Picture this. Ancient vampires who can’t quite “adult,” a human who really wants to be one of them, all against the Staten Island background that’s somehow both mundane and terrifying. That’s What We Do in the Shadow (WWDITS) in a nutshell… if we’re watering it down. Set in the 2010s, the comedy-horror/fantasy centers on a household of vampires who probably have only one thing in common. They suck… blood and energy. There’s Nandor the relentless (Kayvan Novak), a former Ottoman warrior turned convenor of house meetings, Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry), a days-of-yore Jack-of-all-trades cum occasional bartender, and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), an ancient Greek/Romani peasant girl turned goth barbie. And of course, Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an energy vampire as bland as they come.
The supernatural foursome pick Staten Island as their base of operations, “operations” mostly involving balancing modern-day life and predatory killing/draining with the help of Nandor’s trusty familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). Besides leaning hard into the ever-so interesting workplace-style dysfunction, the show shines a bright light on the fact that older isn’t necessarily wiser. There’s still petty jealousy, laziness, and power struggles to match. With its strong emphasis on chosen family, the show bore a WWDITS-sized hole in viewers’ hearts. So, without further ado, here are 10 shows that are just as good.
1. Wellington Paranormal
Wellington Paranormal gives viewers front row tickets to the spectacle that’s the lives of Officers Minogue (Mike Minogue) and O’Leary (Karen O’Leary). The pair are painfully average cops in Wellington, New Zealand, who stumble their way into jobs in the force’s Paranormal Unit after arresting a teenager who turns out to be demon-possessed. That’s where the real fun begins as they dive into cases involving everything from zombies to disco ghosts. The real joke here is that they are clearly unfazed by the supernatural and obviously don’t get any better at their jobs, even with the notably higher stakes.
Now, this is a perfect pick for numerous reasons, but at the top of the list is that it shares DNA with the 2014 film, What We Do in the Shadows. That OG energy is only topped by the fact that it’s created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, who were equally at the helm of the WWDITS TV show. All in all, it’s got that workplace mockumentary set up nailed to a ‘t’, but instead of vampires trying to be mundane, it’s law enforcement vs the supernatural… and boy do those jokes land.
2. Ghosts (UK)
When Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) inherit Button House, they don’t expect to stumble into a full-on haunted house… with less emphasis on the “haunted” part. Each specter died at a different point in British history and, thanks to some unfinished business, never got “sucked off.” The rag-tag group features everything from a tightly wound Edwardian lady of the house to a headless Tudor noble and even a caveman with very strong opinions. The real action kicks off when Alison has a near-death experience that allows her to see them. From that point onwards, it’s a nonstop clash between the living, the dead, and everyone’s unresolved business.
Written and helmed by the team behind Horrible Histories, the show is out to prove that history can be ridiculous and death is stupid. Much like WWDITS, the supernatural blends into the background in Ghosts. Both shows give us bored and petty immortals with outdated values, hinging on the shared fact that eternity isn’t a fix for personal problems. Perhaps the main difference is that Ghosts is a lot gentler in its approach.
3. Norsemen
Norsemen transports viewers to day-to-day 790s Norway, with the Viking village of Norheim as its focus. Their daily life is a mix of wrongfully accusing frail old ladies of being the village peeping Tom, going on raids, and navigating blood feuds among other surprisingly modern insecurities. Think workplace drama meets mindless killing. The “gang” which includes the likes of Olav (Henrik Mestad), Orm (Kåre Conradi), and Freya (Silje Torp) are attempting to “Viking” to the max, while Rufus (Trond Fausa Aurvåg), a Roman slave cum former top brass actor, tries to claw his way out of servitude by peddling culture, and bureaucracy to people who would rather swing axes at their conquests and each other. It would be criminal not to mention rival chieftain Jarl Varg, who turns going bald into a deadly vendetta for anyone who crosses his path.
A lot like What We Do in the Shadows, the humor lies in the way their entire world clashes with their large personalities. There’s everything from petty leaders to insecure family members and, of course, entitled warriors. The supernatural shenanigans may not be part of the mix, but it’s got the same character-driven comedy, just with deadly weapons instead of fangs.
4. People of Earth
In a big city meets small town type of story, People of Earth gives us the tale of a metropolitan journalist, Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac), who’s sent to cover an out-of-this-world story in Beacon, New York. At the core of his new assignment is StarCrossed, a small-town support group for what the show calls “experiencers,” people who believe they’ve been abducted by aliens. The ragtag family-style group is led by psychiatrist Gina Morrison (Ana Gasteyer) and alien-obsessed Gerry Johnson (Luka Jones). Then there are the aliens: Jeff the Grey (Ken Hall), Don the White (Björn Gustafsson), and Kurt the Reptilian (Drew Nelson), amongst others, whose interactions with the humans are absurd yet hilarious.
If you like the way WWDITS pits “reality” with oddball personalities, then this is the perfect watch. Just like Guillermo to some extent, Ozzie is in the normal one in a group of eccentrics, and that includes the aliens. All in all, it carries the same flavor of charm that makes FX’s vampire world so fascinating, albeit for only two seasons.
5. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
As far as premises go, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace has quite a unique one; it’s basically a series pretending to be a 1980s horror TV show. In the “show within the show,” there’s a hospital built over a portal to hell, and perhaps that’s the only great idea in the mix. As a gag, it features truly horrendous acting, awkward dialogue, and a truckload of nonstop nonsense. Making things even better is the fact that between episodes are staged interviews with the cast and the alleged author of the show, Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness). They all claim it’s genius, even though it’s obviously “caca” for lack of a better word. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is even more connected to WWDITS, thanks to Berry, who plays actor Todd Rivers, who’s further playing Dr. Lucien Sanchez.
The real butt of the joke is that the characters take the horror setting a tad bit too seriously. Even more, Berry’s energy here is electric; he delivers every line with the same over-pompous and oblivious gusto that makes What We Do in the Shadows’ Laszlo so iconic. That no doubt establishes Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace as a natural companion for anyone who gets a kick out of deadpan supernatural comedy.
6. Resident Alien
If there is one certain thing about Resident Alien, it’s that it’s dressed up as your run-of-the-mill alien story. However, the twists, turns, and laughs make it stand out in all the good ways. At the center of it all is an alien whose voyage to Earth ends in a crash landing in the quaint town of Patience, Colorado. He assumes the identity of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) and attempts to carry out a secret mission that doesn’t quite bode well for Earth. However, the pleasures of life… and the people have him sidetracked as he learns to navigate emotions and social norms while trying not to blow his cover. Kids like Max (Judah Prehn) can see his true form, and Harry gradually forms bonds with the townsfolk, especially Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko), making their collective journeys of self-discovery even more enriching.
Tudyk brings an oblivious perfection to Harry, thanks to his uncanny ability to lean into the awkward menace of his alien role. While the vibe here is completely different from What We Do in the Shadows, the fact that Harry is so ridiculously removed from human logic is a connecting thread. It sure plays things a lot straighter, but swap out badly behaved vampires for badly behaved aliens, and we have a match.
7. Reginald the Vampire
Probably the only one on this list that’s a bit more on the nose, Reginald the Vampire is centered on Reginald Andres (Jacob Batalon), a Slushy Shack employee whose life is uneventful and pretty much sucks before he’s turned into a vampire after getting bitten by a spontaneous and dare we say, reckless vampire Maurice (Mandela Van Peebles). What should have been a pretty quick fix turns out to be a whole other layer of dysfunction. Here, the main catch of vampirism isn’t rays of sunlight or even the prospect of sucking blood for sustenance, but vampire culture and vanity itself. Reginald, who’s a bit on the big side, is treated like his very existence is a genetic crime. So, while he’s pretty fast, strong, and immortal, he’s still as shunned as he was before joining the ranks of the undead.
They may not fit the same mold, but, as in What We Do in the Shadows, the humor comes from supernatural creatures acting like deeply unserious people. Even more, both shows make a mockery of constructs like vampire elitism, social rules, and petty power structures. Here, Reginald’s insecurity is pretty much the basis of the entire story, and it works.
8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The show follows the owners of Paddy’s Pub: Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton), a self-declared golden god with control issues to match, Dee Reynolds (Caitlin Olson), an aspiring actress with a massive lack of self-awareness, and Mac (Rob McElhenney), who’s obsessed with strength, God, and his no-no parts. Completing the dysfunctional crew are Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day), the wild one, and by “wild” we mean mentally and emotionally feral, as well as Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito), a gun-lover and the group’s official mascot for greed. Most episodes involve them drumming up the most deplorable schemes, ranging from faking cancer to faking baby funerals, and then there’s the downward decline of Cricket. Even worse, no lessons are learned.
Considered one of the most outrightly offensive shows out there, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is another good fix if you’re missing the brashness of WWDITS. Now, this may not be the most literal parallel to WWDITS. However, there is a sort of thematic link between the two shows. In the latter, vampires are demystified, apparently behind all the immortality and blood sucking, they also argue over chores, have petty squabbles, and insecurities. Meanwhile, in It’s Always Sunny, humans prove to be just as predatory as any creature of the night.
9. Shining Vale
When a film starts by instantly messing with your expectations, you know you’re in for a real ride. The opening frame presents statistics on women and mental health… It’s both dark and humorous all in one breath. As the narrative has it, once big-time novelist and recovering addict, Pat Phelps (Courteney Cox), moves with her family into an old Connecticut house after infidelity almost costs her her marriage to Greg Kinnear’s Terry. Soon enough, Pat (and Pat alone) begins to see Rosemary (Mira Sorvino), a well-put-together 1950s housewife who’s either a ghost or a symptom… perhaps even both.
A lot like in What We Do in the Shadows, the humor here doesn’t hinge on the supernatural; in fact, everyone sort of glazes over it with an explanation of their own. Shining Vale practically treats a haunted woman as some sort of problem to be managed and medicated… You know, ignore the problem, and it doesn’t exist. Similarly, WWDITS ignores the horror by making it the butt of the joke.
10. Party Down
Party Down (2023) made quite the comeback after a 13-year hiatus, even throwing in most of the original cast from the 2009–2010 run. Adam Scott, who plays Henry, is still the charmingly burnt-out leader of the gang, and Ken Mario’s Ron hangs onto the tag of gloriously pathetic manager. Meanwhile, Jane Lynch is back as Constance and Megan Mullally as Lydia, bringing the same level of absurdity as before. New faces like Jennifer Garner, Zoë Chao, and Tyrel Jackson Williams added a fresh layer of humor and whimsy. Each episode throws viewers into a high-tension catering gig and a handful of personal and professional failures to up the comedy/chaos ante.
There’s indeed no supernatural angle here, but Party Down is connected to WWDITS in a much less obvious way. Both zoom in on characters who actually form their own horror. All the cringe, letdowns, and lack of self-awareness are reminiscent of Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo’s absurdity, turning everyday interactions into sharp comedy.
