Have you heard of Droughtlander? That’s the term fans use to describe the long wait between seasons of Outlander. And this time, it’s been especially tough, considering Season 7 wrapped more than a year ago. Still, fortunately (or unfortunately), the final chapter of the series is almost here, and fans are getting more anxious by the day. And in the meantime, many are rewatching every season or searching for something new with a similar vibe just to make the wait a little easier. But we all know that’s not a simple task, since the show, based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series, blends epic romance, political tension, drama, wars, revolutions, time travel, deeply layered characters, and high-risk choices in a very specific way.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The good news? There are still TV shows that operate on that same narrative engine. They’re not copies, but they share the core elements that make Outlander work. So while we wait for the final season to premiere, here are 4 series fans will likely love watching in the meantime.
4) A Discovery of Witches
Outlander‘s biggest strength has always been the intense romance between Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan), but staying together has never been easy for them. In A Discovery of Witches, there’s also a complicated love story, except it’s about pushing back against rigid rules, judgment, and an entire world insisting the relationship shouldn’t exist. The series follows Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), a historian who tries to ignore her identity as a witch until she discovers a mysterious manuscript that pulls her into the center of a supernatural conflict. In the middle of all that, she falls for vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), turning their relationship into a problem that goes far beyond the two of them.
So why is it worth watching? A Discovery of Witches is seriously underrated and doesn’t get nearly enough attention, especially considering how much structural tension it delivers. Like Outlander‘s leads, Diana and Matthew have to face tradition, power, and deep-rooted bias as they fight to keep their relationship intact. The show knows that a romance like this doesn’t work without a constant threat hanging over it. And it’s not just about the couple, because it also weaves in interspecies politics, identity, and legacy in a meaningful way. It’s romance balanced with fantasy, investigation, and a developed mythology. And it even includes time travel.
3) Reign
If you’re already a fan of period dramas and love the relationship-driven tension in Outlander, chances are you’ve heard of Reign. Based on real events, the show follows the historical figure Mary Stuart (Adelaide Kane) as a young queen dealing with life at the French court. And from the start, she’s forced to deal with shifting political alliances, rising rivalries, and romances with consequences for the throne. Overall, it’s a story about power, but more importantly, about how personal feelings can destabilize systems (especially in that era). But the series also takes major creative liberties: characters who never existed, reimagined events, and heightened drama designed to strengthen the romantic and political arcs. Entertainment is clearly the priority.
What Reign really offers Outlander fans, though, is momentum. Things happen fast, betrayals are constant, and relationships rarely stay stable for long. There’s always an emotional choice clashing with an obligation. It’s the same kind of tension we see when Claire has to choose between safety and loyalty, or when Jamie puts honor and duty above his own happiness. So if you’re looking for a new story that delivers that same pressure-cooker dynamic, this is a very safe bet for your next binge.
2) Poldark
Very few people talk about Poldark, but out of everything on this list, it might be the one that most closely captures the essence of Outlander and the kind of energy that made it so easy to fall in love with. The series follows Captain Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) as he returns from the American Revolutionary War to find his life completely changed — including the woman he loved, now engaged to someone else. From there, he tries to rebuild his social standing while forming a complicated relationship with the young Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson), which starts as unlikely but slowly becomes central to the story.
One of the most compelling aspects of Outlander is that it never romanticizes its conflicts — and Poldark operates the same way. This is about a couple that has to grow together, a protagonist who makes real mistakes, a marriage that goes through serious crises, and class tensions that feel authentic and carry long-term dramatic weight. It’s the same dynamic fans already recognize: a powerful love story, but never an easy one. On top of that, the character development is consistent and layered across seasons. For Outlander fans, this show is basically a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered.
1) Outlander: Blood of My Blood
And here’s the most obvious pick. Outlander: Blood of My Blood expands the universe by telling the love stories of Jamie and Claire’s parents, splitting its narrative between the 18th-century Scottish Highlands and the World War I era. More specifically, the series follows Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) on one side, and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) on the other, exploring how those relationships don’t just add emotional background but actually help deepen the legacy of the original show and give further meaning to its story and its characters.
The series already has a full first season, with a second one in development — which makes this the perfect time to catch up if you haven’t yet. Outlander: Blood of My Blood isn’t just bonus content; it’s context. And it carries real weight, especially with Gabaldon directly involved in the project. It’s a plot that reinforces the core engine that made Outlander work in the first place. And even without Claire and Jamie at the center, the structure feels familiar to longtime fans. It’s the option that requires the least adjustment, rewards the emotional investment you already have, and becomes essential viewing while waiting for the final season.
Which one are you going to watch first? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Courtesy of Cartoon Network -
Image Courtesy of A-1 Pictures
