15 shows to watch if you love The Walking Dead

Ever since its premiere back in 2010, The Walking Dead has maintained its status as one of the most popular shows around. Adapted from the comic books of the same name, the series excels at building tension and delivering a generous helping of gore year after year, as new threats loom over the people who inhabit its post-apocalyptic landscape. Besides bloody action scenes, The Walking Dead also thrives on character development, ensuring each season makes fans more and more invested in the flawed, yet compelling characters we’ve come to know and love.

But if you’re already caught up with the show, you know that the wait between episodes can be excruciating. So why not treat yourself to some equally addictive titles in the meantime? We’ve got your back. Here are 15 series The Walking Dead fans are likely to devour.

1. Fear the Walking Dead

Obviously, you can’t go wrong with this one. A prequel of The Walking Dead, the series follows a dysfunctional family as they navigate the world during the onset of the apocalypse. They need to develop new skills quickly in order to survive, as civilisation is slowly collapsing. The show provides a smart way to extend the universe, especially since it’s initially set in Los Angeles, hence able to give another perspective on the global crisis.

Fear the Walking Dead is a subtler offering than the original, focusing more on existential dread than full-on gore, as one may expect at the beginning of the apocalypse. Thankfully, it more than manages to stand on its own thanks to great storylines and excellent characters, proving that the creators were interested in telling an original tale instead of simply milking the franchise for all it's worth.

Cast

• Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark
• Colman Domingo as Victor Strand
• Kim Dickens as Madison Clark
• Frank Dillane as Nick Clark

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2. iZombie

Besides zombies, iZombie doesn’t have much in common with The Walking Dead. It’s a lighter take on the zombie genre, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of your attention. In fact, it’s perfect for when you’re craving a clever dramedy that still offers the occasional serving of gore, with a healthy helping of wit and satire on the side.

iZombie centres on Liv Moore (get it?), a zombie who takes a job at the city morgue to sustain her brainy diet. Eating the brains causes her to get visions from victims’ lives, so she starts to work with the police to solve murders and preserve her humanity in the process. Despite its procedural elements, there’s more to iZombie than meets the eye. The show’s exceptional world-building, for one, should be reason enough to tune in.

Cast

• Rose McIver as Olivia Moore
• Malcolm Goodwin as Clive Babineaux
• Rahul Kohli as Ravi Chakrabarti
• Robert Buckley as Major Lilywhite

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3. Z Nation

Set a few years into a zombie apocalypse, Z Nation focuses on the humans’ efforts to find a cure for the deadly virus. The show follows a ragtag team as they struggle to transport the only known survivor of a zombie bite to a lab, since his blood contains antibodies that are mankind's last and best hope for a vaccine. What they don’t know is that the survivor also harbours a secret that could put them all in incredible danger.

The best thing about Z Nation is that it leans heavily into its premise. There’s plenty of violence and blood for fans of the genre to relish in, plus the occasional twist and scare meant to spice things up. Although formulaic at times, the series delivers a fun and action-packed narrative, which is enough to forgive the sometime mediocre acting or unavoidable clichés. It’s not a deep meditation on the human condition, but the show’s often spectacular visuals provide enough reason to give Z Nation a chance.

Cast

• Russell Hodgkinson as Doc
• Keith Allan as Murphy
• Kellita Smith as Lt Roberta Warren

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4. Lost

Similarly to The Walking Dead, Lost follows a group of survivors as they struggle to adapt to their new life. This time around we’re dealing with a plane crash and a mysterious island. Alliances are made, supernatural elements abound and the fight for survival gets fiercer with each episode.

Lost is highly addictive, serving the audience with unexpected twists every step of the way and shining the light on the characters every chance it gets. There’s not as much action as in The Walking Dead, but there are plenty of moments that are sure to raise your blood pressure.

Cast

• Matthew Fox as Dr Jack Shephard
• Evangeline Lilly as Kate Austen
• Josh Holloway as James "Sawyer" Ford
• Terry O'Quinn as John Locke

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5. Under the Dome

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Under the Dome centres on the residents of a small town, who find themselves suddenly trapped under a massive and transparent dome. Military forces try to destroy the dome, but fail miserably. As a result, the town's residents need to figure out how to survive while being cut off from the rest of the world, with diminishing resources and rising tensions.

An engaging series with great special effects, Under the Dome benefits from a tight script and engaging atmosphere. It’s a fascinating look at how people would react under these peculiar circumstances, as food becomes scarce, there’s no power and no one has any idea what the deal with the giant dome is. If you’re into suspenseful mysteries with a touch of horror, you’ll love this one.

Cast

• Mike Vogel as Dale "Barbie" Barbara
• Rachelle Lefevre as Julia Shumway
• Alexander Koch as James "Junior" Rennie
• Colin Ford as Joe McAlister

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6. Santa Clarita Diet

Although recommending a comedy to The Walking Dead fans can seem counterintuitive, the premise of this delightful series makes it a great pick for when you crave your zombies with a side of laughter. Santa Clarita Diet follows the Hammonds, a typical middle-class family with a big secret: out of the blue, the mum develops a strong craving for raw meat. As a result, the family must band together to help her gorge on human flesh without alerting the authorities.

Thanks to a hilarious script and a great cast, the series quickly stands out as an engaging entry in the zombie TV landscape. Plus, there’s enough gore to satisfy horror fans, as long as they have the stomach for it.

Cast

• Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond
• Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond
• Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond
• Skyler Gisondo as Eric Bemis

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7. The 100

When it comes to post-apocalyptic series it’s easy to rely on clichés to tell a universal story. The 100, though, is a high-concept show that only gets better with age, proving there’s still plenty of territory to explore within the genre. The action takes place years after a nuclear apocalypse wiped out almost all life on Earth, when a group of 100 post-apocalyptic survivors return to the planet from a space habitat to see if conditions have improved. They soon discover that they’re not alone, which only makes matters more complicated.

The 100 is a lively and entertaining drama, with enough tension and suspense to ensure you’ll be compelled to press "next episode". While it may look like your typical sci-fi teen show at first glance, it’s much grittier than the marketing suggests, so The Walking Dead enthusiasts should feel right in their comfort zone binge-watching this one.

• Paige Turco as Dr Abigail Griffin
• Bob Morley as Bellamy Blake
• Marie Avgeropoulos as Octavia Blake
• Henry Ian Cusick as Marcus Kane

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8. Carnival Row

If you’re looking for a respite from zombies, faeries make for a worthy alternative. Carnival Row is set in a world where humans and faeries must learn to co-exist after the mythological immigrant creatures were invaded by the empires of man. The story revolves around a human detective and a refugee faerie who band together to investigate a string of gruesome murders.

Fans of The Walking Dead will likely enjoy Carnival Row due to its magical elements and stunning visuals. The plot is also a fun ride, with plenty of intrigue, sex and violence to keep viewers coming back for more.

• Orlando Bloom as Rycroft Philostrate
• Cara Delevingne as Vignette Stonemoss
• Simon McBurney as Runyon Millworthy
• Tamzin Merchant as Imogen Spurnrose

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9. The Last Man on Earth

With a refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic genre, The Last Man on Earth is an ambitious series that tries to answer a universal question: what would you do if the entire population of the planet suddenly died as a result of a deadly virus? Left completely alone, Phil Miller, a pretty average guy, tries to make the most of his solitude, but eventually realises that living without company is not exactly worth the trouble, so he contemplates the idea of taking his own life. Thankfully, he encounters another unlikely survivor of the apocalypse, a woman named Carol. Soon enough, more people will start to show up.

It’s hard to make a comedy about surviving in a post-apocalyptic society, but The Last Man on Earth hilariously pulls it off, while also managing to explore deeper themes like loneliness and the need for human connection.

• Will Forte as Phil Tandy Miller
• Kristen Schaal as Carol Pilbasian
• January Jones as Melissa Chartres
• Mel Rodriguez as Todd Rodriguez

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10. The Leftovers

The action in The Leftovers takes place a few years after the Sudden Departure, an event that caused the disappearance of 2% of the human population, roughly 140 million people. No one knows why. As a result, mainstream religion suffered a massive hit, with cults slowly taking its place. The show follows a small-town family as they try to recover after the Rapture-like event.

This well-acted series is incredibly thought-provoking, showcasing how difficult it would be to maintain order and sanity following a mass trauma. It may lack The Walking Dead’s zombie-killing gore, but it pulls you in thanks to its engaging storylines and suffocating atmosphere, as the characters always seem to be on the verge of a breakdown. In other words, the series is the best kind of tense, although you might forget that laughter is real if you binge too many episodes at a time.

• Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey
• Amy Brenneman as Laurie Garvey
• Christopher Eccleston as Matt Jamison
• Chris Zylka as Tom Garvey

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11. Wynonna Earp

This riveting western/paranormal series follows Wynonna, Wyatt Earp's heir, who returns to her home town of Purgatory to protect it from demons. She teams up with her sister and a couple of other oddballs to take out Revenants, which are the resurrected souls of the criminals who were once killed by her great-grandfather.

On the surface, Wynonna Earp looks like gritty, supernatural fun. Dig deeper and you’ll discover that the show has a lot of heart as well, mostly thanks to the emphasis it puts on developing Wynonna’s relationship with her sister. Plus, the series features a gang of unlikely heroes kicking butt and taking names, as well as a healthy dose of humour. You could do worse.

• Melanie Scrofano as Wynonna Earp
• Tim Rozon as Doc Holliday
• Dominique Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp
• Katherine Barrell as Nicole Haught

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12. Preacher

Preacher is more high-concept than The Walking Dead, but the two series have a lot in common when it comes to both tone and violence. Based on the comic book series of the same name, this bizarre series centres on Jesse Custer, a minister who becomes possessed by a supernatural force that grants him a very special ability. As a result, he teams up with his ex-girlfriend and with a vampire to figure out what his new ability means and how to best make use of it.

Gory and visually stunning, Preacher takes its sweet time to establish its premise. If you’re patient for a little while, though, you’ll soon find that the show is a dark and thrilling ride, relying on much more than bloody violence to draw viewers in.

• Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer
• Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy
• Ruth Negga as Tulip O'Hare
• Ian Colletti as Arseface

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13. The Rain

A more recent entry in the post-apocalyptic TV landscape, The Rain takes place six years after a deadly virus carried by rain wipes out almost all humans in Scandinavia. Two siblings leave the safety of their bunker to look for their father and explore the dangerous outside world in search of someone able to provide answers and hopefully a cure.

The Danish series is dark and fast-paced, offering a grim, yet fascinating look at a complex dystopian world where people are desperate to survive. Moreover, The Rain is worth checking out for the setting alone, as the fictional Scandinavian hellscape is gorgeous to look at.

• Alba August as Simone
• Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen as Rasmus
• Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as Martin
• Lukas Løkken as Patrick

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14. Ash vs Evil Dead

This bloody delightful series is a sort-of sequel to the 1981 cult horror-comedy-film franchise Evil Dead. Set approximately 30 years after the original films, the show sees Bruce Campbell reprising his role as Ash Williams, who reluctantly takes on a mission to save the world from the Evil Dead, with a little help from a couple of scrappy sidekicks.

Ash vs Evil Dead is outrageous and hilarious, which makes it particularly appealing for those who revel in The Walking Dead’s blood-drenched scenes. Furthermore, its wit provides some much-needed levity as viewers are constantly bombarded with exceedingly gruesome scenes.

• Bruce Campbell as Ashley "Ash" J Williams
• Ray Santiago as Pablo Simon Bolivar
• Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell
• Lucy Lawless as Ruby Knowby

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15. Lost in Space

A modern reimagining of the classic 1960s science fiction series, Lost in Space follows the Robinsons, one of the families selected to make a new life for themselves in a better world. However, when they abruptly go off course en route to their new home in space, they have to figure out how to survive in a dangerous alien environment.

Despite being set in space, this captivating series has one big thing in common with The Walking Dead, the characters are fighting for survival. They need to figure out how to forge alliances and who to trust, which isn’t easy when you’re under so much pressure. Plus, the series is slick and engaging, with top-notch special effects and a talented cast.

• Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson
• Toby Stephens as John Robinson
• Maxwell Jenkins as Will Robinson
• Taylor Russell as Judy Robinson

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