15 Lesser-Known TV Shows to Binge for Stranger Things Fans

1. Dark Skies (1996-1997)

Set in the '60s in a world where extraterrestrials are secretly manipulating human history, this series follows John Loengard and Kimberly Sayers, a couple caught in the crossfire of a covert war between the U.S. government and aliens. Picture this: JFK assassination theories, alien abductions, and government cover-ups. Each episode is like peeling an onion of conspiracy, with Loengard and Sayers getting deeper into a mess of otherworldly proportions.

2. The Lost Room (2006)

Detective Joe Miller stumbles upon a seemingly ordinary motel room key, but it turns out, the key opens any door to a mysterious, lost motel room. This room is a Pandora's box of bizarre objects with supernatural powers. From a comb that stops time to a pen that microwaves objects, each item is a piece of a puzzle. Joe's quest to find his missing daughter, who vanishes into the room, takes him on a mind-boggling journey.

3. FreakyLinks (2000-2001)

Derek Barnes runs a website dedicated to uncovering the truth behind urban legends and paranormal phenomena. Think X-Files with a dot-com twist. Derek, along with his team, dives headfirst into creepy happenings – from a supposedly dead twin brother sending emails from beyond the grave to a town with no children. It's a buffet of bizarre, served with a side of 2000s internet nostalgia. Sadly, it didn't make much noise at the box office, but it's a freaky treat for anyone into the strange and unexplained.

4. Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992)

Eerie, Indiana is the tale of Marshall Teller, a kid who moves to the weirdest little town in America. We're talking dogs that form secret societies, Tupperware that keeps people young, and even a pair of twins who swap bodies. Each episode is like opening a new chapter of a comic book, filled with the bizarre happenings of Eerie.

5. Lexx (1997-2002)

Picture a ragtag crew aboard the Lexx, the most powerful spacecraft ever. There's a cowardly captain, a love-crazed undead assassin, a quirky love slave, and a robot head. They're fugitives on the run, crossing universes and facing bizarre creatures. It's a melting pot of dark humor, sci-fi, and sheer weirdness.

6. John Doe (2002-2003)

Waking up on an island with no memory but knowing literally everything else in the world. Enter John Doe. He can tell you why the sky is blue, the stock that'll soar tomorrow, but ask him who he is? Nada. Zip. Zilch. As he navigates Seattle trying to figure out his own identity, he aids the police with cases. But there's a mysterious organization hot on his heels, and cryptic clues about his past.

7. Threshold (2005-2006)

An alien spacecraft lands in the North Atlantic, and its inhabitants? Let's just say they're not here for a vacation. They start rewriting Earth's DNA. The US government scrambles a team: a contingency analyst, an astronaut, a microbiologist, and a few others. Their mission? To counteract this alien threat.

8. Nowhere Man (1995-1996)

Imagine this: You're living the dream, and poof, overnight, no one knows you. This is essentially the life of Thomas Veil in Nowhere Man. A photographer by profession, Thomas finds his life obliterated. His wife? Doesn't know him. His bank account? Empty. And the reason behind all this? A mysterious photograph he took titled "Hidden Agenda". The series follows Thomas as he tries to unravel the mystery, with the omnipresent Organization shadowing his every step.

9. American Gothic (1995-1996)

Set in the fictional town of Trinity, South Carolina, American Gothic takes small-town horror to a whole new level. Sheriff Lucas Buck is the law, but he's no Dudley Do-Right. This guy's pure evil with supernatural abilities to boot. The series revolves around his malevolent grip on the town and his attempt to control a young boy named Caleb, who has mysterious ties to him.

10. Jeremiah (2002-2004)

A deadly virus has wiped out everyone above the age of puberty. Fast forward 15 years, and it's a world run by children. Jeremiah, played by Luke Perry, and his pal Kurdy, journey through this new world trying to find a rumored safe haven called "Valhalla Sector". Along the way, they face tribes, warlords, and the personal demons of a world robbed of its adults.

11. Moonlight (2007-2008)

Moonlight is not your typical bloodsucker saga. It centers around Mick St. John, a 90-year-old vampire (but trust me, he doesn't look a day over 30). His love interest, Beth, a reporter, complicates things. Why? He saved her from a kidnapper when she was a child. While it delves into the challenges of immortal love, it also brings action-packed cases that Beth and Mick investigate.

12. Surface (2005-2006)

The series kicks off with mysterious sea creatures popping up worldwide. These aren't your regular fish; they're mysterious and potentially dangerous. We follow the intertwined tales of a marine biologist, a fisherman, and a young boy, each having close encounters with these strange beings. The story bobs between personal discovery, government conspiracies, and ecological warnings.

13. Witchblade (2001-2002)

When detective Sara Pezzini accidentally comes into contact with an ancient, sentient gauntlet called the Witchblade, her world gets turned upside-down. Not just a tool, the Witchblade is an uber-powerful being, choosing its wielder and gifting them with superhuman abilities. Sara's days become a dance between solving New York's most baffling crimes and understanding the mystical lore of her new partner-in-justice.

14. FlashForward (2009-2010)

The entire world blacks out for 137 seconds. But it's not just a power nap. Everyone glimpses their future. Drama unfolds as people grapple with their visions. Some see joy, some see despair, and some see... nada. FBI agent Mark Benford heads the investigation, but it's personal for him too. His own flash-forward is pretty grim.

15. Invasion (2005-2006)

After a hurricane hits the small town of Homestead, things get... weird. Strange lights in the water, unexplained behaviors, and eerie occurrences hint at extraterrestrial influence. Through the eyes of two families, the Varons and the Underlays, the series dives deep into the aftermath of this potential alien invasion. As tensions rise and mysteries unravel, the town is torn between fear, loyalty, and the quest for truth.