10 Best TV Shows About Ghosts, Ranked

Ghosts have haunted television for decades — sometimes to scare us silly, sometimes to make us cry, and sometimes to crack a few jokes from beyond the grave. From gloomy prestige horror to quirky sitcoms, TV has found strange, clever, and occasionally ridiculous ways to explore the afterlife.

Some of these shows lean hard into dread and trauma, scaring the bejesus out of viewers already stricken with fear about their own mortality. Others play things like an “NCIS” procedural, crafting straight-faced heroes whose job it is to solve supernatural crimes or weekly mysteries. A few go big with mythology, demons, and cosmic nonsense that our heroes must tackle head-on. And now and then, one sneaks up on you with surprising heart in the form of a cozy familial drama.

If you’re in the mood for something creepy, funny, or unexpectedly comforting, there is no shortage of ghostly television worth watching. These are the shows that still haunt our dreams (or nightmares) long after the credits roll.

Death and comedy collide in Bryan Fuller’s “Dead Like Me,” a charming series about a group of spirits dubbed “Reapers” whose job is to collect the souls of people moments before they die, help them settle unfinished business, and guide them into the afterlife. It’s a tailor-made-for-TV premise that explores surprisingly funny and thought-provoking territory.

We experience this strange world through George Lass (Ellen Muth), whose life ends abruptly when she’s struck by a piece of falling space debris on her way to work. Given the randomness of her demise, George resists her new existence — in sharp contrast to the other Reapers, who have long since accepted their fate. Her arc becomes a story about regret, identity, second chances, and the things you’d fix if given the opportunity.

Sadly, “Dead Like Me” never quite connected with mainstream audiences and was canceled by Showtime after two seasons. A follow-up TV movie, “Dead Like Me: Life After Death,” released in 2009, attempted to provide additional closure but failed to recapture the magic of Fuller’s original vision. Too bad, because this underrated fantasy series, co-starring Mandy Patinkin, stands as one of the strangest and most quietly effective supernatural shows of the last 20 years.

Many so-called reality television shows about paranormal investigations tend to lean a little too far into credulity. Yet, the long-running “Ghost Adventures” manages to walk the fine line between the absurd and the entertaining thanks to its uncanny ability to craft spine-tingling tension in nearly every episode.

“Ghost Adventures” is less a procedural and more an experience, leaning heavily into atmosphere and emotion. Zak Bagans fully embraces the drama. When unexplained noises echo down long, dark hallways or temperatures suddenly drop, he commits entirely to the moment — an approach that either enlivens or derails the show, depending on your perspective.

It may all be hogwash, but “Ghost Adventures” has a marketable style that wholeheartedly embraces its own mythology. Over the years, viewers have encountered recurring demons, cursed objects, and haunted artifacts, some of which reappear multiple times throughout the series. That serialized thread lends an almost cinematic quality to the investigations, making them feel less like random encounters and more like chapters in an ongoing supernatural saga. Love it or hate it, “Ghost Adventures” has left a sizable imprint on pop culture.

As it turns out, ghosts make for a powerful metaphor for guilt, identity, self-control, and loneliness. For proof, look no further than “Being Human,” a fascinating exploration of humanity seen through the eyes of three very different roommates. “Being Human” follows a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf as they attempt to live normal lives despite their monstrous conditions. As they navigate everyday routines, they face challenges that force them to reconsider not only who they are but who they want to become.

Annie (Lenora Crichlow), the ghost, forms the emotional backbone of the series. At first, she can’t leave the house, can’t touch anyone, and often struggles to be seen or heard — literally stuck both physically and emotionally. As she uncovers the truth about her death, which is tied to her abusive fiancé, she gradually reclaims her agency, learns to harness her abilities, and transforms from a victim of circumstance into someone who owns her afterlife.

“Being Human” is about flawed individuals wrestling with their darkest impulses while searching for connection, forgiveness, and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be human. It isn’t flawless in execution, but few television series blend familiar supernatural lore with universal emotional themes as effectively. And hey, if you prefer the British version, the Syfy remake ran for four seasons, longer than the U.K. original’s initial run with its core cast.

After the success of 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” Columbia Pictures decided to rework everyone’s favorite paranormal investigative team into a children’s cartoon. From 1986 through the early 1990s, “The Real Ghostbusters” was all the rage, arguably even surpassing the popularity of Ivan Reitman’s classic film. In fact, its influence ran so deep that “Ghostbusters II” borrowed several elements directly from the series.

No, really. “The Real Ghostbusters” is a ghoulish treat, brimming with colorful animation, strong voice work, and a rotating lineup of supernatural villains so frightening that the show’s creators later toned down the terror in later seasons.

Each episode follows a simple but effective formula — a spook, specter, or ghost arrives, wreaks havoc across New York City, and forces Peter, Egon, Ray, and Winston to do what they do best. Infused with dry humor, much of it stemming from Lorenzo Music’s cynical Peter Venkman, later replaced by Dave Coulier, and a spirited, pseudo-scientific approach, the series remains one of the more memorable kids’ shows of the 1980s.

Beyond the scares and laughs, the cartoon carefully expanded the “Ghostbusters” mythology — introducing new gadgets, vehicles, and villains while building on ideas from the films. “Ghostbusters” was popular enough to endure in the pop-culture lexicon on its own, but this animated spinoff further elevated the franchise, cementing its legacy as one of the best kids’ cartoons for an entire generation.

Jennifer Love Hewitt headlines this mid-2000s drama that hews closer to shows like “NCIS” than, say, “Being Human.” Oh sure, ghosts abound, but the series centers on Melinda Gordon (Hewitt), a young woman who can see and communicate with earthbound spirits. Much like the lingering souls in “Dead Like Me,” these specters are tethered to the mortal realm by unfinished business — unresolved relationships, buried secrets, guilt, or injustice — that must be addressed before they can cross over.

This isn’t a horror series designed around jump scares or typical horror tropes. Instead, “Ghost Whisperer” treats death with empathy. The ghosts are typically confused souls struggling to make amends with their lives rather than evil entities. Almost every episode concludes with some sort of cathartic, emotional resolution set around tearful goodbyes. 

Hewitt, who pitched a “Ghost Whisperer” reboot in 2023, carries the emotional weight convincingly, using her charisma to ground the high-concept premise. And while the series can get a tad treacly and repetitive, Hewitt’s performance remains consistent throughout, particularly in the bumpy later seasons. “Ghost Whisperer” won’t knock your socks off. It is relatively simple in execution and predictable in its storytelling. Still, it hits all the right emotional beats to ensure viewers feel all warm and fuzzy during the end credits. 

Another procedural, “Medium,” takes a more grounded approach than “Ghost Whisperer” and lacks the flamboyant energy of “Ghost Adventures.” Instead, this NBC (and later CBS) hit is steady in its approach, neither outright terrifying nor flashy, but deftly committed to its familial drama and weekly mysteries.

Patricia Arquette stars as Allison Dubois, a suburban wife and mother who works as a consultant for the district attorney’s office, where she uses her unique ability to see and hear the dead to solve violent crimes around town. Her ghostly apparitions are less focused on emotional closure than on seeking justice, pushing the drama closer to “Law & Order” than gothic horror.

Running for seven seasons, “Medium” proved incredibly durable for a paranormal drama. The series doesn’t reinvent the genre or offer new perspectives on life after death, but it provides a blend of crime procedural and supernatural mystery that makes for an engaging weekly viewing experience. On the negative side, “Medium’s” predictable structure prevents it from achieving its full potential. While long-running, the latter seasons struggle to sustain momentum and tend to shift Allison’s abilities to suit the plot’s needs. Consider it comfort food rather than a fully satisfying meal, and you’ll have a good time.

Those seeking something outside of gloomy or weepy procedurals may want to try “Ghosts.” A British comedy, this lighthearted farce centers on a young couple, Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike Cooper (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), who inherit a crumbling estate only to discover it is packed with spirits from different historical periods — a situation that grows more complicated when a near-death experience allows Alison to see and communicate with her new roommates. Financial and supernatural circumstances force both parties to coexist in the crumbling locale, and before long, each is able to cast aside their respective ideologies and live in relative peace.

Don’t misunderstand, this is still a playful show with biting satire. Many of the gags derive from observations made by the ghosts, whose perspectives shift depending on the time period in which they lived. Many are emotionally stuck in the moment of their deaths and must confront their own shame and mistakes to evolve beyond simplistic caricatures.

Like “Being Human,” “Ghosts” was remade in the U.S. as a more straightforward sitcom, but it sticks closely to the original’s formula and characterizations. Each version has its own strengths and weaknesses, and both are worth a look for anyone seeking a light exploration of the afterlife.

Revolving mostly around vampires, “Dark Shadows” nonetheless embraces all things supernatural, including ghosts, to spin a unique soap opera that was far ahead of its time when it debuted in 1966. Set in Collinsport, the series focuses on the day-to-day lives of the Collins clan, particularly Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), a tragic vampire seeking redemption. The result is an assortment of melodrama brought to life through black-and-white cinematography (at least in its early run). Produced on a tight daytime schedule, the show’s theatrical staging and occasional flubbed lines only added to its strange charm, leading to a pop-cultural phenomenon that lasted for five seasons and paved the way for later supernatural dramas.

Ghosts are woven into the show’s fabric, lingering in hallways, whispering secrets, and quietly altering the plot. Combine that with an admittedly overstuffed mythology — which includes everything from time travel and parallel universes to witches and other nasty ghouls — and you have yourself a wildly inventive, if occasionally convoluted, weekly series.

Granted, its low-budget charm may not cast the same spell today as it did 60 years ago. Viewers may be wary of diving into a series featuring more than 1,200 Episodes, as Barnabas doesn’t even arrive until Episode 211, but those willing to commit will have a lot of fun and witness some of the wildest storylines ever devoted to a soap opera. Just steer clear of Tim Burton’s 2012 theatrical adaptation.

“Supernatural” debuted in 2005 and ran for an astonishing 15 seasons, concluding in 2020 after 327 episodes. Throughout the series, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) Winchester battled everything from angels and demons to cosmic entities, continually reinventing themselves without ever losing sight of their core focus.

Uniquely, “Supernatural” started as a knockoff of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” leaning into urban legends and haunted-house stories, delivering genuinely eerie, monster-of-the-week episodes that still hold up. Gradually, the scope grew more apocalyptic, but ghosts and hauntings remained central to the series, ensuring it never strayed too far from its roots.

For those unaware, “Supernatural” follows brothers Dean and Sam as they travel across America hunting ghosts, demons, and other frightful creatures. As the series grew in popularity, the mythology expanded to include strange prophecies, Heaven and Hell politics, and larger mythic arcs, but it always circled back to two brothers trying to protect each other while saving innocent people from otherworldly threats.

Like every series, “Supernatural” has its share of great episodes, weak episodes, great seasons, and uneven seasons. Overall, though, it remains a durable piece of pop culture entertainment that doesn’t take itself too seriously — at least in its later years.

Creepy, effective, and surprisingly emotional, Mike Flanagan’s “The Haunting of Hill House” takes Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel and spins it into a human drama about a family attempting to overcome a supernatural incident that severed their relationships. Zipping back and forth through time, Flanagan bypasses typical jump scares in favor of something deeper and often darker.

Don’t let his approach dissuade you from checking out this masterclass in television. “Hill House” is genuinely frightening at times, right down to the dozens of hidden ghosts Flanagan fits into nearly every shot — lingering behind doors, peering through windows, and occasionally standing in plain sight. They’re not always malevolent, but they’ll absolutely send shivers down your spine.

The greater threats lurking in “Hill House” are the inward demons plaguing the beleaguered Crain family. Whether it’s drug addiction, depression, jealousy, or guilt, the clan grapples with far more than simple ghostly apparitions. And while the series takes a sharp left turn in the finale — one that may leave some viewers scratching their heads — the journey is so expertly crafted that the destination doesn’t matter.

One Episode is designed to appear as a single continuous take, creatively alternating between a present-day funeral and a spine-tingling event in the past. It’s just one of the many treats Flanagan serves up in this spooky Netflix experience.