Finding More Strong Creatives
With the second season of NOS4A2 drawing to a close, you may be itching for another show to fill that Christmasland-size hole in your heart. And who can blame you?
The show is certainly unique in its depiction of vampires and its book adaptation has only grown with time.
Finding something similar is always a tough ask but we’ve compiled our 10 top picks for shows to check out when you’re done with NOS4A2.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming NOS4A2.
Carnival Row
Similarities – Fantasy & Mystery
Amazon Prime’s big-budget fantasy is a tale of forbidden love and supernatural thrills set against a backdrop of racism and simmering tensions. It offers up a pretty good story which entwines a human detective and a fairy working together in a Victorian fantasy world.
The series is brimming with imagination and the mystery elements are well-incorporated into the story too.
You can read our thoughts on Carnival Row in our full season review here!
The Exorcist
Similarities – Horror
The Exorcist has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. It’s also one cancellation that remains a bitter pill to swallow to this day. The series adaptation of the critically acclaimed film follows pretty much the same story but dives a lot deeper into the various characters and lore.
There’s some really creepy scenes here, including one infamous Jenga game during season 1. With two seasons to get through, The Exorcist serves up enough bang for your buck but sadly resides as another casualty to add to the chopping block.
You can read our thoughts on The Exorcist in our full season review here!
The Passage
Similarities – Vampires & Book Adaptation
A botched U.S. government experiment turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires. However, one girl may hold the cure to save humanity. Step forward, The Passage.
Fox’s sci-fi book adaptation only managed one season before being cancelled. Having said that, if you’re looking for something tonally similar to NOS4A2 while not diving too heavily into horror elements, this may actually be a good one to check out.
You can read our thoughts on The Passage in our full season review here!
Channel Zero
Similarities – horror, weirdness.
With four delightfully sinister tales to choose from, Channel Zero’s four-season run makes for really compelling viewing. There’s some incredibly imaginative ideas here too – including a new spin on the Tooth Fairy.
The first season is easily the most unsettling, while the second season is arguably the one most similar to NOS4A2. Either way, the interesting premise and horror elements should please fans.
You can read our thoughts on Channel Zero in our full season review here!
Castle Rock
Similarities – Vampires & Horror
While the first season of Castle Rock was much more of a mystery and mind-bending trip, the second changed its approach slightly with its new ensemble of characters. The result is a more action-orientated story combining elements of Misery and Salem’s Lot.
Annie’s suffering is certainly similar to Vic’s struggles in NOS4A2 too and the inclusion of vampires helps to solidify this as a must-watch.
You can read our thoughts on Castle Rock in our full season review here!
Siren
Similarities – Young Adult & Fantasy
Siren is one of the very few shows out there that tackles mermaid mythology. Much like NOS4A2, this show puts its own unique spin on conventional mythology.
The story follows a young mermaid called Ryn who arrives on shore and adopts a human form. Across the three seasons, Ryn befriends Ben and together they find themselves battling evil forces both in and out of the water.
You can read our thoughts on Siren in our full season review here!
The Terror
Similarities – Horror
While The Terror is much more geared toward out-and-out horror (at least in season 1), the supernatural elements are definitely a mainstay of this series and do feel similar to NOS4A2.
The characters within The Terror are all well written too – across both seasons. Despite its anthological format, The Terror manages to put a new spin on old horror tales.
In a way, this isn’t that far removed from what Joe Hill has done with his vampiric Charlie Manx.
You can read our thoughts on The Terror in our full season review here!
A Discovery Of Witches
Similarities – Drama & Fantasy
A Discovery Of Witches is a well written drama with some truly beautiful imagery across its run-time. That’s to say nothing of the characters who are interesting and endearing.
The basic premise revolves around a world where witches, vampires and demons live discreetly among humans. Our central protagonist is Diana Bishop, who happens to be the last living witch. What ensues from here is a heady blend of romance, fantasy and drama across 2 seasons – the second of which cutting us back in time for a who’s who of historical figures.
While the first season is far stronger, there’s a lot to like here and fans of romance and fantasy offerings should be in their element.
You can read our thoughts on A Discovery Of Witches in our full season reviews here!
Midnight, Texas
Similarities – Fantasy & Tone
Admittedly, we weren’t sold on Midnight, Texas when it dropped back in 2017. However, there’s no denying that this show is a definite grower and has a pretty big fan-base.
At a stretch, you could argue that Midnight itself – the safe haven for creatures – feels similar to Christmasland.
The main premise revolves around this town of Midnight, which features a whole band of creatures who team up to defend themselves from the forces of evil.
Where this one feels similar to NOS4A2 is in its tone. The various supernatural elements lean much closer into spooky territory rather than outright horror.
You can read our thoughts on Midnight, Texas in our full season review here!
Hanna
Similarities – Strong Female Lead & Action
If you’re still vibing from the strong-female archetypes portrayed in NOS4A2, Hanna may just be your ticket. The entire premise revolves around an extraordinary young girl who was raised in the forest but it soon becomes much, much more.
Part high-octane thriller/part coming of age drama, Hanna makes up for its lack of supernatural elements with one heck of a story.
If you’ve got a Prime subscription, you should definitely take The Shorter Way across and get this one streaming.
You can read our thoughts on Hanna in our full season review here!
So there we have it, our 10 TV show picks to keep you busy during the agonizing wait for (hopefully!) season 3 of NOS4A2.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!