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Carnivàle poster

Shows that feel likeCarnivàle (2003–2005)

Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes Christian theology with gnosticism and Masonic lore, particularly that of the Knights Templar.

If you loved Carnivàle, the closest series we have are The OA (2016), Wayward Pines (2015) and Sleepy Hollow (2013). All three share Carnivàle's cerebral and dreamlike feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Lanterns (2026).

11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:HBO Max ↗
Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$9.99 buyCarnivale, The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-10-13

If Carnivàle hit the spot, these will too

The OA poster
The OA
2016–2019 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.8sci-fi & fantasy · mystery · dramaNetflix

Both are built on the same subject: surrealism

Seven years after vanishing from her home, a young woman returns with mysterious new abilities and recruits five strangers for a secret mission.

Wayward Pines poster
Wayward Pines
2015–2016 · 2 seasons · FOX
★ 7.3drama · mystery · sci-fi & fantasyHulu

Both land ideas and dream logic at once

Imagine the perfect American town... beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets. Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you're going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines.

Sleepy Hollow poster
Sleepy Hollow
2013–2017 · 4 seasons · FOX
★ 7.3drama · mystery · sci-fi & fantasyHulu

The same mix in both: twists, then stillness

Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers.

Devs poster
Devs
2020 · 1 season · Hulu
★ 7.6sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mysteryHulu

Sci-fi & fantasy with a pulse of ideas, in both cases

Young computer engineer Lily Chan investigates the secretive development division of her employer, a cutting-edge tech company based in San Francisco, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend.

Lanterns poster
Lanterns
2026– · 1 season · HBO
★ 7.8drama · mystery · sci-fi & fantasyMax

Mystery built on dream logic, twice over

The difference: 23 years apart, and the 2020s show

Two intergalactic cops, new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

Fringe poster
Fringe
2008–2013 · 5 seasons · FOX
★ 8.4sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mysteryPrime VideoHulu

Twisty drama, and it commits to that

FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, brilliant but formerly institutionalized scientist Walter Bishop and his scheming, reluctant son Peter uncover a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realize they may be a part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and technology.

Ragnarok poster
Ragnarok
2020–2023 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.3sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mysteryNetflix

Both lean on stillness more than on sci-fi & fantasy

A small Norwegian town experiencing warm winters and violent downpours seems to be headed for another Ragnarök -- unless someone intervenes in time.

The Twilight Zone poster
The Twilight Zone
1959–1964 · 5 seasons · CBS
★ 9sci-fi & fantasy · mystery · dramaParamount+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: surrealism

An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.

Locke & Key poster
Locke & Key
2020–2022 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.3sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mysteryNetflix

Cerebral mystery in both cases

After their dad's murder, three siblings move with their mom to his ancestral estate, where they discover magical keys that unlock powers — and secrets.

Terra Nova poster
Terra Nova
2011 · 1 season · FOX
★ 6.7sci-fi & fantasy · mystery · action & adventure

Drama built on dream logic, twice over

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than Carnivàle does

In the year 2149, the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped and overcrowded, with the majority of plant and animal life extinct. The future of mankind is in jeopardy, and its only hope for survival is in the distant past. An ordinary family goes on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race.

One of Us Is Lying poster
One of Us Is Lying
2021–2022 · 2 seasons · Peacock
★ 6.9drama · mysteryPeacock

Twisty mystery, and it commits to that

The difference: Easier on the ideas than Carnivàle

The story of what happens when five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Manifest poster
Manifest
2018–2023 · 4 seasons · NBC
★ 7sci-fi & fantasy · mystery · dramaNetflix

Contemplative sci-fi & fantasy in both cases

After landing from a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Montego Air Flight 828 discover five years have passed in what seemed like a few hours. As their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.

In the mood for more cerebral?

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The best-reviewed series that share Carnivàle’s defining feeling.