The Reluctant Vampire

“Oh my goodness; how long has it been since we all had a lovely teatime treat? Too long, that’s how long! But now joy is at hand, courtesy of Neil and Rob Gibbons (the pair behind the most recent incarnations of Alan Partridge) and The Reluctant Vampire. It is their adaptation of Eric Morecambe’s 1982 children’s book of the same name and its 1983 sequel, The Vampire’s Revenge. They have kept the books’ warmth and daftness and added their own talents to the six-part series for youngsters. There are jokes for parents in there too, but the brothers have wisely kept the exquisite cruelty with which they craft Alan’s misadventures safely stowed away.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The cast is high class, from Joe Wilkinson as a werewolf who worries constantly that he might have embarrassed himself during a full moon to Ross Noble and Bill Bailey as a pair of dim gargoyles. Ghosts was clever at delivering jokes that work on an adult and child level simultaneously. This series does similar, although it lacks a character named Fanny, which certainly helps with those gags. When Val asks Vernon if he wants to play chess he says: “I prefer to play with myself.” “So I’ve heard,” Val says. I sense Eric Morecambe would have liked this series.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Who knew that Eric Morecambe wrote children’s books? I hadn’t heard of The Reluctant Vampire, despite being just the right age to enjoy it when it was published in 1982. Now BBC One is giving the story a boost by turning it into a family sitcom, in a Sunday evening slot. We should commend them for trying to serve this market. If only it were funnier.”
Anita Singh, Telegraph