No show can replace the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but a few fantasy series serve as the next best thing — and will help tide you over until the revival is released. Though Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended over two decades ago, Buffy Summers and the Scooby Gang left an indelible mark on pop culture, with much of the fandom regularly rewatching the series all these years later.
Though details about the Buffy revival are few and far between, we know that the new show will center on a teenage Slayer named Nova (played by Buffy fan Ryan Kiera Armstrong). If teenagers battling monsters is what you love about Buffy, there’s a perfect Netflix show for you. Meanwhile, if you love the show’s occult romances, badass female characters, or Buffy‘s best monster-of-the-week villains, you’ll find your perfect fantasy equivalent here.
Supernatural
2005-2020, 15 Seasons
The long-running Supernatural owes a tremendous debt to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Supernatural ran for 15 seasons, and was able to largely stay fresh thanks to its monster-of-the-week format, which Buffy perfected years earlier.
In Supernatural, brothers Dean and Sam Winchester travel across America in their trusty 1967 Chevrolet Impala, hunting demons, ghosts, and the forces of darkness. It’s like if the Scooby Gang hit the road instead of remaining in Sunnydale.
Like Buffy, Supernatural also has memorable Big Bads and a unique blend of fan-favorite and polarizing love interest characters. Though the demon-hunting brothers’ story leans much more into the horror genre than Buffy Summers’s, Buffy fans who can stomach the scarier monsters will find a lot to like in Dean and Sam’s adventures.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
2018-2020, 2 Seasons
As Buffy was a failed movie (that went on to become a cult classic) before it was a successful TV show, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also has its roots in pre-existing IP. Sabrina Spellman is based on the Archie Comics character of the same name, and her story was also adapted into a wholesome ’90s sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is decidedly darker, with the evil forces Sabrina must battle offering genuine chills that rival Buffy‘s scariest monsters. This Sabrina Spellman is essentially the 2010s answer to Buffy Summers, as each heroine must balance being a teenager with their supernatural powers. They both face off against evil of the monster-of-the-week and Big Bad variety, all while having a loyal group of friends backing them up.
Buffy definitely leans into the camp more than Chilling Adventures, which plays it dark and dramatic across its two-season run. But if you prefer the darker side of Buffy and especially enjoyed Willow’s witchcraft storylines, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is your next quick binge.
True Blood
2008-2014, 7 Seasons
As True Blood hails from HBO, it’s much more mature and explicit than Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But forfans who are all grown up and loved Buffy‘s love interest and romantic storylines, True Blood is right up your alley.
Similar to Buffy‘s Sunnydale, True Blood takes place in a small town with a heavy supernatural presence. The HBO fantasy series centers on beautiful blond protagonist Sookie Stackhouse, who finds herself falling for dashing vampire Bill Compton. Sound familiar?
While Sookie and Bill’s love story is a huge part of True Blood, the series as a whole is rich with lore, vampires and other mythical beings, and charming supporting characters, just like Buffy.
But there’s no denying that romance is at the core of True Blood. So, if you’re still debating the merits of Team Angel vs. Team Spike (Buffy revival pilot director Chloé Zhao recently admitted she’s Team Spike), you’ll wholeheartedly enjoy the Sookie-Bill-Eric love triangle.
Interview With The Vampire
2022-Present, 2+ Seasons
Like True Blood, Interview with the Vampire is a far more adult show than Buffy. With both the Anne Rice adaptation series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer heavily focusing on their titular creatures, Interview with the Vampire is perfect for (mature) audiences who are fans of the charismatic fanged ones.
Vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac is the subject of the interview in the AMC show, and recounts his romance with the infamous Lestat de Lioncourt, who also sired him. The Interview with the Vampire series is very different from the iconic Brad Pitt-Tom Cruise 1994 film, as it’s much more racially diverse and it explicitly shows the queer romance between Louis and Lestat, which the movie shied away from.
Vampire romances are a huge part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with Buffy’s main love interests, Angel and Spike, both belonging to that supernatural species. Furthermore, Buffy was also a pioneering show in its depiction of TV’s first long-term lesbian couple in a teen series with witches Willow and Tara. But beyond that, Interview with the Vampire is simply a great fantasy show, just like Buffy.
Stranger Things
2016-2025, 5 Seasons
It remains to be seen if Stranger Things will achieve the long-term icon status of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it’s certainly one of the biggest shows of the streaming era. With Stranger Things ending at season 5 later this year, now is the time to jump on this massive bandwagon — especially if you’re a Buffy fan.
Just as the Hellmouth tried to take over Sunnydale, the Upside Down spends Stranger Things‘ five seasons looking to sink its teeth into Hawkins, Indiana. Battling these malevolent forces are a group of teens (and a few adults) with all sorts of differing personalities, not unlike the Scooby Gang. At the center of both young evil-fighting groups is a young woman with incredibly strong powers — Buffy‘s Buffy and Stranger Things‘ Eleven.
Stranger Things could be accused of leaning too heavily into 1980s nostalgia, but for those decidedly along for the ride, the show scratches that itch the way Buffy does with the ’90s. Plus, the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were all about misfit teens finding their people and accomplishing great things, which has been Stranger Things‘ core element since season 1.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2003
- Network
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The WB
