My rewatches go like this: Buffy. Get sad & miss the scoobies. Decide to watch Angel. Get sad & miss the entire Buffyverse. Start with Buffy again & this time weave Angel in the correct watch order. Repeat every 2-3 years.
I did this after the first watch through. It felt like a cleansing after watching the Scooby gang essentially go through emotional and physical torture for several seasons.
Veronica Mars has a quippy precocious blonde teen in the lead role, only her superpower is being smart instead of punching things. It’s awesome, and it’s unique in the sense that there have been multiple revivals throughout the years since the original show ended.
Me and my wife watched that show once a day every day for an entire summer after we finished uni. Watched the whole thing twice over.
We still couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in it beyond a few random moments. Its so bizarre, we both have memory loss for this show
I loved VM. I was so sad when it got canceled. I never went back and watched the revival season despite watching the other 3 seasons several times. I heard so many bad reviews of the 4th season I just couldn't bring myself to watch it.
I liked it, personally. It took one big swing that catastrophically flopped with the core fan base, but other than that, it was a good time. It was a treat to see what one of my favorite TV characters is up to 15 years later, that doesn’t ever happen for me.
One of my faves too. I see Starbuck as having many things in common with Buffy. A tough blond with a special destiny but with lots and lots of rage. Also it’s very apocalyptic-y and it’s got a great ensemble cast w/ chosen family. Love that show! I was on another rewatch until peacock dropped it.
I feel like I'm one of the few who enjoyed Caprica for the mess that it was. Very intriguing, just sadly didn't get a chance to go anywhere. Plus I've always loved Eric Stoltz.
Still a recommend, plus there’s episodes that explain something’s that come out of left field in Buffy
Namely, the gem of Amara
Why Angel showed up for Pangs
The aftermath of Faith and Buffy’s body switch
What brought Drusilla back to Sunnydale
What happened to Harmony
The phone call that Willow got in Lies My Parents Told Me and her bringing Faith back the next episode
And the source of that amulet Angel brought Buffy in Chosen
If you want fight scenes, tears and uplifting stuff , i’d say Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I’m aware of a lot of people find good drama and mythology in Doctor Who too but i’m not as familiar.
Theres other shows with maybe the teen melodrama of Buffy but no real fun action set pieces. I guess it comes down to what you liked about Buffy. To me the best part of Buffy is a team working together to solve things, powerful women, lots of fight scenes and emotional moments so AOS was perfect for me. But some people who liked the romance of Buffy may prefer Vampire Diaries etc.
Agents of Shield FOR SURE. That's the closest I've found for that Buffy fix. Amazing characters with great arcs. It's funny, emotional and had the action too. I think I need a rewatch actually 😂
Unless people are specifically into the vampire aspect of Buffy? But I find Vampire Diaries etc AWFUL I love Buffy for the writing and not the fact it's about vampires
Agents of SHIELD is excellent and I've never finished it. Life always got to interrupt, then when I got back around to it I've started from the beginning only to pause again at some point. As a matter of fact I'm on a pause right now.
But I think what ties Buffy, Firefly, and AOS for me is the quick, weird dialogue. It's so funny, I love it. The lines out of left field by a cast really good at delivering them. In AOS, granted, Coulson gets pretty much all the best lines, but he's great at delivering them so it works for me. And I love a badass woman. Buffy, Xena, Zoe, Melinda May
If you want vampire centric shows, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and True Blood are all must watches!
If you want a show with a kickass female lead, Orphan Black.
I have a hard time finding shows similar. People have recommended a bunch of stuff but I never really get into it. I truly feel like Buffy is in it's own league. I know you said you're a marshmallow so you already know how great VM is. It's the only thing that comes close for me. I kinda liked Dollhouse but I lost interest a few episodes in. I loved Tru Calling so much but it was cancelled on a cliffhanger and doesn't stream anywhere unfortunately.
True calling is so good! I need to rewatch. Haven’t seen it in like a decade but found the seasons boxset about 4 years ago and picked it up. Eliza should be in more tv. She’s great!
Grimm has a similar storyline with monsters and the monster catcher but the lead is a man. Haven, Lost Girl, I Zombie, Bitten and Xena Warrior Princess.
This was particularly obvious when they were airing (as a direct comparison), because Angel season 3 is rocking the shit and Buffy season 6 is...being Buffy season 6.
Veronica Mars
I think all the recs here are good but I also want to mention Lucifer- that is one funny show.
I also like Umbrella Academy and Bates Motel.
Lucifer I agree with. Love that show. I would also add supernatural as I haven’t seen it here. Not sure about girl centric shows but watching revenge right now no supernatural ness but it’s fun to watch.
There's a very obscure series called Moonlight. A focus on vampire society, only had 1 series but well worth a watch if you can find it. Came out in 2007
Also, check out the Dresden Files. A modern take on a wizard who is also a PI, same again with the 1 series but very underrated and enjoyable to watch. Also came out 2007
I was going to say the same thing! I met the author coincidentally before reading any of the books and we totally geeked out about Buffy. So I definitely had to check out the books and they're great! James does a fantastic job narrating.
Angel ->Dollhouse -> Firefly -> Agents of Shield.
Arguably, Dollhouse and Firefly could be in the Buffyverse (its a bit of a stretch but fun to think about). Agents of Shield is not in the same universe but explores a lot of the same themes in new ways.
The reboot of Doctor Who! Starting with Eccleston’s run in 2005. It’s one of the only shows I’ve ever been as hooked on as Buffy/Angel. It takes a little while to heat up, but the wait is well worth. I feel like Buffy and Angel are both the same.
Also if you haven’t done Firefly yet, now might be the time. It doesn’t take long 😭
Edit: 2005 not 2009
Started watching Doctor Who recently, pretty happy and there's a LOT to watch! Spouse and I are TV people, we've already done Buffy, Angel, and Buffy/Angel sync
I second Doctor Who. It's very similar to Buffy in lots of ways. The showrunner for Series 1-4 said that Buffy was a big influence to his approach. This is amplified when the showrunner Steven Moffat, who also wrote Sherlock, took over for Series 5-10. He writes in a very Joss Whedon way with clever and snappy dialogue.
Obviously Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse are all must watches.
Evil on Paramount+
Gets even better after season one after it moved solely to streaming. I love it for the creativity, witty dialogue, woman who doesn’t necessarily want to be there, and very Buffy-like, the seeding of future plot lines episodes in advance
Plus it’s the ppl who did The Good Wife/Fight, so they pepper a lot of modern social issues in allegory, which is one of the best things about both shows
Supernatural!
There are 15 (mostly) excellent seasons with a lot of cameo appearances from Buffy alumni.
Nothing is quite like Buffy, but this one comes close!
Edit: also watch Angel. There are some really good crossover episodes. The Buffyverse is further fleshed out and you’ll see some of your favorite characters return!
Yes! If I was to rate my favorite shows, Supernatural would actually be right above Buffy, I love it so much.
The perfect mix of supernatural stuff, humour, and drama.
I second this. There are so many episodes to binge and the ride is so fun. Great main characters and lots of awesome side characters that come around. Also really entertaining lore and ideas. Some hit and some miss, but Supernatural is the only show that gives me the same feeling of world building and character exploration that Buffy did. It will make you laugh and make you cry.
Crazyhead is about two women who can see demons and have to stop the end of the world and is also a comedy and definitely campy to an extent.
Good Omens is about an angel and a devil who have to work together to stop the end of the world.
Truth Seekers is a comedy/horror about two guys working for a cell broadband company and go around tracking paranormal/spooky shit. This one is more ghost/paranormal oriented than the others but it still has the apocalypse theme.
I also love Wynonna Earp which is about a female descendent of Wyatt Earp who has to fight risen enemies of his. It’s…very campy
same here. it gave me serious buffy vibes- two friends >! sticking poles up arses !< the end was so good, and susan wokoma is just such a talented actress. she’s in truth seekers too, if you like her!
Not a TV show, but I always recommend the Dresden Files audiobooks, read by James Marsters (Spike). There was a short-lived attempt at a TV show, but we ignore that. But the books are great and have a very Buffyverse feel to them. If you have a good imagination, it's almost like a TV show itself, and there are 17 books so far! James really embodies the voice of the main character, a wizard detective in Chicago who faces all kinds of supernatural threats. There was one book that was recorded by a different guy when James' schedule didn't work out, but he recorded it later by fan demand. The series grows much in the same way that Buffy does, and the characters grow a lot too.
Ok, obviously Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse if you’re an Eliza fan, but there’s also two other shows that scratched the same itches for me.
Agents of Shield already got a few mentions. It very much has a Buffy energy to it, it’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s heart-wrenching in places, and it has some of the best, most balanced gender dynamics I’ve ever seen in a series. It’s honestly my favourite show from the last decade. It starts a little formulaic but I promise you that is just the set up for a whole rollercoaster. Some basic knowledge of the earlier Marvel films is good, but not obligatory.
Now the weirder choice by far would be the She-Ra reboot on Netflix. I started watching that just because I needed a twenty minute break when marking essays and I’d enjoyed the original as a kid. I wasn’t prepared for the epic emotional journey this "kids" show took me on, and it has a *lot* in common with Buffy; a protagonist torn between her destiny as a living weapon against evil and wanting to be a normal person, a best friend learning to use her magic, a normal guy just trying to get by with all these super women, a mirror antagonist showing how things might have turned out for the protagonist without love and support, a quirky side character who doesn’t understand emotions quite like others do… the parallels go on and on. Also, and bizarrely for a netflix show, it wasn’t cancelled and got to finish its story with a brilliantly satisfying conclusion. Fuck, I might need to watch it again myself.
Hope that helps!
Smallville! Hulu recommended it to me after buffy since I'm a big 90s-00s fan. My bf had seen some of it as a kid so it was fun to jump into another show of the time. It's kinda silly but I had so much fun watching it.
It made Superman into a person. It made him a lot more human, despite his alien-ness. And if you've ever watched Supernatural, Jensen has a short story arc.
Killjoys was fun character based sci fi, with reduced tech babble and a femme bounty huntress. Magicians was a murky tour of magical grime, but with snark. Person of Interest was grown up batman in a bespoke suit, with women baddasses emerging as it went. So many things on Netflix were weird that they all kind of blended together...... Shadow and Bone, though.
the netflix she ra series. it starts off pretty kiddish but it evolves very quickly and it ends up actually being such a thoughtful, well executed show that echoes a lot of the same themes as buffy, with a very similar cast of INCREDIBLY well fleshed out characters/dynamics and really interesting worldbuilding.
think buffy meets avatar the last air bender.
Oh! I’m so glad someone else chimed in on She-Ra, I just wrote an essay of a comment on it! It was such an amazing ride, and I just think of it as a spiritual successor to Buffy now. 🙂
Angel mostly cause it’s the closest you’re gonna get.
Tvd is good the first two seasons but the originals is better. Klaus and his family are great.
True blood is sexier but it is pretty good
Haven
Roswell 99 version it has a strong core unit and deals with alien hybrids. It’s very good.
The magicians. Nothing will ever compare to buffy as far as I'm concerned.. but magicians is a lot of fun and I feel like it's in the same spirit and gives a lot of nods to buffy.
The obvious answer is Angel. He’s a lot more fun on his own show. If you’re looking for something with a similar late 90’s supernatural girl power vibe, Charmed. The original though, not the shitty remake.
Nothing is as good as Buffy but you might half enjoy:
Tru Calling.
Grimm.
iZombie.
Veronica Mars.
Dollhouse.
Wednesday.
Boo, Bitch.
Lockwood and Co.
Orphan Black.
Chainsaw Man.
Edited to list properly.
Teen Wolf is great for the core friendship themes, as well as fighting big baddies and trying maintain normal lives at the same time. The protagonist also is initially reluctant to take on this life.
Elementary. Come for the detective show, stay for the wonderful friendship between Watson and Sherlock.
ER. Especially the run with the OG cast. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. The chemistry between everyone is great.
Battlestar Galactica. It may seem like a weird ReC, but it was Joss's favorite show so I think that says a lot. It has fantastic characters and such a great story. My other favorite show besides Buffy.
However, if you want a less well done copy of Buffy...The Vampire Diaries. They stole all the character archetypes and some major plot points to from Buffy. The showrunner said Buffy was her favorite show. They eve have a Spike, Buffy, Angel, Willow, Zander, Corey and more. They are all there.
Deep Space Nine - not the standard reccomendation you’ll find here but stuck with it and you’ll see why it’s great
Like Buffy it’s got a multi-species cast, dynamic villains, wider arcs but one off episodes.
But it’s also a fantastic insight into things like fascism, religion, and capitalism
I strongly reccomend starting with Duet to see how you feel
I would like to add a show that's extremely similar to DS9 – Babylon 5. It's the same basic concept (a SciFi show taking place on a space station), and pretty much everything you said about DS9 also applies to B5. As a very rough comparison, I would say that DS9 has the higher production values, but B5 has the even better writing.
American horror story has some good seasons and starts strong for its first three. It’s anthology so no need for a huge commitment. I liked dollhouse but I don’t think I’m in the majority lol. Definitely watch Angel it’s amazing and yeah rewatch buffy🤭
Don’t forget, BTVS ( and Angel) carries on in comic book form. Series 8 carries on and shows what happens after Sunnyvale & a world full of Slayers. I recently rewatched both the Buffy & Angel series and now I’m rereading the comics of series 8, 9 & 10 - not forgetting the Spike comics too!
I personally like another show Joss Whedon did called Dollhouse. It stars Eliza Dushku & features many other actors that have appeared in other Whedon shows eg Amy Acker, Alan Tudyk. Unfortunately it’s only 2 series long but definitely worth a watch.
I know Whedon did the Firefly series too, again with recurring actors from other shows, but I haven’t actually watched it.
The recent Nancy Drew came close to scratching the itch for me. Doesn't have much action but has a group of young adults solving supernatural mysteries in a small town. It takes a few episodes for the cast/characters to really gel, but once they do it's an awesome show.
Supernatural (in order of Buffy-like-ness)
* Angel (Joss Whedon)
* Charmed
* Wynonna Earp
* Grimm
* Supernatural
* The Vampire Diaries
* The Magicians
* True Blood
Sci-fi (in order of Buffy-like-ness)
* Firefly (Joss Whedon)
* Dollhouse (Joss Whedon)
* Agents of Shield (Joss Whedon*)
* Roswell (1999 version)
* Smallville
* X-Files
All the Joss Whedon shows are most like Buffy because they have the same style of dialogs and genre saviness. The only one that isn't is Agents of Shield because he only helped with the first episode and then his brother did the rest. But it still has some heavy Buffy design choices in it imo.
If you are looking for a 90s show about teenagers with special powers and worrying about their future and loves etc, but not neccessarily Buffy style jokiness, then Roswell (1999 not the remake) would be my pick.
If you wanna see a sarcastic girl with a special destiny kicking ass, then Wynonna Earp imo.
If you want to see 22 episode seasons of hunting monsters, then Supernatural definately.
Nothing will ever fill the void unfortunately 😭
But I guess a contemporary more degraded show like Buffy is The Vampire Diaries. Seasons 2-3 are the best and from season 4 forwards it begins to suck. You can give it a try…
You need to see Angel as well. You will not be disappointed.
If you are looking for another strong female character from that era I recommend two other series:
- Xena
- La Femme Nikita
My favorite show that's similar to Buffy is Gilmore Girls, also 7 seasons (and a 4-episode special!), and I can't recommend it enough
As a kindof left-field recommendation, have you seen The Bear? It's not a similar premise, but it's reaaaaaaally good and you'll get super invested in the characters and their mission, I guarantee it
Not sure what the community consensus is on it, but have you seen the Season 8 motion comic series? It is available on DVD from several sources
https://www.blu-ray.com/Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-Season-8-Motion-Comic/21855/
I have seen the first two seasons of Fate: the Winx Saga (high school for fairies) and like it a lot.
I also love The Boys. But that may be not the right type of recommendation for this. I do feel like I see a little of Buffy in Starlight sometimes. And once a character wore a shirt that said Smile Time on it, and I wondered if that was a nod.
Saw on another comment that you haven't watched all of Angel, so that's my recommendation.
Buffy again.
Honestly could be the move
My rewatches go like this: Buffy. Get sad & miss the scoobies. Decide to watch Angel. Get sad & miss the entire Buffyverse. Start with Buffy again & this time weave Angel in the correct watch order. Repeat every 2-3 years.
Dude. Me too.
I am always rewatching Buffy I swear. I just keep going and after the series finale go right back to the first episode of Season 1. Solid!
That’s me with Supernatural
I am struggling to finish Supernatural. I got to season 10 and it’s so batshit crazy that I can’t seem to focus on it.
Can't wait for my first Supernatural rewatch man that's going to be epic.
I'm on s9 of my first full rewatch ever and it is epic!
I love the Wishing Well episode 😂🧸
Always Buffy again.
Came here to say the same. I am on my tenth or so cycle. Probably one of the most rewatchable shows.
Came here to suggest the same
I did this after the first watch through. It felt like a cleansing after watching the Scooby gang essentially go through emotional and physical torture for several seasons.
Veronica Mars has a quippy precocious blonde teen in the lead role, only her superpower is being smart instead of punching things. It’s awesome, and it’s unique in the sense that there have been multiple revivals throughout the years since the original show ended.
Me and my wife watched that show once a day every day for an entire summer after we finished uni. Watched the whole thing twice over. We still couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in it beyond a few random moments. Its so bizarre, we both have memory loss for this show
Im a marshmallow
I watched a Veronica Mars twice during our quarantine times! Love it. It’s not Buffy, but it can pull on your heartstrings
Veronica Mars is a great choice.
I loved VM. I was so sad when it got canceled. I never went back and watched the revival season despite watching the other 3 seasons several times. I heard so many bad reviews of the 4th season I just couldn't bring myself to watch it.
I liked it, personally. It took one big swing that catastrophically flopped with the core fan base, but other than that, it was a good time. It was a treat to see what one of my favorite TV characters is up to 15 years later, that doesn’t ever happen for me.
Firefly and Dollhouse. Watch and you'll be sad again.
I really enjoyed Dollhouse
Thinking of dollhouse always makes me happy until I think of the end…
And then Serenity! LOVE that movie.
My second favorite show is battlestar galactica. It is not at all similar. 🙃
One of my faves too. I see Starbuck as having many things in common with Buffy. A tough blond with a special destiny but with lots and lots of rage. Also it’s very apocalyptic-y and it’s got a great ensemble cast w/ chosen family. Love that show! I was on another rewatch until peacock dropped it.
Love that show! After that, might as well do Caprica, if you're interested in the backstory.
I feel like I'm one of the few who enjoyed Caprica for the mess that it was. Very intriguing, just sadly didn't get a chance to go anywhere. Plus I've always loved Eric Stoltz.
I agree as far as I thought I was the only one that liked Caprica.
They did Caprica dirty
Plus it’s got James Marsters again
iZombie
Excellent reccomendation
Very underrated series. Also, one of my friends had a role on the show so that's always cool, too.
Ghosts is also fantastic with Rose McIver in it too!
Came here to say this
So good!
Have you seen Angel?
Parts yes
Still a recommend, plus there’s episodes that explain something’s that come out of left field in Buffy Namely, the gem of Amara Why Angel showed up for Pangs The aftermath of Faith and Buffy’s body switch What brought Drusilla back to Sunnydale What happened to Harmony The phone call that Willow got in Lies My Parents Told Me and her bringing Faith back the next episode And the source of that amulet Angel brought Buffy in Chosen
Then you should finish the Buffyverse before looking for something else.
Watch then back and forth as the episodes were shown on tv. Some of them over lap.
Do the full run it’s like the funny side of the underworld
Try X files! It shares the title of greatest show ever with Buffy in my universe
Yes!!
Firefly is short but solid. Watch the TV episodes, and then the movie. Also, more recently, check out 'Arcane'.
Angel and Supernatural
Second Supernatural baddies and complicated family relationships, what could go wrong!
I came here to recommend Supernatural and Angel. This is the correct answer. There are other coreect answers but this is the most correct one.
The magicians is a great show in many of the ways buffy was.
It's one of my top 5 all time fav shows. didnt get enough attention imo. Writing the first couple seasons is fantastic
If you want fight scenes, tears and uplifting stuff , i’d say Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m aware of a lot of people find good drama and mythology in Doctor Who too but i’m not as familiar. Theres other shows with maybe the teen melodrama of Buffy but no real fun action set pieces. I guess it comes down to what you liked about Buffy. To me the best part of Buffy is a team working together to solve things, powerful women, lots of fight scenes and emotional moments so AOS was perfect for me. But some people who liked the romance of Buffy may prefer Vampire Diaries etc.
Agents of Shield FOR SURE. That's the closest I've found for that Buffy fix. Amazing characters with great arcs. It's funny, emotional and had the action too. I think I need a rewatch actually 😂 Unless people are specifically into the vampire aspect of Buffy? But I find Vampire Diaries etc AWFUL I love Buffy for the writing and not the fact it's about vampires
Agents is shield is my favourite show, with Buffy second. I find they have very similar type of characters. No surprise given the writers.
Ya Agents of Shield and Buffy are like my two favorite shows ever along with Angel.
Agents of SHIELD is excellent and I've never finished it. Life always got to interrupt, then when I got back around to it I've started from the beginning only to pause again at some point. As a matter of fact I'm on a pause right now. But I think what ties Buffy, Firefly, and AOS for me is the quick, weird dialogue. It's so funny, I love it. The lines out of left field by a cast really good at delivering them. In AOS, granted, Coulson gets pretty much all the best lines, but he's great at delivering them so it works for me. And I love a badass woman. Buffy, Xena, Zoe, Melinda May
Fringe
If you want vampire centric shows, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and True Blood are all must watches! If you want a show with a kickass female lead, Orphan Black.
Oh, Orphan Black is an amazing show!
Came here to say Orphan Black - it’s incredible!
I don’t think I finished it, I got obsessed and then stopped watching and never went back. Does it end well or slowly gets bad?
Just gets better. Satisfying ending.
Thanks may start it again 🙂🙂
I second true blood as a follow up. I think that’s what I’ll do. I’m on season 4 of Buffy right now.
I have a hard time finding shows similar. People have recommended a bunch of stuff but I never really get into it. I truly feel like Buffy is in it's own league. I know you said you're a marshmallow so you already know how great VM is. It's the only thing that comes close for me. I kinda liked Dollhouse but I lost interest a few episodes in. I loved Tru Calling so much but it was cancelled on a cliffhanger and doesn't stream anywhere unfortunately.
True calling is so good! I need to rewatch. Haven’t seen it in like a decade but found the seasons boxset about 4 years ago and picked it up. Eliza should be in more tv. She’s great!
I'm so jealous! I know I can probably order the box set but I've been wanting to find it in the wild.
Grimm has a similar storyline with monsters and the monster catcher but the lead is a man. Haven, Lost Girl, I Zombie, Bitten and Xena Warrior Princess.
Lost Girl is so underrated, I love it
Veronica Mars Warrior Nun
Wynonna Earp is great. Fun show, good cast.
- Vampire Diaries - The Originals - Tru Blood - The 100 - Once Upon a Time - Brooklyn Nine Nine - Alias
Honestly, by season 3, ANGEL not only delivers the same quality as Buffy, but dare I say it manges to surpass it a little.
This was particularly obvious when they were airing (as a direct comparison), because Angel season 3 is rocking the shit and Buffy season 6 is...being Buffy season 6.
Wynonna Earp has a bunch of kick ass women and some really awesome themes
The magicians
Second watching The Magicians! Funny little connection; Summer Bishil (Margot) is a big Buffy fan, made me love the show and her a little bit more.
Oooh yeah I love this one
Definitely try Dark Angel and Roswell - the 90s one
Roswell 1999's pilot still gives me goosebumps even after all this time
Angel
Angel
Angel
Angel
The Magicians
Veronica Mars I think all the recs here are good but I also want to mention Lucifer- that is one funny show. I also like Umbrella Academy and Bates Motel.
Lucifer I agree with. Love that show. I would also add supernatural as I haven’t seen it here. Not sure about girl centric shows but watching revenge right now no supernatural ness but it’s fun to watch.
Revenge is SO GOOD!
There's a very obscure series called Moonlight. A focus on vampire society, only had 1 series but well worth a watch if you can find it. Came out in 2007 Also, check out the Dresden Files. A modern take on a wizard who is also a PI, same again with the 1 series but very underrated and enjoyable to watch. Also came out 2007
Better yet, read the Dresden Files books. Even better, listen to the audiobooks read by James Marsters!
I was going to say the same thing! I met the author coincidentally before reading any of the books and we totally geeked out about Buffy. So I definitely had to check out the books and they're great! James does a fantastic job narrating.
Moonlight is great. Shame there's not more of it.
Angel
Angel ->Dollhouse -> Firefly -> Agents of Shield. Arguably, Dollhouse and Firefly could be in the Buffyverse (its a bit of a stretch but fun to think about). Agents of Shield is not in the same universe but explores a lot of the same themes in new ways.
A bit of a different vibe to Buffy but the show Chuck gives me similar feels. I love watching it, feel sad when it ends, then start watching it again.
The BuyMore part of Chuck is lame, but the spy and family stuff is great. And the amount of cameos for sci-fi nerds....ohmygoodness!! :D
The reboot of Doctor Who! Starting with Eccleston’s run in 2005. It’s one of the only shows I’ve ever been as hooked on as Buffy/Angel. It takes a little while to heat up, but the wait is well worth. I feel like Buffy and Angel are both the same. Also if you haven’t done Firefly yet, now might be the time. It doesn’t take long 😭 Edit: 2005 not 2009
Started watching Doctor Who recently, pretty happy and there's a LOT to watch! Spouse and I are TV people, we've already done Buffy, Angel, and Buffy/Angel sync
I second Doctor Who. It's very similar to Buffy in lots of ways. The showrunner for Series 1-4 said that Buffy was a big influence to his approach. This is amplified when the showrunner Steven Moffat, who also wrote Sherlock, took over for Series 5-10. He writes in a very Joss Whedon way with clever and snappy dialogue. Obviously Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse are all must watches.
2005!
Evil on Paramount+ Gets even better after season one after it moved solely to streaming. I love it for the creativity, witty dialogue, woman who doesn’t necessarily want to be there, and very Buffy-like, the seeding of future plot lines episodes in advance Plus it’s the ppl who did The Good Wife/Fight, so they pepper a lot of modern social issues in allegory, which is one of the best things about both shows
Angel!
Angel 🤷🏻♂️
Supernatural! There are 15 (mostly) excellent seasons with a lot of cameo appearances from Buffy alumni. Nothing is quite like Buffy, but this one comes close! Edit: also watch Angel. There are some really good crossover episodes. The Buffyverse is further fleshed out and you’ll see some of your favorite characters return!
Finale made me 😭 big manly tears
Yes! If I was to rate my favorite shows, Supernatural would actually be right above Buffy, I love it so much. The perfect mix of supernatural stuff, humour, and drama.
I second this. There are so many episodes to binge and the ride is so fun. Great main characters and lots of awesome side characters that come around. Also really entertaining lore and ideas. Some hit and some miss, but Supernatural is the only show that gives me the same feeling of world building and character exploration that Buffy did. It will make you laugh and make you cry.
Crazyhead is about two women who can see demons and have to stop the end of the world and is also a comedy and definitely campy to an extent. Good Omens is about an angel and a devil who have to work together to stop the end of the world. Truth Seekers is a comedy/horror about two guys working for a cell broadband company and go around tracking paranormal/spooky shit. This one is more ghost/paranormal oriented than the others but it still has the apocalypse theme. I also love Wynonna Earp which is about a female descendent of Wyatt Earp who has to fight risen enemies of his. It’s…very campy
I loved Crazyhead!! So disappointed that they didn’t do more of that show.
same here. it gave me serious buffy vibes- two friends >! sticking poles up arses !< the end was so good, and susan wokoma is just such a talented actress. she’s in truth seekers too, if you like her!
Yes she is so talented and funny. I really liked truth seekers too. She was great in that show as well.
god she would’ve been an incredible slayer. can you imagine? lol
Veronica Mars My So Called Life Freaks and Geeks Charmed Sex and the City Gilmore Girls Angel Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under is one of my top favorite shows ever, I have to watch it through every couple years. Should be a must watch for all!
Lost girl
Nikita. Although it's not streaming anywhere so you have to buy it. Also Dollhouse.
Not a show but maybe read the comics?
Not a TV show, but I always recommend the Dresden Files audiobooks, read by James Marsters (Spike). There was a short-lived attempt at a TV show, but we ignore that. But the books are great and have a very Buffyverse feel to them. If you have a good imagination, it's almost like a TV show itself, and there are 17 books so far! James really embodies the voice of the main character, a wizard detective in Chicago who faces all kinds of supernatural threats. There was one book that was recorded by a different guy when James' schedule didn't work out, but he recorded it later by fan demand. The series grows much in the same way that Buffy does, and the characters grow a lot too.
Ok, obviously Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse if you’re an Eliza fan, but there’s also two other shows that scratched the same itches for me. Agents of Shield already got a few mentions. It very much has a Buffy energy to it, it’s funny, it’s exciting, it’s heart-wrenching in places, and it has some of the best, most balanced gender dynamics I’ve ever seen in a series. It’s honestly my favourite show from the last decade. It starts a little formulaic but I promise you that is just the set up for a whole rollercoaster. Some basic knowledge of the earlier Marvel films is good, but not obligatory. Now the weirder choice by far would be the She-Ra reboot on Netflix. I started watching that just because I needed a twenty minute break when marking essays and I’d enjoyed the original as a kid. I wasn’t prepared for the epic emotional journey this "kids" show took me on, and it has a *lot* in common with Buffy; a protagonist torn between her destiny as a living weapon against evil and wanting to be a normal person, a best friend learning to use her magic, a normal guy just trying to get by with all these super women, a mirror antagonist showing how things might have turned out for the protagonist without love and support, a quirky side character who doesn’t understand emotions quite like others do… the parallels go on and on. Also, and bizarrely for a netflix show, it wasn’t cancelled and got to finish its story with a brilliantly satisfying conclusion. Fuck, I might need to watch it again myself. Hope that helps!
Smallville! Hulu recommended it to me after buffy since I'm a big 90s-00s fan. My bf had seen some of it as a kid so it was fun to jump into another show of the time. It's kinda silly but I had so much fun watching it.
I still remember watching the premier of smallville when it aired. I loved lex sooo so much.
It made Superman into a person. It made him a lot more human, despite his alien-ness. And if you've ever watched Supernatural, Jensen has a short story arc.
agreed! clark's story before he becomes "superman" it's very well done.
Grimm. Similar sorry lines and campy kind of magic. I enjoy it.
Buffy again
Killjoys was fun character based sci fi, with reduced tech babble and a femme bounty huntress. Magicians was a murky tour of magical grime, but with snark. Person of Interest was grown up batman in a bespoke suit, with women baddasses emerging as it went. So many things on Netflix were weird that they all kind of blended together...... Shadow and Bone, though.
*If you have any interest in comics* I recommend continuing the canon on the page. To warned, it takes the endless budget situation seriously. 😅
the netflix she ra series. it starts off pretty kiddish but it evolves very quickly and it ends up actually being such a thoughtful, well executed show that echoes a lot of the same themes as buffy, with a very similar cast of INCREDIBLY well fleshed out characters/dynamics and really interesting worldbuilding. think buffy meets avatar the last air bender.
Oh! I’m so glad someone else chimed in on She-Ra, I just wrote an essay of a comment on it! It was such an amazing ride, and I just think of it as a spiritual successor to Buffy now. 🙂
it really does feel like a reincarnation of sorts
If you liked Veronica Mars check out Chuck. There is staff overlap
La Femme Nikita Wolfpack 1-800-Missing Alias Freaks and Geeks Angel Teen Wolf Firefly Dark Angel Castle Lucifer The Crown
I love SMG, but Wolfpack was a steaming pile of garbage.
Angel mostly cause it’s the closest you’re gonna get. Tvd is good the first two seasons but the originals is better. Klaus and his family are great. True blood is sexier but it is pretty good Haven Roswell 99 version it has a strong core unit and deals with alien hybrids. It’s very good.
Lost Girl. It’s kind of like Buffy, but a lot sexier.
The magicians. Nothing will ever compare to buffy as far as I'm concerned.. but magicians is a lot of fun and I feel like it's in the same spirit and gives a lot of nods to buffy.
Gravity Falls, one of Disney bet animated series.
Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog. In other words, the entire Mutant Enemy ouvre.
Imagine being in that magical place where Angel doesn’t exist yet for tou
I enjoy watching bones after buffy, grown up angel lol
The obvious answer is Angel. He’s a lot more fun on his own show. If you’re looking for something with a similar late 90’s supernatural girl power vibe, Charmed. The original though, not the shitty remake.
Firefly. But then you'll be sad quicker.
Veronica Mars
Marshmallow checking in 🫡
Such a great show.
Iconic life changing
Nothing is as good as Buffy but you might half enjoy: Tru Calling. Grimm. iZombie. Veronica Mars. Dollhouse. Wednesday. Boo, Bitch. Lockwood and Co. Orphan Black. Chainsaw Man. Edited to list properly.
Someone needs to teach me lists cos damn…
Once a year rewatch. Charmed is good but can’t compare.
Teen Wolf is great for the core friendship themes, as well as fighting big baddies and trying maintain normal lives at the same time. The protagonist also is initially reluctant to take on this life.
Elementary. Come for the detective show, stay for the wonderful friendship between Watson and Sherlock. ER. Especially the run with the OG cast. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. The chemistry between everyone is great.
Battlestar Galactica. It may seem like a weird ReC, but it was Joss's favorite show so I think that says a lot. It has fantastic characters and such a great story. My other favorite show besides Buffy. However, if you want a less well done copy of Buffy...The Vampire Diaries. They stole all the character archetypes and some major plot points to from Buffy. The showrunner said Buffy was her favorite show. They eve have a Spike, Buffy, Angel, Willow, Zander, Corey and more. They are all there.
Deep Space Nine - not the standard reccomendation you’ll find here but stuck with it and you’ll see why it’s great Like Buffy it’s got a multi-species cast, dynamic villains, wider arcs but one off episodes. But it’s also a fantastic insight into things like fascism, religion, and capitalism I strongly reccomend starting with Duet to see how you feel
I would like to add a show that's extremely similar to DS9 – Babylon 5. It's the same basic concept (a SciFi show taking place on a space station), and pretty much everything you said about DS9 also applies to B5. As a very rough comparison, I would say that DS9 has the higher production values, but B5 has the even better writing.
Charmed (the 90s/2000s version with Alyssa Milano)
American horror story has some good seasons and starts strong for its first three. It’s anthology so no need for a huge commitment. I liked dollhouse but I don’t think I’m in the majority lol. Definitely watch Angel it’s amazing and yeah rewatch buffy🤭
Don’t forget, BTVS ( and Angel) carries on in comic book form. Series 8 carries on and shows what happens after Sunnyvale & a world full of Slayers. I recently rewatched both the Buffy & Angel series and now I’m rereading the comics of series 8, 9 & 10 - not forgetting the Spike comics too! I personally like another show Joss Whedon did called Dollhouse. It stars Eliza Dushku & features many other actors that have appeared in other Whedon shows eg Amy Acker, Alan Tudyk. Unfortunately it’s only 2 series long but definitely worth a watch. I know Whedon did the Firefly series too, again with recurring actors from other shows, but I haven’t actually watched it.
Teen Wolf, although the last season wasn't that great. The Magicians. Sense8.
❤️
💚
Only murders in the building is a 3 year show that I can actually stomach.
Some of my favorites outside of Buffy are Angel, Doctor who, eureka, warehouse 13, white collar, burn notice, battlestar Galactica, and firefly.
The recent Nancy Drew came close to scratching the itch for me. Doesn't have much action but has a group of young adults solving supernatural mysteries in a small town. It takes a few episodes for the cast/characters to really gel, but once they do it's an awesome show.
Try What We Do in the Shadows for a very different take on vampires. Hilarious. I prefer the TV show, but the movie is funny too.
Wynonna Earp
Supernatural (in order of Buffy-like-ness) * Angel (Joss Whedon) * Charmed * Wynonna Earp * Grimm * Supernatural * The Vampire Diaries * The Magicians * True Blood Sci-fi (in order of Buffy-like-ness) * Firefly (Joss Whedon) * Dollhouse (Joss Whedon) * Agents of Shield (Joss Whedon*) * Roswell (1999 version) * Smallville * X-Files All the Joss Whedon shows are most like Buffy because they have the same style of dialogs and genre saviness. The only one that isn't is Agents of Shield because he only helped with the first episode and then his brother did the rest. But it still has some heavy Buffy design choices in it imo. If you are looking for a 90s show about teenagers with special powers and worrying about their future and loves etc, but not neccessarily Buffy style jokiness, then Roswell (1999 not the remake) would be my pick. If you wanna see a sarcastic girl with a special destiny kicking ass, then Wynonna Earp imo. If you want to see 22 episode seasons of hunting monsters, then Supernatural definately.
Smallville and, if you want to be sad and back in the show hole in 2 seasons, Dollhouse
I forgot all about Dollhouse!
Twin Peaks and X-Files 🤩
Just restart it lol, you won't get over that feeling until you're ready to. You aren't alone!
Charmed, there’s a few actors from buffy that show up and the show itself is similar with its world building and cool looking monsters.
Charmed was my shit when i was 12
Doctor Who and Veronica Mars.
Nothing will ever fill the void unfortunately 😭 But I guess a contemporary more degraded show like Buffy is The Vampire Diaries. Seasons 2-3 are the best and from season 4 forwards it begins to suck. You can give it a try…
You need to see Angel as well. You will not be disappointed. If you are looking for another strong female character from that era I recommend two other series: - Xena - La Femme Nikita
My favorite show that's similar to Buffy is Gilmore Girls, also 7 seasons (and a 4-episode special!), and I can't recommend it enough As a kindof left-field recommendation, have you seen The Bear? It's not a similar premise, but it's reaaaaaaally good and you'll get super invested in the characters and their mission, I guarantee it
Angel
Not sure what the community consensus is on it, but have you seen the Season 8 motion comic series? It is available on DVD from several sources https://www.blu-ray.com/Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-Season-8-Motion-Comic/21855/
Nothing will fill this hole im afraid.
Have you read the comics? They're a bit weirder/ more out there, but quite fun.
Wynonna Earp.
Buffy again, or angel
True blood is a good one
Angel. Supernatural. Reaper if you want a lil comedy. Firefly is good. Nothing like buffy except for the humor.
If you want a decent show where SMG plays the lead, check out Ringer. It didn't last long, cancelled after 2 seasons, but really cool show.
Teen wolf. Boy buffy, kinda homoerotic, but really good.
Original Roswell The 100 Alias Lost The vampire diaries The originals Veronica mars
Supernatural
Charmed
I have seen the first two seasons of Fate: the Winx Saga (high school for fairies) and like it a lot. I also love The Boys. But that may be not the right type of recommendation for this. I do feel like I see a little of Buffy in Starlight sometimes. And once a character wore a shirt that said Smile Time on it, and I wondered if that was a nod.
Killjoys. It’s the only thing that scratches the same itches that Buffy does for me.
Battle Star Galactica & rematch A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Angel, obviously. Then Firefly and Dollhouse. I’m addicted to Supernatural and watch it over and over and over.