Ultraviolet

With the growing threat of viral epidemic and the possibility of worldwide environmental catastrophe, humanity has an unprecedented ability to destroy itself, and vampires need to take control of their threatened food source. CIB is a clandestine, elite government unit that hunts vampires, referred to as 'Code Fives' or 'leeches'. DS Michael Colefield joins the team after his partner is turned, blending a realistic, scientific approach with modern vampire mythology, including their inability to appear on video or audio recordings.

Ultraviolet (1998) is a British science fiction horror miniseries created by Joe Ahearne for Channel 4. Jack Davenport plays DS Michael Colefield, a detective who joins a clandestine government unit after his partner is turned into a vampire. Susannah Harker plays Dr Angela March, the unit's scientist, and Idris Elba plays Vaughan Rice, a hunter whose methods are as cold as his targets. The engine of the story is the unit's effort to track and destroy Code Fives, the vampires its members call leeches, while keeping the secret from a public that has no idea how deeply the undead have woven themselves into daily life. Each of the six 50-minute episodes builds tension through investigation, surveillance, and clinical reasoning, with the mythology grounded in the rule that vampires cannot appear on video or audio recordings. The production has a realistic, procedural texture and an atmosphere of paranoia and dread, closer to a conspiracy thriller than a gothic romance. Fans of Spooks and Dark Angel will find resonance in its blend of state secrecy, sharp-edged action, and genre fright. As a single-season limited run, it offers a contained, tightly plotted experience with a grounded tone and a dark, unsentimental view of power and survival.

• Dark Angelshared secret government vampire hunting unit, gritty scientific approach to the supernatural
• Blade: The Seriesshared clandestine unit hunting the undead, procedural tone with mythology
• Spooksshared grounded British thriller tone with a dark supernatural conspiracy

Created by

Joe Ahearne

Release Date

1998-09-15

Episode runtime

50 min

Rating

7.8 / 10 (36)

What is Ultraviolet about?

A clandestine British government unit hunts vampires with scientific rigor after a detective's partner is turned.

What is Ultraviolet like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ultraviolet as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Ultraviolet violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ultraviolet as moderate.

Which shows are like Ultraviolet?

Shows with a similar feel include Dark Angel, Blade: The Series, and Spooks.

How long is Ultraviolet?

Ultraviolet: 1 season, 6 episodes.

Is Ultraviolet still running?

No, Ultraviolet has ended.