Cross-media picks for Stephen Herek fans — films, series, games and books in the same vein.
The picks here share a sensibility that trusts warm feeling without embarrassment — stories where friendship, family bonds and a bit of the fantastic carry real emotional weight. You'll find blue-collar camaraderie in Cemetery Junction, a dead man protecting his family from inside a dog's body in Fluke, and ghosts finishing unfinished business in Heart and Souls. The humour is gentle and character-driven; the drama earns its stakes. These are works where loyalty matters, second chances feel possible, and the comedy never crowds out the heart.
Film
Old Dogs
Two lifelong friends face unexpected fatherhood — warm, chaotic comedy about bonds tested by sudden responsibility.
Film
Fluke
A man reincarnated as a dog returns to protect his family — tender, offbeat drama about love outlasting death.
Film
Life As We Know It
Two mismatched adults must co-parent a goddaughter — a warmhearted comedy about unlikely families forming under pressure.
Film
Cemetery Junction
Three working-class friends navigate dreams and loyalty in 1970s England — funny, grounded, and genuinely moving.
Film
After School
Old schoolmates reunite at a sick friend's side — a quiet, fond look at youth, regret, and stubborn loyalty.
Film
Heart and Souls
Four ghosts guide a man through life's unfinished business — a sweet, funny fantasy about second chances and regret.
Film
How to Make a Killing
A married couple stumble onto drug money after a bear causes chaos — breezy, warm crime-comedy full of accidental adventure.
Film
Partly Cloudy
A lonely grey cloud crafts dangerous babies for storks — charming, bittersweet animation about creativity and belonging.
Series
Old Time Buddy
Two friends chase stardom together until fortune splits their paths — a fond, comic look at ambition and friendship.
Series
Love Endures
Seven childhood friends reunite to chase a shared promise — a sweeping drama about youth, sacrifice, and staying connected.
Series
The Guardian
A privileged lawyer does court-mandated work with troubled kids and finds his compass — earnest drama about unlikely bonds.
Series
It
Seven outcast kids band together against a shape-shifting monster — a story about childhood solidarity and facing terror together.
Series
No One Will Miss Us
Nerdy high-school misfits run an underground homework business — sharp, funny, and warm about outsiders finding their gang.
Series
Now and Again
A family man's brain transplanted into a superhero body — bittersweet sci-fi comedy about identity and what we leave behind.
Series
Texhnolyze
Three criminal factions fight for a crumbling underground city — dark, atmospheric, and unlike anything else on this list.
Series
As Time Goes By
Reunited lovers pick up decades after a misunderstanding — gentle, witty British comedy about love's quietly persistent patience.
Game
Lake
A city professional swaps her career for her dad's mail route — a slow, warm game about life's simpler rhythms.
Game
Obscure: The Aftermath
College survivors of a monster attack face a new horror outbreak — teen ensemble horror grounded in friendship under pressure.
Game
MDK 2
Three misfit heroes — man, scientist, robotic dog — save the universe with teamwork and absurd flair.
Game
Tender Loving Care
An interactive suspense story built from your own psychology — unsettling, curious, and genuinely unusual.
Game
Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon
A hardboiled detective navigates a hilarious post-apocalyptic future — wisecracking comedy-adventure with real heart.
Game
Sam & Max Hit the Road
A canine detective and his manic rabbit partner crack a carnival case — gleefully funny, with genuine affection for its duo.
Game
Close To The Sun
A journalist boards Tesla's isolated ship and discovers a deadly secret — moody, atmospheric, and full of dread.
Game
The Thing
A rescue team hunts a shape-shifting alien in Antarctica — paranoid, action-driven horror where no one can be trusted.
Book
Iron cast
Two best friends use supernatural gifts to con Boston's elite — stylish, dangerous, and rooted in an unbreakable female friendship.
Book
It [1/2]
Seven outcast kids unite against an ancient shape-shifting evil — rich with childhood dread and the bonds of solidarity.
Book
Last light
A neighbourhood loses all power and infrastructure overnight — a tense, grounded thriller about community, fear, and survival.
Book
The straw men
A grieving man and a detective uncover linked disappearances — tightly plotted thriller built on loss and relentless pursuit.
Book
What? Dead again?
A big-city doctor stranded in a small Southern town — the comedic novel behind *Doc Hollywood*, warm and wry.
Book
After the rain
A fifteen-year-old worrier navigates family, friendship, and a demanding grandfather — tender YA about growing up under pressure.
Book
Kaleidoscope / Family Album
War-separated siblings search for each other across decades — an epic, emotional family saga about love surviving tragedy.
Book
The Motherfucker With the Hat
An ex-con tries to stay clean while old loyalties pull him back — raw, funny drama about addiction and second chances.
Start with Heart and Souls or Life As We Know It — both mix warm humour with genuine emotional stakes. Cemetery Junction and Fluke share the same character-first warmth that makes his work easy to love.
Yes — After the Rain captures the warmhearted coming-of-age tone well, while Iron Cast offers a best-friends-against-the-world energy closer to the supernatural side. What? Dead Again? is the source novel for Doc Hollywood, a tonal near-match.
Sam & Max Hit the Road and Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon are the clearest fits — both are funny, character-driven adventures where camaraderie and wit matter far more than reflexes. Lake offers a quieter, slice-of-life warmth.