Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a fictional character, a vegetarian vampire duck, in the animated TV series of the same name created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from Dangermouse. The series first aired on September 6, 1988. In all, 65 episodes were made, each about 22 minutes long.The show was a loose parody of the story of Count Dracula. Set in Transylvania, Duckula lived in a spooky castle, alongside his servant Igor, and his Nanny (always referred to as "Nanny" and perpetually in an arm sling). All the characters in the show were (anthropomorphised) birds.
The story (as shown in the title sequence each episode) was that Duckula was active as a vampire for centuries. He could only be destroyed by exposure to sunlight or by a wooden stake thrust through his heart. Duckula had in fact died numerous deaths. But he always returned through a mystic ritual, performed once a century, "when the moon is in the eighth house of Aquarius". However a theme explored through several episodes was that each resurrection created a new incarnation with little to no memory of its past. Thus every incarnation was free to develop its own personality and pursue its personal interests. Thus the vampire was able to pose as a dynasty of Counts of Duckula. The various succeeding generations included knights, sorcerers, scientists, artists and even professional gamblers. All of them also secretly being "vicious vampire ducks".
But as the title sequence put it, "the latest reincarnation did not run according to plan." The successful conclusion of the ritual required blood, the source of sustainance for any vampire. But his servants accidentally substituted it with tomato sauce. Concequently the newest version was not a blood-sucking vampire but a vegetarian one. He was more interested in juicy carrots rather than hunting for victims. Igor naturally felt appalled. Even worse, his "new" master was obsessed with pursuing wealth and fame as an entertainer.
The show often centred around Duckula's adventures in search of riches and fame, assisted by the castle's ability to teleport around the world. Another regular part of the story was Igor and his attempts to turn Duckula into a proper vampire. Some episodes featured Duckula's nemesis Doctor Von Goosewing (obviously based on Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, the nemesis of Dracula), a vampire hunter who blindly refuses to believe the current incarnation of Duckula is harmless. Still others featured a whole array of bizarre, often supernatural foes, from zombies to mechanical werewolves.
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