Station Eleven is a ten-episode post-apocalyptic miniseries that debuted on HBO Max on December 16, 2021. The dystopian series is based on Emily St. John-Mandel’s 2014 novel of the same name. The screen adaptation is written by Patrick Somerville who was also a writer on the HBO drama The Leftovers.

The series is set 20 years after a flu pandemic has ravaged civilization. It follows a group of survivors on a non-linear timeline as they find their place in the new world while trying to retain some glimpse of the old world. The survivors make their way as members of “The Traveling Symphony,” which is a group of transient actors who perform Shakespeare on the road. On their travels, the nomadic group is targeted by a self-proclaimed prophet with a secret agenda.

Through the dark subject matter, Station Eleven unearths lessons about the importance of art, humanity, and friendships. It is well-written, skillfully cast, and boasts a beautiful yet haunting score. If you are a fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction, here is a list of nine shows like Station Eleven to watch next.

9 The Stand

     Vertigo Entertainment

The Stand is the second large-scale adaptation of Stephen King’s 1978 novel of the same name, with its predecessor released in 1994. The series is like Station Eleven in that it follows the events of a devastating flu pandemic that wipes out 99% of the world’s population, however, that is only the beginning. After the collapse of civilization, two leaders revolt against one another in a bid to lead the remaining survivors. In a battle of good and evil, we see the charismatic, yet infernal Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård) face off against the virtuous Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg).

8 To The Lake

     123 Productions

Based on the 2011 novel by Yana Vagner, To The Lake follows a Russian family amid a global epidemic, where people are dying en masse. As civilization begins to break down, two families combine forces to make their way to a deserted island to protect themselves from infection. Once they arrive, the camaraderie quickly unravels as they are confronted with strained bonds and family drama. If you like Station Eleven, you will enjoy To The Lake’s character development and examination of complicated human relationships.

7 The Rain

     Miso Film

If you like Station Eleven, you will most likely enjoy The Rain a Danish dystopian Netflix series that aired for three seasons. The series is set in Scandinavia and recounts the tale of a virus that is carried in raindrops and wipes out much of the human population. The series takes place six years after the devastation and follows two Danish siblings as they leave the safety of their bunker and set out to find their father who had disappeared during the plague. Along the way, they join a group of survivors and soon come to realize that, even though they are no longer bound by the rules of society, they are still plagued with old-world problems, such as love, jealousy, and the transition into adulthood.

6 Survivors

     BBC Studios

This post-apocalyptic BBC drama is similar to Station Eleven in that the catalyst is an unknown flu influenza that kills 90% of the human race. The immune survivors must face the challenges of starting anew while on the quest for a cure. If you like the character development in Station Eleven, you should enjoy this series as it is very character-driven as well. A common misconception is that Survivors is a remake of the 1975 BBC series of the same name when it is in fact based on Terry Nation’s 1976 novel that was inspired by the original 1975 program. According to The Guardian, Survivors is “the pandemic drama years ahead of its time”.

5 The Leftovers

     White Rabbit Productions

The Leftovers is written by Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville, so there are some overlapping themes between the two shows. The Leftovers is based on Tom Perotta’s 2011 novel of the same name, which chronicles the mysterious disappearance or “departure” of 2% of the world’s population. In the aftermath, police chief Kevin Garvey, widow Nora Durst, and their respective families struggle to come to terms with the inexplicable events. The show was critically acclaimed, with many dubbing it one of the greatest television shows of all time.

4 Y: The Last Man

     FX Productions

Y: The Last Man follows the events of a global androcide, which wipes out all living mammals with a Y Chromosome, save for one man and his pet monkey Ampersand. Civilization comes to a crashing halt, and utter chaos ensues as the survivors (mainly women) realize that the human race is on the road to extinction. The series is based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic comic book series of the same name from DC Vertigo.

3 Sweet Tooth

     Netflix

In the aftermath of a viral pandemic known as “The Sick,” a mysterious new breed of humans arises known as “hybrids” that are part human and part animal. The remaining survivors of the human race are wary of the hybrids, believing them to be the cause of the pandemic, and so begin to hunt them for sport. Sweet Tooth follows Gus part human part deer in a post-apocalyptic world on the search for his birth mother, while Dr. Aditya Singh is simultaneously on his search for the cure.

2 See

     Quaker Moving Productions

After the viral pandemic ravages the population, less than 2 million people survive, and new generations born to the survivors are born without sight. The series takes place far into the future when human beings have adapted to life without sight. When a local tribesman marries a pregnant woman seeking shelter, his adopted children are born with sight, which immediately puts them in danger. See follows Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) and his quest to protect his children and family from witch hunters. You can watch the first two seasons of See on Apple + and stay tuned for Season 3 of the series, which has recently wrapped filming.

1 Raised By Wolves

     Warner Bros. Discovery

Raised by Wolves may not be your traditional post-apocalyptic fare, however, it does share some similarities to Station Eleven. After a devastating war spurred by religious differences destroys the earth, the surviving human population is facing extinction. To save the human race, two atheistic artificially intelligent beings dubbed “Mother” and “Father” are tasked with raising the human survivors on a godless planet called Kepler 22b, to quell any further religious uprising. When a staunch new religious sect rises, however, the androids realize the enormity of their assignment and the dangers that come with it, as they struggle to dictate the beliefs of their autonomous children.