Steve Yockey’s interpretation of Neil Gaiman’s Dead Boy Detectives engaged a wide audience, expanding the fanbase of the eponymous DC Comics characters—Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne. They were first seen in The Sandman comic book in April 1991. Three decades later, Charles and Edwin debuted on television with Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant embodying the characters. This was in the “Dead Patrol” episode of Doom Patrol Season 3.
Yockey’s reimagination of the characters allows for a detailed depiction of Charles and Edwin’s adventures on screen. Originally commissioned by HBO Max in 2021, Netflix took over the project in early 2023, leading up to the show’s release on April 25, 2024. The series follows the ghosts of two teen boys and a psychic as they solve supernatural problems for their clients. Given its positive reviews, the supernatural dramedy might be renewed for Season 2. Until then, here are some shows that capture the aura of Dead Boy Detectives.
1. The Sandman
Set in the same universe, Dead Boy Detectives and The Sandman aren’t only similar but share a common background and characters. These include Death (Kirby) and Despair (Donna Preston) of the Endless — a family of cosmic entities from The Sandman comic. Other family members include Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, Destruction, and Dream, the protagonist of The Sandman series.
The fantasy drama follows Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus, the King of Dreams, as he escapes from a mortal wizard and embarks on a quest to reclaim his power. The Netflix series premiered on August 5, 2022, to rave reviews, with nominations for multiple coveted awards. Its impressive viewership numbers inspired an immediate renewal for season 2 in November 2022.
2. Doom Patrol
Dead Boy Detective owes its existence to Doom Patrol as it was originally planned as a spinoff to the HBO Max series. With the Dead Boys’ television debut on Doom Patrol in September 2021, a series dedicated to the characters was conceived. This strongly ties Dead Boy Detectives to Doom Patrol, but the premises of both shows are quite different, even though they share some similar thematic undertones.
The show created by Jeremy Carver is based on an eponymous DC Comics superhero team. Having all suffered accidents that left them disfigured and dejected but with superhuman abilities, the team finds purpose in protecting their world from some of the most creepy and weird phenomena ever imagined. Doom Patrol stars Diana Guerrero, April Bowlby, and Matt Bomer alongside Riley Shanahan, Brendan Fraser, Matthew Zuk, and Jovian Wade. It premiered on February 15, 2019, to unanimous approval and concluded on November 9, 2023, after four seasons.
3. Lockwood & Co.
From the characters to the storylines, Dead Boy Detectives and Lockwood & Co. share many similarities. Both shows utilized a diverse cast of up-and-coming performers to tell identical stories about groups of teenagers investigating paranormal activities. Lockwood & Co. is based on Jonathan Stroud’s eponymous book series. The supernatural thriller follows Ruby Stokes’ Lucy Carlyle, Cameron Chapman’s Anthony Lockwood, and Ali Hadji-Heshmati’s George Karim in an adventurous quest to stop the ghosts plaguing London. Although the show enjoyed positive reviews, it wasn’t renewed for a second season.
4. The X-Files
The longest-running show on the list, Chris Carter’s The X-Files originally ran for nine seasons on Fox. This was from September 1993 to May 2002. It was revived for another two seasons that aired from January 2016 to March 2018. Like Dead Boy Detectives, the premise of The X-Files revolves around investigating paranormal activities.
The series follows two FBI agents—David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully—as they confront and contain strange creatures and events threatening the world. The series enjoyed rave reviews throughout its run. It won 16 Primetime Emmys out of 62 nominations, alongside other coveted awards. Its success has inspired a reboot helmed by Black Panther’s director Ryan Coogler.
5. The Irregulars (2021)
The similarities between Dead Boy Detectives and The Irregulars hinge on their characters and thematic elements. The Irregulars stars a diverse cast of young actors and just like Dead Boy Detectives, the storyline focuses on investigating supernatural crimes. The crime drama is loosely based on the works of Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Irregulars stars McKell David, Thaddea Graham, and Jojo Macari alongside Harrison Osterfield and Darch Shaw. It follows a group of teenagers in Victorian London working for Dr. Watson as they investigate a series of paranormal crimes. The Irregulars was released on Netflix in March 2021. Despite its positive reviews, Netflix canceled the show in May.
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