Kindred: The Embraced—The Complete Series

This short-lived 1996 Fox production—which arrived in the wake of Anne Rice's Lestat saga and is loosely based on the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade—interweaves lore about the undead with a mob narrative (creator John Leekley acknowledges The Godfather as an influence). San Francisco cops Frank (C. Thomas Howell) and Sonny (Erik King) keep an eye on nightlife impresario Julian Luna (Mark Frankel) because he's a magnet for drama. Julian also happens to be a vampire who oversees five clans with assistance from his mentor, Archon (Patrick Bauchau). The “masquerade” refers to their ability to pass as human; the “Kindred” can even walk in the light as long as fresh blood flows through their veins. From the beginning, Frank dives in deeper than intended when he falls for a woman from Julian's past—an entanglement that leads to her death. Julian forms another human alliance with reporter Caitlin (Kelly Rutherford), a move that inflames female vampire Lillie (Stacy Haiduk). Further complications involve Romeo and Juliet–style forbidden romance, turf wars, and intrigue related to who will succeed Julian as the next “prince.” Guest stars include Emile Hirsch as a cancer-stricken child, and Ivan Sergei as a voracious rock star. Despite its limited run, the show developed a cult following, until Frankel's death in a motorcycle accident put an end to the series—and to a promising career. Compiling all eight episodes, extras include audio commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, an extended pilot, and a vampire lore “Book of Nod.” Recommended. (K. Fennessy)