One of the greatest things about living in the UK is the BBC. Time and time again they manage to produce shows of such quality and enduring appeal that they enjoy as much success beyond Britain as they do within it; just look at Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock or Luther.

While BBC One is the flagship and the holy grail for most new series, BBC Three, the ‘youth’ channel, has on more than one occasion produced some fantastic shows, which are often in danger of passing by completely unnoticed thanks to the reputation BBC Three has cultivated with such gems as the make-under show ‘Snog, Marry, Avoid’ and reality fodder like ‘Young, Dumb and Living off Mum.’

New show, ‘The Fades’ answers the age old zombies vs. vampires conundrum by mashing the two mythologies together into one fantastic premise (no word yet on a pirate/ninja crossover – get on it BBC!) A delightfully dark and blood-stained show, with surprisingly good effects, ‘The Fades’ is a supernatural horror series with a distinctly teen voice. The story follows Paul, the nerdy central character, as he encounters the ghostly world of the undead, or fades, as they’re known in the show, in his own hometown, and comes to realise that he is meant for greater things than wetting his bed and playing computer games with his hilarious best friend, Mac.

So far so average, right? However writer Jack Thorne, who is also responsible for ‘Skins’, turns a well-worn tale of the unlikely hero facing supernatural forces into something  far more engrossing. The first episode may start off in familiar horror genre territory, but stick with it for fifteen minutes and you’ll be hooked. There may be a little nod in the direction of Buffy, but ‘The Fades’ stands on its own by creating its own monster mythology from the ranks of horror pop culture. The fades are ostensibly ghosts, but as the twisty series progresses, the distinction between ‘them’ and ‘us’ becomes less clear.

Up against the fades is a group of ghost busters who call themselves the angelics and, as is often the case, the dynamic between the two groups skews ideas of good and evil, heroes and villains, to such an extent that by the end, it’s no longer clear who is right and who is not. A race to prevent an apocalypse is not exactly what it appears either but to say anymore would give the game away, and I do try so hard to be spoiler free. Suffice to say that there is a high body count, plenty of gore and tons of Matrix and Star Wars references hidden with a genuinely compelling story. It is also packed with witty, geeky black humour, of the kind that the British do so well.

The BBC is having a great run recently of home-grown supernatural genre fare, and uncovering some stellar actors too. This would normally be my cue to highlight the particularly great performances in ‘The Fades’ but to be honest, pretty much everyone is outstanding in the show, with it being hard to choose between Iain De Caestecker’s Paul, Daniel Kaluuya’s funny and touching portrayal of his best friend Mac or Johnny Harris’s sometimes menacing turn as Paul’s angelic mentor, Neil. In fact, I could add to that list with ease, with the roles of young fade Natalie and former angelic Sarah also being fantastically heartbreaking. And that’s not even mentioning the big bad, John, who makes his appearance in episode three. A great cast, engrossing plot and twists galore make ‘The Fades’ one of the best shows of 2011 without a shadow of a doubt.

UK viewers can watch all six episodes of series one on BBC iPlayer for free. And good news for anyone across the pond, this was produced in conjunction with BBC America, and is apparently headed your way in January 2012. And if you watch it and love it (and you will) there’s a petition doing the rounds for a second series, so why not add your name to the list?