There are so many TV shows about or involving zombies that it could almost become a genre in and of itself, and that’s proven even further by the best zombie TV shows available to stream. Zombie TV shows are, at the least, a sub-genre of dramas, thrillers, post-apocalyptic shows, and sometimes even comedies. The concept of zombies – undead former humans roaming around with the singular mission of finding human flesh to feast on – has been approached from every angle imaginable in the past few decades, and even in 2023, they are only getting better with more inventive narratives, greater star power, and higher budgets.
With the release of The Last of Us season 1, HBO has revitalized the subgenre even more. Not only is the series the first truly great adaptation of a video game, but it totally revitalized zombie shows with its huge scope, incredible storytelling, and cinematic quality. It elevated the genre more than any zombie show since The Walking Dead premiered over a decade ago. However, all the other great and graphic horror series shouldn’t be forgotten. Zombie movies are in abundance, but it’s really the best zombie TV shows that allow for compelling stories to be told in unique ways over a longer period of time.
10 Daybreak (2019)
With a comedic angle to the zombie apocalypse, Daybreak is about a 17-year-old high school outcast named Josh. Following an apocalyptic event in California, he goes searching for his British girlfriend. Daybreak is chock full of pop culture references, throughout Josh’s journey, which is almost entertaining enough. But it’s the eclectic group of helpers that Josh meets along the way that make the one-season show so entertaining, including a 10-year-old pyromaniac and a former bully. Together, they must fight enemies they encounter, among them are adults who have turned into zombies they call Ghoulies.
9 Helix (2014–2015)
Unfortunately, Helix only lasted two seasons, but Syfy’s attempt at a zombie invasion series was well-received by both critics and audiences. Helix is about a viral outbreak that has two effects on humans who have been exposed. Either the virus is fatal and they instantly die or they become creatures who are violent, dangerous, and out for blood. The premise doesn’t sound like anything original and has been done a hundred times, but there’s a reason why it’s tried and true. Helix nails the formula, and its focus on the science fiction aspects of the narrative as scientists try to control the spread, depicts the premise from a different perspective.
8 Fear The Walking Dead (2015–2023)
The first spin-off series to The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead follows a different cast of characters doing their best to survive in other parts of the U.S., starting pre-outbreak in the first season. Beginning in Los Angeles, the show moves around throughout Mexico, Texas, Virginia, and other locations. The fact that the show continually refreshes its main cast, including some of the best characters introduced after season one of Fear the Walking Dead, helps breathe new life into it each season. Like the original, the biggest enemies the main characters face through each season are mortal ones, but the spin-off leans a little too much into that element.
7 Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)
Netflix’s own horror drama, Brand New Cherry Flavor, is a limited series that’s based on the book of the same name written by Todd Grimson. The show follows Lisa, a young woman who travels to Los Angeles in the hopes of finally being able to direct her first movie. However, she quickly finds herself in a nightmare situation that involves not only zombies but also hitmen, supernatural kittens, and a tattoo artist with the power to curse people. Zombies are only one part of the larger theme of Brand New Cherry Flavor, which keeps the show entertaining, but it still counts as one of the best Zombie TV shows.
6 iZombie (2015–2019)
iZombie, a loose adaptation of the DC comic book series of the same name, follows Olivia “Liv” Moore, a medical examiner who became a zombie. This, however, doesn’t stop her work with the police department. Instead, she eats victims’ brains, which helps her temporarily inherit their memories and personalities so she can provide details to help police solve the cases. It’s a unique spin on the procedural crime drama, and while high concepts in the procedural format are huge risks, iZombie is totally satisfying. iZombie is, ironically, a humanizing story about an undead character who finds a way to feed her carnal desire that can actually help others.
5 Santa Clarita Diet (2017–2019)
Santa Clarita Diet only lasted three seasons, but it’s still one of the best zombie TV shows thanks to its compelling storyline and A-list cast that included Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The movie actors played Joel and Sheila, a happily married couple who work in real estate but find their lives changed forever when Sheila starts to demonstrate symptoms of being a zombie, and she gets a strange craving to consume human flesh. It’s an interesting spin on the typical zombie genre that combines elements of horror with comedy, and it’s also fun to see Drew Barrymore return to the horror genre for the first time since Scream too.
4 Kingdom (2019–2020)
Kingdom is a South Korean political period horror thriller set in a fictional, medieval-inspired time during the Joseon period. At the heart is a crown prince who investigates what’s going on in his community when a plague seems to take over, causing humans to become infected and turn into zombies. The series is unbelievably well crafted, whether it’s the story, the surprisingly great digital and practical effects, or the Korean actors’ performances, which helped make Kingdom one of the highest-rated K-dramas. In addition to the two seasons, there’s a special feature-length episode called Kingdom: Ashin of the North, which is just as great as the proper series.
3 Ash Vs Evil Dead (2015–2018)
Ash vs Evil Dead is a hilarious comedy spin-off of the original Evil Dead trilogy, but it was canceled after three seasons on Starz. As a result, Ash vs Evil Dead has become just as much of a cult classic as the beloved movie franchise on which the show is based. Bruce Campbell returned to reprise his role as Ash Williams, who has become an iconic horror protagonist with his chainsaw hand and the shotgun he calls his broomstick. The series was less scary than the comedy-horror movies, but just as funny, and Ash becoming more of a developed character in a long-form series was exactly what he deserved.
2 The Walking Dead (2010–2022)
The longest-running zombie series ever, The Walking Dead begins at the onset of the zombie apocalypse. Humans who have died “turn” shortly after, becoming mindless, roaming “Walkers.” As Rick Grimes learns, everyone is infected and will turn when they die, not just those who have been bitten. In terms of the best Zombie TV shows, The Walking Dead deserves a mention simply because of its impressive 11-season run. Though there was a clear dip in quality in later seasons, between the number of seasons, spin-offs, and being a huge part of the pop culture zeitgeist in the 2010s, the AMC series still holds a legacy that other shows can’t rival.
1 The Last Of Us (2023– )
The Last of Us is one season in, but HBO carefully and respectfully adapted the source material, which resulted in one of the most emotionally exhausting and epic series the network has ever produced. The show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler who must escort a teenager across a zombie-filled United States. The network cast Pascal, who has become one of the most beloved movie actors working today, and from a cinematic standpoint, the show looks spectacular too. It was a huge challenge to adapt an overwhelmingly universally praised video game, but HBO effortlessly pulled it off and made one of the best Zombie TV shows ever.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
