Best Horror TV Shows to Get You in the Mood for Fall
From Twin Peaks to Scream Queens
by Alex Kaan 25 September 2026
ABC
As the leaves turn brown and pumpkins become ripe for carving, fall is well and truly upon us. To get you in the mood for this spooky season, we’ve curated a selection of horror shows from the cosy (Twin Peaks) to the campy (Scream Queens), from sci-fi mysteries (The X-Files) to supernatural family dramas (The Haunting of Hill House).
The X-Files
20th Century Television
This hit monster-of-the-week sci-fi horror series follows two FBI agents specialising in unsolved paranormal cases. With eerie storylines, moody Pacific Northwest settings, and a will-they-won’t-they relationship for the ages between its leads (Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny), it’s a winning mix of creepy and cosy.
Scream Queens
20th Century Television
Best watched while sipping on a no-foam 210-degree pumpkin spice latte like Emma Roberts’ iconic mean girl Chanel Oberlin, this satirical slasher series from the creators of Glee and American Horror Story delivers a stacked cast (Ariana Grande, Glen Powell in his breakout role) and campy Halloween fun.
Stranger Things
Netflix
With its first two seasons unfolding near Halloween 1983 and ’84, respectively, Netflix’s Spielbergian sci-fi horror mystery series, which became a global phenomenon, is an ideal fall watch with a charming, retro small-town atmosphere.
Supernatural
Warner Bros.
Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), two rugged brothers with crackling chemistry, drive across America to save small, foggy towns from monsters, demons, and other mystical threats. That simple yet ingenious formula powered Supernatural to become the longest-running genre TV series ever with 15 seasons.
From
MGM
A mystery-box drama à la Lost that swaps the sea for an ominous, enveloping woodland, this sci-fi horror series centres on a nightmarish US town that traps anyone who enters, where the residents have to fend off predatory creatures that only come out at night.
Twin Peaks
ABC
One of the most celebrated TV shows of all time, David Lynch’s soapy, horror-tinged procedural is an addictive, funny, and disturbing mystery with the ultimate cosy setting of a fictional Pacific Northwest logging town. Best enjoyed with black coffee and a slice of pie.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Netflix
Adapting another Archie Comics series after Riverdale, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch sees its title character (Kiernan Shipka) navigating both high school romance and a series of evil forces in this supremely vibey autumnal series.
Wednesday
Netflix
Tim Burton teams up with the Smallville creators for Netflix’s worldwide smash hit reboot of The Addams Family, which follows a teenage version of the titular character (Jenna Ortega) as she solves mysteries at the spooky supernatural boarding school Nevermore Academy.
The Haunting of Hill House
Netflix
Launching Mike Flanagan’s career as television’s most prestigious horror auteur, this 10-episode adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s classic novel is a touching yet terrifying family drama that serves up all the requisite ghost story chills to make it a perfect fall watch.
Penny Dreadful
Showtime
Taking its title from the British serialised chillers of the 19th century, this Eva Green and Josh Hartnett-starring horror drama is an Avengers-style gathering of infamous characters from 1800s Victorian Gothic fiction, with Dracula, Dorian Gray, and Frankenstein’s monster all making appearances.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
20th Century Television
Following Sarah Michelle Gellar’s fashionable vampire killer through high school and university, this beloved teen horror series delivers immaculate fall vibes year after year. Granted, there’s a lot more staking than studying.
Dark
Netflix
Beginning with the disappearance of a child in a small town, this German sci-fi thriller follows four families as they uncover a generation-spanning mystery involving time travel. It hooks viewers quick with its twisty plot and rich, gloomy atmosphere.