To my girls, gays, and theys: listen up!
Grab your pumpkin cream cold brews, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket, light that sweater weather candle, and get ready for the ultimate list of TV shows to watch this fall. I’ve compiled a list of some of my absolute favorite series to give you a taste of fall nostalgia this season and keep you wanting more.
Stranger Things
I’m starting out strong with my favorite show ever. If you haven’t seen Netflix’s hit sci-fi horror 80s-set series, where have you been??? I am a period piece gal and a total fiend for a good set design! The show is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in 1983, and surrounds the disappearance of a boy named Will Byers. His friends and family search for him and uncover a dark mystery in need of solving. This show is filled with monsters, mayhem, and supernatural powers. A stacked cast, phenomenal soundtrack, and fast-paced action, this one is sure to pull you in. Thank you Matt and Ross Duffer for this masterpiece, it will always have a special place in my heart and I cannot wait for season five to close out the series.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1996)
Now, I say I don’t like sitcoms, but Gilmore Girls and Sabrina are the exceptions. Starring Melissa Joan Hart, Beth Broderick, and Caroline Rhea, Sabrina The Teenage Witch brings us into the life of Sabrina Spellman (a teenage witch). Navigating high school, learning to use her magic, and being raised by her two aunts sum up Sabrina’s life to a T. I love the 90s aesthetic clothing, hair, and makeup, and I thoroughly enjoy every rewatch. I’m channeling my inner Sabrina in terms of fashion this season! (Look up Sabrina Spellman 90s outfits on Pinterest and you’ll know what I mean.) Sabrina is the best comedy show this autumn season, sprinkled with magic and the perfect amount of 90s nostalgia. All 7 seasons can be found on Hulu.
The Chilling adventures of sabrina (2018)
If you like 90s Sabrina, you’re going to love 2018 Sabrina. Netflix’s dark magic spinoff of the original Sabrina is something to die for. Kiernan Shipka stars as Sabrina Spellman alongside Ross Lynch, who plays her love interest, Harvey Kinkle. This version of Sabrina is categorized as horror so you should be prepared for a darker, creepier take on the original Archie comics. Expect the premise to be the same as the original Sabrina with an added supernatural/horror twist. The set design and costuming is a real treat! I love this one and recommend it to anyone searching for a new favorite. This show is perfect for a fall night binge sesh!
The QUeen’s gambit
Here’s to our queen, Anya Taylor Joy, and her fantastic performance as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit. This show isn’t necessarily a fall must-have, yet I think its 1960s flare is a perfect addition to this list. From a dreary orphanage to the Moscow Invitational in 1968, Beth Harmon is a chess prodigy with an appetite for tranquilizers and obsessed with beating the competition. Sophisticated, quirky, and comical, this show starts off a little slow in my opinion, but please stick with it, I am so happy I did. Netflix is home to this limited hit series.
I am not okay with this
Hear me out: Sophia Lillis, hometown nostalgia, the supernatural, and teenage angst. This gem of a show was CANCELED by Netflix, and I will never forgive them for it. In another coming-of-age drama, Sydney Novak deals with high school, her sexuality, and her mysterious powers all with the help of her newfound friend, Stanley Barber (Wyatt Oleff). I wish this show would’ve given us a second season because so many questions go unanswered, but the magic and mystery throughout are enough to suffice. (Pls Netflix, I need you to stop ruining the best shows you make by canceling them.)
The Society
Another masterpiece killed off by Netflix, The Society is a teen mystery drama set in the wealthy town of West Ham, Connecticut, where all of the residents vanish except for the teens. Forced to live off of the town’s dwindling food supply and create their own society, the teens struggle with power, relationships, and the unknown. We will forever be stuck in the unknown as there is no season two. So disappointing considering the cast was stacked and the plot was so insane. I recommend watching this show, but you cannot get mad at me when you finish and there’s nothing more to binge ;)
The Vampire Diaries
Team Damon or Stefan? I still can’t decide…even after finishing the series. The Vampire Diaries is a classic 2000s drama series filled with vampires, werewolves, romance, and mystery. Remember when Elena Gilbert-core was popular on TikTok last year? Yes, it was this Elena Gilbert! You can find her long sleeve, bootcut jeans, straight hair, and aesthetic here. This is a perfect show to watch if you are in search of a good feeling of fall nostalgia. This is the third time I’m flaming Netflix in one article, but they have once again disappointed me by removing the series from their streaming platform. You can now find all 8 seasons on HBO Max.
The Haunting of Hill House
Possibly the scariest of shows I have here on the list, The Haunting of Hill House is one I will not be rewatching because of the state it left me in. I can’t even begin to describe the attention to detail and intricacies of the story the creators of this show dedicated themselves to. The way the story wraps up is heartbreaking and left me in hysterics (and I’m not being dramatic, I am still scarred). The show tells the stories of five adults in a family who fled their fixer-upper mansion in 1992. Haunted by the events of Hill House (and ghosts), we find out the events that lead up to that fateful night. Somewhat slow-paced, terrifying, and filled with family drama, The Haunting of Hill House is one special show that I would recommend with a warning. If you are anything like me, empathetic and emotional, watch this show with caution as it really tugs on the heartstrings.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Now, for all of my dear sapphic readers: I have the show for you. The Haunting of Bly Manor is Hill House’s less-terrifying sister and more heartbreaking at that. Bly Manor depicts the story of Dani Clayton, an an au-pair in London at an eerie manor with two very odd children. Twists and turns, relationships turned sour, and all of the bone-chilling secrets she is destined to find within its walls, Victoria Pedretti, who plays Dani, is in for the ride of her life. Bly Manor cameos some of the cast we see in Hill House which I think is so rad. I cannot tell you how much I love this show and how much I cry at every rewatch. My little film major heart is obsessed with the colors, costuming, and set design as you’ve heard above. Set in the 80s as well, this gothic romance is one you won’t forget. Now, you’ll probably spend most of the show confused as I did, yet everything wraps up just perfectly splendid. Both Hill House and Bly Manor reside in Netflix’s library.
Gilmore Girls
And lastly, we have our tried and true. Set in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, Gilmore Girls revolves around the quaint little lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother-and-daughter duo, and the ups and downs of growing up. From boyfriends to school, to running an inn, the quippy humor and nostalgic setting are the perfect combinations for a fall must-watch. Melissa McCarthy is in this one too, I just love her! Even more reasons to watch! In my not-so-professional opinion, both Lorelai and Rory get a little annoying at times, but I think most viewers would agree with me LOL. My favorite thing is putting this show on in the background while I do my homework like Rory :) You can find all 7 seasons on Netflix.
