11 alternatives to Stranger Things to watch now
Finished up with Mike, Eleven and the gang on Netflix and need something else to binge on? We’ve found some tasty alternatives on Sky Box Sets.
1. Twin Peaks
Let’s start with an oldie but goodie: Twin Peaks. David Lynch’s cult classic originally aired for two seasons in the early 90s and centres around the murder of Laura Palmer in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, USA.
A more surreal ‘who done it?’, like Stranger Things, Twin Peaks features a mysterious crime in a sleepy American town, an unusual police investigation and a supernatural undertone. Plus catch it now on Sky Box Sets and you’ll be up-to-date before the new series hits our screens in 2017.
2. Broadchurch
Another more recent ‘who done it? from this side of the Atlantic is the BAFTA award-winning drama Broadchurch. Set in a small seaside town in Dorset, we follow the investigation of detectives Hardy (David Tennant) and Miller (Olivia Colman) as they try to track down the killer of 11-year-old Danny Latimer. No ghouls or telepathic children in this one but the first series really does make for a gripping edge-of-your-seat drama.
3. The Enfield Haunting
If a good old-fashioned ghost story is more up your street check out The Enfield Haunting. Based on real events which took place in North London in the 1970s, Enfield’s poltergeist is also featured in the pretty terrifying movie The Conjuring 2.
This three-episode TV version stars Timothy Spall and Matthew Macfadyen and should satisfy your cravings for the paranormal this side of Halloween.
4. The Strain
Missing the Demogorgon element? Give The Strain a go. Created by Guillermo del Toro, the brains behind the unbelievably creepy Pan’s Labyrinth and Hell Boy, The Strain is about a group of disease specialists in New York who are called in to deal with a mysterious viral outbreak; which, of course, turns out to be far worse than the common cold. Visually impressive — as long as you’re not squeamish that is — this one is definitely for after the watershed viewing.
5. Penny Dreadful
For more creepy goings-on check out Penny Dreadful. The final season has just finished airing on TV and is already available on Sky Box Sets so it’s a great time to catch up on this drama based on classic horror character from literature like Dracula, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. Plus while the show is set in Victorian London, much of it was filmed in and around Dublin so you might even catch sight of your own street doubling as Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel.
6. True Blood
Speaking of vampires — plus bonus telepathy — if you didn’t watch it when it aired on TV, you can now binge on all seven season of HBO’s True Blood in one place on Sky Box Sets. Anna Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, while Stephen Moyer is Bill Compton a 173-year-old vampire: the course of true love never did run smooth.
7. Misfits
Less horror and more sci-fi? Check out Misfits. The hugely successful British comedy/drama — which follows an unlikely group of young offenders who gain superpowers during an electrical storm — ran for five seasons and features Robert Sheehan (Love/Hate) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton to Game of Thrones fans) so you know it’s good.
8. Aquarius
Another period piece based on real events, The X Files’ David Duchovny stars as a homicide detective on the trail of Charles Manson in 1960s California in Aquarius. The first season of this crime drama was generally well received and the second is currently airing in the US and should be hitting Sky Atlantic any day now. Binge on it now and you might just catch up before the new season.
9. Yonderland
If you like weird, you’ll love wacky comedy Yonderland. With many of the same cast members and tone as Horrible Histories — which we would maintain is not just for kids — Yonderland tells the story of Debbie Maddox, a bored suburban mum who finds a magical land in her kitchen cupboard: think Narnia but weirder.
10. You, Me and the Apocalypse
Watched three episodes of Stranger Things in one go, [SPOILER] still don’t know what happened to Barb and in need of a laugh? You’ve come to the right place. What would you do if you knew life on earth was about to be wiped out by a gigantic comet? Spend it in a bunker in Slough — yes of The Office fame — with a convicted criminal, a priest and a US army general?
Why not just watch You, Me and the Apocalypse instead, which does all the research for you?
11. Moone Boy
While Stranger Things made us nostalgic about the 1980s in general, Moone Boy puts a uniquely Irish spin on that nostalgia. Hilarious, heart-warming and occasionally heart-wrenching — see the season three finale — 1980s and 90s Ireland is brought to life again in Chris O’Dowd’s Moone Boy. A ‘must watch’ if you haven’t seen it already!
Get these 11 shows and 339 more now on Sky Box Sets. Don’t have Sky? Sign up now at Carphone Warehouse and avail of 25% off for a whole year!
Originally published at www.carphonewarehouse.ie on August 4, 2016.
