Kindred: The Embraced

Kindred: The Embraced is an American television series produced by John Leekley Productions and Spelling Television. Loosely based on the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, the series premiered on Fox on April 2, 1996, and ran for eight episodes before it was canceled on May 9, 1996. The series focused on San Francisco Police Detective Frank Kohanek who discovers his city is home to numerous vampires while investigating alleged mobster, Julian Luna. Julian is the "prince" of the city, ruler of five groups of vampires in the city, collectively called "The Kindred". The vampires survive through the "masquerade", disguising themselves as humans, and Julian strictly enforces the laws that govern them to protect their anonymity. Julian and Frank form an uneasy bond as they work together to try to prevent a vampire war and Julian struggles with his romantic feelings for human reporter Caitlin Byrne. The eight episodes of the series have been released on VHS and DVD.

Kindred: The Embraced (1996) is an American supernatural crime drama created by John Leekley for FOX, a single-season limited run of eight episodes loosely based on the Vampire: The Masquerade role-playing game. San Francisco police detective Frank Kohanek (C. Thomas Howell) investigates a suspected mobster, Julian Luna (Mark Frankel), only to discover that the city is secretly ruled by vampires known as the Kindred. Julian, the prince of the city, enforces harsh laws to keep his kind hidden behind the masquerade, and he and Frank form an uneasy alliance to head off a vampire war. Reporter Caitlin Byrne (Kelly Rutherford) becomes a complication in Julian's life, adding romantic tension to the investigation, while Stacy Haiduk plays Lillie Langtry in the wider vampire circle. Each episode builds the sense of a concealed world operating beneath ordinary urban life, with stalking, shadowy factions and political maneuvering. The tone is dark, gothic and brooding, with a romantic undercurrent and an atmosphere of paranoia as mortal and immortal worlds press closer together. Fans of Angel, Forever Knight and True Blood will find resonance in its blend of police procedural mechanics and urban gothic dread, though the series was canceled before its larger story could be resolved.

Critics found Kindred: The Embraced atmospheric and gothic in tone but uneven and underdeveloped, and its single season was widely seen as a cancelled series with an unresolved story.

• Angelshared supernatural crime investigation with a hidden vampire society and urban gothic tone
• Forever Knightpolice detective uncovering a secret supernatural underworld in a modern city
• True Bloodhidden supernatural society concealed behind human masks with dark fantasy atmosphere

Created by

John Leekley

Release Date

1996-04-02

Episode runtime

59 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (29)

What is Kindred: The Embraced about?

A San Francisco police detective uncovers a hidden city of vampires and must work with their ruler to prevent a bloody vampire war.

What is Kindred: The Embraced like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kindred: The Embraced as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Kindred: The Embraced violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Kindred: The Embraced as moderate.

What did critics think of Kindred: The Embraced?

Critics found Kindred: The Embraced atmospheric and gothic in tone but uneven and underdeveloped, and its single season was widely seen as a cancelled series with an unresolved story.

Which shows are like Kindred: The Embraced?

Shows with a similar feel include Angel, Forever Knight, and True Blood.

How long is Kindred: The Embraced?

Kindred: The Embraced: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is Kindred: The Embraced still running?

No, Kindred: The Embraced was canceled.