Once an underserved genre on television, horror has enjoyed a growing selection of TV offerings in recent years. The longform anthology series American Horror Story and more recent mystery horror thriller From have a legion of fans, proving the business of scares has year-round viewer appeal. Horror fans who are looking for more macabre shows to watch will also be happy to know that there are countless underrated series waiting for more attention.
From shows based on popular film franchises to horror dramas using literary characters in creative ways, there’s something for everyone in need of a new show to binge. Below are the most underrated horror TV shows, covering anything from modern creations that flew under the radar to classics that need to be dusted off.
10
‘Scream’ (2015–2019)
The franchise that redefined the horror genre in the 90s received a television adaptation with Scream. The three-season show brought slasher-style entertainment to MTV using the popular movies as inspiration. Taking the tongue-in-cheek humor and murder mystery elements the movies were known for, the Scream television series moved in a new direction with original characters.
It must be said before playing the pilot episode, but expectations will need to be slightly adjusted when watching the television adaptation of Scream. Comparing the series to the movies will most likely ruin the experience, but as a well-produced horror slasher series, Scream is great fun with a strong ensemble that’s led by Willa Fitzgerald. The mystery behind the killer’s identity has plenty of expected twists, and the body count won’t disappoint fans of creative horror kills.
9
‘The Terror’ (2018–)
Horror and historical dramas are put into a blender for the AMC horror series The Terror. The anthology series focuses on a new narrative each season that sees otherworldly horror stories told in historical settings. So far, two seasons have been produced, with the first focused on an arctic naval expedition and the second on a Japanese-American community on the West Coast during World War II.
The Terror is perfect for horror fans who like their scares served up in a slow-burning package in a story where atmosphere and character development factor heavily into the presentation. While the first season is based on the novel of the same name by Dan Simmons, The Terror created an original story for its second season, The Terror: Infamy. Although the second season premiered in 2019, fans are anxiously awaiting the soon-to-be-premiering third season, The Terror: Devil in Silver, with Dan Stevens starring.
8
‘Slasher’ (2016–2023)
Slasher has logged five seasons of gore, masked killers, and more gore, but not enough people are familiar with the fun horror show. Each season is a brand-new story with a fresh cast of characters being stalked by a killer with a motive yet to be discovered. While viewers try to discover the identity of the killer, bodies continue to pile up in the style of classic slasher movies.
The fun of Slasher is that in every season, there’s a feeling that anything can happen, and the only limitation is the creativity of the writers. Even with an episodic structure that could cause a typical horror show to kill time rather than victims, there’s rarely a dull moment in any of the seasons. Like the best 80s slashers, Slasher can be campy, but in a way that is an homage to the subgenre and not a parody.
7
‘Archive 81’ (2022)
A series of damaged tapes hides horrifying secrets in the creepy series Archive 81. When a talented archivist, Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), is approached by a mysterious company to restore a collection of severely damaged tapes, he’s hesitant to take the job. As Dan begins to discover horrifying information during the restoration process, he will understand his instincts were correct.
Based on the podcast of the same name created by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger, Archive 81 brilliantly used the found footage concept in a way that unraveled a mystery while building tension. The only season of Archive 81 was well-received as a creepy and compelling horror story, but that didn’t stop Netflix from canceling the series before it could live up to its true potential. Even with one season, Archive 81 is a canceled Netflix show that’s still worth watching, and anyone interested is able to listen to the podcast, which lasted considerably longer.
6
‘Castle Rock’ (2018–2019)
Fans of Stephen King were given their dream show with Hulu’s Castle Rock. For two seasons, the drama used Stephen King’s body of work as the jumping-off point for original stories with mystery and horror elements. Familiar faces and places were mixed in a unique hybrid that would please devour readers while also delivering surprises.
The series is one long love letter to King’s work, and episodes frequently treat viewers to Easter Eggs with clever references for fans paying attention. Reimaginings of legendary characters like Lizzy Caplan as Annie Wilkes meant no one could predict how the story would develop, even if they knew how Annie preferred to solve her problems. Possibly, if Castle Rock had chosen to build characters over multiple seasons instead of using an anthology format, the show would have retained audience interest, but as it is, Castle Rock is a must-watch for King enthusiasts.
5
‘Being Human’ (2008–2013)
Having a roommate can be difficult, but what if the roommate in question was a werewolf, a vampire, or a ghost? This is the premise that Being Human explores. George (Russell Tovey), a werewolf, and John (Aidan Turner), a vampire, attempt to live normal lives when they move into a flat together. They immediately face challenges of a non-supernatural existence when they find a ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow), who is already a resident of their new place.
Although the premise sounds like the setup for a joke, Being Human introduces gripping drama while it explores the individual challenges of the supernatural characters. A little levity goes a long way, and Being Human managed to find the lighter moments through strong character work from the three leads. The UK Being Human was successful enough to warrant a US spinoff that lasted for four seasons, and while both are good in their own right, the original is worth trying first.
4
‘Penny Dreadful’ (2014–2016)
Literary characters from some of horror’s most famous books shared the screen in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful. Set in late 1800s London, Penny Dreadful follows a wide variety of characters that include a cocky American marksman (Josh Hartnett), a troubled, mysterious woman (Eva Green), and an aging adventurer on a personal mission (Timothy Dalton). Together, they will explore the underworld in search of answers while crossing paths with creatures like vampires and certain famous monsters brought to life with electricity.
A drama that dealt with varying degrees of dread in almost every scene,Penny Dreadful is a show that excelled in mixing horror and mystery for maximum tension. The entire cast is consistently fantastic, with Green a standout as the tortured Vanessa Ives, and to say the use of characters like Frankenstein’s monster was ingenious is an understatement. After the series wrapped up its London-set storyline, a spinoff series taking place in late 1930s Los Angeles, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, lasted for one season.
3
‘Bates Motel’ (2013–2017)
Before Norman Bates ran the motel by himself, he was a high school student with a very alive mother in Bates Motel. Starring Freddie Highmore as a young Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga as his mother, Norma, Bates Motel follows the pair right after they purchased the famous motel. Norma is deeply protective of her son, but both will find themselves in danger when they become involved in a town hiding secrets that are worth killing to protect.
At first, it may seem like an odd idea to give Norman Bates a prequel show, but as one of the most interesting and recognizable horror characters, his journey to becoming a killer with a fractured psyche lends itself to endless drama. The chemistry between Highmore and Farmiga is off the charts, and even though the audience knows what the ultimate fate is for half the duo, it’s a fascinating character study. One part soap opera and one part horror drama, Bates Motel is a show that deserves more love, whether you’ve seen Psycho or not. And, watch Psycho, if you haven’t.
2
‘Evil’ (2019–2024)
An underwatched show that was canceled too soon was the supernatural thriller Evil. Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) is a forensic psychologist in desperate need of work when she’s given an unlikely offer to work for the Catholic Church by priest David (Mike Colter). Although Kristen is a non-believer, she will join David and tech expert Ben (Aasif Mandvi) to investigate reports of supernatural occurrences reported to the Church.
Fans of shows likeThe X-Files should make Evil their next show of choice, because the premise is familiar while offering up new ideas to explore. The concept of Kristen’s skeptic and David’s true believer working on cases together harkens back to the classic series, mixing a procedural format with supernatural thrills for excellent results. Evil is horror with an intelligent and thoughtful look at concepts like religion and the afterlife, and will most likely be anyone’s new favorite show after watching.
1
‘Night Gallery’ (1970–1973)
Rod Serling will always be remembered for creating The Twilight Zone, but less attention is paid to his other prominent anthology series. From 1969 to 1973, Serling brought new stories to NBC with his horror-focused short-form television show Night Gallery. Unlike The Twilight Zone’s more varied approach to storytelling that included Science Fiction and morality stories, Night Gallery prioritized the scares.
Night Gallery would likely be remembered more if The Twilight Zone hadn’t been so good at producing memorable, disturbing episodes. Regardless, Night Gallery remains an influential horror anthology show, produced at a time when network censors made television work in the genre especially challenging. Not only did Night Gallery give Serling another opportunity to share his creative vision, but the pilot film on which the series was based also gave Steven Spielberg his directorial debut.
Night Gallery
- Release Date
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December 16, 1970
- Directors
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Jeannot Szwarc, Jeff Corey, John Badham, John Meredyth Lucas, John Astin, Don Taylor, Gerald Perry Finnerman, Steven Spielberg, Timothy Galfas, Theodore J. Flicker, Allen Reisner, Boris Sagal, Daniel Haller, Daryl Duke, Douglas Heyes, Edward M. Abroms, Gene Levitt, John Newland, Leonard Nimoy, Richard Benedict, Rudi Dorn, Walter Doniger
- Writers
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Rod Serling, Halsted Welles, Gene R. Kearney, Robert M. Young, David Rayfiel, Richard Matheson, Hal Dresner, Jack Guss, Jerrold Freedman, Malcolm Marmorstein, Robert Bloch, Matthew Howard
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Joanna Pettet
Elaine Latimer / Rhona Warwick
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Alan Napier
Cousin Zachariah Ogilvy / Doctor
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Jack Laird
Igor / Laboratory Assistant / Second Demon
