Let's face it: being a fan of a television series in winter is always difficult. Most shows go on a hiatus just before the holidays and many don't return for several months.
So what's a television fan to do with all that extra time?
The good news is that Netflix makes it easy to find something similar to watch while waiting for a show's return. Not only can you watch older seasons of most series, but you can also occasionally find new shows similar to what you're missing in the winter.
Here's a guide on what to watch on Netflix while your favorite shows are on winter break.
Like The Flash, Arrow And Gotham? Watch Daredevil And Jessica Jones
Superhero series The Flash, Arrow and Gotham are all on break, so to fill that time, you could always watch Netflix's Daredevil, which also falls in the superhero genre. Daredevil tells the story of Matt Murdock, a blind man who becomes a vigilante and takes on pretty much all forms of street crime. The first season is available in full on Netflix, with season two arriving sometime this year. This is also a must for Marvel fans as it's a part of the Marvel cinematic universe.
The first season of Jessica Jones premiered late last year on Netflix and immediately made a splash. It's a dark tale about an ex-superhero-turned private eye who must face her most challenging villain yet: a man who once controlled her mind and made her do evil things. It turns out that although she thought he was dead, he's not, and now he's back to continue terrorizing her life.
Like Supernatural? Watch The X-Files Or Hemlock Grove
Supernatural returns at the end of the month, but for those who need a paranormal fix, you can't beat reruns of The X-Files. Netflix has all nine seasons of the series, which should give you something to do on those cold winter evenings when it's too cold to go out. Follow along with Mulder and Scully as they investigate some of the weirdest goings-on in the U.S. to find the truth of what's really out there. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to give the series a watch (or re-watch) before it returns this month on Fox.
Hemlock Grove is an original series by Netflix that's all about the supernatural. It's very weird, often wacky, as well as hard to comprehend, but it ticks all the boxes of things that Supernatural fans love: werewolves, vampires, cults, gypsies and everything in between. It also has two compelling leads in Bill Skarsgård and Landon Liboiron. Also, don't miss Famke Janssen's turn as a possessive vampire mommy.
Like Sleepy Hollow? Watch The Witches Of East End Or Salem
Sleepy Hollow doesn't return until February, so if you like stories with fantastical elements and witchcraft, The Witches of East End might fit the bill. Netflix has both seasons of the series that originally aired on Lifetime and it promises some of everything: witchcraft, romance and supernatural pecking orders. The only downside is that Lifetime canceled the series, so if you get to the end of season two and feel dissatisfied with the ending, there's nothing you can do.
There's also WGN America's Salem, with Netflix now streaming the entire first season. Salem takes place in 17th century colonial America, when witchcraft hysteria was high and everyone and their brother faced accusations of witchcraft. The only difference that Salem has from actual historical events, though, is that in this series, witches do exist and it's probably a bad idea to trifle with them. Salem just got renewed for a third season, too, so expect future seasons to appear on the streaming service.
Like The Walking Dead? Watch The Returned Or Z Nation
It feels like forever before The Walking Dead returns from its midseason break (although it comes back in February), so why not fill your time with another zombie-related series? How about one that's more creepy and less in your face? Netflix's The Returned is a French series about a town where dead people suddenly reappear. They don't look like zombies, per se, but as the series progresses, viewers learn that there's definitely something off about them.
If you want something closer to traditional zombies, Syfy's Z Nation now has a season on Netflix. However, these zombies are a little more over the top than anything you'll see Rick Grimes ever come up against, and it's probably a sure bet that this one will make you laugh. And yes, as this is a Syfy series, there is a zombienado. However, it's the baby zombie in the first episode that really stands out.
Like Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Watch Alphas
Before Marvel's cinematic universe started pulling itself together on television and in films, there was a show on Syfy called Alphas, which many fans believe ended well before its time. The series followed a team of government operatives, called Alphas, led by Dr. Lee Rosen. Rosen believed that people with superpowers could serve the greater good by protecting the world from other gifted individuals who would use their powers to do harm.
Much like S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and their struggles with the Inhumans, the Alphas constantly question what being human means, as well as spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to deal with those who can't control their powers (or don't want to).
However, Alphas separated itself from series like S.H.I.E.L.D. because it didn't rely on big-budget special effects, like the Marvel series. Instead, Alphas focuses on the characters and how they struggle with their abilities.
Syfy only gave Alphas two seasons, but the finale was a good wrap-up to the story, so it's definitely worth a watch.
Like Once Upon A Time? Watch Merlin
This season of Once Upon A Time introduced us to the world of Camelot, presenting it in a way we hadn't yet seen it. In the ABC series, Camelot isn't a historical setting, but a separate realm, a place the Storybrooke citizens visit in their quest to save Emma from becoming the Dark One. That quest means finding Merlin.
The BBC series Merlin, however, tells Merlin's story from when he was a young man, living as an apprentice to another sorcerer, hiding from his magic because it's been outlawed in the kingdom of Camelot. Merlin, though, must come into his own by not only befriending Prince Arthur, but also by secretly helping Arthur and his father, the King, to protect Camelot from those who would exploit it.
Like Once Upon A Time, Merlin also featured a dragon, but this one wasn't Maleficent. Instead, Merlin's dragon, voiced by John Hurt, often gives Merlin advice about how to achieve the great destiny that fate has in store for him.
