Shows like The Originals
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines The Originals, going by its Boxlist taste profile: An otherworldly, morally murky fantasy series: serious and slow-burning. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of deep rivalry, mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival, plus tags such as werewolf, rivalry and vampire.
Here are 15 shows with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on The Originals (2013).
- 1
Legacies (2018)
TV8.5Lighter option
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened. Common ground: werewolf, vampire, witch.
- 2
TV8.4Lighter option
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: witch, spin off.
- 3
V Wars (2019)
TV7.9
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire.
- 4
Supernatural (2005)
TV8.2
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival.
- 5
Penny Dreadful (2014)
TV7.9More intricate
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: werewolf, vampire, witch.
- 6
American Horror Stories (2021)
TV7.9More intricate
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and weighty, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: spin off.
- 7
Chapelwaite (2021)
TV7.5
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire.
- 8
The Strain (2014)
TV7.5
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: vampire.
- 9
American Horror Story (2011)
TV8.1
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival.
- 10
Mayfair Witches (2023)
TV7.4
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: witch.
- 11
The Vampire Diaries (2009)
TV8.3
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: werewolf, vampire, witch.
- 12
Nancy Drew (2019)
TV7.9
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival.
- 13
TV7.6
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival. Common ground: spin off.
- 14
From (2022)
TV8.3
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival.
- 15
TV7.6
Why it's like The Originals: Also heightened and dark, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and resilience and survival.
Boxlist compares The Originals with every show in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 7.2 or more from at least 150 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like The Originals?
- Picks with a similar feel include Legacies, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, V Wars and Supernatural. Each shares part of The Originals's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 shows.
- How are these shows like The Originals chosen?
- Boxlist compares The Originals with every show in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 7.2 or more from at least 150 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.
- Is there a lighter show like The Originals?
- Legacies has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.