I’d consider myself a fall connoisseur. The second I feel a slight breeze in the air, I put on my sweaters, and all I consume is apple and pumpkin products. Creating an autumnal atmosphere goes beyond clothes and food, and I love curating fall TV shows to capture that perfect autumn vibe.
However, year after year, whenever I’m searching for a new fall show, the same shows always come up: Gilmore Girls, The Vampire Diaries, and Gossip Girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love these shows, and they’re classics for a reason. You can legit take me to Stars Hollow anytime, but sometimes you need to switch it up. Here are five fall-esque TV shows that might’ve fallen off your radar and are worth adding to your watch list.
- One Tree Hill
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One Tree Hill is still relatively popular, but in my opinion, it still hasn’t reached its full potential with a Gen-Z audience. One Tree Hill follows half-brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott, their high school experience, and their rivalry on the basketball team. Strong female main characters like Payton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, and Haley James also navigate high school, family, and relationships of their own.
There’s something about a high school teen drama that immediately puts me in the fall back-to-school season. I’ve never been much of a sports person, but I cared a little too much about this basketball team.
One Tree Hill has been one of my comfort shows for so long, with wonderful friendships, family dynamics, and a perfect small-town atmosphere that dreams are made of. If you’re looking for a show to binge and to become a little too attached to these characters, you’ve got to add One Tree Hill to your watchlist.
- Ghosts
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If you’re in the market for a good vibe, brain-off sitcom, then Ghosts is exactly what you’re looking for. Ghosts follows Sam and Jay after they inherit an old Victorian mansion from one of Sam’s distant relatives.
Shenanigans ensue when Sam wakes up from an accident-induced coma with the ability to see ghosts who’ve been living in the mansion for years. Residents include characters like a Boy Scout scoutmaster, a hippie, a Viking, a Revolutionary War veteran, and one of Sam’s Victorian ancestors.
Ghosts provides spooky vibes perfect for Halloween without being scary. Each ethereal resident is so lovable that you can’t help but be invested in their afterlife adventures. Sam and Jay also have such a cute relationship, and Jay is so supportive of Sam’s relationships with the ghosts, even though he can’t see them himself. It’s been my comfort show for years, and I need to see more hype about it.
- Elementary
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Calling all my BBC Sherlock fans out there! Elementary is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes adaptation set in New York City, after Holmes is forced to relocate from London following a stint in rehab. Dr. Joan Watson is assigned as his sober companion after she leaves her job as a renowned surgeon.
Following a “crime of the week” formula similar to shows like Criminal Minds or Law & Order, Holmes and Watson work together as police consultants, eventually becoming professional partners and forming a lasting friendship.
Elementary is a show that my family swears by (shoutout to our dog Watson). Fall is definitely mystery season, and Elementary provides interesting cases without terrifying you into nightmares. You don’t need any prior experience with Sherlock Holmes-related media, but if you do, you’ll enjoy spotting easter eggs now and again.
Holmes and Watson’s friendship is undoubtedly the heart of the show, as they grow to trust and understand each other over time. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Lucy Liu grace our screens as a gender-bent Watson?
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
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In the ‘90s sitcom version of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Sabrina Spellman finds out she’s a witch on her 16th birthday and has to navigate a new high school while learning to harness her powers. She’s not alone, though, as her witch aunts Hilda and Zelda and their talking black cat, Salem, help her along the way.
The show takes place in a small town in Massachusetts, with the Victorian house of my dreams and lots of autumnal scenery. Halloween is also a treasured holiday for the Spellman family, so expect lots of fun, goofy Halloween specials.
It’s the perfect mix of a cozy small-town teen drama with a supernatural twist. If you need a low-stakes comfort show, or even something in the background while you do your homework, this is for you.
- Lockwood & Co.
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Lockwood & Co. is a supernatural mystery show following three teenagers, Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle, and George Karim, who run an investigation agency in a ghost-infested London. In this universe, teenagers have the strongest “sight” to see ghosts, so they fight them instead of adults.
This show has very dark, atmospheric, autumnal vibes (think Dark Academia mixed with a haunted house). It’s a great mystery adventure, with such a rich world and unique magic system. It truly was like a breath of fresh air.
What really stands out, though, is the found family between the trio. The show spends a lot of time building their relationships and just letting them exist together, eating, researching, and having excellent banter. If you love spooky adventure shows with excellent characters, you need to check this out.
I hope this inspired some autumnal shows for you to add to your watchlist!
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