Summary
- Charmed’s storytelling and character development allowed it to grow a cult following despite time slot changes.
- Shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina offer a darker take on witches, similar to the tone of Charmed.
- The Originals and Locke & Key share themes of sibling dynamics and magical powers, like Charmed.
Charmed and its iconic group of sisters have had a presence in pop culture for nearly 30 years now with an impressive legacy in the supernatural genre that can be seen in various shows like it. Premiering on The WB in 1998, Charmed follows sisters who learn they are witches and fight against supernatural antagonists. Charmed went through a few time slot adjustments that would typically cause a series to decline in ratings and inevitably get canceled. However, the storytelling and the characterization of the Halliwell sisters were enough to allow the show to quickly grow a cult following, and eventually get a botched Charmed reboot in 2018.
Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and eventually Rose McGowan led the series strongly, bringing something unique to their characters that allowed audiences to identify with each Halliwell sister. Charmed has remained a fan-favorite TV series for years, but with the recent passing of Doherty, some TV fans might be tuning into the series for the first time. Luckily, a few other TV shows in the supernatural genre share a lot in common with Charmed and act as the perfect follow-up series to watch.
Related
All 8 Seasons Of Charmed, Ranked Worst To Best
While the eight seasons of Charmed provided entertainment from start to finish, some seasons were more entertaining and of higher quality than others.
10 Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
A Young Teenager Immerses Herself In Witchcraft
Based on the Archie Comics of the same name, Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina sees the titular witch navigate her supernatural powers and identity. Contrasting the lighthearted Sabrina the Teenage Witch that premiered in the ’90s and starred Melissa Joan Hart as the character, Kiernan Shipka and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has a darker tone.
Sabrina does her best to protect her loved ones and the mortal world at large from various evil forces. However, like the Halliwell sisters in Charmed, Sabrina learns to balance her roles as a witch and a human. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina alternates between storylines involving the two worlds, drawing more similarities to Charmed in the way the sisters’ romantic relationships, jobs, and other obligations tied to the mortal world are just as important in the series.
9 Lucifer (2016-2021)
Banned From Heaven & Bored Of Hell, Lucifer Lands In California
In any fictional world where supernatural creatures co-exist with humans, the threat of such a realm being exposed to mortals is always present. Inspired by the eponymous DC Comics character, Lucifer follows Tom Ellis’ character as he makes the transition from Hell to Los Angeles. In the big city, Lucifer teams up with Chloe Decker, a detective at the Los Angeles Police Department. Throughout Lucifer‘s six seasons, the pair fight off supernatural creatures.
Similarly in Charmed, the Halliwells form a friendship with San Francisco Police Officer Darryl Morris, who helps keep them off of the local police department’s radar. For its characterization of the character and his growing relationship with Chloe, Lucifer earned a passionate fan base. After the series was canceled by Fox, fans created a campaign to save the show, and Netflix picked up Lucifer for three additional seasons, which drew in a bigger audience than before.
8 Locke & Key (2020-2022)
Three Siblings Enter A World Of Magic
Originally one of the best IDW comics, Locke & Key was adapted into a Netflix series and premiered in 2020. Just like Charmed, Locke & Key is centered around siblings. After their father’s death, the Locke siblings — Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode — move with their mother into their father’s family home, where they soon discover mysterious keys that give them access to the supernatural world. The Locke siblings’ dynamic is part of why the series is beloved by fans.
Their handling of their father’s death and the weight that it carries in various plots earned praise from critics, in addition to the overall well-established dark tone throughout Locke & Key. Speaking of Locke & Key‘s ability to intertwine themes of loss into the series, Charmed also sees its characters work through their emotions in difficult times, particularly with the death of their sister Prue.
7 Angel (1999-2004)
A Darker Spin-Off To Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The originating idea of a “Big Bad” character is often credited to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is generally defined as an antagonist that is the focus of an entire season of a TV show. Charmed had a few big bad antagonists throughout its eight seasons and so did Angel, a spin-off series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Starring David Boreanaz, Angel follows the title character’s journey after he left Buffy the Vampire Slayer in season 3.
The series begins as Angel, a vampire whose human soul has been restored, is now living in Los Angeles, and, feeling guilty for his past actions, he helps save other lost souls. Compared to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel is much darker, but that’s what made it so successful. Boreanaz won three Saturn Awards for Best Actor and was nominated numerous times for other awards, along with the supporting performances by the cast, during Angel‘s run.
6 Witches Of East End (2013-2014)
Two Sisters Learn They Come From A Family Of Witches
In the few years after the final season of Charmed, there weren’t as many successful TV shows about witches. However, many shows with leading witch characters would eventually pop up, including Witches of East End. Based on Melissa de la Cruz’s 2011 novel of the same name, Witches of East End follows the Beauchamp family — the matriarch Joanna and her two daughters, Ingrid and Freya. In addition to its shared overall premise, Witches of East End begins the same way Charmed does.
The Halliwell sisters start Charmed unaware of their magical powers, and the Beauchamp sisters are similarly unaware of their gifts — a narrative choice that differs from De la Cruz’s book. However, a few critics weren’t pleased with the similarities and preferred the execution carried out by Charmed. Witches of East End lasted for two seasons before being canceled due to low ratings, but it’s still worth binging to fill any Charmed-shaped holes in fan’s hearts.
5 The Magicians (2015-2020)
Magicians Further Their Skills At A Magic University
Running for five seasons, The Magicians follows a group of students at a magic school where they develop and learn to manage their unique powers. Similarly, the Halliwell sisters in Charmed are endowed with a variety of magical powers, which grow over the course of the series. From telekinesis to the ability to instantly travel from one place to another, there is some overlap in the magical powers given to characters in Charmed and The Magicians.
However, like Charmed, The Magicians does not solely revolve around supernatural conflicts. The characters in The Magicians are fully rounded and deal with issues outside the tuning of their skills, allowing audiences to become further invested in their character arcs. Critical praise surrounding The Magicians increased with each season, resulting in a fan-favorite show that has created its own legacy similar to that of Charmed.
Related
Every Villain In The Magicians, Ranked
The Magicians is known for making interesting and complex villains who are enjoyable to watch, but some of these antagonists rise above the rest.
4 The Originals (2013-2018)
A Series Revolving Around The Mikaelson Siblings
Part of The Vampire Diaries Universe, The Originals is the first spin-off series to follow The Vampire Diaries. The Originals revolves around the Mikaelson siblings — Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah —, the first ever vampires. The first conflict to appear in The Originals season 1 is the complications surrounding the birth of Klaus’ child. Klaus, the son of a witch and werewolf, has a child that will be the first tribrid, attracting the attention of supernatural enemies.
Though the threats in Charmed aren’t as extreme, a few hybrid children are also born as well. Piper Halliwell, the middle sister, and Leo, a guardian angel, have two children together. Piper and Leo’s sons, Wyatt and Chris, have stronger powers than those of their parents. Similarly, Klaus and Hayley’s daughter Hope has the combined abilities of her parents, which are further explored in the third series of The Vampire Diaries franchise, Legacies.
3 Grimm (2011-2017)
The Titular Guardians Balance Humanity And The Supernatural
In Grimm, Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he comes from a line of the eponymous guardians who are tasked with keeping peace between humans and mythological creatures. Throughout Grimm‘s six seasons, Nick and his partners find themselves up against a variety of other-worldly creatures, including a few that derive from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Storylines in Charmed also show a need for peaceful coexistence between humans and supernatural creatures, coincidentally also involving a local police department.
Similar to how Charmed saw different “Big Bad” characters in each season, Grimm has weekly procedural cases. Still, there is a central mystery to be solved, creating a cohesive narrative and mythology for audiences to be invested in throughout the series. Grimm hasn’t been described as a groundbreaking series in the supernatural genre, but it does do a great job of interweaving a subtle touch of comedy within the dark, fantastical setting.
2 Supernatural (2005-2020)
Two Brothers Hunt Supernatural Creatures
Like Charmed, Supernatural got its start on The WB. The series follows the Winchester brothers, Dean and Sam, as they hunt different supernatural creatures. Just as Charmed saw the consistent appearances of both enemies and allies, so did Supernatural. One of the most beloved recurring characters in Supernatural is Castiel, an angel played by Misha Collins. Towards the end of the series’ run, Collins became a main cast member despite Castiel’s original arc only lasting for a few episodes.
Collins credits his permanent addition to Supernatural to the positive response from the fan base. Both Charmed and Supernatural have strong, passionate fan bases which allowed the respective shows to make history with their time on air. Charmed held the title of being the longest-running hour-long series led by an all-female cast, until Desperate Housewives in 2012, and Supernatural is among the longest-running live-action fantasy shows.
1 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
A Girl Finds Herself To Be Next In A Line Of Supernatural Slayers
As its title suggests, the primary supernatural creatures to appear in Buffy the Vampire Slayer are vampires. However, that doesn’t mean other famous monsters don’t show up too. Witches are canon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as ghosts and werewolves. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular vampire slayer, the series is set in a fictional Californian city that’s home to a portal between the mortal and supernatural worlds.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is often considered to be one of the best TV shows of all time and is loved by critics and audiences alike for its well-established canon mythology, humor, and, of course, its protagonist, Buffy. In addition to their sharp writing and inspired worldbuilding, Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are also remembered for creating iconic leading female characters on TV. The two shows are just a few in a lineup with strong female characters from the ’90s and early 2000s, alongside Dark Angel, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Alias.
