How TVLine Ranks Dark Academia on Screen: A concise guide to the five best shows (excerpted)

What the writer means by "dark academia"

The writer applies the two-part test consistently: series are judged on whether education or literature is central to the story and whether the tone leans gothic or supernatural. This produces a mix of unexpected selections—biographical and fantasy series alike—so long as they satisfy both sides of that formula.

• Emily Dickinson's creative life and pursuit of authorship supply the "academia" core.
• Supernatural personifications (for example, a death figure) and dreamlike leaps in time or fantasy sequences create gothic mood.
• The show is described as inventive in integrating poetry, biography, and surreal imagery.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

Why it ranks: This reboot repositions Sabrina in a much bleaker, horror-forward universe than the 1990s sitcom. It connects an arc of self-discovery to a literal witch-school (the Academy of Unseen Arts), making education an explicit element. Its gothic town setting, demonic pacts, and recurring supernatural threats satisfy the dark side.

• Central conflict: Sabrina's choice between mortal life and fully embracing witchcraft, framed as a coming-of-age decision.
• Structure: daytime mortal school plus nighttime witch schooling, a warped version of academic life.
• Tone: increasingly violent and supernatural across seasons, with vampires, demons, werewolves, and other horrors.

Why it ranks: Wednesday transplants the Addams Family's deadpan heroine into Nevermore Academy, a supernatural boarding school. The show's primary engine is a murder mystery tied to the school's history, which foregrounds curiosity and investigation more than classroom instruction. Its gothic setting and supernatural student body deliver the dark atmosphere.

• Focus: Wednesday Addams as outsider detective digging into school history.
• Balance: less classical "education" than other entries but a clear fascination with learning through investigation.
• Performance: Jenna Ortega's portrayal is singled out as capturing the character's tone and driving the series.

The original TVLine ranking lists five shows. The supplied content provides full summaries for three. The article's definition and examples make the selection logic clear: if a show pairs literary or educational stakes with gothic or supernatural design, it will be considered for the list.

If you want dark academia on TV, look for series that combine a narrative focus on learning, literature, or self-discovery with a persistent gothic or supernatural mood. The three shows summarized here illustrate different ways to meet that standard: poetic biography (Dickinson), occult coming-of-age (Sabrina), and a supernatural boarding-school mystery (Wednesday).