When Lazlo is knocked unconscious while in bat form it’s up to his undead housemates to rescue him from an animal shelter.

The first episode of the season not to be directed by either of the original movie’s co-creators/co-directors – Jemaine Clement or Taika Waititi – is an accomplished half hour based round a hilarious scenario. Flight of the Conchords writer Duncan Sarkies’ script is very well served by New Zealand director Jackie van Beek, who you might recall was in the original movie as… Jackie!

It’s a very simple setup – Lazlo needs to be rescued – but as always, our idiot friends mess things up and it requires a lot of effort to set things right. This is mainly down to the absence of Nadja, who is having a great time with the latest version of her reincarnated lover Gregor, currently a dope called Jeff. The moments where she regresses him to previous lives are a hoot, particularly when he becomes a horse!

Verdict: The cast are firing on all cylinders, taking the simple setup and making it as convoluted as difficult to resolve. No wonder vampires don’t have dominion over us – but what fun watching their failings. 9/10

Nick Joy