between the two, giving Ingrid the motivation and the drive to prove her dad wrong and become a powerful vampire. This is one of the reasons why her rise to power during S2 is so well done as it pushes her to take control of her new powers and fight back, which culminated in a really powerful moment, her ascension to the throne after leaving her family for dead. What also made the dynamic better was the fact that she was a lot similar to the Count than they'd both like to think, so she would also get him back a few times too, like the Halloween jump scare and the blood mirror prank. This back and forth is something I wish would have been focused more on at Garside as I feel like it would have naturally strengthened their relationship. The half-breather revelation was also a major gripe of mine as it undermined previous storylines as well as Vlad's own character, especially from S1 and 2 when he was desperately having to battle wanting to be a breather and fulfilling his destiny as a vampire. It may have worked if they had built it up as a possibility earlier on, but ultimately, it just felt very tacky and hastily written. Overall, after the success of S1 and 2, it was always going to be tough to revive the show after 4 years and I liked the fact they tried something different with the tone of the show. Even though there were parts I thought could've been done better, I still found it the episodes thoroughly entertaining and it will always be one of my favourite CBBC shows of that area.
I fully agree with all this and I think well I like to believe if the setting never changed it would’ve been just as good as S1 and 2 but with a bit more of a story with different characters. I do firmly believe season 2 was setting things up for a story with how episodes began to follow each other or have links for example Will and Ingrid’s relationship, Ingrid becoming a vampire etc etc. which furthers this belief is wills death :( and Ingrid’s final lines. Her final lines also tie into my problem with the future seasons. There is so many unanswered questions about some characters most notably the Branaghs. Overall I absolutely love young Dracula and I do solemnly wished that the setting stayed the same but things happen understandably, but by the move of setting the feeling is definitely different and some characters lack their drive/characteristics as you mentioned: Ingrid.
This show was the first time I ever saw two chaotic parents on TV who were not only separated but had also never been married in the first place, and they were also (to me at least) the coolest family in the town. It was very affirming to me as a child
This is one of my fave shows growing up. I think they jumped the shark a bit and made it too complicated. I loved it when it was just a sitcom family/ growing up/ fish out of water show just with vampires and them hiding it, like Sabrina or my parents are aliens. Then in the later seasons it become very serious and lore heavy with proper vampire slayers and half bloods. I loved it when it seemed like only a few ‘weird’ people like Van Helsing knew about the vamps.
Ingrid, Vlad, and the Count were every queer British kid's awakening, I swear. I wish you had done a little segment on Count Dracula, I feel like his character is very unlikable at first but there are so many layers to him that are revealed that kind of explain his behaviour. It's not an excuse for the way he treats people, but a lot of it genuinely seems to come down to insecurity. Largely due to the fact that he gets so romantically attached to Breathers which is considered taboo within vampire society. I think the fact that he is so harsh on Vlad for being intrigued by human life is because he himself has a degree of that intrigue.
Yo, I love this show for years and I never knew there was a book! I love Count Dracula though, he's so evil and I feel he's the best dracula ever, his being horrible and to such a campy exaggerated degree but it not feeling over the top, is perfect. Ingrid is my favourite character though and her transformation episode will live in my heart forever.
Ingrid was for me what the Hex Girls were for a lot of other people… IYKYK. I didn’t fully understand the Branagh twins when I was very young and watching S1/2 but around the time of S3 when I was a bit older? …Yeah, I got it. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
it's such a pity the show had so many inconsistencies and underdeveloped characters. like... i binge-watched it recently after a decade and kept stumbling upon rules that fully contradicted the previous ones. then, ingrid was a character who was treated poorly, i wish they developed her better without needing a man next to her -same goes to erin and talitha. another bit that really made me notice that the writing had some issues was the fact that vlad barely acknowledges the fact that he killed the only person he could trust. he had no friends since season two, which is sad, and when he could finally have one, but ended up killing him, we get only one (1) mention about it and we move on. you would think vlad should've had a bigger scene coming into realization of him being fully alone now... some dramatic scenes to feel his character's feelings... but we didn't get that :( although i appreciate that the count had a great character development! the one i expected the least to ahaha anyway, it was a fun show with wasted potential
This show was great! I have the first two books in the Twilight series signed by Ingrid's actress after seeing the cast at conventions on two seperate occasions - my dad suggested it and it was pretty funny. They seem like a great group of people and definitely made us feel welcomed to say hello and get autographs even during what must have been exhausting days for them. My sister actually ran into Van Helsing's actor whilst catching a train another time and he was thrilled to be recognised by her.
This is legit my favorite show no kidding so it's nice to see people make videos about it, I just recently showed this to my dad as well and he likes it to!, I remember watching this show when it first started back in 2006 and having to rush home from school to catch it (those were the days), I personalty think both the older season and the newer later three seasons are just as good but in different ways!, I love both the dynamics of season 1-2 and 3-5 even though they are different, I love how the first seasons are more episodic and I love the comedy of them not to mention how much I loved Robin and Van Helsing but even when they left in season 3 onwards I still love the direction they went with it and how they made it into more of a serious story driven show, both the early and late seasons have there place in my heart forever and anytime I watch I get a huge smile on my face,
Firstly thank you so much for this video! This is legit my favourite show ever that I've rewatched countless times though I am now an adult. I have been looking for some kind of video essay on this show for so long so thank you again. I have to say I 100% get your view of the count but he's probably the reason some red flags deserve a chance
I actually love Count Dracula in this show. Not because I support what he does or how he treats either of his children but just bc he's so entertaining. I don't think I would have liked it anywhere near as much if he had been 1. a better parent or 2. a true villain. The fact that we just got this out of touch, old fashioned, kind of stupid mess of a man was the highlight for me looking back
Wait...I didn't know they brought it back! Thank you for this vital information. I shall now go rewatch and finish it before watching the rest of this video
i forgot about this show. thank you for bringing it back into my brain haha. I moved from the UK to Aus as a little kid and my sister was obsessed with Tracey Beaker. We got some CBBC shows and a bunch of canadian shows for some reason here in Aus.
thank the lord the fandom is alive and well, can't get over how good it was and I would love a revisit before CBBC closes but that's near impossible. I aint gonna lie imo the change in writers in season 5 messed it up, even dialog and established plot lines got blurred in s5. season 4 had so much extra material that could have brought potential for season 5, idk why the writers didn't revise all the previous seasons to build a better setup for s5
I'm so excited to watch this, I only discovered Young Dracula last year and it's my ultimate comfort show. Love that it gets more attention!!! I love it so much
I loved this show! I remember it came out when i was in mid-high school and loved it ever since. I liked the humour 😅. It was nice to see the characters grow and evolve. I agree Season 3 was the best. 😊
I loved this series, and got me interested in the paranormal genre. Everything started to get far fetched for me in 4th and 5th seasons. So much random lore and characters coming and going was hard to keep track of at times on the first watch. Was quite complicated for teens it was targeted for I feel. I got into Being Human on BBC Three in my late teens which I recommend to fans of this show who are older. Also has Robin’s actor in it and focuses on ghosts, vampires and werewolves trying to live under the radar about their ‘supernatural sides’ in suburban areas, and all the drama that comes with it.
I always thought that perhaps due to the fact they were in hiding at a school, vlad and count agreed that delaying vlad’s 16 yr transformation was best, you need to be in front of the mirror and they had it locked away, until he just couldn’t resist the pull anymore. Vamps can’t be seen in cameras but maybe she used mirrorless cameras? shoulda used the heat detecting thing from before… I loved the revelation that vlad was half human, it made sense and it made him a bridge for both races. Would have been great to see him just as impactful as his evil side we saw for one episode but at the end where it’s like ‘here he is! But he’s good!’ What I didn’t like was the retconning of his vampire side like his burning in sunlight too quickly coz the show, in two episodes needed to drop this info, so yay in a matter of days he finds out he can tolerate sunlight better, ok weird. Merlin is my favourite show of all, and it’s interesting you bring it up. I for one love watching the loving father/son relationship with Count Dracula and vlad and get frustrated with county when he constantly resets to ‘disappointed’ and disowning dad, as well as his treatment of Ingrid. But it parallels Merlin. Vlad is Arthur/merlin, county is Uther, Ingrid is morgana. As much as watching the two shows frustrates my adult brain a bit with its character resets and messy plots, I know they are kid shows and they are what got me into vampires and arthurian legend so I love them haha.
I always made time for this show growing up and as an adult I’ve occasionally rewatch it . The cast was very good I was able to relate to all of the kids characters and now some of the adult characters lol .
i need you to know that I, an american child at the time, came across this tv show..... somewhere??? and genuinely enjoyed watching it so so much. I still don't know where I watched this years ago.....
The gap was because the show was cancelled. A bunch of people wrote into the BBC asking for it to be brought back (including little me!) so they eventually brought it back. A rare case of a cancelled show being brought back because of fan response. it's also why the tone is darker in the later seasons because they were bringing it back for fans of the original show who were now older so could handle/would want more grown up themes
complaining works yay
And they cancelled it after the season 2 cliffhanger too
I also wrote in I remember it being a big deal at the time because lots of children bagged for it to return such a good show especially when you couldn’t afford TV
@@mujiescomedy279 Yeah the way they ended series 2 was great. They built up so many character arcs perfectly, brought them together and then left it on such a brutal cliffhanger, I remember going crazy as a kid for years because of it
I wrote in too, and I think there was a petition going around that I signed. It's such a genius show, even at 29 it's one of my favourite comfort shows. The writing really stood the test of time.
The way this show went from goofy Halloween special hijinks, to a damn near Shakespearean drama, is truly iconic.
Also, they didn't really "choose" to take Count as their human surname for any reason. People just kept addressing their dad as "Mr.....?" and he would correct them with "Count", which the humans misunderstood as his surname, not title.
Ah, A "Mr. Doctor" joke. Always fun.
This and Wolf Blood were two very good fantasy shows on British TV. I thoroughly enjoyed them.
iconic shows
What about Nowhere boys?
@@Mocha_teas I can't remember the last time i thought of that
loved the spartacle mystery too
@@timurthekingshiii I forgot about that, actual flame
The moment that sticks out to me the most is from the episode where Vlad accidentally hypnotises his dad into thinking he's human, and he tells Ingrid he loves her, and she starts crying while her dad is hugging her. All she wanted was to be loved. Except when she wanted to rule the world out of spite.
Oh my God, I remember him being hypnotised! I remember so little about this show, so the video will be a great trip down memory lane.
I was obsessed with season 1 and 2 then I got “too old” for CBBC shows. And then years later I started babysitting and saw that those kids were watching new Young Dracula was - I decided to binge the entire series and it was INCREDIBLE! But I always missed Robin
bring robin back
I actually wish they had kept Magda as Vlad’s mother myself. Besides the fact the whole Half-Vampire cliche, I just liked that he had a bad mother as well.
Don’t know why but I feel like having a bad mother like Magda also made Vlad’s character more interesting for some reason, plus bad mother’s were pretty rare on kids shows back then. But I am probably mis-remembering things.
i missed magda
I agree
The way vlad had me in a chokehold as a kid, i loved him soo much it infulanced my taste in men in adulthood (pale dark haired men)
Jesus can save u
@@Jack-cr5jy I don't want to be saved
I didn’t fine him attractive until season 3. And the way he was being so protective of Erin when she was injured before he bit her made me want someone to be like that for me. But brown hair and brown eyes in a guy has always been my kryptonite!
The continuity error might actually not be an issue - vamps don't appear in photos from older cameras (like the one Van Helsing was using) because they use mirrors. But modern digital cameras don't use mirrors so a modern camera set up would be able to see them
They don't show up in mirrors because mirrors used to be backed with silver, and they didn't show up on old school film because it used silver.
It's the same reasoning behind silver bullets killing werewolves or whatever, silver is a precious and pure metal that makes perfect reflections, clearly it's divine to some extent and able to destroy impure or evil creatures.
Modern mirrors of course aren't backed by silver, it's expensive and we have aluminium which bonds a lot better to give a nicer finish. Old silver mirrors used to require a tin impurity to the glass so the silver could bond to the tin, which had to be very evenly distributed or the mirror would have cloudy spots and precisely measured(too much and the glass would become very brittle, too little and the silver wouldn't bond evenly).
Theoretically a modern vampire would appear in both mirrors and photographs.
@@scragar the silver mirror thing is BS spread by a tumblr post that everyone keeps parroting and it isn't true. They can't see their reflection in anything PERIOD or be taken photos of as it was believed reflections are a person's very soul, something which a vampire no longer has. Cameras were also believed to steal the person's soul in certains groups of people, like the Chinese.
I'd believe you only if the myth wasn't about reflection of the soul and nothing to do with mirrors silver is also a vampires weakness because???......... It's shiny and you can see your reflection in it. But good try love the enthusiasm.
@@ashleytaylor7621 silver as a weakness to vampires is also a modern thing. This is all easy to verify, look it up. Most of it stems from Bram Stoker's Dracula, where there is no mention of silver and the mirror/reflection thing I explained is from.
@@ashleytaylor7621 also if you go back to before the tumblr post was made (2017) there is no mention of the silver backed mirror myth in Google search results.
To See a Young Dracula Video on my FYP was not what I expected today, but thank you for this blast from the past.
I actually own the book it’s “based on” and it’s really very different, maybe it’s inspired by it? But when I read it I just head-cannoned it as being about the dad when he was younger (this was before the reveal of an older brother and I though maybe Ivan just wasn’t born yet) Which would make the Counts name Wilfred or Smirk. Which I think is hilarious and is maybe the reason he only ever goes by Count
I used to adore this show as a kid. Coming home from school watching CBBC. Shows like trapped, prank patrol, the story of tracy beaker, school of silence and young Dracula. I do however remember losing Interest as the show became more serious than it's original comedic roots. I watched it again as the adult I reluctantly became and have grown to appreciate its spooky greatness. I remember relating to Ingrid being the only girl in my family. The episode I have stuck in my head is when Magda appears pregnant and how quickly Dracula is at her feet despite the obvious that Patrick the wolf is the actual daddy. lol "He's a baby, a puppy" iconic. Also the episode when Vlad accidentally hypnotises his dad into being "normal"
YES I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Young Dracula is a show that really is better than it has any right to be. Obviously as a CBBC show, you can’t exactly expect TVD level storytelling or effects, but for what what it could do? It was capable of coming really close. Even back in the more “kid friendly” Stokely era of S1 and 2, it was dark, serious, even gritty at times. It took itself and its content seriously and actually delved a lot into what it would be like for Vlad, and the people around him to be living with Count Dracula… but it was mostly really, really funny. The show has an almost unrivalled ability to make comedy out of some pretty dark concepts and ideas, because of where it is. Keith Lee Castle’s immaculate performance of the Count as a threatening but also blustering figure who was as powerful and scary as he was pitiable and pathetic. It’s a very nuanced and complex take on the character as he never outright abandons his sinister nature, but you can expect a lot more goofy moments from him than the majority of Dracula depictions without undercutting his evil. It’s really well done. The same goes for Vlad, who so often protests about the notion of being a vampire… but on some level, it’s really clear he wants to be. Or at least, he wants to be his father’s son. In the episodes where his status as heir is disputed, Vlad takes it very seriously and very personally, and wants to be the apple of his father’s eye again, which you wouldn’t expect in the scenes where he’s whining about how much he wants to be normal, but it is very clear that he craves that position even if he doesn’t like all the expectations that come along with it. (Although they couldn’t have come up with a less sympathetic character if they tried. Bro was born into the vampire life and he wants out??? I couldn’t relate less if I tried 💀)
Be that as it may, the Stokely era balanced a somewhat dark premise with a healthy sense of humour that made these characters funny as well as interesting. The Garside era, however, leaned much more into the drama. For S1 and 2, they existed before the huge explosion of vampire media in the late 2000s, so they were mostly working off of existing tropes and doing their own thing, but for S3, you can tell that had an impact. The higher quality cameras, more serious tone, higher budget, more complex, season long stories and so forth were all clearly trying to ride the high of the Twilight and TVD waves of the time, understandably so. Though the series never lost its identity and while it took inspiration from them, it was never trying to be them. This Dracula family is entirely distinct in the world of vampire media, and I do think it’s a shame that the series was only on CBBC to an extent, because it deserved to be much more beloved and widespread. The series is not perfect, especially with some of the writing choices in late S4 and most DEFINITELY in S5 where they just gave up, but it is a consistently enjoyable experience. Vlad, the Count, Ingrid, Renfield, Eric, Jonno and so on are all characters about which I could say so much, because they all deserve the attention - Ingrid especially, I really haven’t said enough about my favourite character but she is such a gem of a character.
Young Dracula was just… good, even if never perfect. It had a defined identity of being a somewhat light hearted comedy which was based in the macabre and sinister world of blood sucking demons of the night. It’s cast were all sublime, it’s aesthetic was on point and it’s tone allowed itself to be fun without ever being goofy nonsense - some Renfield scenes notwithstanding lol. It remains one of the best vampire related pieces of media I’ve seen, and I cannot sing its praises highly enough.
yes i agree overall this show was good you can tell the writer genuinely cared about making a good kids show which not all creators of kids content do. whilst i have a one sided beef with count Dracula he is the most constant character throughout the show he just wants to have vampire fun. i do understand vlad resistance to not wanting to embrace the title of count dracula having your whole life planned out for you, where you live, where you can go out, what you will do when you grow up and who you will marry can not be easy for a child to grasp.
ingrid is my favourite character too and undead icon
Ingrid was my crush for real then Ingrid’s mum came into it. Damn!!!! ❤😂 also the count is the best depiction put to film in my opinion ❤❤❤❤
Honestly young me didn’t have a chance at normal taste between the Adam’s family and this series
Yeah, same here 😂
I find funny that the actor who played the Robin kid, who really wanted to be a vampire, went onto play a real vampire in the "Being Human" series😂
he finally got his wish good for him
He’s became very succesful too. I remember seeing him in “The Fundamentals of Caring” with Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez. Brilliant movie
This was actually the only reason I watched Being Human, because Robin finally got his wish lmao. Actually ended up loving that series though of course.
I 100% blame Young Dracula for my attraction to goth chicks. Also, as a kid I legitimately thought Dracula was played by Ozzy Osbourne.
I'm soo happy I was raised by Young Dracula and Tracy Beaker
My dad worked and designed the sets for later seasons so when I was young I got to see some of the sets a lot but also got to meet the guy who played Count Dracula and he was really nice
I rlly like hearing this!
yesss omg ive been waiting for a video like this, young dracula is so underrated.i cant believe more people dont know about it!!
young dracula will always be famous to me
finally someone talks about this show😭😭😭😭
One of my favourite series of all time, also the fact that you mention other nostalgic series made me wanna rewatch a bunch of these again.
nostalgic shows are great
This show was the best back in the day, its good to see an analysis.
ty for making my dreams come true, i love this show! fave production fact is that the role of the count was written for David Bowie, Keith-Lee Castle is fantastic but can only imagine what the show could've been
Wow this unlocked a core memory
Awesome retrospective Keith lee castle rocks this show
fact
I was a massive Young Dracula fan as a kid, and personally, my preference will always be towards the first two series, mainly because I feel like the comedic tone fit the show better than than the darker, teen drama that came after.
The darker tone of the S3 started off quite enjoyable as it helped to establish the characters after such a long absence while also adding a new dimension to the story, but as the show went on, I feel like they were just throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. E.g. everything in S3 was building up to the Praedictum Impaver being opened, but this turned out to be such an anti-climax as Sethius was resurrected for about 5 mins before he was defeated him and never mentioned it again. It seems like because the writers wanted more drama, they overcomplicated the story by adding more characters, plot points and vampire lore, which just led to unsatisfying payoffs and lot of characters with wasted potential e.g. Bertrand, Erin, Zoltan, Wolfie. In contrast, S1 and 2 was kept quite simple with the focus mainly being on developing the main cast of characters while keeping the show fun, which allowed them to execute such a great cliffhanger at the end of S2. This also brought the best out of characters like Van Helsing, Count, Zoltan, Renfield and Robin as they were able to contrast the darker moments with lighter comedic elements, making the show more enjoyable.
I think one problem that held the show back after the revival was the lack of a consistent antagonist. Even though they tried it with the Ramangas, they didn't feel like a united threat for reasons such as the brothers coming across as less bloodthirsty and being more content with just getting even. If we look at the feud between the Draculas and Van Helsings during S1 and 2, it added a lot of depth to the story as it allowed us to connect with both sides. This rivalry grew as the show progressed as the hatred for each other strengthened. The contrast between Vlad and Johnny was also very symbolic as they were two boys that refused to follow the ways of their fathers but once Johnny realised the truth about vampires, he fully embraced his father's dream while Vlad remained determined to break the mould. Imo as they were building up Sethius in S3, they should have kept him as the main antagonist for S4, with Ingrid and other powerful vampires joining his side. This would've significantly raised the stakes and would've allowed writers to explore just how strong Vlad could become by overcoming such a powerful villain. Malik also would have also been a good foil for Vlad but his own character arc left a lot to be desired.
I too agree that Ingrid was one of the best characters overall, but her character suffered from a lack of direction in the revival. Her dynamic with Vlad was really well done in S1 and 2, particularly as their vampiric nature accentuated their natural sibling rivalry, but in the rest of the show, it felt like overall there wasn't much progression, despite them being two of the most powerful and important characters. The lack of consistent character motivations hinders her as even though she still seeks power, sometimes it's because she is spurred on by revenge or causing chaos while other times she is chasing influence by trying to get on the High Council. This really hinders her development as even after 5 series, she admits that she doesn't really know why she schemes against her brother. I did enjoy that at times she was a caring older sister to Wolfie, which contrasted how she was with Vlad, but Wolfie himself was disappointingly underutilised. I also felt like having Piers there in S5 took away from her character as well. There were some funny moments between the two but their dynamic felt rushed and at times made Ingrid seem a bit helpless and meek. Even as she started liking him, we saw how she was around Will and after all she's said about Vlad and Count liking breathers, her acting like that felt a little bit out of character. There's also the fact that her 'happy ending' was Piers giving her 50% of Garside, which was extremely underwhelming.
I would also like to say that I actually enjoyed the interactions between the Count and Ingrid in the first 2 series as it was such an important part of both their characters. It established some conflict between the two, giving Ingrid the motivation and the drive to prove her dad wrong and become a powerful vampire. This is one of the reasons why her rise to power during S2 is so well done as it pushes her to take control of her new powers and fight back, which culminated in a really powerful moment, her ascension to the throne after leaving her family for dead. What also made the dynamic better was the fact that she was a lot similar to the Count than they'd both like to think, so she would also get him back a few times too, like the Halloween jump scare and the blood mirror prank. This back and forth is something I wish would have been focused more on at Garside as I feel like it would have naturally strengthened their relationship.
The half-breather revelation was also a major gripe of mine as it undermined previous storylines as well as Vlad's own character, especially from S1 and 2 when he was desperately having to battle wanting to be a breather and fulfilling his destiny as a vampire. It may have worked if they had built it up as a possibility earlier on, but ultimately, it just felt very tacky and hastily written.
Overall, after the success of S1 and 2, it was always going to be tough to revive the show after 4 years and I liked the fact they tried something different with the tone of the show. Even though there were parts I thought could've been done better, I still found it the episodes thoroughly entertaining and it will always be one of my favourite CBBC shows of that area.
I fully agree with all this and I think well I like to believe if the setting never changed it would’ve been just as good as S1 and 2 but with a bit more of a story with different characters.
I do firmly believe season 2 was setting things up for a story with how episodes began to follow each other or have links for example Will and Ingrid’s relationship, Ingrid becoming a vampire etc etc.
which furthers this belief is wills death :( and Ingrid’s final lines. Her final lines also tie into my problem with the future seasons. There is so many unanswered questions about some characters most notably the Branaghs.
Overall I absolutely love young Dracula and I do solemnly wished that the setting stayed the same but things happen understandably, but by the move of setting the feeling is definitely different and some characters lack their drive/characteristics as you mentioned: Ingrid.
The guy who played Boris was also in Tracy Beaker as Lol, Bouncer's brother
Also I feel like they maybe got a bit lazy when writing the last 2 seasons
I literally rewatch this show all the time IM SO HAPPY ITS GETTING TALKED ABOUT AAAA
This show was the first time I ever saw two chaotic parents on TV who were not only separated but had also never been married in the first place, and they were also (to me at least) the coolest family in the town. It was very affirming to me as a child
This is one of my fave shows growing up. I think they jumped the shark a bit and made it too complicated. I loved it when it was just a sitcom family/ growing up/ fish out of water show just with vampires and them hiding it, like Sabrina or my parents are aliens. Then in the later seasons it become very serious and lore heavy with proper vampire slayers and half bloods. I loved it when it seemed like only a few ‘weird’ people like Van Helsing knew about the vamps.
One of my film lecturers directed episodes of young Dracula
that's so cool
I got here from the Young Dracula reddit, and now i have to bingewatch your entire channel, i'm not mad about this.
enjoy i made two video similar to this one about wolfblood another British show last year
I remember watching this! Thanks for reminding me of the good times!
FINALLY RECOGNITION OF THIS SHOW 😭❤️ I routinely rewatch it and thoroughly enjoy it as much now as I did back in the day when it was being released
Oh my god this took me back in time 😭😭😭😭
Ingrid, Vlad, and the Count were every queer British kid's awakening, I swear. I wish you had done a little segment on Count Dracula, I feel like his character is very unlikable at first but there are so many layers to him that are revealed that kind of explain his behaviour. It's not an excuse for the way he treats people, but a lot of it genuinely seems to come down to insecurity. Largely due to the fact that he gets so romantically attached to Breathers which is considered taboo within vampire society. I think the fact that he is so harsh on Vlad for being intrigued by human life is because he himself has a degree of that intrigue.
this is not the video i wanted but the video i needed
God i was so in love with erin when i was a kid, literally changed my brain chemistry forever
That older sister definitely affected my early teenage development.
Even though I'm not Goth, lets just say I'm still searching 😂
Yo, I love this show for years and I never knew there was a book!
I love Count Dracula though, he's so evil and I feel he's the best dracula ever, his being horrible and to such a campy exaggerated degree but it not feeling over the top, is perfect.
Ingrid is my favourite character though and her transformation episode will live in my heart forever.
Oooo right that’s why I have a type makes sense now (you all understand)
Goth girls 😎
Ingrid had a hold on me as a young boy 😂
this show was part of my pan awakening, i remember crushing hard on Ingrid and Count
its also probably why i love vampires to this day too 😅
Glad to know I’m not the only one who knows about this absolute gem of a show
Ingrid was for me what the Hex Girls were for a lot of other people… IYKYK.
I didn’t fully understand the Branagh twins when I was very young and watching S1/2 but around the time of S3 when I was a bit older? …Yeah, I got it. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
the video i didn't know i needed (this is art)
I was obsessed with this as a kid
I’ve been waiting for this video omg…. This series was very important to me, I remember the exact day the reboot was aired
What a great video. Love the TV series, Young Dracula. 😊.
the show is forever in my heart
it's such a pity the show had so many inconsistencies and underdeveloped characters.
like... i binge-watched it recently after a decade and kept stumbling upon rules that fully contradicted the previous ones. then, ingrid was a character who was treated poorly, i wish they developed her better without needing a man next to her -same goes to erin and talitha.
another bit that really made me notice that the writing had some issues was the fact that vlad barely acknowledges the fact that he killed the only person he could trust. he had no friends since season two, which is sad, and when he could finally have one, but ended up killing him, we get only one (1) mention about it and we move on. you would think vlad should've had a bigger scene coming into realization of him being fully alone now... some dramatic scenes to feel his character's feelings... but we didn't get that :(
although i appreciate that the count had a great character development! the one i expected the least to ahaha
anyway, it was a fun show with wasted potential
a lot of wasted potential
Not enough people talk about the show, it was so good
This show was great! I have the first two books in the Twilight series signed by Ingrid's actress after seeing the cast at conventions on two seperate occasions - my dad suggested it and it was pretty funny. They seem like a great group of people and definitely made us feel welcomed to say hello and get autographs even during what must have been exhausting days for them. My sister actually ran into Van Helsing's actor whilst catching a train another time and he was thrilled to be recognised by her.
This video unlocked so many memories for me
This is legit my favorite show no kidding so it's nice to see people make videos about it, I just recently showed this to my dad as well and he likes it to!, I remember watching this show when it first started back in 2006 and having to rush home from school to catch it (those were the days), I personalty think both the older season and the newer later three seasons are just as good but in different ways!, I love both the dynamics of season 1-2 and 3-5 even though they are different, I love how the first seasons are more episodic and I love the comedy of them not to mention how much I loved Robin and Van Helsing but even when they left in season 3 onwards I still love the direction they went with it and how they made it into more of a serious story driven show, both the early and late seasons have there place in my heart forever and anytime I watch I get a huge smile on my face,
i used to write young dracula fanfiction when i was like 9 and make my dad read it😭
caring is sharing
I had such a crush on Vlad as a child 😂😂😂
I loved this show as a kid, I can’t believe I stumbled on this vid hehe
It's so good
Can't believe i forgot about this show. Pure cbbc kino. Same with mi high
Fun fact! That was the first time I heard the word "vlog" and I thought it was a vampire pun version of "blog" well into my teens
i get your logic
Firstly thank you so much for this video! This is legit my favourite show ever that I've rewatched countless times though I am now an adult. I have been looking for some kind of video essay on this show for so long so thank you again.
I have to say I 100% get your view of the count but he's probably the reason some red flags deserve a chance
I actually love Count Dracula in this show. Not because I support what he does or how he treats either of his children but just bc he's so entertaining. I don't think I would have liked it anywhere near as much if he had been 1. a better parent or 2. a true villain.
The fact that we just got this out of touch, old fashioned, kind of stupid mess of a man was the highlight for me looking back
Aww i loved Young Dracula when i was a child! I'm now 31 but going to have to watch these again 😂
Wait...I didn't know they brought it back! Thank you for this vital information. I shall now go rewatch and finish it before watching the rest of this video
man, I forgot this show existed. Major memories unlocked!
i forgot about this show. thank you for bringing it back into my brain haha. I moved from the UK to Aus as a little kid and my sister was obsessed with Tracey Beaker. We got some CBBC shows and a bunch of canadian shows for some reason here in Aus.
Every time I see vlad's actor in other stuff now I'm like VLADIMIR
glad to see another zoltan fan 🖤
ZOLTAN STANS UNITE
Absolutely loved this show
Great video. Thank you for summarizing the whole series. I could never follow the plot when I was younger
thank the lord the fandom is alive and well, can't get over how good it was and I would love a revisit before CBBC closes but that's near impossible. I aint gonna lie imo the change in writers in season 5 messed it up, even dialog and established plot lines got blurred in s5. season 4 had so much extra material that could have brought potential for season 5, idk why the writers didn't revise all the previous seasons to build a better setup for s5
I'm so excited to watch this, I only discovered Young Dracula last year and it's my ultimate comfort show. Love that it gets more attention!!! I love it so much
season one and two were especially comforting
@TheKelbeShow Yes, those are my favourite seasons! In Stokely with the Branaghs :)
I loved this show! I remember it came out when i was in mid-high school and loved it ever since. I liked the humour 😅. It was nice to see the characters grow and evolve. I agree Season 3 was the best. 😊
I adored this show in my childhood. One of those things I had no community around so my memory of it is almost like a fever dream
Looking back, the sister, ingrid, is giving azula vibes for sure
I loved this series, and got me interested in the paranormal genre. Everything started to get far fetched for me in 4th and 5th seasons. So much random lore and characters coming and going was hard to keep track of at times on the first watch. Was quite complicated for teens it was targeted for I feel. I got into Being Human on BBC Three in my late teens which I recommend to fans of this show who are older. Also has Robin’s actor in it and focuses on ghosts, vampires and werewolves trying to live under the radar about their ‘supernatural sides’ in suburban areas, and all the drama that comes with it.
Vlad was a young crush for me and my bestie. When the new season came out we would go to my house after school and watch it together 😂 memories ❤
Oh HELL yeah. Instant sub! Loved this show!!
Forgot about this show, so good!
Oh man i remember this damn you for bringing back good memories.
36:48
Each time you say “He really should have let her die.” I was like YES!!! Also great and funny retrospective.
This was such a good show. I do wish they had Robin and Chloe come back sometime after season 2.
this show had me in a CHOKEHOLD
It was fun
I always thought that perhaps due to the fact they were in hiding at a school, vlad and count agreed that delaying vlad’s 16 yr transformation was best, you need to be in front of the mirror and they had it locked away, until he just couldn’t resist the pull anymore.
Vamps can’t be seen in cameras but maybe she used mirrorless cameras? shoulda used the heat detecting thing from before…
I loved the revelation that vlad was half human, it made sense and it made him a bridge for both races. Would have been great to see him just as impactful as his evil side we saw for one episode but at the end where it’s like ‘here he is! But he’s good!’ What I didn’t like was the retconning of his vampire side like his burning in sunlight too quickly coz the show, in two episodes needed to drop this info, so yay in a matter of days he finds out he can tolerate sunlight better, ok weird.
Merlin is my favourite show of all, and it’s interesting you bring it up. I for one love watching the loving father/son relationship with Count Dracula and vlad and get frustrated with county when he constantly resets to ‘disappointed’ and disowning dad, as well as his treatment of Ingrid. But it parallels Merlin. Vlad is Arthur/merlin, county is Uther, Ingrid is morgana. As much as watching the two shows frustrates my adult brain a bit with its character resets and messy plots, I know they are kid shows and they are what got me into vampires and arthurian legend so I love them haha.
yeah they had a lot of retconning
I used to enjoy watching Young Dracula 😊
Ahhh my young childhood watching this show and I absolutely loved it
Ohhhh Sarah Jane adventures too, best show ever, even met the cast ❤❤
I had such a big crush on Vlad when I was younger 🙈
This show was my childhood.
Yeah!! We got this in Australia!!
land of the spiders
I loved this show when I was younger
it was art
British TV did not have to go hard, but they did.
Omg havent thought about this show in yearssssss
I always made time for this show growing up and as an adult I’ve occasionally rewatch it . The cast was very good I was able to relate to all of the kids characters and now some of the adult characters lol .
I recognise vlad and ingrid so much but cant see anything iv seen on imdb except this. Awesome Nostalgic video
A fancied Ingrid so much when a was a wain jaja still love me cool goths
Omg, young dracula! I completely forgot about this show, i adored it as a kid.
great show
i loved this show so much
Can't lie I loved the count
Ever since i was a kid i thought the actor who plays the dad could easily play Ozzy Osbourne in a biopic
Ooh, a channel with CBBC show retrospectives. Jamie Johnson is really good too
Loved this show when i was younger!
i need you to know that I, an american child at the time, came across this tv show..... somewhere??? and genuinely enjoyed watching it so so much. I still don't know where I watched this years ago.....
I had such a crush on Igrid as a kid 😅
Series 5 of Young Dracula had me in a chokehold purely because young me had such a big crush on Vlad LMAOO