Though there are a lot of very exciting shows on television right now, Outer Range is certainly one of the most bizarre. It takes a bold step in telling a story that mashes together a variety of genres, from the rivalries of a ranching community to the family drama to an otherworldly mystery.
While there are few shows like it, various aspects of Outer Range will feel familiar to some other notable shows. For fans of Outer Range who are looking for those modern cowboy stories, small-town crime shows, or something with a sci-fi mix, they can check out these shows next.
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
While Outer Range can certainly boast about its wild mix of genres, there are few shows that can ever match the weirdness of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. The series became a pop culture obsession as it told the story of an FBI investigation into the murder of a small-town woman.
Since its success, there have been a number of shows that try to capture that intriguing feeling of a mystery within a small community that holds secrets far darker and stranger than what exists in the real world. Outer Range certainly feels like another series hoping to replicate that feel.
Stranger Things (2016-)
Another show that has played a big role in the popularity of mixing grounded human stories with supernatural and sci-fi aspects is Stranger Things. Taking inspiration from the movies of Steven Spielberg and novels of Stephen King, the series follows a group of kids in a quiet, normal town that suddenly becomes the gateway to another dimensional filled with dangerous monsters.
Like Outer Range, Stranger Things balances the wild and "out-there" aspects of the story with relatable characters and intimate moments.
Dark (2017-2020)
Even before the more bizarre aspects are introduced into this story, there is a lot of drama going on in Outer Range. From the personal tragedies to the dark secrets to the bitter rivalries it is a community that is already on the edge. But as the supernatural mystery begins, it is suggested there might have been some darker forces at work all along.
Dark is a similar feel as it also explores the painful and complicated history of a community that may be influenced by powerful outside forces. The series takes place in a German town where the disappearances of local children expose a lot of secrets.
Taken (2002)
Whenever dealing with a story involving a family confronted with a potentially extra-terrestrial force, it is hard not to compare it to the work of Steven Spielberg. Indeed, Outer Range does sometimes feel like Close Encounters of the Third Kind or the underrated Spielberg-produced Taken.
Not to be confused with the Liam Neeson action franchise of the same name, Taken is a mini-series that explored three separate families affected by an alien encounter and how they dealt with the life-changing event.
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Very quickly, Outer Range changes from a fairly typical Western-like drams to something much stranger. There are elements introduced that are mind-bending, already dealing with things like time travel and resurrection. It is the kind of outlandish yet compelling story that would fit perfectly into The Twilight Zone.
The iconic anthology show would explore strange and impossible stories that often held profound and thought-provoking lessons. Like Outer Range, it would explore what ordinary people do when faced with the extraordinary.
The Outer Limits (1963-1965)
The discovery made by the character of Royal Abbott in Outer Range is not only a significant one for the story, but it challenges him as a character. He is made to question everything, including the nature of humanity thanks to what he experiences.
The Outer Limits is another sci-fi anthology story that uses its bizarre stories to ask much deeper questions about what it means to be human. The Outer Limits shares a lot of similarities to The Twilight Zone, but both have managed to carve out their legacy as television classics.
Bloodline (2015-2017)
Even removing all the otherworldly aspects of the show, there is some intriguing family drama and deadly human stories within Outer Range. From a murder to the cover-up to all the family secrets, when the show is at its most grounded, it feels similar to Bloodline.
The Netflix crime thriller followed a family-owned resort in Florida where past issues bubble to the surface and quickly turn deadly. The look at the close-knit family who are privately dealing with their own issues is very much like Outer Range's human stories.
The X-Files (1993-2018)
The grounded approach to the story gives the sense that, even as the impossible begins to happen, it feels like it could be happening in the real world. That creepy idea of something beyond understanding just hiding in plain sight is part of what made The X-Files so much fun.
The show took the procedural approach to FBI investigations dealing with the top paranormal cases. Even as wild as the cases could get, the show always played it straight which made for some truly terrifying and disturbing episodes.
Yellowstone (2018-)
Once again, removing the possible alien involvement in the show, Outer Range feels like it could be in the same universe as as well as various deadly threats as he attempts to keep his land.
Both Josh Brolin and Costner feel like similarly strong and silent patriarchs in these series and there are a lot of similarities in the family drama and business rivalries they are dealing with.
Lost (2004-2010)
Outer Range takes an interesting approach in telling its own intriguing and realistic story set around this family on the ranch. But it then introduces a mystery on top of that which shows this will be a much more complicated story than it initially seemed.
This is a similar feel to Lost which began with the grand yet plausible story of a group of plane crash survivors trapped on an island. But it is soon revealed that the island has secrets of its own. Outer Range also doesn't look to be shy about adding plenty of questions before giving any answers.