There have been many greathorrortelevision series that have improved past their initial season, going on to scare viewers for what can oftentimes be several years. Many of these series rival some of thebest horror movies of all time, while others still fall short despite the growth they have achieved after their first season. Some of them even count amongthe best horror shows of 2024.
The ability to either take criticism and turn it into something better or build upon a show to make it even better is an important skill to have. At a time when so many shows are canceled after just one or two seasons, it’s important to remember how alot of great shows took a while to find their identity.The horror genre has plenty of examples of it, from hits likeSupernaturalto underrated gems.
Van Helsing
Cast
Van Helsing is a supernatural-horror television series created for SyFy and stars a future descendant of legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing as she battles to protect humanity. Vanessa Van Helsing lives in an era where vampires are now dominant, and society is on its last legs. Fortunately for everyone, Vanessa’s latent ability allows her to turn vampires back into human beings, painting a target on her back from her blood-sucking foes.
Van Helsingis a show that, despite an impressive 5 season run, generally receives mixed reviews. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where, after the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, the world has gone dark. This allowed vampires to run rampant, feeding on everything in sight.
Despite having an interesting take on the vampire genre,Van Helsingwas initially panned for being overwritten, with acting that fell short of what viewers expected and bland characters.However, things start to pick up in season 2, offering much more insight into the characters themselves, their backstories, and their motivations, offering valuable moments for character growth. Though its quality eventually backslid by the end of the series, there was a brief moment when it improved.
Hemlock Grove
Set in small-town Pennsylvania, Hemlock Grove explores the lives of the titular town’s residents as they deal with a series of strange, brutal murders. Two young men, Roman Godfrey and Peter Rumancek, set out to uncover what is actually going on while dealing with their respective supernatural secrets. The series stars Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Famke Janssen, Penelope Mitchell, Lili Taylor, and Dougray Scott.
Set in the fictional town of Hemlock Grove, PA, the series takes a look at murders happening around town and the supernatural origins they might have. The series is notable for featuring actor Bill Skarsgård earlier on in his career, who is now famous for portraying Pennywise the Clown in the modernItfilms. Even with a great performance by Skarsgård from the beginning,Hemlock Grovebegan with messy writing that seemed to take many different gothic tropes and throw them together haphazardly.
Despite being a Netflix Original,Hemlock Groveis no longer available on Netflix.
This is instantly improved beginning with the second season. The plot receives more structure to back its off-the-wall ideas, and Skarsgård is allowed to run wild with his performance of Roman.Hemlock Grovebegins to lean into its strengths here, making the first season feel like a poorly thought-out fever dream in comparison.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Based on the Archie comic series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a Netflix supernatural horror series that follows Sabrina Spellman, a young half-witch, half-human that is coming into her powers in her teenage years. To protect her friends, family, and the world itself, Sabrina will have to harness her powers and ignore the calls from her darker side to embrace her evil potential fully and instead use her powers for good. Despite the series cancellation in 2020, the show’s story was continued in The Occult World of Sabrina, a comic book serial.you’re able to buy the seasons for just $9.99 for Prime Day.
Divided into four parts,Chilling Adventures of Sabrinais a dark take on the character of Sabrina Spellman, a character originally created for Archie Comics. The series sees her take on all manner of evils while dealing with the fact that she is half-witch and half-mortal.Chilling Adventures of Sabrinawas beloved from its release, with its first part receiving a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrinais not the first to take on the character of Sabrina Spellman.Sabrina the Teenage WitchandSabrina: The Animated Seriesboth brought this character to life in the 90s.
Even though the first part of the series is the one with the highest rating, the second is whereChilling Adventures of Sabrinareally shines. Not only is the mystery at the core of the series stronger, but the world-building is also more engaging. Though the parts that followed did not reach up to the height of the first, the second part managed to outshine its predecessor.
Channel Zero
Channel Zero is an anthology horror series that is based on the most popular Creepypasta stories, including Candle Love, The No-End House, Search and Rescue Woods, and Hidden Door, to name a few. The series originally aired on Syfy and lasted for four seasons before being canceled by the network.
Anthology horror can be a bit of a mixed bag. When everything changes from season to season, there can be a dramatic shift in quality as well. This is the case forChannel Zeroas well, but instead of having a dramatic dip in quality like some similar series, it seems as thoughChannel Zerois constantly improving.
Why Channel Zero Was Cancelled After 4 Seasons (Despite Critical Acclaim)
Despite critical acclaim, Syfy canceled its creepypasta-inspired anthology horror show Channel Zero after four seasons, and here’s why.
The first season of the show was praised for being suitably unsettling and creepy, leaning on the childhood fears that so many find easy to relate to. However, both the second and third seasons pump up the scare factor, not only making the series more terrifying but also improving upon the storytelling in the process. Both seasons 2 and 3 have 100% scores on Rotten Tomatoes, impressive compared to the first season’s 86%.
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows, released in 2019, is a mockumentary series exploring the nightly lives of a group of centuries-old vampires residing in Staten Island. The comedic show delves into their interactions with each other and the modern world, providing a humorous take on the vampire genre.
Horror comedy is a difficult genre to get right, butWhat We Do in the Shadowsmanages to succeed with every single season. Originally based on the film of the same name,this mockumentary-style TV show takes inspiration from the likes ofThe OfficeandParks and Recreationbut applies these principles to a group of vampires living together in a house on Staten Island. The series is fun from beginning to end, which is now confirmed asWhat We Do in the Shadowsends with season 6.
Though there is not a single weak season in the series, season 2 is perhaps the funniest. Not only does it further expand on the world around the main characters, but it dials up the comedy in equal amount. This series, throughout its entire run, manages to be hilarious while keeping a strong emotional heart, and for this reason it is an incredible horror comedy.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is a Horror Anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The franchise has seen stars like Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Denis O’Hare, Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters, and Dylan McDermott. Each season follows a new premise and spans an array of horror genres like witches, ghosts, serial killers, and more.
American Horror Storyhas been running for a long time, and because of this, the anthology series has released plenty of seasons with wildly different premises. Depicting everything from a general house haunting to the end of the world, the show is varied in how it depicts horror. Though its initial season was creepy and compelling, focusing on a single haunted house, later seasons expanded their scope dramatically.
A spin-off series toAmerican Horror StorytitledAmerican Horror Storiesbegan in 2021, with the difference being thatAmerican Horror Storiestells a different story every episode rather than every season.
Though which season is the best will ultimately be up to personal preference due to the anthology nature of the show, Coven and Apocalypse, seasons 3 and 8 respectively, both stand out as contenders for the show’s best season. Coven is filled with real stakes and thrilling storytelling, whileAHS: Apocalypse’s endingmanages to tie together so many elements from the different seasons of the show. All in all,American Horror Storyhas a season for everyone, making it difficult to pin down which exactly is the best.
Supernatural
Supernatural is a television series that follows brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, who were raised by their father to hunt and combat supernatural entities after losing their mother to a demonic force. Traversing the American landscape in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, they face numerous paranormal threats.
For over a decade,Supernaturaldominated television as one of the most iconic horror series. Beginning simply with two brothers who set out to hunt monsters and find their father, the show grew into something that was greater than itself. The first season is the one that started it all, and despite being generally solid, there are even better seasons that came after.
Supernatural Review: A Devilishly Good Horror Mystery Series With One Of The Best Dynamic Duos On TV
Supernatural stands up as one of the best and most versatile shows ever on TV, with a dynamic duo at the heart of an ever-evolving series.
Starting with the show’s second season,Supernaturalslowly begins to stray from its monster-of-the-week roots, eventually finding its footing with a wide-reaching dramatic storyline.This allows the story to focus on its characters, really leaning into the life-or-death drama surrounding them and later introducing iconic characters such as the angel Castiel. Although the series’ ending left much to be desired, there is no doubt that the legacy ofSupernaturalwill be remembered for years to come.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on August 05, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
Despite the series' outward presentation as a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, at its core,The Walking Deadis a drama focused heavily on its characters. While the first season offers a strong showing in this regard, initially depicting the main character Rick Grimes as struggling once he awakes from a coma and is thrust into a new world filled with death, viewers watch as not only Rick grows as a person, but grows with the people around him. In this way, the first season is just a starting point.
The Walking Deadreally hits its stride with season 3, which introduces some of the series' most interesting characters, such as Michonne. This season is emotional, filled with tense situations, and features one of the most interesting settings in the show: the prison. Though season 1 is still incredible in its own right,season 3 takes all the elements that made the first season great and makes them better.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis' life during the interview, the series examines Louis' relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe media franchise.
Anne Rice’s book seriesThe Vampire Chronicleswas groundbreaking for a variety of reasons, paving the way for the modern vampire genre as many know it today.It has seen several adaptations, includingInterview with the Vampirestarring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The best rendition of this series, however, is the ongoing television series of the same name.
Despite the first season’s incredible showing, the second is somehow even better, taking Louis' retelling of events and throwing everything the viewer believes about the story into question.
The first season of the show was incredible, taking Rice’s original novels and expanding upon them in a way that not only makes the themes of queer love and identity blatant but also changes certain aspects of the characters to better explore their stories. Despite the first season’s incredible showing, the second is somehow even better, taking Louis' retelling of events and throwing everything the viewer believes about the story into question. It expands even further on the world the series creates with the perfect ending to have viewers begging for a third season.
Hannibal
Created for TV by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal is a TV adaptation/reimagining of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel. The show follows the exploits of FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and their perpetual game of cat and mouse that unfolds over the series. When a string of murders in Minnesota requires a brilliant mind to crack the case, Will Graham is called in to investigate - but due to the intimate and terrifying nature of the crimes, he is appointed Dr. Lecter to act as his psychiatrist. The truth of Dr. Lecter is that he is Will’s target - but to complicate matters, he’s the only person that can truly understand him.
Considered to beone of the best horror TV shows of all time,Hannibalis an incredible series that starts with a unique premise. The show takes the legendary fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter and depicts him through the eyes of profiler Will Graham, showing him at a time in his life before anyone knew about the horrific crimes he was committing under the FBI’s noses.The show is poetic and filled with beautifully rich cinematography and writing that sometimes feels like it belongs to a philosophical indie pieceas opposed to a network TV show.
The first season slowly unfolds as Will’s psyche begins to deteriorate, almost entirely as a result of Hannibal’s manipulations. While it is a haunting season in its own right, the second season is perfectly written and acted, showing just how manipulative Hannibal can be. The creeping rush to the climactic season finale is apparent from the start, luring viewers into thehorrorby challenging both Will’s and the viewer’s recollection of events.
