The 11 Most Entertaining Horror TV Shows

David Lynch's revolutionary small-town melodrama begins with the prom queen wrapped in plastic and ends with an epic multi-dimensional clash between good and evil. The question of who killed Laura Palmer penetrates through all layers of the town's society, bringing to light the secrets of many citizens.

Wildly popular in its original broadcast run, this unforgettable TV series deftly combines mystery, drama, comedy, and horror in ways never imagined possible before its run. David Lynch changed the face of television and forever influenced the next generation of TV creators.

A traumatized boy tries to constructively channel his homicidal tendencies into vigilante justice under the tutelage of his detective stepfather in this Miami-based thriller. Dexter's attempt to grow into a well-adjusted person and become a family man often clash with his darker desires and attempts to cover up his unconventional pastime from his co-workers at the police department.

The show's writing, directing, and acting are almost always spectacular, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Dexter's relationships with people are fascinating to watch and his voice-over explanations of his internal thought process are frequently profound and funny at once. Dexter applies the most sophisticated forensics techniques and blood spatter analysis to track down and verify which killers he targets next, making this a far more innovative police procedural drama than you can find on conventional network television.

Before making the upcoming Avengers movie, Joss Whedon made his first big splash in this small-screen, irreverent teen dramedy meets science fiction/horror/fantasy TV series. Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, and a slew of other lesser imitators cannot compare with Sarah Michelle Gellar's original and fearless portrayal of a lonely high schooler who fights the forces of evil on a daily basis to protect an ungrateful and frequently cruel world.

Her supporting cast of Giles (a British professor of occult studies dedicated to helping Buffy target and eliminate dangerous threats by posing as her school librarian), Angel (a Vampire with a conscience who falls in love with Buffy), Spike (a Vampire without a conscience who falls in love with Buffy), Xander (a supportive if sarcastic sidekick), and Willow (a nerd turned teen experimenter and eventual witch) fill out Buffy's entourage and are all variably helpful/harmful to Buffy depending on the day of the week.

Each character feels remarkably real for such a fantastic premise and their struggles are universal to an audience of all ages. Joss Whedon's stylized flair for combining the dramatic and comedic make it the most surprising and pleasurable pop culture phenomenon since Twin Peaks. Best when watched with friends, but still great when you are alone.

Afraid of hurting Buffy by reverting to his out-of-control vampire state once again in the future, Angel leaves Sunnydale to become a private detective in Los Angeles. There he enlists the help of some old and new friends as he battles an evil law firm (Wolfram and Hart) and a host of other natural and unnatural foes bent on tormenting the City of Angels.

Early seasons featured regular (if infrequent) episodes interconnecting the plots of Buffy with those of Angel, so we recommend watching both series concurrently according to the order by their original air dates. But for the most part, the two shows can be understood and enjoyed separately, too, if you are so inclined.

But you should be aware that even during the long stretches in the later seasons when the two shows might seem less interconnected than before, thematic parallels and the occasional crossover character or plot will still motivate you to watch both series together in their original viewing order.

Taking a step away from the more light-hearted Buffy, Angel leaves the world of high schoolers far behind him as he explores a slightly darker and more mature world of problems. Angel's entourage is not quite as strong as Buffy's at first, but over the first three seasons he will slowly assemble a strong, formidable, and entertaining team.

The series takes a while to gain its footing, but like Buffy, Angel is a classic and one of the funniest shows on this list. The muppet episode "Smile Time" in Season 5 is generally considered one of the funniest episodes of television ever. While the series Angel is a little more inconsistent in its greatness than was Buffy, during their concurrent runs one could argue there were stretches when Angel even outperformed its predecessor series.

But it is like comparing apples and oranges. Buffy and Angel are different series with similar and interconnected stories, but with slightly altered tones and styles.

Viewing Order:

Buffy Seasons 1-3

Buffy Seasons 4-7 with Angel Seasons 1-4

Angel Season 5

High School chemistry teacher Walter White has played by the rules his whole life and is frustrated by his mediocre existence and is shaken by a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. Afraid that his family will be left with debilitating debts after his passing, Walter turns to a temporary life as an illegal drug manufacturer.

Horrific in its brutally honest depiction of the drug trade, this groundbreaking series is noted for its expert writing, directing, and superb acting, particularly in the form of Bryan Cranston's Emmy-Winning Role as Walter White.

A deceptively simple depiction of a Deputy's troubled existence after he awakes from a coma in a hospital only to be greeted by a post-apocalyptic world after a zombie invasion. His desire to find and reunite with his wife and son drive him through this show's popular first season. Series creator Frank Darabont (director of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Etc.) crafts an exquisitely realistic and horrific look at humanity's struggle for survival in a zombie-filled Georgia.

A fascinating series tracking the adventures of a conspiracy-investigating FBI Agent Fox Mulder and his skeptical medical doctor partner Dana Scully. A genuinely frightening show at its best, a frustratingly unsatisfying long-term story arc at its worst, this show has featured some unforgettable stories that make this series the Twilight Zone of our generation. Truly thought-provoking and intelligently made.

A powerful ensemble drama, this series frequently crosses into other genre territory with a particular emphasis on science fiction and horror. One of the most interesting TV series ever developed, Lost's island features monsters and myths wrestling with science and faith in a cataclysmic war between light and dark.

As humans begin developing super powers, the government attempts to keep them all in check and under wraps until one of the supers develops into a frightening psychopath who seeks to wipe out all of his kind and dominate the world. As terrifying and horrific as anything seen on network television, this series will chill you as much as thrill you.

This rather comedic police procedural features some of the most bizarre and disturbing murders depicted on network television. Co-starring David Boreanz from Buffy and Angel, Bones is surprisingly entertaining and light-hearted show in spite of its frequently horrific content. The romantic tension between the two leads is drawn out for far too long, but its quirky retinue of supporting characters help even this show out to make it enjoyable.

Although similar in plot and location to Twin Peaks, The Killing is its own organism and is a fascinating remake of a Danish TV series following the murder investigation of a young high school girl. So far the series is promising and we are anxiously awaiting the final episodes of its first season.