Best tv shows like Dark Shadows
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; indeed, as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles. Dark Shadows was distinguished by its vividly melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, memorable storylines, numerous dramatic plot twists, unusually adventurous music score, and broad and epic cosmos of characters and heroic adventures. Now regarded as something of a classic, it continues to enjoy an intense cult following. Although the original series ran for only five years, its scheduling as a daily daytime drama allowed it to amass more single episodes during its run than most other science-fiction/fantasy genre series produced for English-language television, including Doctor Who and the entire Star Trek television franchise. Only the paranormal soap opera Passions, with a total of 2,231 episodes, has more.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: gothic, gothic horror, surreal, soap opera, atmospheric, stylized, scary, dark, spooky, retro
Best tv shows and movies like Dark Shadows (1966):
Similar in 84%
Night of the Devils (1972)
Plot Summary:
Night of the Devils is an Italian vampire thriller with a remarkably good pedigree. The script is based on The Wurdalak, a short story by A.K. Tolstoy. The central character is the patriarch of a wealthy family who fears that he will show up one day in vampire form. Should this happen, he warns his family not to let him back in his house, no matter how much he begs.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Italy, Spain
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: gothic, atmospheric, suspense, gothic horror, scary, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Dark Shadows (1991)
Plot Summary:
Dark Shadows is a primetime television series which aired on NBC from January to March 1991. A re-imagining of the 1966–1971 ABC daytime gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, the revival was developed by Dan Curtis, creator of the original series.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: gothic, soap opera, scary, creepy, comedy drama, weird
Similar in 81%
Gallery of Horror (1967)
Plot Summary:
John Carradine narrates five horror tales, each with a comically predictable surprise ending. In the first, "The Witches Clock", The Farrells have purchased an old mansion in Salem Massachusetts, and are warned by the town doctor of the history of witches in the community. The second story, "King of the Vampires" deals with a slight-figured killer, called the King of the Vampires by Scotland Yard. The third, "Monster Raid," is about a man turned zombie when he OD's on his experimental drug. "Spark of Life" deals with a doctor Mendell obsessed with the experiments of a thrown-out professor named Erich von Frankenstein. "Count Alucard" is a variation on the Dracula story, with the Count acquiring the deed to Carfax Abbey from Harker, as vampiresses and dead bodies start turning up.
IMDB Rating: 3.4
IMDB Votes: 778
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: anthology, dark fairy tale, classic horror, independent film, scary, offbeat, serious, surprise ending, twist ending, psychotronic
Similar in 81%
Night of Dark Shadows (1971)
Plot Summary:
A newlywed painter and his wife move into his family's ancestral home and find themselves plagued by spirits of past residents.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: gothic, gothic horror, classic horror, atmospheric, grindhouse, spooky, scary, serious, stylized, surprise ending
Similar in 82%
Dante's Cove (2004)
Plot Summary:
A young couple must overcome dark, mystical forces conspiring against them.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, erotic, sexy, soap opera, atmospheric, serious, sexual, gothic, queer cinema
Similar in 78%
Friday the 13th: The Series (1987)
Plot Summary:
Friday the 13th: The Series is an American-Canadian horror television series that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication. The series follows Micki and Ryan, owners of an antiques store, and their assistant, Jack Marshak, as they try to recover cursed antiques, to put them into safety in the store's vault. Originally, the series was to be titled The 13th Hour, but producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. thought this would turn away viewers and instead took the name Friday the 13th to deliberately draw in audiences. Despite this title, the series has no story connections to the film series of the same name, as Jason Voorhees does not make an appearance, nor does any character connected to the films. In the United Kingdom it was listed on TV schedules as Fridays Curse, though when going to advertisement breaks on ITV it would show as Friday the 13th: The series. The two series have several cast and crew ties, however. The show's producer, Frank Mancuso, Jr., was producer of the movie series from Friday the 13th Part 2 until the final installment distributed by Paramount. The show's star, John D. LeMay, went on to star in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, guest star John Shepherd played Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, and episode director David Cronenberg appeared in Jason X. Fred Mollin, Rob Hedden, and Tom McLoughlin worked behind the scenes of both series.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: scary, anthology, slasher, dread, creepy, spooky, rough, serious, suspenseful, weird
Similar in 89%
Superstition (2017)
Plot Summary:
The Mosley family keeps the secrets and dark history of a town located on the outskirts of New Orleans that is also a landing patch for the world's darkest manifestations of fear, guided into the world by a mysterious malefactor named The Dredge.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, gothic, gothic horror, dark fantasy, stylized
Similar in 78%
Salem (2014)
Plot Summary:
Set in the volatile world of 17th century Massachusetts, 'Salem' explores what really fueled the town's infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth hiding behind the veil of this infamous period in American history. In Salem, witches are real, but they are not who or what they seem.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, atmospheric, gothic horror, stylized, serious, erotic, sexy, gothic, bloody
Similar in 90%
Kindred: The Embraced (1996)
Plot Summary:
Kindred: The Embraced is an American television series produced by John Leekley Productions and Spelling Television. Loosely based on the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, the series premiered on Fox on April 2, 1996, and ran for eight episodes before it was canceled on May 9, 1996. The series focused on San Francisco Police Detective Frank Kohanek who discovers his city is home to numerous vampires while investigating alleged mobster, Julian Luna. Julian is the "prince" of the city, ruler of five groups of vampires in the city, collectively called "The Kindred". The vampires survive through the "masquerade", disguising themselves as humans, and Julian strictly enforces the laws that govern them to protect their anonymity. Julian and Frank form an uneasy bond as they work together to try to prevent a vampire war and Julian struggles with his romantic feelings for human reporter Caitlin Byrne. The eight episodes of the series have been released on VHS and DVD.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: gothic, dark fantasy, scary, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
The Hunger (1997)
Plot Summary:
The Hunger is a British/Canadian television horror anthology series, co-produced by Scott Free Productions, Telescene Film Group Productions and the Canadian pay-TV channel The Movie Network. Though it shares a title with the feature film The Hunger the series has no direct plot or character connection to the film, and was created by Jeff Fazio. Originally shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the UK, The Movie Network in Canada and Showtime in the US, the series was broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and is internally organized into two seasons. Each episode was based around an independent story introduced by the host; Terence Stamp hosted each episode for the first season, and was replaced in the second season by David Bowie. Stories tended to focus on themes of self-destructive desire and obsession, with a strong component of soft-core erotica; popular tropes for the stories included cannibalism, vampires, sex, and poison.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, gothic, bleak, scary, serious, psychological, dark fairy tale, erotic, independent film
Similar in 76%
House of Dark Shadows (1970)
Plot Summary:
The story of vampire Barnabas Collins, the possible cure offered him by Dr. Julia Hoffman, and his search for love amidst the horror.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: gothic, gothic horror, atmospheric, classic horror, suspense, dark, grindhouse, creepy, scary, serious
Similar in 82%
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
Plot Summary:
Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter—Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin—who investigated mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly those that law enforcement authorities would not follow up. These often involved the supernatural or even science fiction, including fantastic creatures. The series was preceded by two television movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. The series only lasted a single season, it remains popular in syndication; it is often cited as the inspiration for the popular series The X-Files. Following the success of The X-Files, the franchise was resurrected in 2005 in a second television series with a new cast and characters, as well as subsequent in novels and comic books. The entire series is available in syndication and is occasionally rerun on the Sci-Fi Channel under an expanded title, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. In 2008, it was aired on Chiller. It is also available on DVD and streaming from Netflix.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: scary, gothic, mind bending, suspenseful, serious, retro, spooky, anthology, apocalyptic, mythical
Similar in 88%
Salem's Lot (1979)
Plot Summary:
Vampires are invading a small New England town. It's up to a novelist and a young horror fan to save it.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 200 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, creepy, psychological, scary, rough, gothic, suspense, cult classic, gothic horror
Similar in 75%
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 87%
Amazing Stories (1985)
Plot Summary:
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, mind bending, serious, suspenseful, retro, dark, twist ending, sitcom, dark fairy tale
Similar in 79%
666 Park Avenue (2012)
Plot Summary:
What would you do to have everything you desire? Step inside 666 Park Avenue, New York's most seductive address. We all have some burning needs, desires and ambitions. For the residents of The Drake, the premier apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side, these will all be met – for a price – courtesy of the building's mysterious owner, Gavin Doran. But be careful what you wish for, because the price you have to pay is your soul.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: scary, gothic, atmospheric, suspenseful, serious, surreal, stylized, exciting, grindhouse, spooky
Similar in 77%
Tales from the Darkside (1983)
Plot Summary:
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero; it was released in 1984. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, Tales From The Crypt, and Lee Martin's The Midnight Hour, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot twist. The series' episodes spanned the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and some episodes featured elements of black comedy or more lighthearted themes.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anthology, scary, atmospheric, humorous, suspenseful, surreal, semi serious, spooky, psychological, dark
Similar in 81%
Night Gallery (1969)
Plot Summary:
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although he did not have the same control of content and tone as he had on The Twilight Zone.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: anthology, psychological, supernatural thriller, scary, retro, mysterious, dread, mythical, creepy, dark fairy tale
Similar in 86%
Hemlock Grove (2013)
Plot Summary:
One cannot quench his all-consuming thirst. The other cannot tame the beast clawing its way out. In the sleepy Pennsylvania village of Hemlock Grove, two young men struggle to accept painful truths: about family, themselves, the mystery of the White Tower - and a terrifying new threat so powerful it will turn them from predators into prey.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: gothic, suspenseful, exciting, serious, scary, erotic, bloody, avant garde, grindhouse, spooky
Similar in 89%
American Horror Story (2011)
Plot Summary:
American Horror Story is an anthology horror drama series.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 338000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: anthology, psychological, atmospheric, scary, tense, captivating, unusual plot structure, bad ending, offbeat, slasher
Similar in 87%
The Twilight Zone (2002)
Plot Summary:
The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host. The series was produced by New Line Television, which since 2008 is a division of Warner Bros., which released Twilight Zone: The Movie.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: anthology, atmospheric, serious, mind bending, stylized, surprise ending, offbeat, psychological, intellectual, dark
Similar in 76%
The Outer Limits (1963)
Plot Summary:
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction stories. The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end. The series was revived in 1995, airing on Showtime from 1995 to 1999, then on Sci-Fi Channel from 1999 until its cancellation in 2002. In 1997, the episode "The Zanti Misfits" was ranked #98 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: anthology, serious, psychotronic, scary, bleak, psychological, retro, dark, experimental, dramatic
Similar in 90%
Being Human (2011)
Plot Summary:
Three paranormal roommates, a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf, struggle to keep their dark secrets from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: semi serious, scary, captivating, exciting, gothic, spiritual, humorous, stylized, offbeat
Similar in 86%
Penny Dreadful (2014)
Plot Summary:
Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 129000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: gothic, gothic horror, dark fantasy, atmospheric, scary, dark, stylized, period piece, psychological, supernatural thriller
Similar in 90%
Dark Shadows (2012)
Plot Summary:
Vampire Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate and family have fallen into ruin.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 277000
Genere: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Country: USA, Australia, UK
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: gothic, dark fantasy, humorous, gothic horror, parody, dark, black comedy, dark comedy, scary, funny
Similar in 75%
Sleepy Hollow (2013)
Plot Summary:
Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 64000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: gothic, scary, atmospheric, serious, detective, bloody, exciting, suspense, offbeat, dread
Similar in 84%
Dracula (1979)
Plot Summary:
Romanticized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 classic. Set in 1913 England, the bloodsucking, but handsome, charming and seductive, Count Dracula seeks an immortal bride.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: gothic, gothic horror, suspense, scary, atmospheric, dark, sexy, enigmatic, talky, serious
Similar in 79%
The Twilight Zone (1985)
Plot Summary:
The Twilight Zone is the first of two revivals of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name. It ran for two seasons on CBS before producing a final season for syndication.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, anthology, psychological, scary, atmospheric, suspenseful, intellectual, dark, mysterious, tripping
Similar in 84%
Sanctuary (2008)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus, a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population called Abnormals - a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Magnus seeks to protect this threatened phenomena as well as unlock the mysteries behind their existence.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, exciting, stylized, gothic, apocalyptic, anime, thrilling, offbeat, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 89%
Supernatural (2005)
Plot Summary:
When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America ... and he taught them how to kill it. Now, the Winchester brothers crisscross the country in their '67 Chevy Impala, battling every kind of supernatural threat they encounter along the way.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 473000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, scary, serious, rough, dark fantasy, suspense, gothic horror, spooky, funny, romantic