10 Best Horror Comedy Shows of All Time, Ranked

Horror comedy occupies a delightfully strange corner of television, where chills meet laughter. Whether poking fun at haunted house tropes, reveling in absurd gore, or blending supernatural and slapstick, these shows offer a twisted escape from reality. The best ones don’t just mock the macabre—they embrace it, spinning spooky scenarios into wickedly entertaining narratives filled with eccentric characters and bizarre situations.

Whether the family-friendly thrills of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, the graphic chainsaw-wielding carnage of Ash vs Evil Dead or the vampiric adventures of What We Do in the Shadows, the comedy-to-horror ratio varies to appease any viewer. There’s something irresistible about watching the peculiar coexist with the mundane—a zombie solving crimes in iZombie or a gothic family living among conformists in The Addams Family. These are the best horror comedy shows, ranked by how well they embody the hallmarks of both horror and comedy.

10

‘The Addams Family’ (1964–1966)

Created by David Levy

The Addams are a delightfully eccentric, wealthy, and loving family with a passion for the macabre and supernatural. Led by the charming Gomez (John Astin) and his elegant wife Morticia (Carolyn Jones), they live with their children Wednesday (Lisa Loring) and Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax), along with peculiar relatives, butler Lurch (Ted Cassidy) and the disembodied hand Thing. Though warm and welcoming, their bizarre lifestyle often confounds outsiders, who are both horrified and fascinated by the Addams’ spooky mansion and odd customs.

Kooky and kind-hearted, The Addams Family strikes a splendid balance between gothic horror and social satire, remaining timeless, as evidenced by the Addams’ franchise’s many adaptations. The comedy of the show is derived from juxtaposing the Addamses and the more “normal” outsiders who encounter the family. Despite their unorthodox ways, the Addamses are warm and welcoming, challenging their neighbors’ perception of them. Wholesome yet wonderfully spooky, the show satirizes conformity while celebrating individuality. Its enduring charm makes it a true classic in television history.

9

‘Shining Vale’ (2022–2023)

Created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan

Hoping to salvage their crumbling marriage, Pat Phelps (Courteney Cox) and her husband Terry (Greg Kinnear) move with their teenage kids, trading the bustle of the city for a sinister old house in a small town. While the family remains oblivious, Pat begins to witness disturbing—possibly supernatural—phenomena, causing her to question her sanity. As paranormal forces and experiences escalate, Pat must confront whether the demons she faces are her own or truly of supernatural origin.

Shining Vale contains various references to Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and most prominently The Shining, parodying horror tropes and highlighting the dismissal of women’s concerns and struggles. Pat is caught between paranormal and psychological chaos, with her paranoia reflecting the isolation women often endure when labeled as “crazy.” The show unsettlingly and cleverly deconstructs women’s roles in the horror genre with themes of mental health and repressed trauma.

8

‘iZombie’ (2015–2019)

Created by Diane Ruggiero and Rob Thomas

Liv Moore’s (Rose McIver) life takes a shocking turn when a party leaves her transformed into a zombie. To satisfy her craving for brains without harming others, she takes a job at the morgue. Eating brains gives Liv visions of the deceased’s memories and allows her to take on some of their personality traits. She uses these new powers to help Detective Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) solve murders. Liv attempts to keep her zombie identity a secret as she adjusts to her new lifestyle and newfound crime-solving purpose.

iZombie delivers a fresh spin on the zombie trope while maintaining the characteristics that have made the undead beings classic. The show is gory, and the murderous scenarios are inherently dark, but the show takes on a light-hearted tone. Liv can be likened to the character Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell)—iZombie was created by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas and producer Diane Ruggiero-Wright. Some of the most hilarious parts of the show come from Liv’s temporary personalities, notably those of a frat boy and a musical theater performer.

7

‘Scream Queens’ (2015–2016)

Created by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy

Just as the Dean (Jamie Lee Curtis) of Wallace University requires Greek life to be more inclusive with its selection, the members of the sorority Kappa Kappa Tau, new and seasoned alike, are targeted by a mysterious individual dressed as the school’s mascot—the Red Devil. No one can be trusted. As the bodies stack up, dark secrets begin to unravel, bringing to light the Kappa House’s bleak history involving the death of a KKT sister.

From the creators of American Horror Story and Glee, Scream Queens is a dark comedy slasher that embodies the grisly, comedic and cliquey elements of its predecessors’ characters and plots. The show satirizes the slasher genre and millennial culture, and the murders are over-the-top. For instance, Chanel #2 (Ariana Grande) death scene involves her and the killer in the same room, texting each other as she is fatally stabbed, resurrecting to hit “Send” on her tweet before permanently collapsing. Emma Roberts as Chanel Oberlin and Glen Powell as Chad Radwell are both so relentlessly crude that you can’t help but laugh.

6

‘The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy’ (2003–2007)

Created by Maxwell Atoms

Two kids, the clueless and cheerful Billy (Richard Horvitz) and the cold, calculating Mandy (Grey DeLisle), force the Grim Reaper (Greg Eagles) to be their servant and friend after beating him in a limbo contest. At their whim, Grim uses his magical scythe and supernatural powers to accompany them on strange adventures, often involving encounters with monsters, spirits, and bizarre creatures from otherworldly realms. Together, the unlikely trio face chaotic situations both in their town of Endsville and far beyond. Along the way, Grim begins to actually care for the kids and Mandy occasionally shows her soft side.

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy boasts absurd, dark, and slapstick comedy with supernatural horror. The show thrives on its commitment to unsettling humor—Billy’s grotesque physical mishaps and Mandy’s terrifying cynicism, scaring even Death himself. References to classic horror and sci-fi deepen its creepy yet hilarious atmosphere, while moments of body horror and existential dread elevate it beyond typical kids’ fare. Through Mandy’s chilling demeanor, Grim’s amusing irritability, and Billy’s overexcitement, the series crafts a darkly comedic world like no other.

5

‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!’ (1969–1978)

Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears

The original Scooby-Doo cartoon follows four teens—Fred (Frank Welker), Daphne (Stefanianna Christopherson in Season 1; Heather North in Seasons 2-3), Velma (Nicole Jaffe in Season 1-2; Pat Stevens in Season 3) and Shaggy (Casey Kasem)—and their Great Dane, Scooby-Doo (Don Messick), as they travel in the Mystery Machine van, solving spooky mysteries. The gang stumbles upon eerie situations often involving ghosts, monsters, and local legends. With clever detective work—and Scooby Snacks—they unmask the culprits.

Before Linda Cardellini, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Freddie Prinze Jr. played the iconic mystery-solving crew, Scooby-Doo was originally introduced as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Horror and comedy are especially prevalent in the chase sequences between the villain of the episode and the gang. Scooby and Shaggy usually end up in the silliest scenarios, sometimes unknowingly interacting with the monster. The ghosts and monsters featured can be genuinely frightening to a young audience, but the tone remains light. This iconic animation is the ultimate lighthearted spooky show, launching several wonderful Scooby adaptations.

4

‘Wednesday’ (2022–)

Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar

Gomez and Morticia Addams’ (Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones) daughter Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is now a teen in this Addams Family adaptation. Wednesday follows the titular character as she navigates life at Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts where her parents once studied. Sent there after a vengeful prank gets her expelled from her previous school, she hones her newly discovered psychic abilities while unveiling a sinister mystery tied to a series of local murders and a decades-old secret involving her family.

Jenna Ortega brings a teenage Wednesday to life, drawing together generations of Addams Family fans in this series. Like the franchise’s preceding movies and series, Wednesday uses its titular character to demonstrate the contrast between deadpan, morbid Wednesday, and her peers—especially Wednesday and her roommate Enid (Emma Myers) with their polar opposite personalities. The murder mystery series is dark, gothic, and fantastical, influenced by the signature style of Tim Burton, who served as a director and executive producer on the show.

3

‘Santa Clarita Diet’ (2017–2019)

Created by Victor Fresco

Sheila and Joel Hammond (Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant) are a seemingly ordinary suburban couple who work as real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a wild, bloody turn when Sheila undergoes a bizarre transformation into a zombie with a newfound hunger for human flesh. As they struggle to maintain normalcy, the family deals with outrageous challenges and neighborhood drama—they live between two police officers—unraveling more details about Sheila’s mysterious undead condition.

Santa Clarita Diet hops on the zombie-television trend by juxtaposing the picturesque suburban life with grotesque, gory mayhem. Drew Barrymore’s delightful portrayal of an undead mom, wife, and realtor Sheila—loving but reckless—pairs perfectly with Timothy Olyphant’s supportive Joel. With clever writing, standout performances, and extreme yet effective gore, Santa Clarita Diet captures a surreal charm. It’s a great choice for viewers seeking a lighthearted, family-oriented show, as long as they can handle dark humor and a ton of blood.

2

‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ (2015–2018)

Created by Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi and Tom Spezialy

Three decades after his battles against the Deadites in the original Evil Dead trilogy, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) is living a fairly mundane life. But when he mistakenly unleashes a new Deadite plague, he must reattach his chainsaw and reclaim his role as a demon hunter and humanity’s hero. With sidekicks Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), Ash embarks on a wild, blood-soaked quest to stop the ancient Kandarian evil once and for all.

Packed with dark humor and excessive gore, Ash vs Evil Dead delivers a thrilling continuation of the cult classic films. The series finds its footing between the horror of The Evil Dead and the humor of Army of Darkness. Bruce Campbell remains hilarious as Ash, with some great one-liners and spectacular action sequences. The series is ridiculous and fun, and it is a solid addition to the Evil Dead franchise.

1

‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2019–2024)

Created by Jemaine Clement

What We Do in the Shadows follows the lives of four eccentric vampire roommates on Staten Island. The group includes the pompous self-proclaimed leader Nandor (Kayvan Novak), married couple Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), who feeds by boring people, draining them of their energy. Nandor’s underappreciated familiar and aspiring vampire, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), is also a part of the household. The group faces challenges as supernatural beings, including secretly coexisting with humans, adjusting to modern society,y and getting along with each other.

What We Do in the Shadows hilariously utilizes a mockumentary format to delve into the personal lives of these Staten Island vampires. Guillermo is a wonderful, human addition that balances out the group, and his relationship with Nandor is one of the highlights of the series. The series is refreshing, and the lineup of guest stars, including Tilda Swinton, Mark Hamill, and Nick Kroll, makes a case for why this is such a fantastic show. Blending relatable mundanity with supernatural chaos, the series proves that goofy vampire parody done right can be irresistibly brilliant.

NEXT: Horror Comedies That Perfectly Blend Laughs and Scares