Loved The Sandman on Netflix? Here's what you should watch next

The Sandman on Netflix
(Image credit: Netflix)

It's been a week since the hugely anticipated TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic book series went live on Netflix, and we can't stop thinking about it. Rich, diverse characters, sprawling themes, epic fantasy world building, horror overtones and beautiful storytelling – this show has a bit of everything for everyone.

What's it about? It follows Morpheus, The Lord of Dreams, as he emerges from a decades-long imprisonment and embarks on a journey to restore his power and tend to his realm. Along the way we meet characters and creatures affected by Dream's absence, and it's their stories, dreams and hopes that form the core of the show.

There is so much to enjoy here, and the tone is much darker and more grown up than your usual comic book adaptation. There's the Endless – Dream and his siblings are personifications of human ideas and aspects, each with their distinct personalities and governing their own realms. There's Lucifer Morningstar and a trip to Hell. There are waking nightmares, a centuries-spanning friendship, a horrific night in a diner, and a talking raven.

If you've finished bingeing season one and need more shows on a similar vein, we've rustled up a list of TV shows to whet your appetite.

And if you haven't caught up with The Sandman yet and want to know what all the fuss is about, step into the Dreaming and stream all 10 episodes on Netflix.

His Dark Materials – BBC iPlayer, HBO Max

Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials is brought to life in this gorgeous adaptation. The show concerns the orphan Lyra, a mysterious particle called Dust, and the ominous Magisterium that wants to suppress it. Lyra embarks on an adventure that crosses worlds (literally) while battling kidnappers, family secrets and the powerful clerical order alike.

The world building is as exquisite as The Sandman, although it's rooted in a reality that's just a shade removed from ours, imbued with magical elements. There are talking polar bears, wise witches, airships and, most effective of all, daemons – external manifestations of a person's soul that take on the form of a talking animal. 

It's a lavish and captivating show that doesn't shy away from confronting themes of science vs religion, and there's a dark tension underpinning all the characters' motivations and actions. The fantasy elements are, simply, magical. 

The first two seasons of His Dark Materials can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and HBO Max, and the third and final season is due to arrive at the end of 2022.

The Umbrella Academy – Netflix

Come for the super-powered but dysfunctional sibling dynamics, stay for the excellent needle drops. 

The Umbrella Academy, an adaptation of the comic book series written by Gerard Way, focuses on seven estranged adopted siblings with unique superpowers who reunite to solve their recently-deceased father's death and prevent an impending apocalypse. 

It's a tantalising premise, made more entertaining by the clashing personalities of the siblings – all with their own quirks, resentments, secrets and extraordinary abilities that are far more interesting than those of your average superhero. The show tackles themes both big and small, with a colourful palette and pop-culture savvy tone, a quick and quippy script, and characters who are empathetic and also just plain fun to hang out with. Even when they're too busy squabbling with each other to save the world.

It's fun, it's violent, it's got a wicked soundtrack. And there's time travel, too.

You can watch all three seasons on Netflix now.

Constantine – Amazon Prime Video

If you loved Jenna Coleman's superb portrayal of Johanna Constantine in The Sandman and want more, there's always the 2014 series Constantine.

Not to be confused with the 2005 Keanu Reeves film (which is excellent if not comics-accurate), this short-lived TV show was a more faithful rendition of the trenchcoat-wearing, scouse-accented occult detective of the Hellblazer comics. 

There are demons, monsters, angels and ghosts – all of which John Constantine goes around casting out and saving humans from, while trying to save his own damned soul. The early episodes take on a 'monster-of-the-week' format that can get a little generic but the show does come into its own and matures into its darker tone toward the end. The highlight is Matt Ryan's pitch-perfect portrayal of John Constantine, who is an immensely interesting and likeable anti-hero: charming, cynical, compassionate and complicated.

Happily, there's talks of reviving the show under a different showrunner – J. J. Abrams. Let's hope it happens, as this fan favourite character deserves it.

Constantine lasted one season with 13 episodes, and you can buy them all on Amazon Prime Video.

The Fades – BBC iPlayer

We don't want to get into the habit of recommending shows that have been cancelled, but The Fades – an original BBC Three horror drama from 2011 – might just be the greatest TV show to ever be prematurely cancelled. It's only six episodes. It even won a BAFTA Award for the Best Drama Series in 2012. 

The show wears its horror influences on its sleeve right from the start. The Fades is about Paul, a shy, geeky teenage boy who has terrifying visions of spirits of dead people – called Fades – and is plunged into a nightmare scenario when one of these Fades crosses over into our real world.

It's incredibly creepy. The dread, the horror, the stakes – all palpable and will be forever imprinted in your mind. The show takes itself seriously and the innovative story is high concept (an original, compared with all the adaptations on this list), but it has relatable characters that you hope are going to be okay.

The cast is wildly talented and full of now-famous stars, including Iain De Caestecker (Marvel's Agents of SHIELD), Natalie Dormer (Game Of Thrones) and Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther, Nope) on fine form as Paul's best friend Mac.

You can watch The Fades on BBC iPlayer now.

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Kashfia Kabir
Hi-Fi and Audio Editor

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand over 10 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.

  • AndreiGavs
    Disgrace! It's impossible to watch any of the latest Netflix series because of their tendency to cram all sorts of sexual sentiment everywhere. Tired! I want to watch the plot of the series, a fantasy story. But Netflix rolls everywhere "I don't care about the plot, let's discuss what orientation you are." Sucks! The entire fifth series is built on sexual preferences. The seventh series seeks to tell me about all the directions of sexual preferences that have nothing to do with the plot at all! Well, after all, they were able to weave the orientation of Alex Burges normally in the first series. Well, after all, they could just as well weave Konstantin's orientation into the plot. But why slide down to writing whole series telling me about different sexual directions and having nothing to do with the main theme and plot of the series? Completely rotten brains!
    Reply
  • GSV Ethics Gradient
    Perhaps you should watch something else? It's not as though there's a lack of choice at the moment...
    Reply
  • AndreiGavs
    12th Monkey said:
    Perhaps you should watch something else? It's not as though there's a lack of choice at the moment...
    I also watch other shows. The trouble is that they shove this topic everywhere! Everywhere this topic pops up! And I agree when it's part of the plot, no question. But why shove it by force where it is not needed at all? Like a dog's fifth leg. Outright spoiling great shows because some idiot in management wrote "We don't care what the show is about, but the topic of sexual diversity should be covered." That's bullshit!
    Reply
  • GSV Ethics Gradient
    I think we're straying off the OP topic and into areas that forum guidelines don't permit, so I think it's best you leave it there. Rules can be found in a sticky at the start of each sub-forum.
    Reply