Gilmore Girls, Vampire Diaries, Charmed, More

Gilmore Girls, which is known to get a streaming bump during the fall season, centers around the relationship between thirtysomething single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her teen daughter, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), in the quirky, small fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The cozy aesthetic, New England setting and back-to-school storylines featured in the dramedy make it a go-to autumnal show.

Check out THR‘s interview in 2025 with Sherman-Palladino and stars Graham, Kelly Bishop and Scott Patterson, as they look back on the show that became a cult classic in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Run Date: 2000-2007
Seasons: 7

The Vampire Diaries follows teenager Elena Gilbert as she finds herself in a complex love triangle with vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore, while navigating friendships, loss and supernatural chaos plaguing the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. The show’s small-town aesthetic, foggy graveyards and high school setting radiate fall vibes.

Creators: Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson
Run Date: 2009-2017
Seasons: 8

The Good Witch series, based on the film franchise created by screenwriter Rod Spence, follows Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell), a kind-hearted and enchanting widow with magical abilities, in the fictional town of Middleton as she runs her business, raises her daughter (Bailee Madison) and finds a romantic spark with big-city doctor Sam (James Denton), who just arrived in town. The show’s wholesome community in a small-town setting, paired with a bit of magic, makes it a fall season darling.

Creators: Craig Pryce and Sue Tenney
Run Date: 2015-2021
Seasons: 7

Sabrina the Teenage Witch, based on the character Sabrina Spellman from Archie Comics, centers on teen Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart), who discovers that she comes from a long line of witches. With the help of her aunts (played by Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick), she learns to harness her magical powers. With Halloween around the corner, the show’s touch of magic, spells and a talking black cat named Salem make it a go-to watch.

Creators: Jonathan Schmock and Nell Scovell
Run Date: 1996-2003
Seasons: 7

The animated series Over the Garden Wall follows two brothers, Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Gregory (Collin Dean), as they find themselves lost in a mysterious forest known as The Unknown and try to find their way home. The show’s balance of an autumn atmosphere with a spooky, eerie forest makes it a seasonal staple.

Creators: Patrick McHale and Katie Krentz
Run Date: 2014
Seasons: 1

Twin Peaks centers on FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who travels to a quirky, quiet logging town in Washington state to investigate the brutal murder of high school homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). With a dark, forest setting, the comedy-drama mystery also incorporates elements of supernatural horror, making it an autumnal go-to.

Creators: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Run Date: 1990-1991 and 2017
Seasons: 3

Charmed centers on three sisters, Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who discover they’re descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil. The show’s witchy lore and Victorian manor setting really encapsulate the seasonal nostalgia.

Creator: Constance M. Burge
Run Date: 1998-2006
Seasons: 8

Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows teen Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is blessed with superhuman strength and skills, as she slays vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. The show is perfect for the Halloween season thanks to its monsters and spooky atmosphere.

Creator: Joss Whedon
Run Date: 1997-2003
Seasons: 7

One Tree Hill is about the intense rivalry, on and off the basketball court, and eventual bond between estranged half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty) in the small fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina. The series also stars Hilarie Burton Morgan, Bethany Joy Lenz and Sophia Bush. The teen drama’s small-town aesthetic and high school setting aligns nicely with the back-to-school feeling at the start of fall.

Creator: Mark Schwahn
Run Date: 2003-2012
Seasons: 9

October Road follows Nick Garrett (Bryan Greenberg), a best-selling author living in New York, who returns to his hometown of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts, after a decade away. There, he has to finally face his hometown friends, whom he portrayed in an unflattering light in his novel. In addition to October literally being in the show’s title, the series’ charming New England setting and autumn colors make it a great seasonal watch.

Creators: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec and Scott Rosenberg
Run Date: 2007-2008
Seasons: 2

Pretty Little Liars follows four friends — Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario), Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) and Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) — who band together in the fictional town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, after an anonymous villain known as “A” threatens to reveal their darkest secrets after the mysterious disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse). The show’s moody and small-town mystery vibe fits perfectly with the spooky season.

In 2025, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Pretty Little Liars, the cast and creator spoke with THR about the show’s lasting impact and answered the biggest still-burning questions. Check out the story here.

Creator: I. Marlene King
Run Date: 2010-2017
Seasons: 7

Ghost Whisperer, set in the fictional town of Grandview, centers on Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a young woman who has the ability to communicate with earthbound spirits who are trapped between worlds because of unfinished business. This is another great pick for the fall season if you love the cozy small-town aesthetic mixed with supernatural mysteries.

Creator: John Gray
Run Date: 2005-2010
Seasons: 5

Hart of Dixie follows Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson), a fast-talking New York City medical graduate, who accepts an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work in his medical practice in small town in Alabama. Once she arrives, she learned that he died and left half the practice to her in his will. The series’ charming community in the small town makes it a feel-good fall show.

Creator: Leila Gerstein
Run Date: 2011-2015
Seasons: 4

If you loved The Vampire Diaries, then the spinoff, The Originals, is right up your alley. The show centers on the Mikaelson family, the world’s first vampires introduced in The Vampire Diaries season three, as they return to New Orleans, the city they built centuries before, to reclaim control and dominate all those who have done them wrong. Similar to TVD, the show features supernatural lore and a moody atmosphere that aligns perfectly with the spooky season.

Creator: Julie Plec
Run Date: 2013-2018
Seasons: 5

While Chilling Adventures of Sabrina features the same Archie Comics character as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the coming-of-age horror drama is much darker. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina centers on Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) as she struggles to balance her dual identity as a half-witch, half-mortal while fighting evil forces that threaten her and her family. The series delivers witchcraft and horror elements just in time for Halloween.

Creator: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Run Date: 2018-2020
Seasons: 4

Once Upon a Time is about a young woman, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), who discovers that a small town in Maine is filled with fairy-tale characters trapped in the real world with no memory of who they truly are due to a dark curse. With the show’s misty Maine backdrop and magical elements, it radiates all the fall vibes.

Creators: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz
Run Date: 2011-2018
Seasons: 7

Teen Wolf follows Scott (Tyler Posey), an ordinary high school student who gets bitten by a werewolf and must learn how to navigate his new powers with his teenage life in the fictional town of Beacon Hills, alongside his best friend Stiles (Dylan O’Brien). The show’s high school setting and supernatural theme make for a great match with the autumn season.

Creator: Jeff Davis
Run Date: 2011-2017
Seasons: 6

With the 1991 film The Addams Family having cult-classic status, perfect to watch during Halloween, Netflix’s Wednesday is another great option heading into the spooky season. The show centers on Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she navigates being a student at Nevermore Academy and her emerging psychic ability, while also trying to thwart a monstrous local killing spree.

Creators: Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
Run Date: 2022-
Seasons: 2 (with a third on the way)

Virgin River follows nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), who moves from Los Angeles to a remote Northern California fictional town called Virgin River. There, she navigates small-town conflicts and complicated romances while also trying to heal from personal tragedies. The show’s woodsy scenery and rustic, small-town setting definitely give it a sweater-weather vibe.

Creator: Sue Tenney
Run Date: 2019-
Seasons: 7 (with an eighth season on the way)

If you have already finished The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, the second spinoff, Legacies, makes sense as your next go-to autumn watch. The series goes back to the fictional town of Mystic Falls; however, it follows Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell), the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall-Kenner, and a new generation of supernatural students at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted.

Creator: Julie Plec
Run Date: 2018-2022
Seasons: 4

Dawson’s Creek follows four teens — Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Joey (Katie Holmes), Jen (Michelle Williams) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) — growing up from adolescence into young adulthood in a small coastal town in Massachusetts. The show’s small-town setting and high school drama align with the back-to-school feeling at the start of fall.

Creator: Kevin Williamson
Run Date: 1998-2003
Seasons: 6