Demons Review

ITV has a long history of trying to compete with Doctor Who, the best result of which is still Sapphire & Steel. Demons’ six episodes rarely hit that mark, and its story of the last Van Helsing and his undead-hunting godfather in contemporary London can’t help but feel built out of any number of other sources (Neil Gaiman, Harry Potter, Buffy, DC Comics’ Hellblazer...). The biggest plus is the guest cast, especially Mackenzie Crook as the sub-Rowling monickered Gladiolus Thrip: a vampire with a Teddy Boy dress sense, a beaky prosthetic nose and the best dialogue in the series. Some of the regular cast performances (especially Zoe Tapper as the blind Mina Harker) are particularly ropey, but for all its many faults, Demons is still oddly likable: occasionally amusing and sometimes clever, if never thrilling or particularly scary.