Young Dracula
| Young Dracula | |
|---|---|
 Young Dracula Title Card | |
| Genre | Children's |
| Created by | Danny Robins Dan Tetsell |
| Starring | Keith-Lee Castle Gerran Howell Clare Thomas |
| Composer | John Rea |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 14 Number of Episodes |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Josephine Ward |
| Producer | Mia Jupp |
| Editors | Pedr James Bleddyn Rhys |
| Camera setup | Benjamin Coles Clive Baldwin Joseph Marsden Lewis Bolwell |
| Running time | 28 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBBC |
| Release | September 21 2006 – December 21 2006 |
Young Dracula is a British children's television series appearing on CBBC, directed by Joss Agnew. The first series finished in 2006 and the second series has been released in 2007.
Plot
The Dracula family (Vlad, his dad Count Dracula and his older sister Ingrid) once lived in Transylvania. Then they all moved to a normal small town in Britain because Count Dracula caused a bit of bother involving the village elders, their blood and an angry peasant mob.
The programme is set in the UK and is filmed in various locations around Wales, including Glantaf High School, Caerphilly Castle, Tretower Court and in parts of Llantrisant.
Cast
- Keith-Lee Castle - Count Dracula
- Clare Thomas - Ingrid Dracula
- Gerran Howell - Vladimir Dracula
- Lucy Borja-Edwards - Chloe Branaugh
- Craig Roberts - Robin Branaugh
- Beth Roberts - Mrs. Elizabeth Branaugh
- Aneirin Hughes - Graham Branaugh
- Terence Maynard - Mr. Van Helsing
- Simon Ludders - Renfield
- Ben McGregor - Ian Branaugh
- Luke Bridgeman - Paul Branaugh
- Terry Haywood - Jonathon Van Helsing
- Phillip Brodie - Ivan Dracula
- Ciaran Joyce - Boris Dracula
- Maddie Rakic-Platt - Olga Dracula
Rare casts
- Donna Grant - Magda Westenra
- Hilda Braid - Crone
- Howell Evans - Atilla
- Betsan Llywd - Mrs Harker
- Darren Evans - Adrianus
Characters
The Draculas
- Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a 600 year old vampire who has immigrated to Britain to escape his problems with the local villagers in Transylvania. He sleeps in a coffin, can ignite or put out candles with a wave of his fingers, and has the ability, when he senses a trespasser in his lair, to move from room to room at uncanny speed that borders on teleportation: this apart from his tendency to glower fiercely and bare his fangs- which can lengthen at amazing speed when required- when he feels the need to frighten Vlad or (more often) Robin - or simply when he's hungry. He is also extremely sexist (which may be one reason his wife is currently in a relationship with a werewolf, although it seems that sexism is a trait common to most vampires).
He favours his young son Vlad and is constantly ignoring or otherwise brushing off his daughter Ingrid, making both their lives a pain in different ways. His thoughtless treatment of Ingrid is surprising, considering she has the characteristics he expects of his "perfect child" (he even tried to marry her off to a vampire kulak to get her out from underfoot in one episode). His constant favourism towards Vlad is similarly illogical, considering that Vlad does not want to become a vampire. The Count is often mistaken for a rock star because of the somewhat Gothic style of clothing he wears on the occasions he leaves the castle- most notably in an episode when he went to parents' evening at Ingrid and Vlad's school, and ended up being chased by screaming fans while trying to protect himself from the sun with an umbrella.
After Vlad refused to eat a live rabbit the Count decided to remarry, thinking a new mother would be a good influence on Vlad. He held a "hunt ball" to find (or create) a new bride, but both his estranged wife Magda and local vampire slayer Eric Van Helsing (the woodworking instructor at Stokely Grammar) crashed the party. Van Helsing came very close to slaying the Count (albeit accidentally), thereby causing Vlad, who believed his father to be dying, to promise that he would become "a proper vampire".
- Vladimir 'Vlad' Dracula
Vladimir "Vlad" Dracula (born 1994 in Biztriz, Transylvania) is the Count's "son and heir" as he calls him obsessively. Unlike his sister Ingrid, Vlad would much prefer to be a normal kid than a spirit of darkness, although he does occasionally show elements of his father's wit and ability to manipulate people. He finds friendship with outcasts Robin and Chloe Branaugh as well as his sarcastic pet wolf, Zoltan. He is very emotional of his mother's betrayal of his father, as well as exasperated by his father's complete ignorance of human- or as the vampires call it, "breather"- life.
In order to attain their full powers, teenage vampires have to pass exams called "blood tests." Although Vlad wanted to fail these so he could almost pass for human, the Count told him that if he didn't pass he would not be allowed to see his breather friends again and even threatened to "deny all knowledge of his existence." In one episode, Vlad tried to slip his father a potion to try to make him nicer - and failed miserably. Vlad Dracula does not have an easy life to lead, and it is around him, mainly, that the series revolves.
- Ingrid Dracula
Ingrid Dracula (born 1992 in Biztriz, Transylvania), is the elder child and daughter of Count Dracula. She is, after her father and currently absent mother, easily the most self-assured and cruel character in the series. Nevertheless she is very attractive and spends most of her time taunting people or arguing with her sexist father to get her rights in the house, usually to no avail.
Despite his ongoing denigration of her because she's only a girl, she is still proud to have Count Dracula as her father. She alternately avoids and encourages the wooing of two schoolboys, Ian and Paul Branaugh (the older brothers of Vlad's best friend Robin), who follow her around all day. She has no problem making them do things, because they are completely infatuated with her. In their case, she does not need to employ her powers of hypnosis, which are nearly as good as the Count's.
Ingrid is not entirely heartless, however. In the final episode of the first series at her father's hunt ball, when Mr and Mrs Branaugh gave her a present, she became quite emotional (never having received much in the way of kindness before). Although the Branaughs did not realize it at the time, she then saved their lives by insulting them to drive them out of the castle when the other vampires came dangerously close to biting them.
Ingrid got top marks in her "blood tests" and by her own admission plans to become an "all-powerful vampire goddess" when she grows up. This may or may not translate into behaving in the cold and heartless way her mother Magda Westenra does.
- Renfield
Dracula's servant and dogsbody, Renfield is a disgusting specimen who likes nothing more than eating maggots and likes nothing less than 'breathers.' He does all that he can to help the Count, but tends to get things wrong. He seems to enjoy cross-dressing: he apparently stole a dress from Ingrid, and claims that he looks "absolutely stunning in sequins", to the bemusement of all. He once fell in love with Van Helsing while he was dressed as a woman despite the fact that Van Helsing had not shaved his beard before putting on the disguise. This says a great deal about the level of both characters' intelligence.
Renfield can be thought of as a ghoulish equivilent of Baldrick, Lord Blackadder's servant in the classic Blackadder comedy series, though with worse personal habits and taste in foods.
- Zoltan
Vlad's pet wolf, Zoltan is annoyingly sarcastic and flippant and is always against Vlad's ridiculous plans to act more like a "breather." He also happens to be stuffed. Although he frequently gives advice to both Robin and Vlad, his advice is not always heeded. Despite his status as a taxidermy victim, Zoltan gets around the castle very well on his wheels. However, he has been forbidden to use the words stake, sunlight and garlic by the Count, which prohibition has placed both Robin and the Count in danger more than once.
- Magda Westenra
Apparently Dracula's ex-wife (though she may be merely estranged; in Episode 3 she says, "We never got married, I couldn't see what was in it for me"), Magda "ran off with a werewolf" some time ago, apparently recently enough that the Count still smarts over her betrayal. Upon discovering that the Count was considering remarriage in Episode 14 (the finale of Series One), she travelled to the castle to try and stop him, claiming to love him when she thought he was dying from a crossbow bolt Van Helsing fired at him. However, she later claimed not to have meant it when it was clear the Count was unharmed. Dracula seems to love her precisely because she is so heartless. Their relationship is more than complex.
- Crone
Vlad and Ingrid's grandmother, the mother of Magda, and the Prince of Darkness's ex(?)-mother-in-law. Crone appears quite rarely, making only one appearance in the first series. She and the Count dislike each other: indeed, she refers to the Count's family as the "the Dracu-losers;" and keeps threatening to tell the Vampire Council and the Grand High Vampire that they are not living a "true vampire existence".
The Branaughs
- Robin Branaugh
Vlad's best friend, and self-confessed "vampire geek" (he even wears a black cape to school), Robin is one of the more interesting "breathers" of the series. Though by no means the most intelligent character present, Robin is one of the first humans to discover that the Draculas are in fact vampires.
He occasionally comes close to becoming dinner for the Count when the latter feels the need to prompt Vlad into concentrating on his vampiric responsibilities more than he does; but otherwise he is grudgingly accepted into the Dracula household. He is a loyal friend to Vlad if only because he is so obsessed with vampires, even if he wants Vlad to be as much of a vampire as possible despite the fact Vlad has no interest in his preordained fate whatever. In spite of being slightly strange and a bit of a loner without Vlad, he is a respectable artist and a chess grandmaster, beating "the greatest chess player in history" (who happens to be a vampire) repeatedly. However, when he nearly broke off his friendship with Vlad after an argument, he tried to compensate by developing an interest in sports like his older brothers. Robin turned out to be quite a good footballer player, implying that he has hidden talents.
- Chloe Branaugh
A year younger than Robin, Chloe is the voice of reason in the Robin-Vlad-Chloe trio and is the sometime enemy of Ingrid. She is very knowledgeable. In one episode she translated Egyptian hieroglyphs. She has a crush on Vlad, though she hides it well.
She is also the voice of reason within the Branaugh family. At the Count's aforementioned hunt ball, it was Chloe who tried to extricate her family from the almost hypnotic fascination of the vampires in attendance. In her own quiet way, she too has a rather difficult life.
- "The Twins" (Ian and Paul)
A couple of not over-bright school rugby union-players, the twins both have crushes on Ingrid. Though originally annoyed by their presence, Ingrid eventually develops a sort of friendship with them, though she plays them off against each other. As can many a pretty schoolgirl, Ingrid can get the two boys to do anything she want, or nearly. However, both were astute enough to refuse Ingrid's proposal of marriage in one episode. (She wanted one of them, didn't matter which, to marry her in order to escape from her father's sexist rule over her.) The twins sang a song to Ingrid in Episode 9.
The Branaugh twins are among the few recurring characters who are unaware of the Draculas' secret. As previously noted, they aren't gifted with brains.
- Mr and Mrs Branaugh
Plumber and housewife, the annoyingly cheery Mr and Mrs Brannagh are a constant pain in the neck for the Prince of Darkness (who very nearly at the "hunt ball" became exactly the same thing for them, and for their son Robin). Where Dracula does his best to make Vlad a "normal vampire," they constantly do their best to make Robin a "normal boy," finding his fixation with vampires somewhat unhealthy. The Count does develop a friendship with Mrs Branaugh in one episode; and Mr Branaugh gets slightly close to Count Dracula's Madga at the hunt ball, though this may have been due more to Magda's viewing him as dinner than to any actual attraction between them.
The Van Helsings
- Mr Eric Van Helsing
An incompetent vampire slayer, Mr Van Helsing originally believed Robin (due to his unruly dark hair and constant wearing of a black cape) to be one of the Undead, but soon turned his attentions towards Vlad. His daytime or "cover" identity is woodworking teacher at Stokely Grammar School, which the Dracula children attend as 'the Counts.' While not a real threat to the much stronger, smarter and cleverer Count Dracula, he is a constant annoyance to the family who under no circumstances can afford to have their secret revealed to the world.
Van Helsing has been inside the ruined castle where the Draculas live on numerous occasons. He has inveigled his way in disguised as an itinerant woodworker, as an exterminator, and as a hit man hired by Magda. He has even attempted to get in dressed as a female vampire, and the fact that he forgot to shave away his short beard in advance perhaps makes Reinfield's attraction to him on that occasion all the more worrying.
He only once has come close to slaying Dracula, at the hunt ball in the finale of Series One. Even that was accidental, when he fired a wooden crossbow bolt straight into a flask of poisoned blood in the Count's waistcoat pocket, which he had also been responsible for putting there (while disguised- badly- as the aforesaid female vampire). However, now that he has confirmed the Draculas' status as vampires, he has indicated he'll be back, dressed to kill.
- Jonathan Van Helsing
Son of Eric and reluctant heir to the traditional vocation of the Van Helsings, Jonathan is often exasparated by his father's tendency to see vampires everywhere. He himself is rather slow in the uptake, having failed to spot that Vlad, Ingrid (on whom he has a huge crush but by whom he is completely ignored) and Count Dracula are vampires until the final show of the first series. He is frequently hypnotised by Ingrid; once into performing ballet in his father's classroom, once into acting as a human answering machine used to relay a message to the Branaugh twins, and on another occasion to give himself a mad haircut.
His father continuously ignores his needs because of his obsession with vampire-slaying. Jonathan occasionally tries to tell his father that his vampire-hunter obsession is the reason Jonathan's mother left him for an estate agent.
Ironically, no point has ever been made about the fact that the Van Helsing family situation is so strikingly similar to that of the very clan they are trying to kill.
Overview
One of the reasons that the series is as popular as it is, is that not unlike its earlier ITV counterpart My Parents are Aliens, aside from its fantastical elements (with the central character being a vampire), its humour lies in the fact that it contains things that its main viewers, as children and teenagers, may be able to relate to.
On the series' own webpage there is information on moving house, which can be stressful for young children. One of Vlad's early concerns is having to adjust to living away from his native country and speaking a new language in order to pass as a "breather" (human), which of course is all he wants to be. There is divorce and adultery in both the Dracula and Van Helsing households and in each, the children despair at how out of touch their respective fathers are on realistic, modern-day life- a complaint of many young teenagers. Vlad, Jonathan and Robin feel isolated not only from outsiders but from the rest of their families, where by contrast Ingrid, who really wants to be a vampire, rages at the preferential treatment her brother receives from their father despite her greater skills and better grades, so that she feels even less at home within the culture she should be flourishing in. Above all (which compares the series all the more to My Parents are Aliens and The Story of Tracy Beaker), the feeling of being intensely embarrassed by one's own parents (a trait that Vlad, Robin and Jonathan all share, despite being otherwise quite different characters) is an ongoing theme.
It is possible that the Count's expectation that Ingrid be a "proper" vampire girl (i.e., submissive), and Mr and Mrs Branaugh's expectations of Robin to be a "normal" human boy, is something that the audience relates to as well. Any child who has ever seen their parents arguing with their in-laws would likely see something familiar in the Count's ongoing war with Crone as well. Although perhaps not depicting Van Helsing as the heroic genius or the Count as the all-powerful Prince of Darkness that "vampire geeks" like Robin would doubtless point out from how they were described by Bram Stoker, given Young Dracula's appearance at a time when moving house, divorce and conformism are very much at the centre of everyday British life, the popularity of the series is perhaps unsurprising.
Series Two
Series Two of Young Dracula started on 2nd November 2007 ,and will be on the CBBC Channel at twenty five minutes past five. It sees the battle between Dracula and Van Helsing intensify, and Ingrid's new full vampire status.The Count's brother also stars in series 2