Television series
Monster Squad
Monster Squad is a live-action Saturday morning adventure where five misfit teenagers—a werewolf, a vampire, a Frankenstein's monster, a mummy, and a ghost—fight crime and supernatural threats. It's camp and earnest in equal measure, played completely straight despite the ridiculous premise. Pure 1970s kids' TV: colourful, silly, endearingly low-budget, and genuinely fun if you appreciate that era's specific brand of Saturday morning charm.
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The Brady Bunch1969
That same earnest, colourful 70s energy; a ensemble cast of lovable misfits solving problems as a unit. Shares Monster Squad's faith that good kids can handle anything if they work together.
But It's about domestic life and family dynamics, not supernatural adventure. Completely different stakes, which might feel slow if you want action.
Beat Shazam2017
Live-action Saturday morning show where a kid gains magical powers and fights crime with genuine enthusiasm. Same budget constraints, same earnestness, same colourful 70s camp. Feels like a spiritual sibling.
But It's a bit slower-paced and more focused on the human drama. If you want non-stop monster action, you'll find stretches of talking.
The Munsters1964
Monsters living normal lives is the entire joke. Sitcom structure, clever writing, and a real affection for its creatures. Shows how the premise Monster Squad borrowed could be mined for humour and heart.
But It's black-and-white and from a decade earlier—some of the comedy feels dated. And it's fundamentally domestic, not adventurous.
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Werewolf1987
Both use practical monster effects and a protagonist cursed/transformed by their nature, but Werewolf treats it as tragedy while Monster Squad treats it as adventure. Same tools, completely different emotional register.
Live-action horror-adventure that takes monsters completely seriously. A cursed man travels America searching for answers while pursued by supernatural threats. Same era's embrace of practical creature effects, but far grittier and genuinely eerie—Monster Squad's dark sibling.
But Genuinely unsettling and occasionally gruesome. If you want Saturday morning lightness, this goes hard in the opposite direction. Also very 80s synth and melodrama.
More like this (6)
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters1973
Two boys befriend a misunderstood sea monster. Exactly the same Saturday morning spirit: weird creatures, kid protagonists, low stakes, pure fun. If you loved one, you'll recognise the DNA immediately.
But Even cheaper-looking than Monster Squad, and the plotting can be thin. It's aggressively gentle for modern tastes.
The Space Kidettes1966
Animated kids fighting space villains with gadgets and teamwork. Same Saturday morning optimism, same 'a group of smart kids can solve anything' philosophy that drives Monster Squad.
But Fully animated instead of live-action, which changes the whole texture. Much earlier, so the references will feel archaic.
Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot1967
Live-action kid show where a boy and his allies (including a giant robot) fight giant monsters and criminal masterminds. That same Saturday morning earnestness married to creature effects and adventure.
But It's a dubbed Japanese production, which can feel stiff. The monster-of-the-week formula gets repetitive quickly.
The Herculoids1967
Animated sci-fi where a family and their alien creatures defend their planet against invaders. Same 'misfit team fighting world-threatening dangers' structure; similar visual style and Saturday morning earnestness.
But Animated, and the animation is very limited. Plots are often perfunctory, and it can feel more like toy advertisement than story.
Kamen Rider Ghost2015
Both are live-action Saturday kids' TV from the early-to-mid 70s using real actors in creature suits fighting world-threatening villains. Kamen Rider shows what the same approach became in Japan, with better stunt choreography and weirder design.
Japanese live-action where a cyborg fights a shadowy criminal organisation using martial arts and transformation. Peak practical effects and stunt work from that era, with the same earnest Saturday morning spirit but far more kinetic and visually inventive.
But Subtitled (or badly dubbed), episodic structure that relies on formula, and the suit effects, while impressive for 1971, look increasingly strange. Pacing is very different from Western TV.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker1972
Both investigate impossible creatures using the resources available to regular people, both set in contemporary urban America, both episodic. But where Monster Squad is kids' adventure, Kolchak is adult paranoia—same engine, completely different mood.
A journalist investigates supernatural phenomena in a gritty, semi-realistic modern world. Same monster-of-the-week structure, same practical effects, but adult sensibility and genuine dread. Shows what Monster Squad's premise becomes when played for real stakes.
But Far more noir and downbeat. The monsters are genuinely disturbing, not playful. If you want colour and optimism, this is deliberately bleak and atmospheric.
