The task of finding another show to watch based on a show you just enjoyed watching can be more difficult than you might think. Streaming algorithms can be effective for some things, but definitely not for everything, and there’s no guarantee that whatever you liked about one show will actually make an appearance in another.
If, for example, you were really into Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, which follows two young ghosts as they solve crimes along with a clairvoyant, you may like it for any number of reasons, from its sense of humor to its flirtations with the afterlife. If you’re looking for another show that offers something similar, then we’ve carefully curated three that should fit the bill and may have flown under your radar.
The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)
Another show adapted from the world of graphic novels and comics, The Umbrella Academy follows a group of superpowered adults who were all adopted by the same man. Boosted by its wry, knowing sense of humor, The Umbrella Academy spends much of its time focused on what a curse it would be to have powers in a world where most people don’t.
The series has earned itself a legion of fans over the course of its run, and managed to ride the wave of superhero properties in a way that allowed it to feel distinct, even amid a crowded landscape.
The Umbrella Academy is streaming on Netflix.
Paper Girls (2022)
Although it was only allowed to run for a single season, Amazon Prime Video’s Paper Girls was great for every moment it got. The show tells the story of four girls living in 1988 who find themselves caught in a time travel war, and wind up meeting adult versions of themselves as a result.
The brilliance of Paper Girls is that, on top of its fun time travel premise, it gives its central characters plenty of time to reflect on how they’ve become the people they ultimately are as adults. Paper Girls was canceled far too quickly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t remember what a joy it was to watch.
Paper Girls is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Interview With the Vampire (2022-)
Adapted from Anne Rice’s novel of the same name, Interview With the Vampire shares a certain morbid sense of humor with Dead Boy Detectives, although it is admittedly much more formalist. The show tells the story of a vampire who is recounting the story of his life in the present day.
Much of that story is set in New Orleans in the early 19th century, and Interview With the Vampire gets the most of that gothic-adjacent setting. There are certainly elements of camp on this show, but the show completely leans into them, making it clear that the people behind it are fully in on the joke.
Interview with the Vampire is streaming on AMC+.