Television is filled with comedies and dramas, each with its own charm and iconic characters, but there’s nothing like finding a good supernatural show that distracts viewers from their often harsh realities.
Over the years, the genre has evolved to include horror tropes, speculative sci-fi, creatures of the night, and even post-apocalyptic futures, gaining fans all around the globe with its romantic plots, outstanding action scenes, and award-winning performances. With many supernatural shows being added to streaming services every year, bingeing an old or new favorite is now easier than ever.
10 Teen Wolf Revolves Around A Werewolf & His Gang Of Supernatural Friends
In 2011, MTV premiered Teen Wolf, a television adaptation of the eponymous Michael J. Fox movie from the mid-1980s. The show was developed by Criminal Minds creator Jeff Davies and starred Tyler Posey as Scott, a teenager who’s bitten by a werewolf, and Dylan O’Brien as his best friend, Stiles.
Teen Wolf ran for exactly one hundred episodes, ending in 2017 after six seasons. It was incredibly popular online during its broadcast, leading the series to win multiple Teen Choice Awards, including Choice Summer TV Show two times in a row. In September 2021, Paramount announced Teen Wolf would return for a film revival on its streaming service.
9 Supernatural Follows Two Brothers On A Mission To Destroy Evil Creatures
One of The CW’s longest-running series, Supernatural, follows Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as the Winchester brothers on their journey hunting evil supernatural creatures. It ran for fifteen seasons, from 2005 to 2020, and is known for its large and dedicated online fandom.
For its fifth season, Supernatural also promoted guest one of its most popular guest characters, the angel Castiel played by Misha Collins, to a starring role. The series’ high ratings led to the production of various tie-in media, including a DC Comics miniseries, over fifteen novels, and even an anime series produced by renowned studio Madhouse.
8 Sabrina The Teenage Witch Focuses On A Young Witch Struggling With Her Powers & Adolescence
After rising to prominence in the Nickelodeon sitcom Clarissa Explains It All, Melissa Joan Hart starred as Sabrina Spellman in the 1996 supernatural classic, Sabrina The Teenage Witch. The show revolves around a young half-witch who must learn to control her powers while dealing with typical adolescent experiences.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch originally aired on ABC before moving to The WB for its last few seasons, and it ran for over a hundred and sixty episodes and three television films in total. Eleven years after its cancellation, Archie Comics reimagined the series’ plot and characters into the darker Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which also received a live-action adaptation in 2018.
7 The Vampire Diaries Is A Vampire Romance For Lovers Of The Twilight Series
Based on L.J. Smith’s novel series of the same name, The Vampire Diaries tells the story of Elena Gilbert, a high schooler who falls in love with vampire brothers Stephan and Damon. It was developed by Scream writer Kevin Williamson and starred an ensemble cast that included Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, and Paul Wesley.
The Vampire Diaries was one of the most prominent franchises that spawned during the late-2000s supernatural craze started by the Twilight series. The show ended in 2017 after eight seasons on The CW and received two spin-offs: The Originals and Legacies.
6 The Walking Dead Follows The Survivors Of A Zombie Apocalypse
On Halloween 2010, AMC premiered its beloved horror drama, The Walking Dead. The series is based on Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore’s comic series about a group of zombie apocalypse survivors and their struggles. Its large ensemble cast is led by Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a police officer who wakes up from a coma at the beginning of the story.
The Walking Dead has won two Primetime Emmys for its makeup and prosthetics and received multiple other accolades for its outstanding performances. As of early 2022, the show is currently airing its eleventh and final season, with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride reprising their role as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier.
5 True Blood Explores A World Where Vampires & Humans Co-Exist
An HBO original, True Blood is set in a world where the invention of synthetic blood has allowed vampires to ‘safely’ mingle with humans. It followed Anna Paquin as Sookie, a telepath who falls in love with a vampire and becomes acquainted with the supernatural creatures’ everyday struggles.
From 2008 to 2014, the show ran for eighty episodes divided into seven seasons. After a modest start with an average of two million viewers, True Blood went on to become one of HBO’s most-watched series until its finale. It also won two Emmys in 2009, one for its outstanding casting and another, a fan-voted award, for one of its scenes.
4 Stranger Things Focuses On The Bizarre, Supernatural Events In A Small Indiana Town
Inspired by sci-fi horror films from the 1980s, Stranger Things focuses on the bizarre happenings in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. It was created by the Duffer Brothers, who had previously worked on Fox’s Wayward Pines and is comprised of three seasons, with a fourth one set to debut in mid-2022 on Netflix.
Stranger Things‘ cast includes David Harbour as Chief Hopper, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, amongst others. The show gained both commercial and critical success, breaking multiple online viewership records and earning over sixty awards and more than two hundred nominations.
3 American Horror Story Tells A Different Story With A Supernatural Twist Every Season
In 2011, Glee showrunners Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk created American Horror Story, an anthology miniseries with a completely new, self-contained story per season. The show has covered vengeful spirits, cults, demons, witchcraft, vampires, aliens, and even a nuclear apocalypse during its ten seasons.
While the cast of American Horror Story changes every season, some of its members, like Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, and Emma Roberts, have returned to play different characters. A decade on the air has earned the series over three hundred award nominations and wins for its acting and makeup.
2 The X-Files Blends Detective Mysteries With Speculative Science-Fiction
A pop culture phenomenon, Fox’s The X-Files followed David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Mulder and Scully as they investigated cold cases involving supernatural events. Originally, the series ran for nine seasons, from 1993 to 2002, before a two-season revival was greenlit in early 2016.
Unlike other shows, The X-Files didn’t achieve immediate success, fostering a cult following for several years before attracting mainstream attention. It was known for discussing conspiracy theories about the government and aliens, which earned it several comparisons to shows like The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks.
1 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Gives A Youthful & Modern Spin To The Supernatural Genre
Based on the 1992 film of the same name, Buffy the Vampire Slayer starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular character, a high schooler who learns she’s destined to fight supernatural creatures. It was created by Joss Whedon in 1997 and ran for seven seasons on The WB and UPN.
The series was praised for its portrayal of strong, independent female characters and lesbian relationships while adapting the supernatural genre for a teen audience. Buffy the Vampire Slayer influenced many shows that would come thereafter, including Bryan Fuller’s Dead Like Me and the 2005 revival of Doctor Who.
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