There's so much TV out there now that it is easy to become overwhelmed or fall behind, especially with some of the more popular titles often hogging the spotlight. You might think shows like The Walking Dead or American Horror Story are the only real options out there, but I'm happy to inform you that is far from true.
For those who can't get enough of horror stories that make your skin crawl or haunt your dreams, the following list provides some great recommendations for anyone looking for a show to watch that they might have missed.
The Walking Dead
This long-running zombie franchise is often considered the gold standard for post-apocalyptic television. Based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series, The Walking Dead first started airing in 2010 and ran for 11 seasons. But the franchise is far from over seeing as there are multiple spinoffs still on the air.
And while early seasons of The Walking Dead were genuinely exceptional television, the show certainly dipped in quality the longer it remained on-air, occasionally rising to incredible heights again only to fall back down. Not to mention the sheer amount of content makes it an exhausting universe to catch up on.
What to watch instead: The Last of Us
Instead of spending countless days trying to watch every single episode of The Walking Dead and its subsequent spinoffs, you could just watch nine episodes of a show that is better written and features much tighter plotting. The Last of Us received Emmy attention from its acclaimed first season and it's based on a very popular video game series.
If you appreciate the whole "humans are the real monsters even in a zombie apocalypse" angle of The Walking Dead, then you'll love The Last of Us which takes that concept and masters it. If you start watching now, you'll certainly be caught up by the time season 2 premieres on April 13.
American Horror Story
In the early days of the horror anthology series American Horror Story, people loved the show for its bold creativity. But it hasn't really produced a good season in years now. The problem with American Horror Story has always been its inability to balance multiple storylines, usually ending with several getting forgotten about entirely.
Oftentimes the seasons start out strong before devolving into a chaotic mess. The actors and performances have always been the best part, at least until later seasons when talent was usurped by stunt casting.
What to watch instead: Channel Zero
If you like the anthology aspect of American Horror Story but you want a show with tighter plotting and better storytelling, then this former Syfy series might be the right pick. Using storylines based on various creepypastas, Channel Zero is a really underrated horror show that deserves a lot more credit than it got. The first season, "Candle Cove," is one of the strongest entries, following a psychologist who believes his brother's disappearance might be linked to a beloved children's TV series, but every season is worth watching.
Stranger Things
I'm a fan of Stranger Things so it pains me to include it on this list but even I can admit the show has somewhat lost its way since its incredible first season. There are some folks out there who feel like it should have just stayed a one-season series and while I'm not sure I'd go that far, I do think the plot has started to sag a little and the characters aren't all given the same development as they received in the first season.
What to watch instead: Dark
Instead of Stranger Things, you could check out another Netflix series, Dark. This German show has exactly three seasons and you can seriously tell that the creators planned out the show from start to finish. Given what it's about, they kind of had to or it would have devolved into a mess. It's actually quite astonishing what they were able to accomplish with this series. I don't want to spoil anything for those who don't know what it's about yet, but it has a similar premise to Stranger Things in that it starts with a young kid disappearing in the woods near a small town.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was a fun show, although it did go off the rails significantly in later seasons. I'm always on the lookout for dark witch series to watch, but admittedly this one was held back a bit because of its teen-centered angle and its connection to The CW's Riverdale. Plenty of campy fun, but often balanced out by more humor than scares.
What to watch instead: Salem
If you're interested in watching a seriously dark and twisted show about witches, then I advise you look no further than the WGN American series Salem, which is currently available to stream on Hulu. I'll always sing Salem's praises because it was such a wild series and while it certainly gets campy in parts, it's also genuinely freaky, gory, and unafraid to heighten the horror.
Scream Queens
A silly and fun slasher comedy-horror series from Ryan Murphy, Scream Queens still gets quoted and memed to death online. You've probably seen many GIFs from the show without even realizing. The first season followed a sorority targeted by a serial killer and the show features tons of recognizable faces like Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Keke Palmer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Glen Powell, and more.
What to watch instead: Ash vs. the Evil Dead
But Scream Queens suffers from the same problem as similar Ryan Murphy shows in that it sometimes just becomes nonsensical, especially in its weaker second season. I think Ash vs. the Evil Dead is the superior horror comedy series out there and it's another show that is seriously underrated.
Tonally, it's not as dark as the 2013 Evil Dead or even the more recent Evil Dead Rise, which might be a positive for those who prefer some lighthearted energy in their horror. The show picks up 30 years after the first three Evil Dead films and sees the return of Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, now working at an electronics store where he soon finds himself having to become a hero once again when the Deadites return.