Best tv shows like The Owl Service
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Three teenagers discover a mysterious set of owl and flower-patterned dinner plates in the attic and the magical ancient legend of the "Mabinogion" comes to life once again in their Welsh valley.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 222
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 200 min
Plot tags: spooky
Best tv shows and movies like The Owl Service (1969):
Similar in 82%
The Enchanted Castle (1979)
Plot Summary:
Gerald, James and Kathleen discover a garden in which is hidden a Princess and a magic ring. Although the Princess is not quite who she says she is the ring is truly magic and so are other parts of the castle's grounds.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 53
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 174 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Demon Headmaster (1996)
Plot Summary:
The Demon Headmaster is a British television series based on the children's books by Gillian Cross of the same name. Made for CBBC, the drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998. The first series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 2 to 18 January 1996, the second series contained seven episodes, and aired once a week from 25 September to 6 November 1996, and the third series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 6 to 22 January 1998. School location scenes in the first series were filmed at Hatch End High School, in Hatch End, Harrow, North West London and The Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Other scenes were filmed around West London and the Vulcan Tower is in fact the Atrium building in Uxbridge. CGI was used to make this building appear on a traffic island close to Warwick Avenue tube station. Some scenes in the later series were filmed in the village of Sarratt, Hertfordshire and other locations in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 757
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Children of the Stones (1977)
Plot Summary:
Astrophysicist Adam Brake (Gareth Thomas) and his teen son Matthew (Peter Demin) investigate the roots of a mysterious stone circle in the quiet British village of Milbury, where they encounter the sinister Rafael Hendrick (Iain Cuthbertson) and entranced villagers known as "the happy ones".
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 833
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: psychological thriller, surprise ending, sinister, ambiguous ending, weird
Similar in 80%
The Changes (1975)
Plot Summary:
When a strange noise is emitted from machinery and electricity pylons, previously placid and easy-going folk turn violent against the technology that surrounds them, ruthlessly attacking radios, TVs and other domestic appliances. In the devastating aftermath, young Nicky Gore (Victoria Williams) is separated from her parents and finds a surrogate home with a group of Sikhs. But they soon are dubbed ‘The Devil’s Children’ by superstitious locals and Nicky is accused of sorcery by a witch-finder. In grave danger, she is forced to find a way to escape, find her parents and uncover what caused the world to become so unbalanced. (BFI).
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 191
Genere: Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
The Magician's House (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Magician's House is a quartet of children's fantasy books by William Corlett. Two mini-series were produced in 1999 for British television, which were directed by Paul Lynch. The series featured Jennifer Saunders and Stephen Fry voicing some of the animal characters. The books were published in the early 1990s, and named as follows: ⁕The Steps up the Chimney ⁕The Door in the Tree ⁕The Tunnel behind the Waterfall ⁕The Bridge in the Clouds Although in a rural setting, this series' focus on subjects such as industrial development and the combining of present-day and past settings in the plotline gives it a feeling tending more towards urban fantasy than simply contemporary fantasy. In addition, though there is no specific mention of Welsh myths and legends, the strong part nature plays in the stories and the settings bring to mind other British children's authors. Authors like Alan Garner, who is perhaps best known for The Owl Service and Elidor, and Susan Cooper, famous for The Dark Is Rising sequence of books, who allude more specifically to British myth and legend in their writings.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 211
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
Feather Boy (2004)
Plot Summary:
Robert Nobel is a 12 year old schoolboy – polite, well-spoken and friendly. However, he is bullied by schoolmates and called 'Norbert No-Bottle'. When his parent's split up he is further damaged made worse by his father planning to remarry. Robert mistakenly volunteers to take part in a story telling campaign in a local old people's home, where he meets an old lady that will change his life forever.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 212
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 87%
The Miniaturist (2017)
Plot Summary:
A woman moves to live with her new husband in 17th Amsterdam, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: costume drama, tense, enigmatic, serious, captivating, suspenseful, period piece, suspense, erotic, psychological thriller
Similar in 83%
Moondial (1988)
Plot Summary:
Moondial is a British television serial made for children by the BBC and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by Helen Cresswell, who also wrote the novel on which the series was based. The story deals with a young girl, Minty, staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a moondial that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom, who lives in the Victorian era, and Sarah, who seems to live in "the previous century" to that, and must save them from their own unhappy lives. Regarded as a nostalgic favourite by followers of 1980s BBC children's drama, Moondial employs extensive location filming and fantastical, dreamlike imagery. The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by Colin Cant. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary, Arthur Hewlett as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World and Jacqueline Pearce in the dual role of the vicious Miss Vole and the present-day ghost hunter Miss Raven.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 252
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 158 min
Plot tags: psychological thriller, weird
Similar in 88%
Ghostwriter (2019)
Plot Summary:
When a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world, four kids must team up to solve an exciting mystery surrounding the ghost’s unfinished business.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: mysterious, captivating, entertaining, fairy tale, spooky
Similar in 80%
Sky (1975)
Plot Summary:
Sky is a mystically-oriented children's science fantasy television serial made for ITV by HTV and broadcast in seven parts from April 7 to May 14, 1975. A mysterious alien boy with strange solid blue eyes, the eponymous Sky, finds himself on Earth. He uses his psychic powers for achieve his goal of ensuring a way back home. Sky finds the very world soul of Earth in the form of nature, only to reject him the way an immune system might an infection. In his quest to return home, he joins his destiny with that of three human children. The serial was written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, also known for their scripts for Doctor Who and a fantasy television series for children, Into the Labyrinth. Although the series was kept on 2" videotape into the 1990s, during a transfer to film stock episodes 3 and 7 were damaged beyond repair. The series was finally released by Network DVD in May 2009, with the damaged segments replaced by inferior, but watchable, VHS copies of the episodes.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 114
Genere: Family, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Pinocchio (2008)
Plot Summary:
The enchanted story of Pinocchio.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 463
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Italy, UK
Duration: 179 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, sincere, thought provoking, captivating, entertaining, mysterious
Similar in 77%
The Box of Delights (1984)
Plot Summary:
Based on the classic children's novel by John Masefield, the story follows the exploits of a young boy, Kay Harker, who finds himself drawn into a world of magic and danger when he encounters an old Punch and Judy man.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 922
Genere: Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 177 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
My Life with the Walter Boys (2023)
Plot Summary:
Jackie Howard (Rodriguez), is a 15-year old Manhattanite who, following the loss of her family in an accident, has to learn to adapt to a new life in rural Colorado with her guardian — and 10 very rowdy boys.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
Malory Towers (2020)
Plot Summary:
Follow the adventures of Darrell Rivers as she leaves home for the first time to attend an all-girls’ boarding school. Set in post-war Britain on the sun-drenched cliffs of the Cornish coast, the series explores a nostalgic world of midnight feasts, lacrosse, pranks, a mystery ghost and lasting friendships.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 469
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, spooky
Similar in 82%
Mayday (2013)
Plot Summary:
It's Mayday in a small town steeped in pagan traditions where the crowning of the May Queen is the highlight of the day until suddenly she goes missing.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, detective, enigmatic, captivating, disturbing, dark, spooky, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971)
Plot Summary:
Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 1971 television serial adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel of the same name. It was originally shown on the BBC1 Sunday tea time slot, which often showed adaptations of classic novels aimed at a family audience. It may have been more freely adapted than most of these Sunday adaptations, e.g. including Flashman's father who was not in the novel, and like some other adaptations of Hughes' novel it expanded Flashman and Dr. Arnold's roles. However it was regarded as well-acted, particularly by Murphy, Morant and Cuthbertson, and was later shown on Masterpiece Theater in the USA. Both the programme and Murphy's performance won Emmy Awards. It did include a couple of corporal punishment scenes which were rather strong stuff for family viewing.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 174
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: UK
Duration: 225 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
Anne of Green Gables (1972)
Plot Summary:
Anne of Green Gables is a made-for-television British mini-series directed by Joan Craft based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 126
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: UK
Duration: 280 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
The Essex Serpent (2022)
Plot Summary:
London widow Cora Seaborne moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms an unlikely bond with the village vicar, but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 288 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, gothic, spiritual, costume drama, period drama, beautiful
Similar in 86%
Light as a Feather (2018)
Plot Summary:
Five teen girls deal with the supernatural fallout stemming from an innocent game of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.” When the girls start dying off in the exact way that was predicted, the survivors must figure out why they’re being targeted — and whether the evil force hunting them down is one of their own.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, scary, tense, suspense, teen horror
Similar in 78%
The Barchester Chronicles (1982)
Plot Summary:
When a crusade against the Church of England's practice of self-enrichment misfires, scandal taints the cosy community of Barchester when their local church becomes the object of a scathing, investigative report.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 385 min
Plot tags: costume drama, historical drama, period drama
Similar in 82%
Deadtime Stories (2012)
Plot Summary:
A baby-sitter tells a different 'Deadtime Story' to the kids she is babysitting. The stories are scary and chilling.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 296
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, suspense, scary, psychological, rough, bleak, dark fairy tale
Similar in 81%
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)
Plot Summary:
An exploration of Charles Dickens's unfinished work in which the mystery of the murder of Edwin Drood is examined.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, atmospheric, serious, captivating, psychological, historical drama, realistic, stylized, fairy tale, period drama
Similar in 78%
Skellig (2009)
Plot Summary:
An ordinary boy named Michael is going through some extraordinary changes in his life. His family has just moved into an unfamiliar house, and his brand new baby sister has fallen ill. One day, while cleaning out the garden shed, he stumbles across something mysterious, a strange creature huddled in the corner; weak of body but strong of will. This is Skellig.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sentimental, atmospheric, serious, emotional, sad, apocalyptic, cult classic
Similar in 88%
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1989)
Plot Summary:
Bonnie and cousin Sylvia, two very young children, are left at home in Willoughby Hall while their parents travel overseas. Only the servants and the prowling wolves are their companions. News arrives that Lord and Lady Willoughby are missing and an evil looking governess suddenly arrives at the hall.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 542
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: spooky, independent film, serious
Similar in 80%
Lockwood & Co. (2023)
Plot Summary:
A girl with extraordinary psychic abilities joins two gifted teen boys at a small ghost-hunting agency to fight the many deadly spirits haunting London.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: mind blowing, spooky, detective
Similar in 80%
American Gods (2017)
Plot Summary:
Based on Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel about an ex-con who becomes the traveling partner of a conman who turns out to be one of the older gods trying to recruit troops to battle the upstart deities.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, psychedelic, serious, supernatural thriller, erotic, atmospheric, spiritual, absurd, anime, dread
Similar in 75%
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988)
Plot Summary:
Sir Charles Baskerville dies on the moor under mysterious circumstances and rumors abound about a demonic hound. When the American heir arrives to take charge, a family friend calls in Holmes and Watson to get to the heart of the mystery.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: detective, gothic, spooky, tense, serious, suspenseful, psychotronic, scary, vintage
Similar in 77%
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978)
Plot Summary:
A young couple moves to a quiet New England village, only to soon find themselves mixed up in mysterious rituals.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 300 min
Plot tags: gothic, slasher, satanic, spooky, thrilling, scary, tense, atmospheric, rough, mind bending
Similar in 82%
Anne with an E (2017)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story about an outsider who, against all odds and numerous challenges, fights for love and acceptance and for her place in the world. The series centers on a young orphaned girl in the late 1890’s, who, after an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and the homes of strangers, is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly woman and her aging brother. Over time, 13-year-old Anne will transform their lives and eventually the small town in which they live with her unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: compassionate, sincere, touching, realistic, emotional, costume drama, period piece, sad, historical drama, period drama
Similar in 76%
The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (1988)
Plot Summary:
Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the Lion, Aslan.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: UK
Duration: 171 min
Plot tags: exciting, offbeat, serious, mystical, mythical, cult classic, stylized