10 Modern Shows to Watch if You Miss The Vampire Diaries

Based on L. J. Smith’s book series, The Vampire Diaries turns dangerous and terrifying supernatural creatures into broody and seductive heartthrobs. Nina Dobrev stars as Elena Gilbert, the small town girl who ends up falling for the new, mysterious guy at school. After some time together, Elena discovers Stefan’s biggest secret, and her reality is completely shattered. Vampires, werewolves, and witches are just a few of the creatures that reside in Mystic Falls. Some of these creatures are good, some are bad, and a few are just trying to figure themselves out.

Because The Vampire Diaries is a teen drama, there are several love triangles, a few hero complexes, and a lot of questionable decisions. Since the series ended in 2017 (after eight seasons), fans have naturally looked for other series that give them the same thrill and chemistry that Elena and her friends did. Luckily, dramatic teen series and supernatural beings have remained a hot topic for the last decade.

Here are 10 modern shows to watch if you miss The Vampire Diaries.

10 The Originals (2013-2018)

When Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) were first introduced in the second season of The Vampire Diaries, fans could tell that they were going to stick around for a while. In 2013, the Mikaelson siblings received their own spin-off series, The Originals, that focused on their origin story as well as how they would manage things back in their hometown of New Orleans without all the chaos in Mystic Falls.

Along with Morgan and Gillies, Claire Holt (Rebekah) and Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley) reprise their roles from The Vampire Diaries. They find that things in the South are very different as grudges are held, and no one can be trusted. Some fans have praised The Originals for wrapping up questions they had about the original vampire family, and many prefer the spin-off to the original show because it follows a more cohesive storyline.

Stream on Freevee

9 Legacies (2018-2022)

Legacies

Release Date

2018-00-00

Cast

Matthew Davis, Leo Howard

Genres

Drama, Thriller

Whether you cannot get enough of the Mikaelson family or you really want to see where several of the characters from The Vampire Diaries ended up, then Legacies is the right show for you. The series follows Klaus and Hayley’s daughter, Hope, as she attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. As the first ever tribrid, she has a lot to discover and master when it comes to her own strength and abilities.

The spin-off of The Originals feels more like The Vampire Diaries as it follows supernatural teens through the process of perfecting their powers as well as dealing with everything puberty and changing hormone levels cause. Some critics say the third generation spin-off is more shallow than its predecessors, but it is still worth the watch to see how the newest group of supernatural beings plan to handle things in comparison to those that came before them.

Stream on Netflix

8 V Wars (2019)

Based on the book series by Jonathan Maberry, V Wars follows Dr. Lucas Swann (Ian Somerhalder) as he and the world discover that an infection is spreading, causing people to turn into bloodsucking vampires. Swann is determined to find a cure, especially since his best friend, Michael (Adrian Holmes), has become the leader of the vampire clan.

Fans of The Vampire Diaries will be thrilled to see Somerhalder back in action with supernatural forces, but instead of being a seductive vampire himself, he is desperately trying to bring peace to everyone and set things straight between opposing forces.

Stream on Netflix

7 Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

Teen Wolf

Release Date

June 5, 2011

Cast

Tyler Posey, Dylan O’Brien, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, Linden Ashby, jr bourne

Genres

Drama, Fantasy

Teen Wolf is the closest series to The Vampire Diaries in regard to teenagers trying to deal with their everyday lives — such as jealousy, pop quizzes, naive teachers interfering in life or death situations, etc. — while also trying to save their town from supernatural creatures and forces.

The series follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) as he becomes a werewolf and realizes there is a whole different side of reality he has never noticed. Much like Elena Gilbert, Scott always tries to do the right thing even when in the worst possible situations. The acting throughout the six seasons is impeccable, so says the five Teen Choice Awards individual actors have won throughout the series.

Stream on Hulu

Related: Best Supernatural Teen Drama Series Ever Made, Ranked

6 Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016-2019)

Shadowhunters

Release Date

August 1, 2016

Cast

Katherine McNamara, Isaiah Mustafa

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Much like The Vampire Diaries, fate and family commitments play a huge part in Shadowhunters. Based on Cassandra Clare’s book series The Mortal Instruments, the TV series follows Clary, an 18-year-old girl who has just discovered that she was born into something much bigger than she could ever imagine. Rather than being a regular teenager, she is actually a human-angel hybrid who was created to protect the human race from demons.

Given the age of Clary at the beginning of the series, viewers can assume that much of the three seasons is focused on the young hunter finding herself. Rather than heading off to college and pursuing her passion, her world changed in an instant, and she is forced to carry out responsibilities she never imagined.

Stream on Hulu

5 Van Helsing (2016-2021)

Instead of vampires being attractive beings that lure people into their schemes, the ones featured in Van Helsing are guiltless and out for blood (literally). Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton), a descendant of the famous vampire slayer, Abraham Van Helsing, awakes from a coma to find that the world is in a post-apocalyptic state as vampires now rule over everything. Vanessa is the key to saving all humanity because her blood can turn vampires back into humans, but her only goal is to find her daughter.

Van Helsing puts a great spin on vampires, as they are more like zombies who want to feed rather than blend in with humans and live a “normal” life. Overton delivers an incredible performance as someone who has no choice but to accept her fate while she desperately tries to find her loved one.

Stream on Netflix

4 Wednesday (2022-Present)

Wednesday

Follows Wednesday Addams’ years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents. Directed by Tim Burton.

Release Date

2022-00-00

Cast

Jenna Ortega, Christina Ricci, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Gwendoline Christie

Genres

Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Read Our Review

Between the nostalgia of the Addams Family coming to the screen in a very Gen Z way and the fact that Jenna Ortega (best known for her roles in Jane the Virgin, You, and Scream) plays the wicked title character, fans were on the edge of their seats waiting for the Netflix series to premiere.

Wednesday primarily takes place at a very prestigious school for mythical creatures and outcasts. Wednesday is not exactly thrilled about her new school assignment, but she warms (at least on the inside) to certain individuals as she also tries to solve a local murder mystery. The dialogue is refreshing, and several characters are rather relatable other than the fact they can kill you with their abilities.

Stream on Netflix

3 First Kill (2022)

There is something special about star-crossed lovers as teens because their innocence mixes with their family’s expectations, and almost no one ends up happy. First Kill follows a teenage vampire, Juliette (Sarah Hook), as she must make her first kill to gain acceptance into her family. She develops a relationship with Cal (Imani Lewis), who also needs to make her first kill to gain the approval of her monster-hunting family.

The series has flown under many radars as it was canceled after one season. There are supernatural forces at work, LGBTQ+ representation, and a hint of Shakespearean influence. In the words of the series showrunner, Felicia D. Henderson, there is “something for everyone” within this supernatural teen drama.

Stream on Netflix

2 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020)

Based on the Archie comic book series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina focuses on a rather difficult choice Sabrina Spellman must make after her 16th birthday: accept her role as a witch within her family or remain a regular human like the rest of her friends. This is not the spunky sitcom that Melissa Joan Hart starred in, though it does have its quirky and fun moments.

This Netflix horror series has found the perfect balance between utterly terrifying characters and storylines and the bubbly moments of comedic relief. Kiernan Shipka is incredible as she is able to portray an array of emotions as she is constantly thrown into conflicting situations. After two solid seasons (that were split into four parts), the show was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stream on Netflix

1 Supernatural (2005-2020)

Supernatural

Release Date

September 13, 2005

Cast

Misha Collins, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles

Genres

Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

While Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki’s Supernatural characters are a long way from their high school days, there is still quite a bit of drama and angst to be found throughout the series. The brothers team up for 15 seasons (save for the times they worked alone or were possessed by something) to bring down vampires, werewolves, demons, and just about everything else people tend to only read about in books.

While on a Nerd HQ panel, Ackles jokingly said that he wouldn’t mind a crossover with The Vampire Diaries as Sam and Dean would take care of all the problems happening in Mystic Falls. A laugh naturally erupted from the crowd, but so many fans likely wanted to see how that would play out with the Winchesters and Salvatores.

Stream on Netflix