All 13 American Horror Story Seasons & The TV Shows They're Most Like
American Horror Story season 13 (officially titled simply 13) is officially over. The finale aired October 29th, and for some, the season’s end couldn’t come soon enough. In the kindest terms, most fans seem to consider this latest season a bit of a mess, with its Rotten Tomatoes audience score currently at 31%.
The good news, though, is that for those who found 13 disappointing, there are 12 other seasons to rewatch while waiting for the already-confirmed American Horror Story season 14. Ryan Murphy’s shows have a tendency to vary in quality by season, but some past seasons of American Horror Story deserve to be viewed more than once. However, if one needs a break from American Horror Story after season 13, the better news is that, no matter which season one loved most, there are shows with similar vibes that could become a new favorite.
They won’t be quite the same (especially as every American Horror Story season includes several varying storylines and themes), but these series capture the best parts of each. Whether one enjoyed the twisted family drama and brutal character deaths of Murder House or fell in love with Hotel‘s gorgeous costumes and vampires, these other bingeworthy series are just waiting to be viewed.
Season 1: Murder House
Most Like: The Haunting Of Hill House
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Murder House is arguably the best season of American Horror Story, so finding a show that lives up to it is challenging. However, The Haunting of Hill House more than gets the job done. Both shows revolve around a house that’s more than it seems — alive and haunted by ghosts around every corner. They also focus on a family moving into that house while dealing with personal demons, which eventually leads to their downfall. As one of the best horror miniseries around, The Haunting of Hill House is definitely one Murder House fans will adore.
Season 2: Asylum
Most Like: Ratched
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Fans who loved Asylum most will find an almost perfect sequel in Ratched. Not only does it star Sarah Paulson, but it was developed by Ryan Murphy. The series is a prequel to the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Paulson plays Nurse Ratched as she arrives at a psychiatric institution where experimenting with treatment techniques like scalding hot baths isn’t outside the norm. Ratched has her own secret reasons for being there, and as it turns out, she’s an excellent fit for a place where nearly everyone is a villain.
Season 3: Coven
Most Like: Mayfair Witches
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Like Zoe in Coven, Rowan, the protagonist of Mayfair Witches, gets thrown into the world of witchcraft after accidentally killing someone with powers she didn’t know she had. She discovers she’s the heir to a powerful magical dynasty and also learns about Lasher, the ancient, malevolent spirit that holds sway over her family line. While Mayfair Witches eventually goes in a different direction than Coven, it has the same Southern Gothic vibes that permeated every inch of that season of American Horror Story, along with tons of drama to entertain.
Season 4: Freak Show
Most Like: Carnivàle
Forgotten masterpiece Carnivàle follows the members of a traveling carnival during the Dust Bowl, including a bearded lady, snake charmer, conjoined twins, and protagonist Ben Hawkins, who has healing powers. While Carnivàle lacks the serial-killer element of Freak Show, it does feature a Methodist minister, Brother Justin, who learns he can control those around him and uses it to his advantage. Ben and Brother Justin have different storylines, but they merge more and more over time, until it becomes clear they’re caught in a battle between good and evil that’s bigger than they are.
Season 5: Hotel
Most Like: Interview with the Vampire
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While The Strain might technically be a better fit for how Hotel‘s vampires are created, no show is better than Interview with the Vampire when it comes to decadent vampires and messy relationships. Like Hotel, this series explores revenge and atonement as Louis, Lestat, and teenage vampire Claudia weave through a cycle of violence and betrayal. Interview with the Vampire features some truly horrific moments, while Lestat should feel especially familiar to AHS fans. He has serious abandonment issues like Sally and rage not unlike Tristan’s. The show also offers a similar theatricality as Hotel, resulting in a bloody visual feast.
Season 6: Roanoke
Most Like: The River
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Found footage and supernatural happenings make the underrated 2012 TV show The River an excellent next watch for those who loved Roanoke. Explorer Dr. Emmet Cole went to the Amazon with a small team and disappeared. Now his family and a crew are on a mission to find him. Unfortunately, to do so, they’ll have to contend with spirits, curses, and other supernatural entities. It might not be inspired by a true story like Roanoke, but The River has a unique premise (and only 8 episodes, so it’s a quick watch), which should be right up Roanoke fans’ alley.
Season 7: Cult
Most Like: The Following
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Cult leader Kai Anderson might have planned to have his followers kill several pregnant women in Cult, but serial killer Joe Carroll manages to create a cult of fanatical killers — while in prison — all willing to go to any lengths for him in The Following. In the first season, Carroll escapes, and FBI Agent Ryan Hardy must recapture him, which creates a twisty game of cat-and-mouse. With that, plus the violence that drew some criticism when it first aired, The Following is an extremely fun ride reminiscent of Cult.
Season 8: Apocalypse
Most Like: The Stand
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Apocalypse might have technically undone its post-apocalyptic world with the help of the Coven witches and some time travel, but for those who enjoyed the dystopian future that almost was, The Stand is a great fit. Based on Stephen King’s classic novel, The Stand features a world ravaged by a virus called Captain Trips, leaving few survivors. Those survivors all inexplicably find themselves drawn to either Mother Abigail, a 108-year-old woman, or Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, who become the focal points of an elemental battle between good and evil that will decide humanity’s fate.
Season 9: 1984
Most Like: Crystal Lake
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Crystal Lake is the obvious next best thing to 1984; after all, 1984 was heavily influenced by the slasher films of the 1980s, including Friday the 13th. Crystal Lake not only has those impeccable summer camp vibes, but it also reveals plenty of secrets as the series goes on (and involves plenty of murder). Add in the wild twists the show throws at viewers (including one that finally reveals how Jason Voorhees managed to survive drowning in the original movie), and it’s sure to be a hit with 1984 fans.
Season 10, Part 1: Double Feature: Red Tide
Most Like: Midnight Mass
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Red Tide and Midnight Mass are quite similar at the core, although one deals with creativity and the fear of losing it, while the other explores grief and faith. Both, though, involve a newcomer passing out something that seems like a miracle cure (pills to aid creativity in Red Tide, and the blood of an Angel that heals in Midnight Mass) and feature people turning into bloodthirsty creatures after consuming these cures. Midnight Mass‘ ending might be a bit more desolate, but fans of Red Tide will likely love it (and can binge it in under 12 hours).
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