From
We’re gonna be real with you: From is light on laughter, but in terms of delivering a string of infuriatingly compelling mysteries, you won’t find a more dedicated show to sink your teeth into. Set in a seemingly inescapable U.S. town plagued by monsters that emerge at night, the people trapped in From’s terrifying bubble must unravel the secrets at the heart of its existence to stand any chance of leaving before they’re killed.
The cast of characters often gets altered by unexpected monster incursions, but as the show kicks off, we meet mainstay Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau), the self-appointed sheriff of the town, and the newly arriving Matthews family, who help us understand what is and isn’t possible going forward. Produced by the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame) and Lost director Jack Bender, From will reel you in and refuse to let go.
Gravity Falls
The only animated TV show on this list, Alex Hirsch’s Disney series Gravity Falls has definitely earned a spot as an easy, breezy, temporary Widow’s Bay replacement, following Dipper Pines (voiced by Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal), who get sent to hang out with their great-uncle Stan in the titular Oregon town, which just so happens to have enough mysteries, paranormal activities, and supernatural oddities to keep them busy for a while.
The show was critically acclaimed and influenced everything from Steven Universe to Rick and Morty, but it really hasn’t lost any of its edge or fun since it first aired. This is one you can watch with your kids, which we definitely wouldn’t recommend for the next show on this list.
Ash vs Evil Dead
Decades after the conclusion of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, Bruce Campbell returned to the role of Ash Williams in this violent, irreverent horror-comedy series, which sees Ash drawn back into the scourge of the Deadites as they launch a new campaign of terror.
Reluctantly stepping back into his iconic, chainsaw-wielding guise, Campbell’s Ash struggles to keep up with the younger people he has to team with in Ash vs Evil Dead, but this beloved series never really tries to modernize the often crass and horny Ash or take the Evil Dead subject matter too seriously, happy to lean into the over-the-top grossout violence of the films and the unique slapstick comedy that made the character work so well in the first place, making it a solid option to hop on after Widow’s Bay.
