Tvline has compiled a ranking of the 15 best gothic horror television series, emphasizing atmospheric tales of ghosts, vampires, and witches drawn from European folklore. The list spans classics like Dark Shadows from 1966 to modern Netflix hits, blending campy soaps with serious scares. Top honors go to Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House for its masterful haunted house narrative.
Gothic horror on television captivates with its blend of supernatural malevolence and romantic undertones, often rooted in old-world terrors such as vampires and ghosts. Published on December 28, 2025, Tvline's ranking prioritizes shows that evoke haunting atmospheres, from period pieces to contemporary retellings, excluding slashers or non-European monsters.
The list begins at #15 with the 2020 limited series Dracula, a bold reimagining by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat featuring Claes Bang as the magnetic count and Dolly Wells as Agatha Van Helsing. It praises the first two episodes for subverting expectations despite a convoluted finale.
Ascending the ranks, #14 is the influential 1966 soap opera Dark Shadows, centered on the haunted Collins family in Maine, introducing vampires, witches, and time travel over five years. #13, The Vampire Diaries, adapts L.J. Smith's novels into an eight-season teen drama in Mystic Falls, Virginia, starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder, spawning spin-offs like The Originals.
Mid-list entries include #12 Mayfair Witches, part of AMC's Immortal Universe based on Anne Rice's works, following neurosurgeon Rowan Fielding (Alexandra Daddario) and her witch lineage; #11 Salem, a 17th-century tale of witchcraft hysteria with Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley; and #10 Chapelwaite, adapted from Stephen King's story, starring Adrien Brody in 19th-century Maine amid vampires.
Higher up, #9 The Haunting of Bly Manor draws from Henry James for ghostly romance at an English estate, led by Victoria Pedretti. #8 True Blood, from Charlaine Harris's novels, explores a vampire-public world in Louisiana with Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. #7 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reimagines the Archie character as a half-witch teen (Kiernan Shipka) facing satanic threats.
6 Castlevania animates the video game saga in 15th-century Wallachia, with heroes battling Dracula. #5 Wednesday updates The Addams Family on Netflix, following Jenna Ortega's psychic teen at Nevermore Academy solving mysteries.
The top three feature #4 Penny Dreadful, mashing gothic icons like Frankenstein and Dracula in 1890s London with Eva Green; #3 Midnight Mass, Flanagan's 2021 tale of faith and horror on Crockett Island starring Zach Gilford; and #2 Interview with the Vampire, AMC's 2022 adaptation of Rice's novel with Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid recounting 1910 New Orleans.
Crowning the list at #1 is 2018's The Haunting of Hill House, Flanagan's remix of Shirley Jackson's novel, interweaving the Crain family's 1992 trauma with present-day hauntings for scares and emotional depth.