Ghostwriter debuted on streaming in 2019 right when Apple TV+ was officially launched. Last October, the children's fantasy show entered its third season bringing a new bag of thrills offered by the fictional characters and historical figures.
With the show's premise revolving around a ragtag bunch of socially awkward middle-schoolers who discover new life lessons in their encounters with the supernatural, Ghostwriter is bound to make viewers go down a rabbit hole of similar children-friendly coming-of-age narratives that focus on kids discovering the unknown.
Stranger Things (2016 - )
Stream On Netflix
Having set a benchmark for kids' sci-fi shows, Stranger Things needs no introduction. With over four seasons as of now, the cult favorite has successfully paid homage to the '80s with a healthy dose of the era's pop culture and thrills. Balancing sci-fi, horror, romance, and adolescent comedy, Stranger Things has turned into quite a genre-blending exercise.
Teenage viewers who find Ghostwriter a bit too young can upgrade their tastes to a slightly darker and edgier level with the Netflix original. Much like Ghostwriter's protagonist Ruben's struggles to fit in, the main characters of Stranger Things have their own personal growing-up tussles to deal with. Instead of encountering fictional monsters from literature, they encounter aliens and security forces, but the values of love and friendship that they pick up along the way are quite similar.
Nancy Drew (2019 - )
Stream On HBO Max
Based on the best-selling novel series of the same name, Nancy Drew finds its titular detective investigating supernatural mysteries of her own. Kennedy McMann's take on the amateur sleuth adds its source material's simplicity while also bringing some of the teenage angst that modern viewers could connect with.
Even though the scale of Nancy Drew's mysteries might not be as influential or large-scale as the threats faced by the leads in Ghostwriter, both series show how mysterious circumstances can also lead to one discovering their identity. While Ghostwriter's cases often end with a life-influencing moral, Nancy Drew finds its 18-year-old detective finding a newfound purpose and pride as she solves urban legends, homicides, and a lot more.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (1990 - 1996)
Stream On Paramount Plus
One of the most acclaimed Nickelodeon live-action shows, Are You Afraid Of The Dark plays out as a horror anthology with a group of friends telling each other ghost stories every night. The show is quite nostalgic in that it captures children's curiosity, the same curiosity that might sometimes lead them to dark places!
In Ghostwriter, the titular ghost's discovery and future actions are all a direct result of the children's curiosity. As can be seen in both cases, this sense of discovering or even investigating unknown truths might lead to mixed results. Even though the storytellers in Are You Afraid of the Dark themselves don't encounter supernatural phenomena, the characters in their stories definitely get their fair share of goosebumps-inducing horror.
The Librarians (2014 - 2018)
Stream On Hulu
A direct spin-off to the beloved The Librarian film trilogy, the fantasy-adventure series showcases the adventures of the secret organization simply known as The Library. Its members are tasked with protecting the world from dark secrets that are housed within the pages of ancient books.
Often villains from classic works of literature come to life as the primary antagonists, with the Library fighting off threats such as the Arthurian enchantress Morgan Le Fay and Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. This show will surely impress fans of Ghostwriter, which deals with such iconic villains as The Wicked Witch from The Wizard Of Oz and the monster from Frankenstein.
Gravity Falls (2012 - 2016)
Stream On Disney+
Brother-sister duo Dipper and Mabel visit their grandfather in the titular town one summer. This vacation proves to be quite memorable as the siblings end up building new friendships and even romantic relationships, all while crossing paths with eccentric monsters and even more eccentric humans.
Even though it had a meager two-season run, Gravity Falls still cemented itself as one of Disney Channel's best animated shows. The fantasy and moralistic elements throughout its episodes make it quite similar to Ghostwriter and its cult status further makes it an essential watch for children's fantasy aficionados, in general.
Amazing Stories (2020)
Stream On AppleTV+
A reworking of the Steven Spielberg-created anthology series, Amazing Stories unites directors from varied genres with each of the visionaries delivering a standout story, mostly fantasy and sci-fi stories centering on young protagonists.
The series overview of Amazing Stories is enough to draw in Ghostwriter fans. And after binge-watching the latter on Apple TV+, if they wish to feast on a similar option on the same similar streaming service, Amazing Stories must be their "Watch Next" option.
The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021 - )
Stream On Disney+
Dr. Curtain is a nefarious scientist who is planning to infiltrate people's minds by using children as his vessels. To combat this plan of global domination, Curtain's good-natured twin brother Mr. Benedict recruits a group of orphaned kids to infiltrate the villain's experiments and stop him once and for all.
The Mysterious Benedict Society is a perfect family-friendly option for young viewers but also packs enough original thrills for even older audiences. The chemistry between the orphans is similar to the camaraderie that the friends in Ghostwriter develop as they stop ghostly attempts at wreaking havoc. While their problem-solving might not be on a global level, the ghost-fighting squad still manages to save their town.
Ghosts (2021 - )
Stream On Paramount Plus
Ghosts is just a season-and-a-half old, but it has already started acquiring a dedicated legion of fans who are viewing it as a breath of fresh air in the horror-comedy genre. The show plays around the haunted mansion trope with a married couple moving into one such house that is filled with ghosts waiting to go to the afterlife.
The couple's interactions with the ghosts are quite hilarious and wholesome, proving that not all ghosts have to be scary ghouls. Some are just troubled souls who need a little human aid. Similarly, the primary antagonist in Ghostwriter is more of a misguided ghost rather than a villainous spirit. These grey areas around supernatural characters are what makes Ghosts worth exploring for Ghostwriter's audiences.
So Weird (1999 - 2000)
Stream On Disney+
A 14-year-old computer geek often shifts homes due to her rockstar mother's constant traveling. But one thing that doesn't leave him is her luck in finding supernatural entities ranging from UFOs to ghosts.
With her sister and best friend joining in the protagonist's adventures, So Weird makes for a delightfully memorable blast from the past for teen-centric exploration shows like Ghostwriter. In fact, an added variety in So Weird also comes out from the fact that the lead keeps on changing towns instead of just saving one like the Ghostwriter ensemble.
Creeped Out (2017 - 2019)
Stream On Netflix
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A horror anthology TV series with supernatural and psychological elements, Creeped Out can be darkly satirical and chilling for younger audiences, still delivering to them an edgy watch suited for their age group.
If viewers of Ghostwriter need to explore more options for such horror, then Creeped Out would be quite a level-up. The British series' episodes also incorporate morals with stories of mischievous kids and cursed childhoods but the repercussions are way darker than expected.
Source:gamerant.com