Stranger Things: The First Shadow (credit: Netflix)

These are the best horror TV series ever, according to critics

Some of the biggest shows of recent years are among the most celebrated horror series in history

by · NME

One of the drivers of this golden age of television has been the huge popularity of a handful of horror-themed shows, but which are the most acclaimed horror series ever?

The review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes has drawn together the reviews of critics around the world to put together a list of the top 20 horror TV shows of all time, and you can find the full list right here.

The number one spot goes to Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, which has been running for 12 seasons dating back to 2011, the most recent of which aired in April this year on FX. Each season of the show is its own self-contained story, with characters occasionally crossing over, but new casts of characters being introduced each time around. Some of the most acclaimed performances in the show have come from Emma Roberts, Jessica Lange, James Cromwell and Kathy Bates.

Second place goes to another modern mainstream hit, Netflix’s Stranger Things. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the show launched in 2016 and is set in the 1980s, following the residents of the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana as they are plagued by a hostile alternative dimension known as the Upside Down.

The show has made stars of some its young cast, including Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp and Sadie Sink, who star alongside Winona Ryder and David Harbour. The show’s fifth and final season is currently in production, with a release expected in 2025.

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Rounding out the top three is The Walking Dead, Frank Darabont’s comic book adaptation that is set after a zombie apocalypse, with stars Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Norman Reedus and Steven Yeun fighting to stay alive amid the constant threat of “walkers”.

The show ran on AMC for 11 seasons between 2010 and 2022 and spawned a number of spinoffs, including Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead.

The list also includes a number of more vintage titles, including The Twilight Zone (1959-64) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-65), as well as David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and Joss Whedon’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the top 20 horror TV shows of all time is:

  1. American Horror Story (2011-)
  2. Stranger Things (2016-)
  3. The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
  4. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
  5. Supernatural (2005-2020)
  6. Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017)
  7. Hannibal (2013-2015)
  8. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
  9. The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)
  10. True Blood (2008-2014)
  11. Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
  12. Tales From The Crypt (1989-1996)
  13. Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
  14. The Strain (2014-2017)
  15. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1965)
  16. Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975)
  17. Bates Motel (2013-2017)
  18. Preacher (2016-2019)
  19. iZombie (2015-2019)
  20. Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018)