What We Do In The Shadows - 10 Best Episodes So Far

From humble beginnings as a New Zealand short film back in 2005, vampiric mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows has risen to become an unlikely multimedia franchise.

Not only has Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's story of the everyday trials and tribulations of the suburban undead spawned a cult favourite movie, but also a pair of TV shows (the other being oddball Kiwi cop show Wellington Paranormal). With consistent rumours of a further movie sequel or spinoff, the WWDITS cinematic universe is thriving like a Nosferatu newly feasting on virgin's blood.

And why shouldn't it when the New York-set TV show remains one of the most inventively funny things on the small screen? Coming on like an unholy mashup of Being Human, Flight Of The Concords, and Peep Show, the misadventures of ineffectual bloodsuckers Nandor, Laszlo and Nadja are full of amusing failures to navigate the complexities of the modern world; not to mention how the petty tensions of house sharing are hugely exacerbated by immortality.

Whether it's an age-old blood feud or just a night out on the town, our three night stalking heroes (plus energy vampire Colin Robinson and human familiar Guillermo) never fail to make a bizarre mess of things in unpredictably amusing ways.

With their show already picked up for a third season, let's take a look back at which episodes from the first two have already staked a claim for classic status.

Shadows's second season kicked off strongly with erstwhile Sixth Sense kid Haley Joel Osment not so much seeing dead people as being one.

Here Osment is Topher, the latest familiar for Laszlo and Nadja following a string of slapstick deaths for all his predecessors. Having a rival familiar in the house is not good for Guillermo. Especially when Topher, whose resume is full of modern buzzwords that seem impressive to the uncomprehending vamps, gives the illusion of being far more productive around the house. (Even though he's mostly more interested in his side gig in telesales, something so unengaging that it even turns off the supernaturally dull Colin Robinson).

Topher as an irritant to Guillermo is fun, but the episode really kicks into gear when he becomes the latest familiar fatality. A quick trip to a shady shaman (an enjoyably wacky cameo from Benedict Wong) and Topher is back as a brainless, violent zombie.

That the vampires seem completely oblivious to the changes in the revenant Topher despite his monosyllabic responses and violent outbursts has plenty of comedy mileage, as does the fact that his return from the dead has made the obnoxious familiar essentially unkillable. His ending up in a zombie sweatshop may be a fate worse than death, though.