Around the time when dusk was all the rage, fans of supernatural coming-of-age love stories found a small screen answer to this worldwide phenomenon in the Vampire DiariesDeveloped by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson based on a series of novels by LJ Smith, the series follows teenager Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who finds herself in a love triangle with brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), who also happen to be immortal creatures of the night.
The series was one of the best horror series on Max, ran for eight seasons on The CW and spawned two spin-offs (The originals And Inheritances), but we assume that if you’re a fan, you’ve probably seen these shows already. If you want to broaden your horizons with some fresh bloodmaybe these other TV shows like the Vampire Diaries could quench your thirst.
A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022)
A woman (played by Teresa Palmer) who comes from a family with a history of witchcraft falls in love with a charismatic Englishman (played by Matthew Goode) who turns out to be a natural enemy of her kind.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Another TV adaptation of a book series (Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy) that deals with a complicated romance between a vampire and a woman (in this case a witch) is the British-set A discovery of witcheswhich is also available with a Shudder subscription.
Stream A Discovery of Witches on Netflix.
Stream A Discovery of Witches on AMC+.
Buy A Discovery of Witches on Amazon.
Buy A Discovery of Witches on Blu-ray from Amazon.
First Murder (2022)
Teenagers Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Calliope (Imani Lewis) are immediately attracted to each other, but then discover that they are natural enemies.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: VE Schwab adapts her own short story, First Killinto this short-lived Netflix original series, which is another coming-of-age story about a complicated romance between a vampire and a young woman who, in this case, is a vampire hunter.
Stream First Kill on Netflix.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Teenager Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) discovers that it is her destiny to protect the Earth from all forms of supernatural evil with the help of her friends and her school librarian.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: The ultimate coming-of-age series about a young woman who romanced a bloodsucker (when she wasn’t hunting one), it’s one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu. Buffy the Vampire Slayerwhich was also one of The CW’s biggest supernatural hits when it was still called The WB.
Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.
Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Amazon.
Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD from Amazon.
Roswell (1999–2002)
In a New Mexico town known as the scene of a legendary UFO crash, three teenagers try to hide the fact that they are not from the area. Here.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Another romantic and bizarre coming-of-age hit from WB is Roswellin which Shiri Appleby plays a young woman named Liz who falls in love with a man who is not quite human (in this case, an alien-human hybrid named Max, played by Jason Behr).
Stream Roswell on Hulu.
Buy Roswell on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Supernatural (2005–2020)
Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) follow in their parents’ footsteps and look for things that rumble in the night so they can rumble back.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Creator Eric Kripke’s mega-popular supernatural WB/CW hit isn’t particularly romantic, but the alliances Sam and Dean form with supernatural beings in the Supernatural The actors (especially Castiel as Misha Collins) are quite lovable.
Stream Supernatural on Netflix.
Buy Supernatural on Amazon.
Buy Supernatural on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Being Human (2011–2014)
A vampire (played by Sam Witwer), a werewolf (played by Sam Huntington), and a ghost (played by Meaghan Rath) try to adjust while sharing an apartment.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: In addition to its captivating romantic storylines, Syfy’s North American version of the British supernatural dramedy Being human also goes well with the Vampire Diaries for how it addresses the difficulties of living as a creature of the night in the modern world.
Stream Being Human on Amazon Prime.
Stream Being Human on Peacock.
Buy Being Human on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
Kiernan Shipka plays an enchanted teenager whose attempt to live a normal life with her mortal friends is constantly interrupted by strange circumstances plaguing her town.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Netflix The chilling adventures of Sabrina – a far darker take on the popular Archie Comics character than the sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart – is another coming-of-age drama about the struggle between devotion to the human side and the supernatural side.
Stream Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix.
V-Wars (2019)
Due to climate change, the melting ice suddenly creates an ancient virus that turns those infected into bloodthirsty, nocturnal savages.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Only a few years after leaving the Vampire Diaries Cast, Ian Somerhalder returned to this world, but in a human role in a series that explored the ugly side of vampirism, called V-Warswhich only ran for one season on Netflix.
Stream V-Wars on Netflix.
The Summer I Became Pretty (2022-present)
After her 16th birthday, Belly (Lola Tung) suddenly attracts the attention of her childhood friends and brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) as they spend the summer together.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Not every show has to be supernatural to appeal the Vampire Diaries Fans like Amazon Prime’s coming-of-age original series, The summer I became prettywhich also features a captivating love triangle story.
Stream “The Summer I Turned Pretty” on Amazon Prime.
Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)
After their friend disappears, four young women fall victim to a mysterious enemy who threatens to reveal their worst and innermost secrets.
Why it’s a great show if you’re a fan of “Vampire Diaries”: Although it is not a supernatural drama either (despite a short-lived supernatural spin-off called Ravenswood), pretty Little Liars is packed with the same kind of high-octane teen drama that the Vampire Diaries understandable and captivating.
Stream Pretty Little Liars on Hulu.
Stream Pretty Little Liars on Max.
Buy Pretty Little Liars on Amazon.
Buy Pretty Little Liars on Blu-ray from Amazon.
I understand if you can’t get enough of using your Max subscription to the Vampire Diaries for what feels like the hundredth time, but we hope you like one of these alternatives.
