Foxtel sinks teeth into vampire thriller

An Australian broadcaster has picked up 13-part US drama The Strain, based on a vampire novel trilogy co-written by Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro.

Foxtel channel Fox8 will begin airing the series, about a doctor who is called up to investigate a mysterious outbreak of vampirism in New York, on July 30.

The novels on which the series is based were penned by del Toro and Chuck Hogan (The Town), who will both exec produce the TV series alongside showrunner and writer Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel).

It begins airing in the US on Fox-owned cable channel FX on July 13 and is produced by FX Productions.