Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It may seem like prequel TV is the trendiest of entertainment fads these days, so it’s easy to forget that these nostalgic throwbacks have been happening for quite some time now. The stories we become utterly obsessed with — whether they involve superheroes, villainous next-door neighbors, horny camp counselors, and zombies — are so consuming that we eventually have to know all about their origins. It’s a good thing, then, that plenty of showrunners are willing to give into our incurable desire for fan fiction. The ten series below mark a chronology of the tube’s most binge-worthy prequel series that allow us to indulge in the roots of their film and television counterparts.
'Smallville' (2001-2011)
In The CW’s retelling of the story of Superman, a strapping, young Clark Kent realizes he’s different from the rest of his high school classmates as he tries to control and harness his mysterious superhuman powers. [Where to stream Smallville]
'Caprica' (2009-2010)
Half a century before the events of Battlestar Galactica took place, the Graystones and Adamas dwelled together on the utopian planet of Caprica, whose peace is disrupted when an advance in artificial intelligence technology changes life as they know it. [Where to stream Caprica]
'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' (2011)
After Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Starz brought us the epic miniseries prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Though it spanned a mere six episodes back when Starz was just beginning to venture into original programming, Gods of the Arena left a glorious mark in TV prequel history and is totally worth revisiting now that Starz accounts aren’t too hard to come by. [Where to stream Spartacus: Gods of the Arena]
'The Carrie Diaries' (2013-2014)
Before she would chase Big and attend pricey, daily luncheons with her best friends in Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw had to make it through high school — a world more sexual and complicated than the entire island of Manhattan. [Where to stream The Carrie Diaries]
'Bates Motel' (2013 —)
Before Norman Bates was stabbing his hotel guests in the shower, he was coming to terms with some deep-seated mommy issues as a teen. Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore star as mother-and-son partners in crime Norma and Norman Bates in A&E’s series reimagining of Alfred Hitchcock’s perennial horror classic, Psycho. [Where to stream Bates Motel]
'Hannibal' (2013 —)
Mads Mikkelsen breathes new life (and causes plenty of death and destruction) in NBC’s stunning reimagining of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and his stomach-turning desires that catch the attention of young FBI investigator, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). [Where to stream Hannibal]
'Gotham' (2014 —)
Before he was Batman, Bruce Wayne was an orphaned child forced to witnessed the brutal murder of his parents in a Gotham City alleyway. It was Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), however, who thought he could make a difference in metropolis’ inner crime circle that contains more than a few oddball villains. [Where to stream Gotham]
'Better Call Saul' (2015 —)
Bob Odenkirk stars as smarmy criminal lawyer Saul Goodman in Vince Gilligan’s pre-Breaking Bad tale of one man’s desperate antics to get ahead — even if ahead means owning a windowless office in an Albuquerque strip mall. [Where to stream Better Call Saul]
''Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp' (2015)
We already know what happened on the very last day of Camp Firewood back in 1981, but what about that first day — the day that would bring the gang together forever? David Wain and Michael Showalter sent us back in time this summer with the original cast (plus some glorious guest appearances) for the series reboot of their cult comedy classic. [Where to stream Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp]
'Fear the Walking Dead' (2015 —)
Before we watched Rick Grimes wake up from his coma and take on a planet full of zombies in The Walking Dead, the fatal virus had to start somewhere. AMC’s latest prequel spin-off follows a group of Los Angelenos who first encountered the sickness that would mark the beginning of the end of the world. [Where to stream Fear the Walking Dead]
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