Evil has come to an end… not the abstract concept of profound immorality and wickedness, unfortunately, but the TV show, Evil, after four seasons. The series, which originally aired on CBS before becoming exclusively available with a Paramount+ subscription, follows psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Coulter), and contractor Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) as they search for a logical explanation (or way to defeat) things that go bump in the night.
Now that the series has concluded, despite creators Robert and Michelle King’s original plans to keep Evil going longer, we imagine that fans are looking for the next lightly comedic paranormal drama to keep them entertained. Luckily, we have quite a few worthy recommendations for shows like Evil, along with a tip on how to summon them into your own home.
The X-Files (1993-2018)
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson
What it's about: Two FBI agents specialize in investigating cases of a highly unusual nature.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: One of the most acclaimed and influential series about paranormal investigation (and all-time best sci-fi TV shows in general) is creator Chris Carter’s The X-Files, which, similar to Evil, involves one protagonist who is more of a skeptic and another who is more open-minded to the idea of strange phenomena.
How to watch The X-Files
Fringe (2008-2013)
Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble
What it's about: A series of unexplainable events leads an FBI agent to seek the expertise of a disgraced scientist and his son to make sense of it all.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: It is easy to see why Fringe (currently one of the best horror TV shows on Max) was compared to The X-Files by many when it first premiered on Fox, but creators J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci’s series also relates to Evil as another series that primarily focuses on a trio teaming up to take on otherworldly phenomena.
How to watch Fringe
Friday The 13th: The Series (1987-1990)
Starring: Louise Robey, John D. LeMay, Chris Wiggins
What it's about: After inheriting an antique store full of cursed items from her late uncle, a woman, her cousin, and an occult expert are tasked with retrieving the store’s lost items and preventing them from causing harm.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Despite bearing the name of a classic slasher movie, the Emmy-nominated Friday the 13th: The Series has no connection to what goes on at Crystal Lake or Jason Voorhees’ murderous exploits, but serves as a worthy companion to Evil as another story of three people hunting supernatural phenomena.
How to watch Friday the 13th: The Series
Preacher (2016-2019)
Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joe Gilgun
What it's about: A criminal-turned-minister his former partner and lover, and their vampiric friend set out on a bizarre journey to find God… literally.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Based on a DC Vertigo comic book from writer Garth Ennis and late illustrator Steve Dillon, Preacher (which is also available with a Shudder subscription) might be an even closer match for Evil, as one of its three amateur paranormal investigators is also a member of the clergy.
How to watch Preacher
Supernatural (2005-2020)
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki
What it's about: Two brothers follow in the footsteps of their parents and travel the country hunting demons, monsters, and other malevolent creatures.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Creator Eric Kripke’s long-running thriller is, perhaps, the ultimate TV show about amateur paranormal investigators, but what especially makes Evil a show like Supernatural is how they are both not afraid to bring out a sense of humor amid the darkness.
How to watch Supernatural
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan
What it's about: A seemingly average high school student discovers that she is part of a long line of people destined to protect the Earth from the likes of vampires, witches, and other oddities.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Of course, before Supernatural premiered on The CW (before the network changed its name from The WB), one of its most popular series was Buffy the Vampire Slayer — another show that deals with various forms of paranormal activity and does so with some cheeky humor thrown in.
How to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu
- Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Tubi
- Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Amazon
- Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Blu-ray on Amazon
SurrealEstate (2021-Present)
Starring: Tim Rozon, Sarah Levy
What it's about: A real estate agency doubles as a paranormal investigation team, working to make their clients’ homes more marketable by ridding otherwordly phenomena from their clients’ homes.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Creator George Olsen’s SurrealEstate (one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu) is yet another cheekily funny series about researching and defending against the supernatural, but with a unique twist that the hunters’ day job is selling haunted houses.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Starring: Rosa Salazar, Eric Lange, Catherine Keener
What it's about: After she is betrayed by a smarmy movie producer, an aspiring horror filmmaker enlists the help of a witch (played by Catherine Keener) to help achieve her revenge in 1990s Los Angeles.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: While not quite a show about hunting the paranormal, Nick Antosca and Leonore Zion’s limited series adaptation of Todd Grimson’s novel Brandy New Cherry Flavor (one of Rosa Salazar's best TV shows) also incorporates some absurd humor into its dazzling, mystical cautionary tale.
How to watch Brand New Cherry Flavor
Outcast (2016-2017)
Starring: Patrick Fugit
What it's about: A young man searches for answers to his lifelong struggles with malevolent spiritual forces.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Demonic possession is a recurring element of Evil and is the main topic behind Outcast — a short-lived Cinemax original series from Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman, who also created the comic this show is based on.
How to watch Outcast
Midnight Mass (2021)
Starring: Zach Gilford, Hamish Linklater, Kate Siegel
What it's about: A disgraced young man returns to his childhood home — an isolated island community — where alarming events begin to happen after a new priest arrives.
Why it is a great show for Evil fans to watch: Much like Evil, Catholic faith plays a major role in one of Mike Flanagan’s best TV shows, Midnight Mass — a limited series that is actually a story about vampirism, and one of the most emotionally grasping and hauntingly epic series in recent memory.
How to watch Midnight Mass
Despite its cancellation, Evil shall live on in spirit, as long as fans continue to stream similarly scary TV shows.
