The Best Shows To Watch After ‘Good Omens’
Prayer circle for an official season 3 announcement!
The second season of Good Omens brought us right back to a world where an angel and a demon overly attached to Earth—and to each other—helped foil Armageddon (and plans that had been in the works for millennia). Of course, that couldn’t have heralded anything good—but boy oh boy did things end tragically for Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale and David Tennant’s Crowley. All we can do now is wait and hope for an official renewal announcement that will finally bring this story of nightingales, vintage cars and scrumptious meals to a satisfying end.
So here are 22 shows to watch while we do just that and try not to miss Aziraphale, Crowley and their supernatural shenanigans too much. Of course, they’re all divided into categories so that you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Want more Neil Gaiman?
The Sandman (2022 – present)
Good Omens is based on the novel of the same name written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Pratchett sadly passed away in 2015, but Gaiman has been heavily involved in the making of the show as both showrunner and writer.
So if you’re looking for some more Gaiman-esque vibes, you might first stop at The Sandman on Netflix. Based on Gaiman’s comics, published by DC, the show follows Morpheus—the personification of dreams and nightmares—as he escapes a century of imprisonment at human hands and has to regain control of his realm.
American Gods (2017 – 2021)
Another show based on a Gaiman novel, American Gods ran for three seasons and follows the story of Shadow Moon as he becomes embroiled with a strange man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and hires Shadow to be his driver. That leads Shadow right into an epic conflict between the Old Gods (think Odin and Anansi and Ostara) and the New Gods (who represent globalization and technology) for the dominion of human minds.
Occult, but make it funny
Miracle Workers (2019 – present)
Miracle Workers is an anthology show starring an ensemble cast that includes Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, and Geraldine Viswanathan. The first season, in particular, might feel very reminiscent of Good Omens, since it follows the low-level angel Craig—responsible for handling humanity’s prayer—and his new colleague Eliza as they deal with God’s decision to destroy Earth and start a new project somewhere else in the universe.
What We Do in the Shadows (2019 – present)
What We Do in the Shadows might not deal with Heaven and Hell, but it’s still in the realm of the occult and still very much comedic in tone. The FX/Hulu series follows the life of three vampire roommates—Nandor, Laszlo, and Nadja—who live with one energy vampire and Nandor’s human familiar, Guillermo. Followed around by a fictional documentary crew, the characters are shown dealing with the oddities of the modern world and interacting with other supernatural creatures.
God’s Favorite Idiot (2022 – present)
God’s Favorite Idiot—whose final episodes are currently in production limbo—follows the story of Clark, who gains a peculiar ability after being struck by lightning. As if that wasn’t enough, Clark is visited by an angel who informs him he’s now God’s messenger, charged with preventing the apocalypse from happening. It all sounds very Good Omens-y to me, even though the main character is human. The Netflix series was created by Ben Falcone, who co-stars opposite Melissa McCarthy, his real-life spouse.
Hotel del Luna (2019)
The K-Drama Hotel del Luna sits at the bottom of this category because while it’s filled with funny situations, it will definitely leave you sobbing by the end as most K-Dramas are bound to do. The story follows Jang Man-wol, the owner of the peculiar Hotel del Luna—a stopover for ghosts as they deal with unfinished business before passing on to the afterlife. Only one person in the entire hotel is human: the new general manager Koo Chang-sung. Of course, given the premise, shenanigans are bound to ensue.
The Good Place (2016 – 2020)
One of the most beloved comedies of recent years, the premise of The Good Place has something that will definitely remind you of Good Omens. Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who lived a not-so-morally-good life, finds herself in the titular Good Place after her death—a Heaven-like utopia to which only a select handful of people get access. The first season especially follows Eleanor as she encounters the other residents of the Good Place—as well as its architect Michael and his artificial assistant Janet—and does her best to hide the fact that she should not be there.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (2016 – 2017)
A list like this couldn’t not feature a detective story with occult or supernatural elements and so here Dirk Gently is. The show’s two seasons, based on the books of the same name by author Douglas Adams, follow the titular Dirk Gently and his reluctant assistant Todd Brotzman—played by Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood respectively—as they investigate “holistic” cases. That’s because Dirk is mildly psychic and was actually part of a secret government project that studied people with special abilities.
Occult, but play it straight
Supernatural (2005 – 2020)
Since we’re talking about shows focusing on all things occult, from creatures of folklore to angels and demons and the apocalypse, then we just can’t skip over Supernatural. The Winchester brothers—played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki—were there at the start of it all, and they were joined pretty soon by Misha Collins’ Castiel, which sparked the birth of one of the longest-living ships in pretty much all of fandom. It’s the stuff that built Tumblr from the ground up.
Lucifer (2016 – 2021)
If you want a detective spin on your occult show, then Lucifer might be the right choice for you. It even has a hint of Gaiman in it, since the story is based on the character created by Gaiman for The Sandman (though it eventually took a different route, so much so that they had the role recast for the Netflix adaptation). In this show, Lucifer Morningstar is so bored that he decides to abdicate the throne of Hell and establish himself in Los Angeles, where he picks up a job as a consultant with the LAPD and partners with Detective Chloe Decker.
Constantine (2014 – 2015)
Based on yet another DC Comics character—who incidentally also appeared in The Sandman, played in that version by Jenna Coleman—Constantine follows the eponymous John Constantine, a demon hunter struggling with the sins of his past while battling the forces of evil to keep humanity safe. The show aired only for one season, but if you love stories about the occult then it’s definitely worth checking out.
Dominion (2014 – 2015)
Speaking of short-lived shows, Dominion is another one that won’t take long to watch, but is a must-see for lovers of the apocalyptic/occult genre. The story is set in a world where God has vanished, leaving the archangel Gabriel and his heavenly legions to wage war against humans—who have the archangel Michael on their side and have taken refuge in a few fortified cities across the world, waiting for a prophesied savior to come and save them.
Penny Dreadful (2014 – 2016)
Taking a sharp turn into gothic horror and dark fantasy territory, Penny Dreadful is inspired by the homonymous penny dreadfuls, English publications of the Victorian era that printed stories about criminals, monsters, and other, similar bloody subjects. The Showtime series focuses on a cast of characters that includes protagonists—like Eva Green’s Vanessa Ives—as well as public domain characters like Dorian Gray, Count Dracula, and Victor Frankenstein and his monster, as they roam around Victorian London, each trying to gain advantage on the others.
Charmed (1998 – 2006)
Let’s finish off this section with a true staple of the genre, one that’s older than Supernatural, yet also focuses on siblings. Charmed follows the three Halliwell sisters, Prue, Piper and Phoebe: good witches who use the “power of three” to contrast the forces of evil, like demons and warlocks. They each have unique abilities that they cultivate throughout the show’s eight seasons, and they of course struggle with maintaining a balance between their supernatural world and their ordinary lives.
Preacher (2016 – 2019)
Preacher is based on the comic book series of the same name and published by the Vergio imprint at DC Comics. Its plot proves once more that there are very few combos that work as well together as Southern Gothic with supernatural or occult elements. The main character is a hard-drinking and chain-smoking Texas preacher who suddenly receives inexplicable supernatural powers and embarks on a quest to better understand them and his shaking faith with his hell-raising ex-girlfriend and her new vampire friend. Incredible premises.
Occult, but make it teen drama
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003)
You can’t talk about teen dramas that deal with the supernatural and the occult without starting with Buffy the Vampire Slayer—truly one of the most influential pieces of media out there and the inspiration for countless other shows and movies. The story follows Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers, a seemingly normal high-schooler who discovers she is the “Slayer,” the last in a long line of young women chosen to battle the forces of evil.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself (2022)
A victim of criminally early cancellation, the eight episodes of The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself still deserve to be seen. The Netflix series follows teenager Nathan Byrne, who’s been monitored by other witches his whole life since everyone is very much afraid he’ll turn out to be like his father, the “world’s most dangerous blood witch.” It’s no surprise that our main character finds himself the target of a modern day witch hunt, one he must escape with the help of allies he makes along the way.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018 – 2020)
Another staple of the supernatural teen drama genre—especially during its brilliant first season—Chilling Adventures of Sabrina follows the titular character and Archie comics fave Sabrina Spellman, played by Kiernan Shipka. As the daughter of a witch and a mortal, Sabrina can choose which of the two worlds she wants to inhabit. Still, she finds herself torn between the supernatural world of her family and the human world of her friends.
Recs that might seem like nonsense, but I promise are not
Our Flag Means Death (2022 – ongoing)
On the surface, Good Omens and Our Flag Means Death have pretty much nothing in common—one is a show about an angel and a demon during the apocalypse, and the other is the story of a nobleman who’s pretty bad at being a pirate and a pirate who is extremely good at his job.
But people who have seen both shows will agree with me: the vibes are the same and they’re all absolutely immaculate, from the comedic tone of it all to the romance. Plus, you have to admit that Stede and Blackbeard are Aziraphale and Crowley in different fonts. You just can’t deny it.
Broadchurch (2013 – 2017)
I might be projecting here, but I think that watching or rewatching Good Omens means falling back into the David Tennant obsession every Tumblr kid developed sometime around 2009. Of course, rewatching Doctor Who is always a good cure for that, as is getting your hands on one of his stage performances (2011’s Much Ado About Nothing, you will always be famous to me).
Still, there’s something about the absolutely crumbling disaster of a man Alex Hardy that always makes me gravitate towards Broadchurch—despite its incredibly heavy themes that really have nothing to do with Good Omens. It’s probably the brilliant acting of everyone involved; Tennant, of course, but Olivia Colman will also absolutely sucker punch your soul out of you, especially in the show’s first season. (Which also features Tennant’s fellow Doctor Who lead, Jodie Whittaker.)
Prodigal Son (2019 – 2021)
If instead of wanting more David Tennant you’re leaning more on the Michael Sheen side of things, then Prodigal Son might be of interest to you even though it’s another show with wildly different themes and tones when compared to Good Omens—then again, it’s sure to give you the chance to enjoy the full range of Good Omens’ leads.
Prodigal Son follows a former FBI profiler who is working for the NYPD when he comes upon a string of murders that emulate the MO of an infamous convicted serial killer who just so happens to be our main character’s father—and also incidentally has Michael Sheen’s face.
Staged (2020 – 2022)
Why pick between more David Tennant or more Michael Sheen when you can just have more of the two of them? Staged is a huge favorite among Good Omens fans and for good reasons—it’s as close as it gets to Tennant and Sheen just being themselves, and their banter will certainly bring a very particular angel-and-demon duo to mind.
Set during the COVID-19 lockdown, Staged follows Tennant and Sheen as they try to rehearse a performance of Six Characters in Search of an Author via videoconference so that they can have it ready for when theaters open back up. The show features the actors’ respective partners as well as a massive cast of guest stars—from Samuel L. Jackson to Cate Blanchett.
(featured image: FX / Hulu / Netflix / TBS / Starz / Showtime)
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