23 of the best TV shows to put you in the fall mood

Is any show more appropriate for a fall-themed binge than "Gilmore Girls"? The two titular "girls," Lorelai and her daughter, Rory, seem to spend all their time sipping coffee in sweaters while walking around their Connecticut small town, Stars Hollow.

Even when it's not autumn in "Gilmore Girls" ... it's always autumn. The leaves are always changing colors, there's always a crisp breeze, and pumpkins abound.

The show, which ended in 2007, remains a favorite. Netflix acquired it in 2014 and in 2024, Nielsen reported that "Gilmore Girls" was the 7th most-watched show across streaming platforms in 2023.

Maybe skip "A Year in the Life," though.

"Gilmore Girls" is streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.

Fans of "Gilmore Girls" should also check out "Ginny and Georgia," which is the story of another mother-daughter duo living in a quaint New England town.

"Ginny and Georgia" takes place in the fictional town of Wellsbury, Massachusetts. While it's not as whimsical as Stars Hollow, the atmosphere is similar.

Plus, the first season takes place entirely in the lead-up to Election Day in November. There's even an iconic Halloween episode. Season two ends with a winter wonderland, so it can take you all the way through the new year, and season three picks up immediately after.

And like "Gilmore Girls," "Ginny and Georgia" has been a hit with viewers — it was the third-most-watched original show on streaming platforms in 2023, Nielsen reported.

"Ginny and Georgia" is streaming on Netflix.

"Virgin River" is a good example of gentle TV, and could be a solid replacement for anyone craving a CW show. It's about a woman, Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), who moves from the big city of Los Angeles to a small town in Northern California called, you guessed it, Virgin River.

Throughout the show's six (and counting) seasons, Mel becomes an integral part of the community, and we learn more about the other residents of the town, including her love interest Jack (Martin Henderson), the mayor, Hope (Annette O'Toole), and Hope's husband and town doctor, Doc (Tim Matheson).

"Virgin River" is streaming on Netflix.

It's back-to-school season, and what could be better than watching Sandra Oh delight in "The Chair" as an English department chair in way over her head at a fictional New England university?

Throw in Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, and Bob Balaban, and you've got more blazers than you could wear in five consecutive Octobers.

"The Chair" is streaming on Netflix.

In "October Road," a successful author and screenwriter Nick Garrett returns to his charming New England hometown of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts, after 10 years away.

With the leads of Bryan Greenberg and Laura Prepon, this show easily could've lasted longer than its two seasons. Alas, we only have two.

"October Road" is rentable online.

The horror series, which immediately captivated viewers upon its release in 2018, will definitely get you in a spooky mood.

It's loosely based on the 1959 Shirley Jackson novel of the same name and is focused on the Crane family, both in the present day and in the '80s when they moved into Hill House, which was (and is) haunted by ghosts. The estranged siblings have to come together to finally free their family from the demons of their past.

The sequel series, "The Haunting of Bly Manor," was released in October 2020 and is based on the Henry James novella "The Turning of the Screw."

"The Haunting of Hill House" and "The Haunting of Bly Manor" are streaming on Netflix.

Even though "Twin Peaks" takes place in the dregs of winter, the show has an autumnal aesthetic.

The town of Twin Peaks is located in Washington state, and throughout the entire show, there's a hazy, rainy glow over all 30 (original) episodes.

Originally, the plot focused on FBI Agent Dale Cooper, who is sent to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of high school student Laura Palmer, but it quickly becomes about way more than one dead homecoming queen, as Cooper drinks coffee and spends copious amounts of time in a cozy diner.

The original two seasons of "Twin Peaks" and the 2017 sequel series "Twin Peaks: The Return" are streaming on Paramount+. The 1992 movie, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me," is available on HBO Max.

"This Is Us," the story of the extended Pearson family throughout their lives, starts with the Pearson triplets on their birthday, August 31: the last day of summer before September rolls around and brings fall weather and pumpkin spice lattes.

Another key part of "This Is Us" lore is Thanksgiving, which the Pearsons love and have more traditions for than any other family in America.

All six seasons of "This Is Us" are streaming on Hulu, Disney+, and the NBC website — and if that's not enough, stars Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, and Chris Sullivan host a rewatch podcast called "That Was Us."

Costume designer Angus Strathie told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 that the show's director, Lee Toland Krieger, wanted the town of Greendale and the show to feel like "an eternal autumn."

This updated, downright creepy version of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" turns everyone into devil-worshiping and powerful witches, with Sabrina's birthday on — you guessed it — Halloween.

All four seasons of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" are streaming on Netflix.

"Bates Motel" is a prequel to the iconic horror film "Psycho," and focuses on a young Norman Bates with his mom, Norma, as they live their very complicated lives in the Pacific Northwest.

The show is filled with a sense of dread, as we all know where Norman's path leads, which makes it the perfect spooky season viewing.

All five seasons of "Bates Motel" are streaming on Prime Video.

The first two seasons of "Stranger Things" take place in the fall: Season one starts in November and takes place over a week, while season two begins a year later, with Halloween. The town of Hawkins, Indiana, is a perfect Midwestern example of fall '80s nostalgia, when kids could just wander around on their bikes or go trick-or-treating without any supervision. Plus, it's another spooky show to get you ready for Halloween.

The third season takes place over summer vacation, and season four begins with spring break, so the fifth season, which will be released on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve this year, could easily take us back to the fall vibes that made us fall in love with the show in the first place.

The show — one of Netflix's most popular — follows a group of middle schoolers (Lucas, Dustin, and Mike) as they work together to find their missing friend, Will, with the help of a mysterious girl with no name, the sheriff, their older siblings, and their mom — all of whom are convinced that something larger is at work.

"Stranger Things" is streaming on Netflix.

"Friday Night Lights" focuses on the small town of Dillon, Texas, which treats its high school football players and their coach, Eric Taylor, like royalty.

As the show takes place during football season, much of the drama goes down between September and December and always has a back-to-school feel. Even if you don't like football, "Friday Night Lights" will suck you in with its lovable characters and realistic portrayal of small-town life.

"Friday Night Lights" is streaming on Prime Video.

Frequently cited as one of the best one-season wonders of all time, "My So-Called Life" starts at the beginning of Angela Chase's sophomore year of high school, as she navigates her first relationship, her contentious relationship with her parents, and the unrequited love of one of her good friends. Watching it will take you right back to the first day of school.

Almost all of the show's single season takes place during the fall — only a few episodes are in the winter.

"My So-Called Life" is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

"Charmed," the WB series about the three (later, four) Halliwell sisters who happen to be the most powerful witches in the world, took place in San Francisco, which always seems to have a fall climate in the show — there are lots of long-sleeved shirts and no jackets.

Plus with witches, you know there's always going to be candles, supernatural occurrences, and lots of spells.

The original "Charmed" is streaming on Peacock, Prime Video, and Pluto TV. The 2018 CW reboot is streaming on Netflix.

All of "American Horror Story" is Halloween-appropriate, but some seasons are more autumnal than others.

As "American Horror Story" is an anthology show, every season tells a contained story — to really get in the fall mood, we'd recommend "Murder House," which takes place around Halloween, "Coven," which is heavy on witch vibes and voodoo, "Asylum" and "Roanoke" which both feel like a horror film, "Cult," which takes place right after the presidential election," and "Apocalypse," which contains characters from the different seasons.

That means you can (if you want) skip "Freak Show," "Hotel," "1984," "Double Feature," "NYC," and "Delicate."

"American Horror Story" is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

If you're looking for a more vintage vibe, "The Twilight Zone" is the ultimate Halloween show.

Every episode of "The Twilight Zone," narrated by Rod Serling, contains its own little creepy sci-fi story — think "Black Mirror" but the '50s and '60s — and contains episodes written by some of the most iconic sci-fi writers ever, like Lucille Fletcher, Ray Bradbury, and Jerome Bixby, among others.

Plus, it'll take years before you run out of the content: The original series aired five seasons, there's the 1983 movie, the three-season '80s revival, a 2002 revival narrated by Forest Whitaker, and a 2019 revival narrated by Jordan Peele.

Still not convinced? In 2013, TV Guide named "The Twilight Zone" the fifth-best show of all time.

The original five seasons are streaming on Paramount+, while the 2019 revival is on Pluto TV.

"The Outer Limits" was ABC's response to "The Twilight Zone," though its episodes relied more heavily on sci-fi than the supernatural elements of some "Twilight Zone" episodes.

The original "Outer Limits" is streaming on Roku, Pluto TV, and Tubi. The '90s revival is on The Roku Channel.

"Halloween Wars" is one of the only fall-themed cooking competitions on TV. It takes the basic premise of "Cupcake Wars" and adds a Halloween twist — each episode sees the teams compete in the realms of pumpkin carving, sugar glass making, and cake sculpting to make the perfect creepy confections.

Plus, it's hosted by Mr. "It's October 3rd" himself, Jonathan Bennett.

"Halloween Wars" is available to watch on HBO Max.

The creator of "The Haunting of Hill House," Mike Flanagan, released a horror series in 2021 called "Midnight Mass."

It follows Riley (Zach Gilford), who has returned home to the tiny Crockett Island after serving a four-year prison sentence for killing someone while driving drunk, and Father Paul (Hamish Linklater), the town's new priest who may or may not be a vampire.

Beware: This series is not for the faint of heart.

"Midnight Mass" is streaming on Netflix.

Based on the 1994 novel of the same name, and other spooky stories also written by author Christopher Pike, Mike Flanagan's "The Midnight Club" is the story of eight terminally ill teens who live together at the Brightcliffe Home hospice. Every night at midnight, they meet to tell each other scary stories.

But, in true Flanagan fashion, not everything is as it seems at Briarcliffe.

"The Midnight Club" is streaming on Netflix.

"The Fall of the House of Usher," the latest Flanagan series, gets its name from the Edgar Allen Poe short story of the same name, but it's more of an "Avengers" meet-up of characters from all across Poe's literary canon.

The series focuses on Roderick Usher, the CEO of a corrupt pharmaceutical company who must reckon with his past after his children mysteriously begin dying.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is streaming on Netflix.

"Only Murders in the Building" combines cozy fall fashion with a harrowing murder mystery — Selena Gomez's character, Mabel, rocks some of the best coats we've seen on TV in a long time.

But "Only Murders" is actually the story of three neighbors (and crime podcast junkies) who find themselves thrust into a mystery when another resident of their New York City apartment building is found dead. Using their amateur sleuth skills, these three (Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin) team up to solve the case.

Four seasons (so far) of "Only Murders in the Building" are streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Season five premieres on September 9.

One of the most iconic "Charlie Brown" specials of all time is easily the tale of the Great Pumpkin, whom Linus wholeheartedly believes in and is convinced will come to the town's pumpkin patch if he believes hard enough. The antics of the "Charlie Brown" crew are entertaining at all ages.

You can find "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on Apple TV+.