WhatNext TV recommendations

Shows Like Penny Dreadful

If Penny Dreadful worked for you because of its big ideas, mystery, and long-form payoff, start with American Horror Story, Carrie, and Stranger Things. The list leans toward drama and sci-fi & fantasy stories with a similar sense of concept-heavy storytelling. It prioritises shared tone and story shape rather than relying on broad genre matching alone.

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24 recommendationsStart with American Horror Story, Carrie, Stranger Things

Recommendations tuned for fans of Penny Dreadful

Audience fit

Why Penny Dreadful fans may like these shows

If you enjoyed Penny Dreadful, try American Horror Story, Carrie, and Stranger Things. These recommendations focus on drama and sci-fi & fantasy shows that share mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a similar storytelling rhythm.

Ranked recommendations

The closest TV shows to watch after Penny Dreadful

Each recommendation includes the reasoning behind the pick, so you can see why it may suit fans of Penny Dreadful.

American Horror Story

American Horror Story is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama, Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, An anthology horror drama series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a hotel, a farmhouse in Roanoke, a cult, the apocalypse…

Carrie

Carrie is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Mystery, Drama, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, After her father's sudden, untimely death thrusts her into the unforgiving ecosystem of public high school, Carrie is forced to navigate a viral bullying scandal that tears through her community, the relentless…

Stranger Things

Stranger Things is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Action & Adventure, Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.

FROM

FROM is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Mystery, Drama, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, Unravel the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of…

Supernatural

Supernatural is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama, Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives…

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama, Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Recommendation graph signal: this title appears close to the anchor show in recommendation data. In practical terms, Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in this visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Mystery and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, To secure their fortune — and future — two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.

Alice in Borderland

Alice in Borderland is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Mystery, Drama, and Action & Adventure Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, With his two friends, a video-game-obsessed young man finds himself in a strange version of Tokyo where they must compete in dangerous games to win.

Salem

Salem is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Set in the volatile world of 17th century Massachusetts, 'Salem' explores what really fueled the town's infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth hiding behind the veil of this infamous…

The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Mystery and Drama Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.

Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, A century-old vampire from New Orleans reunites with an ailing journalist to recount his life of bloodlust and his tumultuous relationship with the rakish Frenchman who turned him.

Grimm

Grimm is a strong follow-up to Penny Dreadful because it offers mystery, world-building and payoff over time and a comparable sense of concept-heavy storytelling. Shared genre fit: Drama, Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy Story-shape signal: this title was selected because its themes and tone are a close fit. In practical terms, After Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he's descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as "Grimms," he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new…

What makes a good show like Penny Dreadful?

A good replacement for Penny Dreadful is not just another show in the same broad genre. The best matches keep the parts viewers remember most: big ideas, mystery, and long-form payoff, a atmospheric atmosphere and concept-heavy storytelling. That is why the ranking combines several signals before a title reaches the final list.

How these recommendations are chosen

Audience behaviour: Reddit-style co-mentions and pair signals help identify shows viewers naturally compare or recommend together. Recommendation graph: TMDB recommendation data helps identify titles that sit close to the anchor show. Story fit: genre overlap, semantic keywords and concept-specific guardrails reduce lazy matches that share only a surface-level category. Quality control: vote average, vote count, popularity and freshness checks help remove weak or low-confidence titles from public SEO pages.

Editor's verdict

The strongest starting point is American Horror Story, Carrie, and Stranger Things because the list balances similarity, quality and viewer behaviour. For best results, choose the recommendation that matches the part of Penny Dreadful you liked most: tone, characters, setting, mystery, tension or long-form payoff.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Which shows offer a similar period feel to Penny Dreadful?

These recommendations lean toward dramas that pair strong character work with a vivid setting, so they feel close to Penny Dreadful in atmosphere as well as subject matter.

What makes a good follow-up to Penny Dreadful?

For most viewers it is not just the historical backdrop. It is the mix of relationships, social pressure and slow-building drama, which is why American Horror Story, Carrie, and Stranger Things rose to the top.

Are these shows similar to Penny Dreadful because of genre alone?

No. The list is filtered for tone and story shape too, so it prioritises shows that share big ideas, mystery, and long-form payoff rather than matching on a broad genre label only.

How can I get even better recommendations after Penny Dreadful?

Add a few favourites to WhatNext, rate anything you have already watched and the recommendation mix will sharpen around your own taste rather than a single title.

Keep exploring

Explore more recommendations

Shows like American Horror Story Shows like Carrie Shows like Stranger Things Shows like FROM Shows like Supernatural Shows like Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Shows like The Fall of the House of Usher Shows like Alice in Borderland Shows like Salem Shows like The Haunting of Hill House

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