Count Duckula – the complete third series – review

Director: Various

First aired: 1990-1993

Contains spoilers

The complete third series of Count Duckula (David Jason) is somewhat of a misnomer title wise. The first thirteen episodes are the complete third season. The final seven episodes are the shorter lived fourth season, but let us not split hairs.

We have previously looked at the first and second seasons – though you can buy all three/four seasons as a single set now.

rare fanged pose

When it comes to a review the trouble is, of course, it is absolutely more of the same with each episode being a stand alone adventure with the vegetarian vampire duck, his evil manservant Igor (Jack May) and his gargantuan pea-brained Nanny (Brian Truman). There was no more lore added in this then previously, except for the idea that the original Count Duckula was turned into a vampire by the bite of a bat – something the present incarnation tries and fails to prevent by travelling back in time.

The Egg

The two standout episodes come from season four. “Venice a Duck not a Duck” sees the arch-villain The Egg (Jimmy Hibbert) setting a series of dastardly traps for Duckula involving many of the criminals who have previously graced episodes. As such it becomes somewhat of a rogue’s gallery of an episode.

Dr Quackbrain

The final episode, “The Zombie Awakens”, is a surrealist joy with the insane Dr Quackbeak – and his hand puppet binky – using his zombie, named Morpheus, to kidnap Duckula so that he can watch his dreams. A wonderful tonal grey (which could have looked even better if these episodes had been digitally restored), with a castle straight out of a German expressionist classic and Igor’s nightmare of cute fluffy bunnies.

This – like the other two seasons – gets a score of 7 out of 10 and the imdb page is here.