Once you’ve spent hours glued to The Walking Dead, it’s hard not to want more. There’s something about the tension, the chaos, and those jaw-dropping “did they really just do that?!” moments that just keeps you invested. But let’s face it, the rewatches can only take you so far.
Sometimes you need fresh stories, new worlds, and different characters facing impossible odds to get that same adrenaline rush. Good news! There are a bunch of other post-apocalyptic shows out there that bring all the suspense and gnarly danger that the Walking Dead fans live for. And you don't even have to go looking for them yourself.
We’ve done the digging for you and put together a list of four thrilling post-apocalyptic shows that are guaranteed to scratch that Walking Dead itch. All you need to do is add them to your watchlist!
Black Summer
- Created by: Karl Schaefer and John Hyams
- Cast: Jaime King, Justin Chu Cary, Christine Lee, Sal Velez Jr., Kelsey Flower, Erika Hau, Gwynyth Walsh
- Seasons: 2
- Based on: Z Nation show
- Where to watch: Netflix
If you’re in the mood for a post-apocalyptic show that doesn’t mess around, Black Summer might be exactly what you’re looking for. This isn’t the kind of series where characters sit around debating plans for half an episode. Things go wrong fast, people panic faster, and suddenly you’re right in the middle of the apocalypse with no idea who’s going to make it out alive.
The story kicks off during the earliest days of a zombie outbreak, when everything is still completely falling apart. The military is trying and mostly failing to evacuate civilians, safe zones are already shaky, and no one really understands what’s happening yet.
At the center of it all is Rose, a mother who gets separated from her daughter during an evacuation. From that moment on, the show becomes one long, nerve-wracking race against time. Along the way, she crosses paths with other survivors, each with their own way of coping with the apocalypse.
The Last of Us
- Created by: Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
- Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever
- Seasons: 2 and a third on the way
- Based on: The Last of Us video games
- Where to watch: HBO Max
The Last of Us is one of the newest post-apocalyptic shows. In fact, it's the only one on this list that's still airing. The series drops you into a world devastated by a fungal outbreak that turns humans into fast, terrifying infected, and doesn’t hold back on danger or tension.
At the center of the story are Joel, a hardened survivor carrying heavy scars, and Ellie, a clever and courageous teenager who might be humanity’s last hope. Together, they embark on a perilous journey across a crumbling America, facing not just the infected but desperate humans who’ll do anything to survive.
Snowpiercer
- Created by: Josh Friedman and Graeme Manson
- Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Mickey Sumner, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg, Susan Park, Katie McGuinness, Sam Otto
- Seasons: 4
- Based on: Snowpiercer movie (2013) and Le Transperceneige graphic novel (1982)
- Where to watch: AMC+
Snowpiercer is a wild, thrilling, and completely addictive post-apocalyptic series that you'll regret not watching sooner. Set in a frozen world where humanity’s last survivors live aboard a train that never stops, the show turns survival into a high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat drama.
At the front of the train, the elite enjoy luxury and power. But at the tail, the poorest passengers struggle just to survive, and tensions simmer constantly in between. The story kicks off when Andre Layton, a former homicide detective from the tail section, is brought to the front to investigate a murder that shakes the already fragile balance of life on the train.
What starts as a murder mystery quickly evolves into a larger battle for justice and equality, as Layton discovers the deep corruption, secrets, and inequalities that the elite are hiding.
The 100
- Created by: Jason Rothenberg
- Cast: Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Thomas McDonell, Eli Goree, Marie Avgeropoulos, Bob Morley, Kelly Hu, Christopher Larkin
- Seasons: 7
- Based on: The 100 novel series
- Where to watch: Available to purchase on digital platforms
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to land on a post-apocalyptic Earth with zero preparation, no map, and a hundred teens who barely know how to survive in the wild, well, The 100 is basically that. It's easily one of the best post-apocalyptic shows, and you'd be missing out if you haven’t jumped on board yet!
The story kicks off nearly a century after a nuclear apocalypse wiped out most of humanity, leaving survivors aboard a space station called the Ark. With resources running dangerously low, 100 juvenile prisoners are sent to Earth to see if the planet is habitable again. But things go sideways fast. Once on the ground, the teens face harsh terrain, deadly wildlife, radiation, and, most dangerously, other humans who have survived the apocalypse and formed their own societies.