5 TV Shows That Are Great From Start to Finish To Watch Now Stranger Things Is Over

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After more than ten seasons, the popular show Stranger Things has finished. Because so many people loved it, viewers are now searching for something new to watch. Stranger Things was special because it blended mystery, fantasy, 80s vibes, and elements from the game Dungeons & Dragons in a way that’s hard to replicate – though plenty of shows have tried.

Many shows before and since Stranger Things have successfully used similar themes and ideas. If you enjoyed Stranger Things and are looking for something else to watch now that it’s over, here are five excellent options that deliver from beginning to end.

5) The Midnight Club

Created by Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong, The Midnight Club follows a group of teenagers with terminal illnesses who gather each night at a hospice to share spooky stories. Despite receiving positive reviews, Netflix canceled the show after just one season, cutting short its planned two-season run. If you enjoyed the teen horror of Stranger Things, this is a worthwhile show to check out.

4) The Legend of Vox Machina

The TV show Stranger Things borrowed a lot from the game Dungeons & Dragons, actually helping to make D&D popular again. If you enjoyed the Dungeons & Dragons themes in Stranger Things and liked the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, then The Legend of Vox Machina is a fantastic animated series to check out.

Created by Critical Role Productions, The Legend of Vox Machina is based on the very first story told in Critical Role, a popular online Dungeons & Dragons game. Unlike Stranger Things, which uses elements of D&D, The Legend of Vox Machina directly adapts an actual D&D campaign. The show has received a lot of positive attention over its three seasons, and fans are expecting more of the same with the upcoming fourth season.

3) True Detective

As a longtime viewer, I’ve noticed a huge shift with the latest season of Stranger Things. It’s really moved away from what initially captivated us all – that small-town thriller vibe of season one. Remember how much more mystery and suspense there was, with the supernatural elements used sparingly? It felt like Netflix’s version of an 80s-set True Detective, honestly. Now, it’s become much more focused on wormholes and massive CGI battles, which, while exciting, just isn’t the same as that original, grounded feel.

Created by Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective is a crime series where each season features different detectives investigating complex and often unsettling cases. Like Stranger Things, it blends crime with a sense of mystery and suspense, sometimes hinting at supernatural forces. While it’s geared towards a more mature audience than later seasons of Stranger Things, it’s a good choice for anyone who loved the first season of that show and wants something similar.

2) Gravity Falls

Despite appearing quite different from the popular live-action series Stranger Things, the animated Disney show Gravity Falls is a surprisingly good match thematically. Created by Alex Hirsch, Gravity Falls centers around twins Dipper and Mabel who spend a summer with their great-uncle in Gravity Falls, Oregon. During their stay, they start to uncover the town’s strange secrets and eventually stumble upon a huge, complex conspiracy.

Similar to Stranger Things, Gravity Falls centers around a group of kids in a quiet, forested town who stumble upon mysterious and powerful forces beyond their comprehension. Both shows feature conspiracies, potential government secrets, and monsters from other dimensions. Gravity Falls is also geared towards older kids and teenagers, giving it a comparable feel to Stranger Things.

1) Dark

Although several shows share similarities with Stranger Things, Dark is the closest in feel. This German series, created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, takes place in a small town where the disappearance of two children reveals hidden secrets about the town and its residents.

At first, Dark seems like a realistic mystery, but it soon blends in science fiction and fantasy, similar to Stranger Things. However, Dark maintains a more consistent mood and style over its three seasons, and doesn’t escalate into the large-scale action seen in the final season of Stranger Things.

With a 96% score from critics and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Dark is a highly acclaimed show. Many consider it one of the best series Netflix has ever produced, making it a great choice for fans of Stranger Things who are already subscribed.

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2026-01-05 01:11