I’m a latecomer to Eureka. It was recommended by friends and Netflix, and still I resisted. When I finally yielded and started watching (from the beginning, of course), I was disappointed that it had taken me so long. It reminded me of a hybrid of three of my favorite shows — Warehouse 13, Psych, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Like the town of Eureka, Warehouse 13 is top secret. Rather than being a town filled with the top brains in the country, it is a storage facility filled with artifacts with ties to history and literature. The employees of Warehouse 13 are tasked with traveling the world to retrieve these supernatural objects and prevent them from causing harm to their owners and protecting the objects once they’re in the Warehouse. A mixture of humor, clever references, and strong character development makes this the strongest contender for Eureka fans.
Psych is a comedy detective show focused on Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster, two childhood friends that own a psychic detective agency. Neither one of them is a psychic, but Shawn’s strong detective skills make him pretty impressive at pretending to be one. Psych is filled with lots of cultural references and silly capers. Eureka fans have to suspend disbelief pretty often, and this skill will be useful when watching Psych.
You’ve probably already seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A show about a normal high school girl that happens to be the one chosen slayer, endowed with strength and skill mismatched to her petite frame. The show follows her and her group of friends (and Watcher/Librarian Giles) from high school to college, as she fights vampires and demons. But let’s say you haven’t seen Buffy, or you’re thinking, “Why would someone suggest that Buffy and Eureka are watch-alikes?” I have one word for you — camp. Some may call them cheesy, breathlessly pointing out how saccharine the dialogue can be or how ridiculous the special effects are (something that can be said for Warehouse 13, as well), and I understand those arguments. But these self-aware, absurd shows are fun in many of the same ways.
Might I also recommend Castle and Angel (and point out that I probably watch too many television shows?)