A Monthlong Celebration of the Complete and Utter Shitshow That Was 'Dracula' (2013) on Its 10th Anniversary
What to expect from this October's retrospective of the worst creative experience of my life...
If you’ve been a subscriber to this Substack for a while, there is a decent chance you’ve heard me reference a television series I created for NBC and Sky. It was called "DRACULA” (2013), starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers amongst many other brilliant, excruciatingly beautiful actors, and was a complete and unmitigated shitshow from start to finish. This month is the tenth anniversary of its premiere. Yay, right? I guess, sure, whatever. Honestly, I only noticed after a fan of it pointed it out to me. I immensely appreciate the people who love this series and what they take from it, but the development and production of it caused me so much anguish that I still find it difficult to celebrate the accomplishment.
I’ve written about my experience developing and writing the pilot before, something I called The Horror of 'DRACULA': The Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series. It’s a cautionary tale for them about what can happen when all their dreams come true.
This was followed up by More ‘The Horror of “DRACULA”’: Lessons from the Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series, in which TV showrunners, literary reps, and my studio executive weighed in about my experience, what I could’ve done differently, and what other screenwriters can learn from my story.
But this October, I’m going to finish the story, at least as much of it as I’m willing to tell here. Trust me, there’s so much more I wish I could reveal. You might wonder why I keep flogging this dead horse. It’s dead, after all. Canceled after one season and ten episodes that were, I concede, not abysmally reviewed. Well, the reason is twofold:
The first, I realized earlier this year I had never properly processed the trauma I experienced. And it was trauma. The talent agency I moved to after the show aired used what happened to me to scare other creators who thought their own treatment was poor. “Oh yeah, you think you have it rough? Let me tell you about this asshole Cole Haddon and what happened to him.” That kind of thing.
The second, I have spent a decade privately sharing my experiences with emerging writers so they could be prepared if anything similar ever happened to them. On more than a few occasions, I’ve been told this advice made substantive differences in writers’ lives. Because of this, I decided it was time to start sharing these stories far and wide in case anything I had to say would provide similar value to other writers on their journeys.
So, here’s what to expect from my monthlong interrogation of the complete and utter shitshow that was “DRACULA”:
Today
This is a chance to familiarize yourself with the first two parts of my tale of woe (both of these are for free subscribers):
The Horror of 'DRACULA': The Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series
More ‘The Horror of “DRACULA”’: Lessons from the Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series
October 3rd
Screenwriting Tales: That Time I Had to Publicly Condemn My Own TV Series
“DRACULA” (2013), which I created, was a protracted nightmare...but calling out my own show for perpetuating a negative stereotype was easily one of the lowest points for me
This article is exclusively for paid subscribers.
October 10th
Looking Back at the Soul-Sucking Shitshow That Was ‘DRACULA’ (2013) with Series Co-EP Harley Peyton
For me, one of the best things to come from “DRACULA” was my friendship with Harley Peyton, who wrote or co-wrote a lot of the original “TWIN PEAKS” series and tons of other TV you’ve loved and, as a senior member of the “DRACULA” writers’ room, did more than anyone else to help me survive the horror. Ten years later, he and I interview each other about the experience. There’s so much for aspiring and emerging screenwriters to learn from this conversation (I mean, even I learned a few new things from it).
This article is exclusively for paid subscribers.
October 16th
Weekly Question: What Else Do You Want to Know About ‘DRACULA’?
Many of you subscribe to me because of my horror stories about “DRACULA”, but so far I’ve dictated the terms of this conversation about the series. This is your opportunity to ask me whatever you want to about my experiences.
This thread is exclusively for paid subscribers.
October 17th
Every Screenwriter Dreams of Creating a TV Series...But What Happens When You Can't Bear to Watch the End Result?
Let's break down what happened to my 'DRACULA' pilot script after it earned a rare series order - because its journey from my laptop to screens is a MasterClass in how not to make good TV
This article is exclusively for paid subscribers.
October 21st
Screenwriting Tales: Sometimes ‘Not Losing’ Is Your Best Hope As an Artist (Or: How I Survived Creating My First TV Series)
I break down three times I used asymmetric warfare not to win, but simply to survive in my conflicts with superior adversaries during the development, production, and promotion of “DRACULA”.
This article is for free and paid subscribers.
October 28th
Let's Put the Vampire Back In His Coffin: Some Final Thoughts on the Worst Creative Experience of My Life
Put a stake in me because I’m done talking about ‘DRACULA’ (2013). A collection of experiences and thoughts that didn’t quite fit into my other stories, wrapping the whole nightmare up.
This article is for free and paid subscribers.
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Hi Cole,
I can’t believe I am writing this, the hobby writer that I am, but aspiring screenplay writer also. I am terrified to put myself out there but must. As we approach the 10th Anniversary of Dracula, that was your shit show but my life changing experience and I will be celebrating it on 31st October. As you should be as you changed someone’s life, that day.
I have followed you for several months on medium and in particular your Dracula essays. I have been shocked and saddened by your experience with Dracula 2013. I feel it is my duty to tell you my experience of Dracula 2013. It might help you to see Dracula in a different light and know that your writing and that of your fellow writers have changed my life over the last ten years.
I gift this e-mail and Dracula letter to you, which I sent to some of my work colleagues, when I was leaving their department to go back to my old department after the pandemic.
Hi Girls,
I have always appreciated that you have all shown an interest in my writing. I thought I would send you all a writing gift, as I leave your Department to go back to London Rd.
This letter is based on a wonderful series of Dracula, which first aired back in 2013 on Sky Living. The channel is now called Sky Witness. It only lasted for ten episodes and then was sadly cancelled. Those ten weeks changed my writing life forever and it was were I first beheld my muse Jonathan Rhys Meyers and he was a vision, I can tell you! He was more than that, as I discovered, he was a phenomenal actor and he brought such emotionally intensity to Dracula, it blow me away.
Cole Haddon was the creator and head writer on this Dracula Series, as I am a writer. It will always come back to him for me. He wanted to do something different with his Dracula and I truly appreciated that, because it is all to easy to do the things, that has been done to death with Dracula, as I am now seeing with new tv series’s and films of Dracula. He gave me a gift and inspired me, but he also gave me my muse and without him I may have never witnessed the wonder that is Mr Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
The whole cast and crew of Dracula 2013 inspired me and changed my life forever and for that I will forever be truly thankfully. They are all special people to me and I will dearly like to meet them all someday.
This letter is part of a story, I did about Dracula and Mina a few years back. My scene by scene, that will form my final screenplay. It is way too long to read at 464 pages and counting and it is difficult to pick out bits from it. It would also be hard to understand, if you have not watched the original series.
This letter is a taster and a good throwback to Bran Stoker’s original novel DRACULA, as this was written in letter, diary and newspaper form.
Enjoy!
Kind Regards
Tracey
I am sorry to mention my muse first, but if you have ever been inspired by an actor, you will understand and a certain bath scene at the beginning of the blood of life was like the second coming of Christ for me. Oh dear Lord, what visions he gives on screen, but more importantly of course what intense acting and becoming of characters he gives.
My scene by scene is now 502 pages. It is really the script, but not done in script form yet. I will let you into a big secret Dracula is now dead by the hands of a certain Miss Murray, helped by Harker, the professor, Lady Jayne - She is back, Dracula nearly had a fit and low and be hold the order of dragon hunters. It pained me because I hate those bastards of order Draco for what they did to Vlad and Ilona, but we need them to destroy Dracula and his army once and for all.
Dracula died at Bran Castle and I cried like a baby because I have loved and adored this character since I was 15 years and this version I have taken care of for the last ten years. He is everything to me. These characters are like my children. I love them all.
I also write Dracula erotica - pleased don’t judge me ah! Not my fault, you wrote about Alexander Grayson and Lady Jayne, gives one ideas and also said bath scene, Dracula, the Tudors etc. it is not my fault. These stories are fantasy stories between me and Dracula and to read them you will need to know me better.
I related to Dracula because I am a wheelchair user and have CP, depression and and anxiety those are my fangs. Sometimes my CP brain makes writing very challenging and so does my depression brain, but know Dracula 2013 makes my brain and imagination very happy. That’s all because of you and the cast and crew of Dracula 2013.
In closing, always stay true to your writing vision and stay away from was it Mr Smiley’s of the world. I could not believe that story. I know you and your teams visions were there in Dracula 2013 and it has changed my life for the better.
One last thing, pleased stop beating yourself up about Lucy. LGBT issues and any issues are hard to deal with on screen, you will not please all of the people all of the time. I believe Lucy was coming into being gay and to sleep with a woman may have scared her at that point in the story. Harker and Lucy just two lost souls coming together after being rejected by their lover.
Know that Lucy fell in love with one of the sister’s of Dracula in my scene by scene and they shared everything including Dracula, if you get my meaning, vampires don’t care if your straight, gay, bi etc. They are into everything!
I hope this makes you start celebrating Dracula and stop beating yourself up please, please! It was no shit show!!! I am actually sitting writing my version today and getting to the conclusion. That’s all because of a wonderful series called Dracula, written and created by Cole Haddon!
Can send you my Dracula letter through e-mail, if you would like?
Thanks always and take care
Tracey Mackenzie
Sent from my iPhone
All I can say is oooh boy, but I'm excited for the ride!