Entertainment
10 Must-Watch Shows To Enjoy While You Wait for ‘Widows Bay’ Season 2
At the cross-section of terrifying horror and eye-rolling dry humor comes Apple TV’s latest hit hybrid series, Widow’s Bay. Created by Katie Dippold, the show follows well-meaning but desperate mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) of the remote, isolated titular New England town as he attempts to transform the sleepy, superstitious community into the next big tourist hotspot. But as visitors descend upon the island, a long-standing curse plagues their progress, and each decision Tom makes leads to a terrifying result. While the premise may not sound funny, Widow’s Bay‘s eccentric characters, grandiose situations, and referential storytelling lead to some sidesplitting moments. Even the show’s logo is reminiscent of Stephen King.
If you’re eager for more television that matches the tone and style of Widow’s Bay, we have the series that are perfect follow-ups. Widow’s Bay is such a brilliantly unique show; there aren’t many others that capture the same essence. This list will feature series that share a similar horror-comedy approach or explore similar themes in the horror and mystery realms. From demonic visitors to isolated hamlets to terrors haunting tight-knit neighborhoods, these shows are destined to fill the void that was left by Widow’s Bay while you wait for Season 2. Though, let’s face it, with so many Easter eggs layered into Widow’s Bay, you might not get to this list until you’ve rewatched and caught them all!
‘Deadloch’ (2023–Present)
One of the greatest sleeper hits coming straight from Australia is the dark comedy crime mystery Deadloch. Created by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the series flips the Nordic Noir genre on its head. The first season of the show is set in the sleepy Tasmanian town where two clashing detectives — the tightly wound traditional local Dulie Collins (Kate Box) and the brash, unconventional outsider Eddie Redcliffe (Madelleine Sami) — must reluctantly team up to catch a serial killer. Subverting the classic cop tropes, their investigation exposes the town’s hidden, dark secrets while highlighting the cultural clash between the traditional blue-collar residents and the progressive arts community. A top-tier whodunit, Deadloch expertly crafts a clever and complex mystery while making you laugh along the way.
Deadloch uses its themes and locale to serve as a scathing social commentary. Rather than forcing the marginalized community to become victims of fate, Deadloch puts queer, Indigenous, and female characters at the center of the story. It further subverts gender roles by poking fun at the self-serious, male-dominated stereotypes most prestige crime dramas utilize. In doing so, Deadloch is filled with biting humor thanks to its rapid-fire one-liners, visual gags, and profanity-tinged dialogue. The characters are often larger-than-life, but even through their eccentricities, they are rooted in reality. Box and Sami are a formidable duo, almost reminiscent of Olivia Colman and David Tennant of Broadchurch. After a literally perfect Season 1, Deadloch returned for another perfect season. This time, the fun was in the sun. Deadloch is a masterful mix of comedy and mystery unlike any show before.
‘From’ (2022–Present)
Between a mystery box premise and Harold Perrineau, you might feel the similarities between Lost and From. The difference with the latter is From is carefully plotted so the mystery doesn’t linger too long without frustrating its audience. Let’s discuss. Created by John Griffin, From is a sci-fi supernatural horror series that centers on a mysterious, inescapable small town where those who enter are terrorized by nocturnal, humanoid monsters. Led by self-appointed mayor Boyd Stevens (Perrineau), the town’s unwilling residents are forced to stay inside after dusk and ward off the threats via protective talismans in hopes of surviving the night. A horrifying concept that is expertly crafted to instill paranoia, From is a creatively risky premise that earns every moment. It is the best show in the genre you likely forgot to start watching.
Celebrated for its strong balance of suspenseful spine-tingling lore and deeply rooted psychological drama, From is a drama that keeps you hooked until you get the answers you seek. And that might come a few seasons in. By that point, new mysteries have unfurled, making the show like the town: inescapable. As clues lead you to a path out, the stakes are continually raised through the show’s unsettling atmosphere. Every detail matters, so From requires your undivided attention. Both creepy and gory, the action and pacing are unrelenting. From is a series that is literally ripped from your nightmares. The creatures that stalk the individuals possess similarities of loved ones, filled with a smile, only to have deadly intentions. They are violent predators like never seen before. With a strong ensemble of characters to champion and also love to hate, From is the complete package.
‘Ghosts’ (2021–Present)
Sometimes a brush with the supernatural isn’t always half bad. The opportunity to see benevolent ghosts might be a blessing and not a curse. That’s the basic premise of CBS’ Ghosts. Based on the British series of the same name, Ghosts follows young couple Sam and Jay Arondekar (Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar) as they inherit a massive, dilapidated country estate. Woodstone Manor, in which they dream of turning into a bed and breakfast. That dream is complicated after Sam suffers a near-death accident in which she wakes up with the supernatural ability to see and hear the estate’s quirky invisible permanent residents. A close-knit, eclectic group of ghosts from different eras of history who died on the property, they are bound to the grounds until they can manage a way to ascend to the afterlife. With a balance of heart and humor, Ghosts is a celebration of diversity as the living and the dead must co-exist and navigate modernity via the woes of running a B&B.
Ghosts strikes the right balance of supernatural and comedy through a clever premise. With a brilliant ensemble cast, viewers have a variety of characters to adore. The cast has an indisputable dynamic and chemistry that keeps the series afloat, even if the premise seems to run thin. That said, the rich lore of the B&B, ghost backstories, and the rules of their existence remain the driving force of the series. Through its array of characters, Ghosts intertwines with a history of America which opens up the doors for comedic culture clashes and unexpected friendships. Ghosts is a feel-good comfort watch that makes you wish you could join in on the fun. A genuinely creative series, Ghosts continues to dazzle as it nears the 100-episode mark.
‘Good Omens’ (2019–2026)
Sometimes all it takes to be phenomenal is unmatched chemistry. That’s exactly what Michael Sheen and David Tennant bring to Good Omens. The duo could do anything together, and we’d tune in. In the fantasy comedy based on Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Aziraphale (Sheen), a fussy and polite angel who runs an antiquarian bookshop in London, and Crowley (Tennant), a stylist, fast-living demon, must team up to prevent the Apocalypse. Having grown fond of Earth, they must work to stop Armageddon when the Antichrist (Sam Taylor Buck) is accidently misplaced at birth. Only 13 episodes over three perfect seasons, Good Omens is a whip-smart, philosophically-tinged comedy that serves as a heartfelt and poignant commentary on humanity.
You are immediately drawn in by the pitch-perfect performances by Tennant and Sheen, delivering some of their strongest work in their storied careers. Why? They push one another to make each other better. Their stellar celestial bromance is one of the best pairings on television. They lead an outstanding ensemble of guest and recurring stars, via face and voice, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Derek Jacobi, Nick Offerman, Miranda Richarson, and Jack Whitehall, among others. Upon being entertained, Good Omens provides an opportunity to discuss the fundamentality of humanity. Through the beauty and absurdity of the good versus evil tropes, Good Omens concludes that humans are wonderfully complex. A visually stunning comedy, Good Omens‘ recent conclusion finally gives you the complete story for a perfect weekend binge.
‘Gravity Falls’ (2012–2016)
You might be shocked to see a kids’ animated series on this list, but the premise of Gravity Falls aligns perfectly with Widow’s Bay. Created by Alex Hirsch, the Disney animated series follows 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines (Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal) as they spend their summer in an eccentric Oregon town filled with paranormal creatures, supernatural anomalies, and deep mysteries needing solving. Sent to live with their great uncle Grunkle Stan (Hirsch), a greedy, eccentric con artist who runs The Mystery Shack, the twins uncover a cryptic journal which they use to investigate the town’s monsters while they help Stan run his tacky tourist trap. A monster-of-the-week series, Gravity Falls brings witty, multi-generational humor, intricate mysteries, and richly deep character development for a smart lore-filled cartoon puzzle.
Despite its target demographic, Gravity Falls is fun for all ages. Gravity Falls reshaped the standard serialized animated series to allow for a tightly plotted, self-contained world in which the suspenseful mythology builds as the series carries on. The unique element of the show is the interactive elements that encourage viewers to engage with the show. Through hidden ciphers, encrypted messages, and secret audio codes during the credits, the interactive community had become dedicated to cracking the town’s mysteries alongside the colorful characters. Beyond the mysteries, Gravity Falls is a brilliant depiction of a realistic sibling dynamic. Through their rivalries, flaws, and eventual sacrifices for one another, Gravity Falls provides great emotional weight as you’re entertained along the way. Though only two seasons, Gravity Falls ended on its own terms. With that, Hirsch provided a complete story that will leave you satisfied, even if you wish there was more in store.
‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past decade, it’s that Mike Flanagan is the modern master of horror. With a long string of successful collaborations with Netflix, horror fans flocked to the streamer each year to see what terror was in store from Flanagan and his frequent collaborators. While we could discuss every Flanagan limited series, perhaps the closest thematically to Widow’s Bay is 2021’s Midnight Mass. Set in the isolated island community of Crockett Island, disgraced ex-con Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns home to his dying hometown just as an eccentric and seemingly youthful priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater), takes over the local Catholic parish to replace the aging Monsignor Pruitt (also played by Linklater). The town soon discovers that alongside the miraculous physical healing within the town, the miracles come with a dark price. A brilliant dissertation on religious fanaticism, forgiveness, and the afterlife, Midnight Mass transcends typical horror stories to deliver a wonderful meditation on faith.
Midnight Mass is a brilliantly plotted character-driven drama. Flanagan takes great care in building a deeply intimate and believably flawed community on the isolated island. The denizens aren’t just going along with the paces; they are struggling with addiction, regret, and mortality as their world suddenly changes around them. The ensemble cast shines as they do in every Flanagan project, but Samantha Sloyan as the relentlessly self-righteous Bev Keane is at a career best. Flanagan and Sloyan created a horror icon for the modern age. Midnight Mass balances scares with deep theological discussions. Rather than preaching, the story allows thoughtful discussions of faith, community, and hope set against the cautionary tale of religious extremism. Midnight Mass is a fresh take on old tropes that harkens back to the horror of yore. It reinvents the monster story in an emotionally terrifying and logical manner.
‘Shining Vale’ (2022–2023)
Back into the satirical comedy horror realm is the gone-too-soon Shining Vale. Created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan, the story follows a dysfunctional family who relocates from New York to a supposedly haunted, isolated mansion in the small town of Shining Vale, Connecticut. After Patricia “Pat” Phelps (Courteney Cox), a writer suffering from writer’s block and depression, is caught cheating on her ever-optimistic husband Terry (Greg Kinnear), she hopes her writing will fix things. Pat begins seeing the spirit of a 19500s housewife named Rosemary (Mira Sorvino), who soon becomes her muse and an entity attempting to possess her. Pat soon realizes that the demons in her home might actually be real — or she’s losing her mind. Through satire, Shining Vale explores the blurred lines of mental illness and supernatural demonic possession.
Shining Vale allows for the humor to take center stage as the real-life themes of depression, midlife crises, and generational trauma seep out into the foreground. Almost like a comedic attempt at recreating The Shining, the series shines, pun intended, through its biting, raunchy writing. There is genuine suspense mixed into the absurd realities of modern marriage and family dynamics. Horror lovers will most certainly love the clever homages to the classics, including The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby. Cox comes in strong, playing off well with Kinnear. The duo have stellar chemistry, but the seduction of Sorvino as Rosemary steals the show. She serves as an excellent foil for Cox’s Pat. Shining Vale also happens to use its two seasons to work as a smart allegory as the haunted house premise explores the strong parallels between hysteria and the supernatural. Shining Vale is a series that deserves a fresh set of eyes, working as a great companion to Widow’s Bay.
‘The ‘Burbs’ (2026–Present)
The film-to-series modern adaptation of The ‘Burbs was going to be a challenge; thankfully, Celeste Hughey created a masterpiece. Based on the 1989 film, young married couple Samira and Rob Fisher (Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall) leave the city to raise their newborn in Rob’ sleepy, idyllic childhood cul-de-sac of Hinkley Hills. Their quiet life is instantly unraveled when a suspicious neighbor, Gary (Justin Kirk), moves into the creepy, abandoned Victorian house across the street. Samira teams up with a ragtag group of quirky neighbors, including Tod Mann (Mark Proksch), Dana Richrads (Paula Pell), and Lynn (Julia Duffy), to investigate the newcomer, only to uncover a dark, long-buried secret about the town. A dark mystery comedy about the paranoia of suburbia, The ‘Burbs became an addictive, bingeworthy murder mystery complete with sharp satire and astounding character-driven acting.
Like Widow’s Bay, the comedy comes naturally, not through jokes but through circumstantial situations. It successfully balances light horror and suspense with gut-busting humor while allowing the mystery to remain the focus. By employing a stellar cast of comedians eager to play in the creepy universe, The ‘Burbs’ genre-blending comes naturally. The ‘Burbs functions as a wonderful fish-out-of-water commentary that satirizes suburban living. Each character is well-built and multidimensional. The neighbors may have their quirks and eccentricities, but they’re built upon deep flaws and issues they must overcome. From postpartum anxiety to separation, grief to agoraphobia, The ‘Burbs expertly weaves it all into the overarching story. The ‘Burbs is a delight.
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–2017)
There never has been nor will there ever be a show quite like Twin Peaks. Many creators have certainly tried, but David Lynch‘s cult classic masterpiece remains as a brilliant, singular entity. For two seasons and a 2017 revival, Twin Peaks took viewers on a dark journey through the titular town where idiosyncratic FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) investigated the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), only to uncover a dark underworld of secrets, crime, and supernatural forces lurking beneath. At first glance, Twin Peaks operates as a compelling classic whodunnit via a twisted soap opera. It’s only when you get deeper into the mystery does the town of Twin Peaks come alive when the police procedural turns into a supernatural thriller where metaphysical forces, interdimensional realms, and surreal dream sequences emerge.
Twin Peaks was a tonally genre-defying series that challenged network television. Through its surrealistic storytelling, Twin Peaks seamlessly shifted between soap opera plot lines, psychological thriller, and terrifying horror without ever losing its foundation. Lynch revolutionized television by breaking conventions through its genre-blending complexities. Twin Peaks created a beautiful monster that can never be replicated, and yet, you can see shades of the series in everything that followed. Like Widow’s Bay. Twin Peaks would not be what it was had it not been for the rich roster of unforgettable characters including Leland Palmer (Ray Wise), BOB (Frank Silva), The Man from Another Place (Michael J. Anderson), and the enigmatic log lady, Margaret Lanterman (Catherine E. Coulson). Twin Peaks paved the way for challenging television, becoming the blueprint for risky and bold premises.
‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2019–2024)
And finally, time for something delightfully campy: What We Do in the Shadows. Created by Jemaine Clement and based on the 2014 film written and directed by Clement and Taika Waititi, the mockumentary-style comedy follows the mundane and chaotic nightly lives of four ancient vampires — Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), Leslie “Laszlo” Cravensworth (Matt Berry), Nadja of Antipaxos (Natasia Demetriou), and energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) — as they share a dilapidated mansion in Staten Island. As they hilariously adapt to the modern world via their absurd attempts at world domination, they rely on Nandor’s devoted human familiar, Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén), to do their dirty work. Hoping to become an immortal, little do they know, he comes from a long line of vampire hunters. What We Do in the Shadows blends dry humor, chaotic misadventures, and exceptional character work to emerge as a uniquely distinct modern horror comedy.
What We Do in the Shadows is a celebrated cult classic, running for a triumphant six seasons. The mix of ancient, bloodthirsty vampires with the mundane, petty struggles of everyday life became a perfect combination for comedy. What We Do in the Shadows was an endlessly hilarious entry into the monster genre thanks to its fresh lens and masterful mockumentary format. The show’s success is built on the top-tier ensemble. They each bring a specific style that, together, forms a complete perfect picture. With the right balance of lore and parody, What We Do in the Shadows is one of the best vampire shows of the 21st century.
What We Do in the Shadows
- Release Date
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2019 – 2024
- Showrunner
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Paul Simms
- Directors
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Kyle Newacheck, Jason Woliner, Jackie van Beek
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Matt Berry
Laszlo Cravensworth
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