BBC comedy series with Doctor Who star based on '80s book by Eric Morecambe lands release date

A supernatural coming-of-age comedy starring Doctor Who's Lenny Rush as a human discovering he doesn't have the same abilities as his vampire family is coming to the BBC.

Based on the books by Eric Morecambe, six-episode series The Reluctant Vampire follows Val (Rush), who's grown up convinced he's a vampire like the rest of his bloodsucking family. With his initiation as an adult vampire fast approaching, a revelation upends everything Val thought he knew about himself.

Premiering on BBC One and iPlayer on 4 October, the series from Alan Partridge writers Rob and Neil Gibbons sees Val embrace his human side while working to live up to the high expectations of his vampire father Victor, played by Tom Davis.

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV

As his suspicious brother Vernon (Gabriel Nagy) is out to get him, Val has his loving mum Valeeta (Sian Clifford) in his corner.

The only one who's in the know about Val's true nature, Valeeta spills the beans to her son, confirming that he isn't actually a vampire.

As you can see in the trailer at the top of this page, the reveal prompts a shocked reaction from Val, who points out that picking up being a vampire, like his mum suggested, isn't exactly like learning conversational French.

Related: BBC's planned Doctor Who return date revealed in exciting new show update for fans

The four stars are joined by a supporting cast including Taskmaster star Joe Wilkinson as werewolf Wilf, as well as Asim Chaudry, Bill Bailey, Ray Fearon and Charlie Cooper.

Rush is best known for the role of Ollie in comedy Am I Being Unreasonable?, and that of Morris Gibbons on Doctor Who. He also appeared in A Woman of Substance and is in the cast of season 6 of Apple TV hit series Slow Horses.

The Reluctant Vampire airs its first episode on 4 October at 6.40pm on BBC One. All six episodes become available to stream on iPlayer on the same day.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton's life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.

Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).