Manfred has a problem. He has a couple actually. There’s the loan shark chasing him for money he doesn’t have. That problem is at least alive and, relatively self contained.

Then there’s Manfred’s job.  He’s a psychic and a very good one and that’s where the other problem comes in. The latest in a long line of psychics, Manfred can see and talk to the dead. And the dead can see, talk to and possess him…

After a séance almost goes very bad and with the loan shark on his tale, he flees town and hides out in Midnight, Texas. A tiny railway crossing of a town in the middle of nowhere, Midnight is friendly, quiet and packed to the brim with secrets.

And dead people.

Manfred came to Midnight to hide. But he’s about to find out that he really came to Midnight to help…

Adapted from Charlaine Harris’ series of novels by Monica Owusu-Breen, Midnight, Texas takes delight in doing the last thing you expect at every turn.

First off, anyone expecting a True Blood-alike are going to be pleasantly disappointed. There’s not the slightest hint of the lumbering continuity and terrible choices that blighted the last few seasons of that show. Instead, there’s the lightness of touch and broad spectrum charm of the first couple of years. This is rural American gothic, emphasis on the rural, emphasis on the gothic and it’s immensely easy to watch.

Plus, the relaxed nature of the townsfolk belies the speed with which the plot moves. In one episode we get the truth about Manfred, the truth about Lemuel Bridger, the murder that kicks off book one and a lot of plot irons in the fire as well as the usual set of cast introductions. It doesn’t feel forced or rapid either. Rather, moments like Lemuel explaining what he is to Manfred speak to an instant trust between the characters. Midnighters stick together and they don’t make a big deal out of it and that’s a pleasant surprise too.

Then there’s the cast. Francois Arnaud’s easy going quiet charm is a perfect fit for Manfred while Sarah Ramos gives Creek the exact combination she needs of small town friendliness and the steel a tough upbringing forges. Likewise Dylan Bruce gives Bobo the exact amiable doof air he needs while Paria Fitz-Henley is excellent as the slightly nervous, tightly packed town witch, Fiji.

But the cast member you walk away remembering is Peter Mensah. As Lemuel Bridger, the town vampire, he’s instantly memorable precisely because of what he isn’t. Mensah is one of the most gifted character actors of his generation and he brings an instant humanity and humour to Lemuel that sets him apart from the norm. Yes he’s a vampire. Yes he chooses not to kill. No he’s really fine about that. No angst. No stress. Just a calm, compassionate community leader who happens to feed off life energy.

That constant combination of the expected and the surprising is what makes Midnight work so well. Monica Owusu-Breen has done amazing work keeping the basics of the original novels and expanding them into a story that’s about monsters, community and what happens when the first forms the second. It’s charming and funny and has a couple of nicely placed scares.

Verdict: If you’re looking for fun, smart supernatural adventure, then this is for you. Or to put it another, make a stop in Midnight. Manfred may regret doing so but trust us, you won’t. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart

Read our interview with showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen here