Top 250 Tv Shows Like Darkness Before Dawn

Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.

A group of high school students navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma, and social media.

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.

Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Anthony is a sympathetic preschool teacher. His students often come to him with their problems, most dealing with difficult emotional issues they are facing and at their age do not quite understand. Mr. Anthony helps them overcome their emotions using his alter-ego, Napkin Man, a cartoon character he draws on a napkin and who comes to life as Mr. Anthony tells how Napkin Man has dealt with the issue before in helping another young person in destress

Three paranormal roommates, a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf, struggle to keep their dark secrets from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives.

A self-loathing, alcoholic writer attempts to repair his damaged relationships with his daughter and her mother while combating sex addiction, a budding drug problem, and the seeming inability to avoid making bad decisions.

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Riley Parks delicately balances two starkly different lives -- one as a single mom in a conservative town struggling to provide for her family and the other as a savvy and ambitious businesswoman working with a rowdy, sexy and unpredictable group of women.

The story of Victorian serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, a poisoner whose methods leave no visible scars, allowing her tally of victims to mount, unsuspected by a Victorian society unable to conceive of a woman capable of such terrible crimes. Traveling around the North East, she insinuates herself into unsuspecting families, marrying and creating new families of her own - before killing them, taking their money and moving on.

Cesar Millan has been called the Dr. Phil for Dogs. With an uncanny ability to rehabilitate problem dogs of all shapes and sizes. Each episode of the Dog Whisperer documents the remarkable transformations that take place under Cesar's guidance and teaching, helping dogs and their owners live happier lives together.

Doogie Howser is a doctor. He is also a 16-year-old genius who graduated college at age 10 and finished medical school at age 14. But he is still a teenager, with normal teenage friends and problems. But unlike a normal teenager, he is just learning to drive while also consulting on serious medical cases like heart transplants.

ER explores the inner workings of an urban teaching hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its overburdened emergency room.

Former 1960s flower children Steven and Elyse Keaton raise their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.

U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon must hunt down witnesses for federal cases in the witness protection program while also managing a rather dysfunctional family and her own personal life.

People whose uncontrollable addiction to drugs, alcohol or compulsive behavior has brought them to the brink of destruction and has devastated their family and friends are presented with a life-changing opportunity of intervention and rehab. Each addict must confront their darkest demons in order to begin their journey to recovery in the hopes that they can turn their lives around before it’s too late.

A self-help program that features Vanzant helping Americans to overcome difficulties in their lives.

Kingdom is a hospital whose bizarre population includes a brilliant surgeon who lives in the basement, a nearly blind security guard and a nurse who regularly faints at the sight of blood. But when patients and staff hear the voice of a girl crying through the halls and a patient destined for life as a paraplegic miraculously recovers, they are dismissive of any suggestion of mysticism or unseen powers... at their own peril.

The life of Prince John, youngest child of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary, who died at the age of 13 in 1919.

Lucky Louie is an American television sitcom created by Louis C.K., which aired on HBO for one season in 2006. C.K. stars as the eponymous Louie, a part-time mechanic. The show revolves around the life of Louie, who lives with his wife, Kim, who is a full-time nurse, and their four-year-old daughter, Lucy. A first for HBO, Lucky Louie was filmed before a live studio audience, in a multiple-camera setup.

The new medical director breaks the rules to heal the system at America's oldest public hospital. Max Goodwin sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care, but the doctors and staff are not so sure he can succeed. They've heard this before. Not taking "no" for an answer, Dr. Goodwin's instinctive response to problems large and small is four simple words: "How can I help?" He has to disrupt the status quo and prove he'll stop at nothing to breathe new life into this underfunded and underappreciated hospital, returning it to the glory that put it on the map.

The story of a 10-year-old girl Dawn Haley whose sibling rivalry with her three brothers is heightened by the fact that they are quadruplets.

Every day is a matter of life and death in a hectic New York City hospital, but for Nurse Jackie that's the easiest part. Between chronic back pain that won't quit, and a personal life on the constant edge of collapse, it's going to take a white lie here, a bent rule there, and a handful of secret strategies to relieve the pain, and stay one step ahead of total disaster.

La Ciudad de las Estrellas, a tiny town in the South American jungle, is home to an understaffed, understocked medical clinic where three idealistic doctors come looking for change.

Having left behind Seattle Grace Hospital, renowned surgeon Addison Forbes Montgomery moves to Los Angeles for sunnier weather and happier possibilities. She reunites with her friends from medical school, joining them at their chic, co-op, Oceanside Wellness Center in Santa Monica.

Follows the staff and patients of a Yorkshire cottage hospital in the 60s, embroiled in tangled love lives and bitter power struggles.

No ordinary teenager; Raven Baxter can see glimpses of the future! Watch her schemes and misadventures as she enlists the help of friends, including best friends Eddie and Chelsea, to change life's little outcomes. Raven's younger brother, Cory, is obsessed with money and creates get-rich-quick schemes to try to earn cash.

The adventures of Uncle Grandpa who is out to help every child and adult in the world through the power of imagination. With his mystical R.V. and eternal optimism, Uncle Grandpa is always ready to greet the day - and everyone he meets - with his signature, "Good Mornin'."

Where the Heart Is is a British television family drama series set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite. It focuses on the professional and personal lives of the district nurses who work in the town.

The bizarre misadventures of a cowardly dog named Courage and his elderly owners in a farmhouse in Nowhere, Kansas.

The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.

Rev. Daniel Webster, an unconventional Episcopalian priest who not only believes in Jesus, but actually sees him and discusses life with him, is challenged on many levels as he struggles to be a good husband, father and minister, while navigating an often rocky relationship with the church hierarchy.

An alcoholic former soap opera actress joins AA and tries to stay sober while dealing with an overbearing family and romantic entanglements.

Agony is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1979 to 1981. It starred Maureen Lipman as a successful agony aunt but whose own personal life and marriage is a disaster. It was written by Len Richmond, Anna Raeburn, Stan Hey and Andrew Nickolds. It was made for the ITV network by LWT. Although a comedy, Agony sometimes dealt with issues that were seen as taboo at the time such as drug use, racism, abortion, interracial relationships, and swinging, and was the first British sitcom to portray a gay couple as non-camp, witty, intelligent and happy people. It also openly mocked the government, the ruling classes, and religion, and occasionally contained dark and dramatic storylines.

Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.

TLC is a darkly surreal farce-like sitcom set in a fictional NHS hospital called South Middlesex where coffee is traded like drugs and pretty much everyone has a personality problem. It was first broadcast on the BBC on 11 November 2002 and ran over six episodes until 16 December. There were some very mixed opinions on the show among both critics and viewers, but it achieved decent ratings and featured an excellent comedy cast including Richard Griffiths, Alexander Armstrong and The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith. The series was released on DVD in the UK on 29 October 2007. The show never confirms what "TLC" stands for, although it is presumed to be a sarcastic reference to the widely used abbreviation for "Tender Loving Care", but could equally refer to the alternative yet related abbreviation "Total Lack of Concern".

Trigger Happy TV is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series. The original British edition of the show, produced by Absolutely Productions, starred Dom Joly and ran for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 from 2000 to 2003. Although Channel 4 is owned and operated by the Channel Four Television Corporation, he made a name for himself as the sole star of the show, which he produced and directed with cameraman Sam Cadman.

True Life is a documentary series running on MTV since March 24, 1998. Each episode follows a particular topic, such as heroin addiction as in the first episode, "Fatal Dose." The show is created by following a series of subjects by a camera crew through a certain part of their lives.

"There are those among us who can move at will between the world of the wolves and the world of the humans. My people call them skin walkers." Seattle police detective John Kanin has a problem. He's in love, but shortly after agreeing to marry him, his girlfriend disapears. His search leads to her home town, where people are clearly hiding information from him. One of the things they are hiding is the fact that they are all werewolves, as is John's girlfriend, Ruby.

Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Afghan and Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three. It also won an International Emmy Award for best drama. The 2000 crime drama film Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh, was based on this television serial. In turn, the 2004 American television miniseries Traffic was based on both versions.

In this world power isn't everything, it's the only thing. Best selling author of Mario 'The Godfather' Puzo's blockbuster new novel comes to life in this epic saga of America's most powerful crime family.

Drugs: A multi-billion-dollar industry that fuels crime and violence like no other substance on the planet. Turning cartel leaders into billionaires, the illegal drug industry also provides vital income to hundreds of thousands of poor workers across the globe. While some users sacrifice their lives to an addiction they can't escape, others find drugs to be their only saving grace from physical or emotional pain almost impossible to overcome. Where should the lines be drawn in this lucrative industry?

Focuses on a manic-depressive psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Nash, and the mental hospital in Glasgow where he works.

Each episode toggles between the renowned surgeons of Manhattan's New York Presbyterian Hospital and the gritty world of trauma surgeons at Newark's University Hospital where the ER is a doorway to the mean streets of one of America's most violent cities. Sometimes poignant and often uproarious, this limited series takes a deep dive into high stakes medicine through the eyes of unforgettable characters, including a hilarious trio of returning ER nurses who must cope with tricky personal crises while caring for some of the nation's most bossy patients. Mehmet Oz rounds out the character roster with his extraordinary surgical skills on full display as his deft hands work to fix damaged hearts and save lives.

The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

A drama about the shifting power in a marriage when the personal and political collide.

Set in downtown New York in 1900, 'The Knick' is centered on the Knickerbocker Hospital and its staff, notably Dr. John Thackery, the hospital's brilliant chief surgeon who pushes medicine's boundaries, pioneering new procedures despite a severe drug addiction.

Happy Valley is a dark, funny, multi-layered thriller revolving around the personal and professional life of Catherine, a dedicated, experienced, hard-working copper. She is also a bereaved mother who looks after her orphaned grandchild.

The Fugitive is a remake of the 1963 TV series of the same name that aired for one season on CBS between October 6, 2000 and May 25, 2001. It stars Tim Daly as Dr. Richard Kimble, Mykelti Williamson as lieutenant Philip Gerard, and Stephen Lang as Ben Charnquist.

The Laredo Police Department's Narcotics Unit targets on a suspected stash house known for selling low levels of heroin and cocaine. In addition, the suspected dealer was recently involved in an officer shooting which puts up their guard more. Roly takes the lead in the case, putting extra pressure on him to find drugs. Despite finding a weapon and a scale, they don't find much more.

A mother suspects that her son could be the killer of a recently found dead girl, and becomes caught in a torturous dilemma of whether to denounce him, or protect him and hide the act.

A young doctor who has graduated at the top of his class from the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry is thrust out into an isolated and impoverished country side as the village's only doctor. As he learns to adapt to his new lifestyle, he develops a morphine addiction to stay his sanity while realizing what being a doctor in the real world means.

Looking for adventure? Then come along as Justin and his imaginary pals Olive and Squidgy star in the biggest stories of all time. Justin’s imagination catapults him into larger-than-life adventures all around the world!

Griffin Conner, a med-school dropout having left in a haze of disgrace, is forced to return to Bethune General Hospital as its newest orderly and work alongside his family.

The two part miniseries chronicles the lives and loves of the four March sisters – Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth – growing up during the American Civil War. While their father leaves for battle, the sisters must rely on each other for strength in the face of tragedies both large and small.

Béatrice Clément is a 48-year-old emergency room doctor. She is pretty, charming and at the top of her professional game. The only problem is, Béatrice hasn’t been feeling well. Having undergone every test available without any conclusive results, she is at the end of her rope. Finally, she overcomes her skepticism and agrees to visit a psychologist. Dr. P is gentle, attentive and compassionate. Despite Béatrice’s initial resistance, he slowly but surely gains her trust. Every week, Béatrice is confronted with patients who remind her of her own personal struggles. It is becoming clear that although she is fully in control of the ER, her private life is another matter entirely. In her drive for constant perfection and control, she is faced with comical and embarrassing situations, but also painful ones.

Three adult siblings find their family thrown into disarray when their recently widowed mother, Vivien, declares she is in love with a new man. The tension his presence creates threatens to drag the whole family towards tragedy, and perhaps crime.

Sami and Duder Reese are in a band. They are brother and sister. And they suck. They steal all their music and try to become famous in this new webseries.

Maddie is a teenage girl dealing with addiction who has a reputation as a party girl who doesn’t think she has a problem, until she’s confronted one day by her school guidance counselor and is forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. Maddie makes the difficult decision to live with other recovering addicts at a sober living facility while facing the daily pressures of her teenage life. Based on the popular young adult novel by Blake Nelson.

In 1970s New York, jaded record exec Richie Finestra tries to resurrect his failing label and fractured personal life while keeping his finger on the pulse of the city's new sound.

Responsible for people’s lives and welfare on a daily basis doctors and nurses are sworn to protect and look after their patients. This series explores the dark and sinister motives behind the doctors who abuse the trust put in them and instead of using medicine to heal their patients; they used their powers to murder unsuspecting victims. We examine the cases of doctors and nurses who have been convicted for terrible crimes.

A landmark series exploring the drugs of choice in different parts of the UK. From Mamba in Wolverhampton to Heroin in Manchester, this series lifts the lid on the narcotic landscape of Britain today.

Act of Will is a 1989 mini-series directed by Don Sharp. It the third mini series based on a Barbara Taylor Bradford novel he had directed and was an early lead role for Elizabeth Hurley.

The series follows Daisy Channing, a young reporter trying to balance a messy personal life with a burgeoning career. Things begin to go sideways for Daisy when she witnesses a murder she thinks is gang-related, only to find herself slowly drawn into an interconnected web of criminal and illicit sexual activity that reaches into the corridors of corporate and political power. It's the kind of story that will destroy lives, including those of her own family. With help from lead homicide detective Kevin Lutz, her editor Mary Foster and co-worker Simon Olenski, Daisy uncovers a cover-up so scandalous it could bring down the government.

Dr. Mary Harris, a single mother and emergency doctor by day, also moonlights as an underground angel of death - helping terminally ill patients who want to die and slip away on their own terms. So far Mary has managed to stay under the radar; but business is booming, and her double life is getting complicated. When her world starts to unravel, Mary realizes she's going to have to fight dirty if she's going to stay in the killing game.

Set in a remote Alaskan town that has been overrun by paranormal forces, the series focuses on local outcast Roman Mercer who must overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal demons if he’s to harness his repressed psychic powers and save everyone from the mass haunting that’s threatening to destroy them all.

Chronicles the life of Judy Garland, from her first public performance in 1924 until her death.

Louis Theroux visits three American cities and examines a uniquely devastating human crisis in each - heroin addiction, sex trafficking and murder.

A visceral, rarely-seen look into the personal stories of those most affected by ongoing national emergencies.

Witness the stories of history's most notorious kingpins, their terrifying enforcers, and the men and women who've sworn to bring them down.

Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 made headlines across the world sparking a global frenzy for Ancient Egypt. But over the decades since the find, many of the pharaoh’s priceless grave goods have disappeared into museum basements and archives across Egypt. Now all 5,398 objects are being reunited for the first time since their discovery at the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Many have never been seen before but together they shed new light on the short, eventful life of the so-called ‘Boy King’ and are now helping experts realize the sheer scale of Tutankhamun’s influence in the ancient world.

Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans—all were part of the Japanese “renaissance”; a period between the 16th and 19th Centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

The Story of Ming Lan, based on the novel written by Guan Xin Ze Luan, follows our heroine through her youth, into her adulthood, and well into her marriage life as well. She’s the 6th child of the Sheng household. Though she is an intelligent and beautiful child, she was not loved by her family (her dad, her sisters, her mom dies early.) She has to hide her intelligence and suffers through the years, hoping to avenge for her mom. During this process she will meet many friends and foes, one of which is our male lead, Gu’s second son, Gu Ting Ye. He has helped and mistreated her before, but also the one to witness her sharp wits and lonely soul. After they get married, they will work together as a power couple, managing the new King’s regime as well as harvesting a world of happiness on their own.

The story of sisters Lillian and Grace who open an orphanage in the 1916 Western town of Brookfield. Caught between the traditions of cattle ranchers and the ambitions of a growing town, they strive to find romance and happiness while overcoming the challenges of helping the children in their care.

The Crains, a fractured family, confront haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.

Recovering addicts Frankie and Allie take on the heroin epidemic by working to save as many addicts as possible.

Max is a charismatic self-made American businessman with media outlets in London and around the world. When the self-destructive lifestyle of his 30 year-old son, Caden, spirals out of control, the devastating consequences threaten the future of the family, its empire, and a country on the brink of change.

Chris Guthrie lives with her family on a bleak farm in North East Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. On her mother's death, she assumes the managing of the farm with her father and her older brother, but the men fall out, leaving Chris and her father to manage it alone. When her father dies, she considers abandoning the farm, but decides to carry on alone. She marries a young farmer, Ewan Tavendale. They have a baby and are happy for the first time, then the First World War breaks out, Ewan enlists and dies in France, and Chris is left once again to carry on with the farm.

Follow five young nurses working on the frontlines of a busy hospital in downtown Toronto, dedicating their lives to helping others, while struggling to help themselves.

The four-part docuseries revolves around Amherst, Massachusetts, drug lab chemist Sonja Farak who became addicted to the narcotics she was supposed to be testing. In covering her tracks, Farak falsified thousands of results and opened the door to overturning hundreds of wrongful convictions.

A jet leaves on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston. But early in the flight, ten passengers awaken to a startling realization: All of the other passengers have vanished.

Francis Urquhart's survival at the top is threatened by the new king's populist agenda.

Neighborhood best friends and urban millennials Dan and Kevin hilariously climb the ladder to nowhere in Flatbush, Brooklyn. But even inside the losing, they find there are little wins that come from tackling hipsters, mental health issues and the rising tide of gentrification.

Narco Wars explores how opportunistic smuggling networks in Latin America turned into powerful and ruthless drug cartels with the power to destabilize and tear apart whole countries. The series combines gripping access to cartel members and the law enforcement agencies opposing them with a deep dive documentary exploration of the geo-political, social and cultural factors that led the cartels' rise.

A fun and honest portrayal of two radically different female detectives in their early 40s following Guns and Gangs detective Sam and Narcotics detective Kelly, who by day are true action heroes in their own particular way: skilled, tough, determined, and ruthless. But by night, they’re both grappling with loneliness, dysfunctional families, screwed-up love lives, and a sense that their professional ambitions may not be totally in line with their personal needs.

Demi Lovato holds nothing back in this powerful four part documentary series exploring every aspect that led to their nearly fatal overdose in 2018, and their awakenings in the aftermath. Director Michael D. Ratner is granted unprecedented access to the superstar’s personal and musical journey during the most trying time of their life as they unearth their prior traumas and discovers the importance of their physical, emotional, and mental health. Far deeper than an inside look beyond the celebrity surface, this is an intimate portrait of addiction, and the process of healing and empowerment.

The causes and consequences of America's opioid epidemic unfold in this drama following its perpetrators, victims and an investigator seeking the truth.

Shaun, Harvey, Gadget, Trev and Kelly hit up the nightlife of raves and ecstasy. Woody and Lol are happy, living together with their kids and Combo is still in prison. But things slowly change. This is the year 1990 and This is England.

The harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family "friend." The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.

This two-part documentary chronicles the life and work of the legendary comedian, tracking George Carlin’s rise to fame and opens an intimate window into Carlin’s personal life, including his childhood in New York City, his long struggle with drugs that took its toll on his health, his brushes with the law, his loving relationship with Brenda, his wife of 36 years, and his second marriage to Sally Wade. Intimate interviews with Carlin and Brenda’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, offer unique insight into her family’s story and her parents enduring love and partnership.

It centers on a group of heroin addicts on their paths to recovery offering audiences insight into the destructive power of addiction.

Mary Ann Singleton, a naïve young secretary from the mid-west, tumbles head first into the colorful world of San Francisco, where carefree chaos revolves around the funky old apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane.

From creator Jill Ramsey, the eight-episode first season follows Roman's character Chantel Vivian, a fashion designer whose success is overshadowed by her narcissistic husband, addiction, unresolved childhood traumas and dysfunctional personal life. With the assistance of her secret weapon, Jaelyn Ryan (Erica Peeples), publicist to her Vicious Empire, Chantel works to rise through the ranks, but her husband Kane's (Redaric Williams) behavior threatens to tear down the house Chantel built.

A series of 13 short films examining different aspects of addiction, treatment and recovery, including drug-court programs, insurance problems and interviews with health-care professionals.

A riveting family drama that follows Elizabeth and John Baxter and their five adult children.

Over the 1980s and 1990s Dublin transformed from a recession-blighted backwater to one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. As its fortunes changed so did those of its criminals, who began selling heroin, ecstasy and cocaine. Dublin Narcos tells the story of the rise in addiction, violence and organised crime which persists to this day, with first hand testimony from the kingpins and cops to the ravers and users. We also hear from the fearless journalists whose attempts at exposing the drugs barons led to the death of one of their bravest, Veronica Guerin.

Sisters Josie and Billie and their single mother Deb navigate life armed with nothing but poor judgement and self-esteem exclusively tied to people who couldn't care less about them. They're vain, selfish, heavily in debt, pathologically desperate for affection and bursting with misplaced, terrifying love.

In a city where heroin dealing can bring the death sentence, drug rings mean business…and so do the police. The activities of the city’s vice squad – including high-level sting operations and the interrogations of murder suspects and drug runners - are at the heart of the stories.

Explore the rise and fall of the Synanon organization — through the eyes of the members who lived it — from its early days as a groundbreaking drug rehabilitation program to its later descent into what many consider a cult.