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The Vampire Diaries is an iconic teen fantasy horror drama series from the house of the CW in the 2010s. The show was developed for the screen by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, taking inspiration from L. J. Smith's 90s young adult vampire novel series of the same name.
The Vampire Diaries premiered on the network in 2009 and aired eight successful seasons till 2017. The show's popularity even spawned an entire franchise that has released five titles under its banner till date. The series has also been the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades during its run.
Set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show revolves around Elena Gilber, an orphan high school student who falls in love with Stefan Salvatore, a vampire over a century old. Their relationship is further complicated when Stefan's brother, Damon, returns to Mystic Falls and finds Elena to be the doppelganger of their old love, Katherine Pierce.
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If you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries and are looking to enjoy other similar supernatural fiction shows, then we have you covered. In this article, we have curated a list of our top fantasy series dealing with vampires, werewolves, witches and other mythical beings for you to add to your watchlists right now.
The Originals, True Blood and 5 other must-watch shows for fans of The Vampire Diaries
1) The Originals
The Originals is a fantasy supernatural series from the house of CW and the first spin-off series of The Vampire Diaries. Julie Plec, one of the creators of the original series, developed the show in 2013. The series aired five seasons before concluding in 2018.
The ensemble cast saw Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt and Phoebe Tonkin reprising their roles from The Vampire Diaries alongside new faces like Charles Michael Davis, Daniel Campbell, Leah Pipes, Yusuf Gatewood and others. The series was a critical and commercial success, growing on The Vampire Diaries' fanbase and even creating a spin-off of its own.
The Originals follows the first vampires to exist, the Mikaelson siblings, Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah. The story sees their return to the city of New Orleans from Mystic Falls, where they were seen in The Vampire Diaries, to reclaim the city as their own.
Available for streaming on Freevee, The Originals is a must-watch spin-off for fans of The Vampire Diaries. The two shows have also done cross-over episodes in their later seasons.
2) Legacies
Legacies is another fantasy supernatural drama series from the house of CW. Julie Plec developed the series in 2018 as a spin-off of The Originals and the latest addition to The Vampire Diaries franchise. The show released four seasons between 2018 and 2022.
The cast features a number of reprised characters alongside new additions played by Daniel Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi, Matt Davis, Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant and others. The show ties closely with its predecessors while adding a bit of teenage drama to the supernatural setting.
Legacies revolves around Hope Mikaelson, daughter to the first hybrid in The Vampire Diaries universe, Klaus, and the first tribrid ever. The series follows her journey as she navigates through a high school life filled with supernatural powers and entities.
All four seasons of Legacies are currently streaming on Netflix.
3) True Blood
True Blood is a fantasy horror drama series from HBO. The series is developed for the screen by Alan Ball with inspiration from Charlaine Harris's 2000s book series, The Souther Vampire Mysteries. The show premiered in 2008 and aired seven seasons till 2014.
The series featured a prominent ensemble cast, including the likes of Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer among others in pivotal roles. The show was a favourite among the audience as well as critics, winning a Golden Globe and two Emmys among other accolades. It was even considered for an official reboot in 2020, but was eventually dropped.
True Blood unfolds in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in a world where vampires have let their existence be known. The series follows Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who falls in love with a 174-year old vampire and has to navigate the intricacies of their relationship through a landscape riddled with unequal rights and discrimination towards vampires.
All seven seasons of True Blood are available for streaming on Hulu, Max and Spectrum.
4) Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a supernatural horror teen drama from the house of Netflix. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa developed the series for the screen as an adaptation of his very own Archie comic series of the same name.
The cast features Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo and others in pivotal roles. The series released two seasons between 2018 and 2020 before getting cancelled for the pandemic. However, the series storyline was concluded with two crossover episodes with CW's Riverdale.
The titular character, Sabrina Spellman, is a half-mortal, half-witch teenager who desperately tries to find her own calling and navigate her own path instead of following in the footsteps and legacy of her family.
If you loved The Vampire Diaries, then this supernatural young adult fiction could be right up your alley. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is streaming on Netflix.
5) Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a supernatural teen drama series from the house of MTV. The show is created by Jeff Davis, taking inspiration from Rod Daniel's 1985 coming-of-age comedy film of the same name. The series premiered in 2011 and aired six seasons till 2017, with a film release in 2023 from Paramount+ called Teen Wolf: The Movie.
The cast features Tyler Posey, Holland Roden, Dylan O'Brien, Linden Ashby, Tyler Hoechlin and others in pivotal roles. Teen Wolf received praise from critics and was a popular title during its run, even winning multiple prestigious accolades.
The show revolves around Scott McCall, a regular high school student whose life changes for better or for worse when he gets bitten by a werewolf. The story focuses on how he hides and balances his newfound powers while navigating through high school and fighting to keep his loved ones safe.
Teen Wolf is another great alternative for fans of The Vampire Diaries. The show is available for streaming on Hulu and Prime Video.
6) Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror drama series from the house of AMC. Developed for the screen by Rolin Jones, the series is based on Annie Rice's novel series, The Vampire Chronicles. The series premiered in 2022 and has released two seasons till date, with a third season on the way.
The cast features Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman and others in pivotal roles. The series has received great feedback from the audience and critics, especially for the retro costumes, production design and performances by the cast.
Set in modern-day San Francisco, Interview with the Vampire revolves around Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire since the 18th century. The story is based on his recollections of his early days and his relationship with Lestat de Lioncourt, his vampire progenitor and Claudia, a young girl whom they take in and turn into a vampire.
If The Vampire Diaries got you interested in vampires, then Interview with the Vampire is a great show to watch. It is done differently than other titles under the vampire fiction genre.
7) Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time is a fantasy adventure drama series from the house of ABC. The show was developed by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who have worked on notable titles like Lost (2004–2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010). The show aired between 2011 and 2018, releasing seven seasons alongside a spin-off series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013–2014).
The cast featured Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle and Jared S Gilmore, among many others, in pivotal roles throughout the series. Once Upon a Time was quite popular to the audience for its strong feminist sensibility, positive theme and reimagined fairy tales.
The series revolves around Emma Swan, a 28-year-old woman who gets drawn to the town of Storybrooke, Maine, to realize a fantastical mystery shrouding the town. The story follows her recognizing her true identity as the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, with the responsibility of confronting evil and saving the townspeople.
Once Upon a Time can be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu.
These are our top picks of shows-to-watch for all the The Vampire Diaries fans out there. Also, most of these titles have concluded their series runs, meaning you could binge them all in one go.
