Draft:Interview with the Vampire season 1

The first season of the American gothic horror television series Interview with the Vampire, the first series in the Immortal Universe franchise based on the novel series The Vampire Chronicles written by Anne Rice, premiered on October 2, 2022. The season was produced by Gran Via Productions, Dwight Street Book Club, and AMC Studios, with Rice as well as her son Christopher, Rolin Jones, Alan Taylor, and Mark Johnson serving as executive producers.

The series was developed by Jones and ordered in June 2021, after AMC Networks had purchased the rights to intellectual property encompassing 18 of Rice's novels, primarily The Vampire Chronicles, in 2020. The season stars Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Bailey Bass, and Assad Zaman. It is mainly based on the first novel.

The series premiered on October 2, 2022 on AMC where it received 0.66 million viewers with a 0.15/5 ratings share in the 18–49 demographics. The season consists of seven episodes, with the season finale airing on November 13, 2022. The season received critical acclaim, with praise going towards the writing, tone, costumes, soundtrack, production values, performances (particularly those of Anderson and Reid), and chemistry between the two actors. Ahead of the premiere, AMC renewed the series for a second season in September 2022.

Main

 * Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac
 * Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt
 * Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy
 * Bailey Bass as Claudia
 * Assad Zaman as Rashid/Armand

Recurring

 * Kalyne Coleman as Grace de Pointe du Lac
 * Rae Dawn Chong as Florence de Pointe du Lac
 * Chris Stack as Thomas "Tom" Anderson
 * Christian Robinson as Levi Freniere
 * Maura Grace Athari as Antoinette

Guest

 * Steven Norfleet as Paul de Pointe du Lac
 * John DiMaggio as Alderman Fenwick
 * Jeff Pope as Finn O'Shea
 * Dana Gourrier as Bricktop Williams
 * Najah Bradley as Lily
 * Eugenie Nall Bondurant as Miss Carol
 * Rachel Handler as Peg Leg Doris
 * Mike Harkins as Father Mattias
 * Thomas Anthony Olajide as Jonah
 * Kyle Roussel as Jelly Roll Morton
 * Xavier Mills as Charlie
 * Damon Daunno as Bruce
 * Luke Brandon Field as Young Daniel Molloy
 * Gopal Divan as Dr. Fareed Bhansali

Critical response
The season of Interview with the Vampire has received critical acclaim, with praise going towards the writing, tone, costumes, soundtrack,  production values, chemistry between the two lead actors,  and performances of the cast. Reviews that highlighted the cast's performances


 * (Anderson, Bass, & Reid)
 * (Anderson, Bass, Bogosian, & Reid)
 * (Anderson & Reid)
 * (Anderson, Bass, & Reid)
 * (Anderson)
 * (Anderson & Reid)
 * (Anderson, Bogosian, & Reid)
 * (Bass, Bogosian, & Reid) The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 99% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 68 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "With a playful tone and an expansive sweep that allows Anne Rice's gothic opus to mull like a chalice of blood, Interview with the Vampire puts a stake through concerns that this story couldn't be successfully resurrected." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 81 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Variety included Anderson and Reid in its list of "Best TV Performances" of 2022 and wrote, "Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid rose to the occasion with unforgettable style. Reid unleashed hell as the perpetually hungry Lestat, Anderson gave one of the year's point-blank best performances [...] it's all too easy to understand why millions remain so invested in this romance, vicious and doomed though it is." TV Guide also listed both Anderson and Reid as one of the 20 best TV performances of the year, placing them at number five, and wrote, "Their sizzling chemistry and wholehearted commitment to making Louis and Lestat's hell marriage as toxic as possible is what makes Interview with the Vampire work. Separately, Anderson and Reid are exemplary. Together, they're lightning in a bottle." IndieWire included Reid in its list of "28 Best Film and TV Performances" of the year and wrote, "Reid took on the role with all the force, charm, and horror that [Anne] Rice dished out in her 1976 book. [...] Every minute of Reid's performance here is a master class in manipulation." Additionally, the website also named the series' poster one of the "33 Best Film and TV Posters of 2022". The A.V. Club also listed Anderson as one of the 16 best TV performances of 2022, placing him at number fourteen, and wrote, "Anderson is equal parts charming and heartbreaking as Louis de Pointe du Lac. The show delves into queer elements far more than the film did (sold thoroughly thanks to Anderson and Sam Reid’s chemistry). With his invigorating work, Anderson doesn’t just live up to the film’s take on Louis, previously played by Brad Pitt, but he arguably exceeds it." CNN included the series in its article on the return of the "beloved fantasy realms" on TV and wrote, "The series makes sexuality and race central themes, inextricably tied to the story of emotionally tortured vampires trying to be a family and the journalist trying to get the story."

Especially for the chemistry between the two actors, TVLine included a scene between Anderson and Reid's characters from the first episode in its list of "17 Sexiest Scenes" in 2022 and wrote, "It was love at first bite for Louis and Lestat, whose off-the-charts chemistry was undeniable in the show’s premiere as temptation gave way to seduction." Decider also named Anderson and Reid as the co-stars who "oozed the most incandescent chemistry with each other this year" and wrote, "Together these two actors vibe on a wavelength that is nothing short of magical. [...] Reid and Anderson let their bodies expose their characters' emotions. They have an electric connection and the kind of chemistry that becomes legendary." The same website listed a sex scene as the fourth best of the year and wrote, "Only one show this year showed us just how magical the otherworldly connection between two lovers could be. AMC’s triumphant series works because of the intense bond between the vampire Lestat and his beloved, bedraggled creation Louis." Queerty listed the scene as one of the 10 hottest, wildest, gayest TV moments of 2022, placing it at number six, and wrote, "In its premiere, Louis (Anderson) and Lestat (Reid) lunge at each other with an animal-like intensity." TV Insider included Anderson and Reid in its list of "16 Breakout TV Stars" of 2022 and wrote, "There’s no separating Louis and Lestat." Collider also included Louis and Lestat in its list of "Best TV Duos" of 2022 and wrote, "The actors’ chemistry is off the charts from the start [...] Even when Louis is angry with Lestat, they only want each other more." Vanity Fair praises the portrayal of Louis and Lestat in the series and wrote, "Anderson and Reid’s chemistry is unrivaled. To watch them on screen together is to watch a master class in charm and manipulation, in lust and anguish. Anderson conveys unimaginable depth [...] Reid, a storm of intoxicating fury, is magnetic." BuzzFeed listed Anderson and Reid as one of the 29 best TV acting duos chemistry of the year, placing them at number fourteen; also listed the final moments of season 1 finale as one of the 33 most heartbreaking TV scenes of 2022, placing it at number twenty-five, and wrote, "The last five minutes of the last episode of the season, where they show the aftermath of Lestat's 'death' from the different perspectives; I can still feel the chill that went down my spine. Props to the cinematographers for that rapid-fire emotional onslaught."

For individual episodes, the season finale "The Thing Lay Still" was named the best TV episode of 2022 by Mashable. Slashfilm ranked the first episode "In Throes of Increasing Wonder…" as the tenth best TV episode of the year and wrote, "The series' first episode is a variety pack of indelibly dark and entertaining moments, from Louis and Lestat's naked, hovering consummation to the gory finale that sees Lestat punch a hole through a priest's head to show his new lover he means business." Syfy Wire also included the first episode in its list of "Best Sci-Fi and Horror TV Episodes of 2022" and wrote, "Smart, richly produced, and perfectly acted, we get a fresh take and an updating of Rice's book and mythology that honors her world", while Primetimer included the episode in its list of "Best TV Episodes of 2022" and wrote, "A thrilling — if ironic — breath of life, proving that TV's determination to cannibalize any and all intellectual property can still show us something new." TV Guide placed the sixth episode "Like Angels Put in Hell by God" as the eleventh best TV episode of the year in its "20 Best TV Episodes" list, who also included the first episode in its list of "6 Shows and Episodes That Blew Up the Group Chat in 2022" and wrote, "All of the group chats agreed that each episode brought unexpected drama and an excitement to watch week-to-week that is so treasured when watching TV is legitimately your job." Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly included the fourth episode "The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding" in its unranked list of "33 best TV episodes of 2022". Collider included the season finale in its list of "Best TV Episodes of 2022", while TV Insider included the same episode in its list of "25 TV Episodes From 2022 We Can’t Stop Thinking About".

Critics' top lists
Interview with the Vampire was named the best reviewed horror series of 2022 by Rotten Tomatoes, as well as one of the best reviewed TV series and new series of the year. The series was placed at number 19 on Metacritic's year-end list of most mentioned TV shows by critics as "Best of 2022".

Ratings
The premiere of Interview with the Vampire and the return of The Walking Dead drove AMC+ to the most successful two days in its history on Sunday and Monday, and the highest levels of viewership and new subscriber acquisition since the platform’s October 2020 launch. According to AMC Networks, 1.2 million viewers watched the premiere of the series on AMC, including 493k adults 25–54, in Nielsen live+3 ratings, which makes the series the No. 1 new drama on ad-supported cable in 2022, giving AMC two of the top three series in that category. On AMC+, the series premiere ranked as the No. 1 new series launch ever, in both viewership and acquisition, tripling the early activity of Dark Winds, the previous record holder in these categories. Interview with the Vampire ranked alongside The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul as one of the top three new or returning series on AMC+ based on its opening weekend performance.