FantasyTV shows are a beloved part of the TV show landscape, but there are many viewers who have never seen a series in the genre. This makes sense, as fantasy and other works of speculative fiction can be daunting to get into when there isn’t a clear place to start.The heavy lore and world-building that fantasy is known for can dissuade casual viewerswho want escapism rather than active watching. However, some of the best works within the genre are perfect for audiences looking to dip their toe into fantasy and find the stories that click with them.
Some of the more approachable shows within the genre are thebest historical fantasy TV shows. Using the past as a foreign world instead of a new realm with different laws of physics and government is an easier transition into fantasy.Romance is also a key facet of many works of fantasythat’s often forgotten but is vital to many of the best-rated series. Adding elements of fantasy and magic to an otherwise ordinary premise can immediately uplift it and raise the stakes, making it more compelling and transporting the viewer to a more exciting world.
The Vampire Diaries
Cast
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
As the series progresses,The Vampire Diariesforgoes its original high school setting since the characters age out of it. However,the first several seasons see the characters entrenched in adolescence and going through many of the typical teen drama plot linesthat audiences know and love, but with vampires, werewolves, and witches thrown in. It helps that the central love triangle between Elena and the vampire brothers Stefan and Damon is a steamy and dramatic relationship that keeps the audience guessing until the end.
There’s a lot of lore inThe Vampire Diaries, but the series is good about repeating the essential pieces of information many times so that the viewer can keep up.
There’s a lot of lore inThe Vampire Diaries, but the series is good about repeating the essential pieces of information many times so that the viewer can keep up. Additionally, the show will add or take away pieces of the magic system that don’t serve the central story anymore, so it’s not important for the audience to remember anything more than the character dynamics. Luckily, these are easy to follow, andthe supernatural elements only enhance the drama inherent to being in high school.
1
73%
78%
2
100%
80%
3
90%
77%
4
69%
5
70%
6
81%
72%
7
64%
8
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
Avatar: The Last Airbendermight be a kids' TV show, butthe lessons and morals of the show are rich and complex and are rooted in universal truths any audience member can recognize.The magic system of the world is simple: there are people who can manipulate the four elements of water, fire, earth, and air. Aang, the protagonist, is an airbender and the Avatar, the only being who can bend all four elements. He is awoken from suspended sleep in the midst of a brutal war with the Fire Nation.
The live-actionAvatar: The Last Airbenderseries is now streaming on Netflix.
As a child, it falls to Aang and his friends to stop the Fire Lord and save the world, which is something that Aang doesn’t take lightly. Few shows have been so formative for generations of audiences. However,the kindness and strength that are enormous parts ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderdemonstrate why the series is so enduring.Though many additional adaptations have tried to capture its magic, the original remains the best.Avataris the perfect show to be an introduction to fantasy because of its world-building and themes.
98%
99%
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Almost every supernatural teen TV show hasBuffy The Vampire Slayerto thank for paving the way and being an influential addition to the fantasy genre. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Buffy, the protagonist of the series who takes on the weighty responsibility of being the Slayer and beating back the forces of evil.Gellar’s performance roots Buffy in the contemporary era and makes her a relatable teenwho just so happens to have super strength and amazing abilities. Every otherworldly aspect of the show is seamlessly used as a metaphor for growing up and loss of innocence.
As the seasons progress,Buffybecomes more intense and interrogates its own plot lines, pushing the boundaries of what TV can be.
There are manyreasons to start watchingBuffy The Vampire Slayertoday, regardless of whether watching it leads to further forays into the fantasy genre. As the seasons progress,Buffybecomes more intense and interrogates its own plot lines, pushing the boundaries of what TV can be.Many of the experimental episodes in the series have inspired other seriesand have been singled out as some of the best episodes of television. It’s easy to forget thatBuffy The Vampire Slayeris a fantasy show, as it simply feels like a gripping drama.
97%
87%
92%
96%
83%
95%
67%
89%
82%
The Magicians
The Magicians follows a group of young adults who enroll at Brakebills University, a secretive institution devoted to teaching magic. As they engage in an unconventional education in spellcasting, they realize that a childhood fantasy world is indeed real and presents a significant threat to humanity.
Though Lev Grossman only wrote three books inThe Magiciansseries, the Syfy show went on for five seasons and justified itself with every installment.The Magiciansfollows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) when his life is turned upside down afterhe discovers that not only magic is real, but he has the ability to be a magician.However, the magical world is much more sinister than he ever imagined, and each season leads him and his friends deeper into the mystical world of Fillory, which has haunted Quentin’s dreams and nightmares for years.
The tongue-in-cheek dialogue and self-aware humor ofThe Magiciansmakes it the perfect fantasy showfor audiences who struggle to suspend their disbelief. Quentin might be fully on board with magic and all its potential, but many of the other characters are skeptics who prefer to make decisions based on reality. However, the best part ofThe Magiciansin every season is the character dynamics and the beautifully realized relationships that make it connect deeply with audiences.
74%
75%
91%
93%
58%
The Magicians' Highest-Rated Episode Confirms The Best Part Of The Show
Though there are many great episodes of The Magicians, the highest-rated of the series shows what audiences care about in the plot and stories.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
WhenGame of Thronespremiered in 2011, HBO could count on readers of George R.R. Martin’s book series to tune into the new high fantasy show, but the other demographics couldn’t be as easily predicted. However, the network had nothing to worry about, asGame of Thronesquickly became one of the most popular shows on TV, regardless of genre.Despite there being complex world-building and political intrigue involved in the plot, the show was a success with viewers who hadn’t considered themselves fantasy fans before.
A long-running and highly-rated show like this is a safe bet when committing to learning the lore and backstory of a fantasy world.
Though it’s been off the air for a few years,the popularity and cultural impact ofGame of Throneshasn’t diminished much,and watching it for the first time today would be a great place to start in the fantasy realm. There’s plenty of debate and discussion to be found about the series and a new prequel show.House of the Dragonhas plenty of powerful charactersto rival the best inGame of Thrones. A long-running and highly-rated show like this is a safe bet when committing to learning the lore and backstory of a fantasy world.
94%
55%
30%
His Dark Materials
Based on author Philip Pullman’s beloved novel trilogy, His Dark Materials is a fantasy/drama television series that follows Lyra, a brave young woman from another world. Lyra’s quest to find her kidnapped friend leads her to uncover a sinister plot of a secret organization, encounter extraordinary beings, and protect dangerous secrets. Lyra will find that her life is inextricably linked with another as they discover they may be the ones to change the world.
Philip Pullman’sHis Dark Materialsseries was adapted to the screen in 2007 for the filmThe Golden Compass, but the 2019 HBO TV show is the best iteration of the story.His Dark Materialsis also agreat fantasy book series for beginnersas it’s a children’s series and is easily understandable. However, it’s also in conversation with many dark adult themes.Season 1 takes place in a parallel version of Earththat has many similarities, but magic and souls are treated differently, and the aesthetics of the universe are otherworldly.
There are some parts of the story inHis Dark Materialsthat take some getting used to, but they follow similar rules to the real world. Many of the actors in the series are recognizable, and their performances are a highlight of the series. Since the story unfolds from the perspective of Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, a young girl,one of the key themes in the narrative is coming-of-age, and this transcends genre,connecting with anyone watching the show for the first time or long-time fans of the books.
85%
86%
79%
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
Once Upon A Timehas an immediately universal premise,as the fairytales that the story focuses on are familiar to most viewers. Additionally, it helps that the protagonist, Emma Swan, played by Jennifer Morrison, is as new to the world of magic and fantasy as the viewer, so she can ask the right questions and be a skeptic as the audience discovers the rules of the world. The dual narrative between the present in Storybrooke and the fairytale world helps fill in the necessary exposition.
AfterOnce Upon A Timeseason 1, the series started to intertwine different mystical realms and fables into its storyline, even touching upon Greek mythology and the legends of King Arthur in the later seasons.
AfterOnce Upon A Timeseason 1, the series started to intertwine different mystical realms and fables into its storyline, even touching upon Greek mythology and the legends of King Arthur in the later seasons. While this does stretch the boundary of what’s considered a fairytale, the series always anchors the outlandish new plots with a connection to the central storyline of Emma and her family.Since the series remains character-driven in this way, it stays grounded and can be understoodwithout too much additional context.
88%
62%
43%
48%
My Lady Jane
My Lady Jane is a Prime Video original series created by Gemma Burgess. The story is a “what if” style story of English royal history where King Henry VIII’s son Edward, Lady Jane Grey, and her husband Guildford all survive their real-life deaths. In the retelling of history, Jane Grey takes center stage, becoming queen and immediately finding herself facing nefarious villains.
Set in Tudor-era England,My Lady Janeis a revisionist fantasy series that wonders what might have happened if the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey hadn’t been executed.The series centers on the romance between Jane and her husband, Guildford Dudley,played by Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel, and their chemistry, along with the political intrigue, would have been enough to carry the show. However,My Lady Janeraised the stakes even more by including the invention of the Ethians, a group of people who can transform into animals.
Jane’s strong stance opposing discrimination against Ethians and her attempts to reform the government can be read as a metaphor for the conflict between Catholics and Protestants during this period in history. The light fantasy and anachronistic tone ofMy Lady Janeensures thatthough it’s a period piece and has magic, the show doesn’t alienate its audience.Many of the characters and relationship dynamics in the show feel as relevant as if they were set in the present day.Amazon cancelingMy Lady Janewas a mistake, and this will only become more clear as time passes.
10 Best Couples In Period Romance TV Shows
While a good period drama should have more to offer than just its romantic relationships, the best couples in the show can define the story.
Good Omens
Based on the bestselling novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens follows an angel and demon as they attempt to defy the forces of Heaven and Hell in order to avert the apocalypse. With Pratchett and Gaiman’s funny and irreverent style shining through, Good Omens stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant as Aziraphale and Crowley, with a larger cast that includes John Hamm, Francis McDormand, and Michael McKean.
Good Omensseason 2 proved that though there was only one book the series was based on, there were still plenty of hijinxs left for Aziraphale and Crowley to get into.InGood Omens, angels and demons live on Earth and do the bidding of their respective departments,influencing humans to the sides of good and evil. However, as Aziraphale and Crowley spend more time on Earth, they come to realize that humanity contains a bit of both light and darkness and that there are many parts of human life worth saving.
For fans of anthology series and shows that utilize large ensemble casts,Good Omensis an approachable work.
The Christian and theological stories and magic systems thatGood Omensincorporates are familiar to most audiences and are easy to learn, asthe series doesn’t go far into intense theological debate.It’s not the fantasy elements ofGood Omensthat are difficult to follow, but the many characters and interweaving storylines that the plot tackles. For fans of anthology series and shows that utilize large ensemble casts,Good Omensis an approachable work.
84%
Outlander
Outlander follows Claire Randall, a married nurse from 1945, who is transported back to 1743 Scotland. Amidst political intrigue and danger, she navigates life in the past and becomes torn between loyalty to her husband and the love for a dashing young warrior.
One of thebest period romance TV shows ever made,Outlandercontinues to keep audiences engaged in the story of Jamie and Claire after seven seasons. It’s a great pick for audiences of all ages, as it connects with a wide variety of viewers new to fantasy or historical dramas.Based on the acclaimed novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon,theOutlanderTV show doesn’t delve as deeply into some of the more complex lore of the universe, leaving it to the audience’s imagination.
Similarly to other historicalfantasydramas,Outlanderroots itself in a realistic past and doesn’t ask the audience to try and comprehend an entirely new universe with intricate world-building. The time travel element is the biggest magical aspect of the world, but other than that, the issues that Claire and Jamie face have to do with the political conflicts of whatever period they find themselves in. Additionally, the show’s main theme and story arc is the romance between Jamie and Claire and how time and space can’t keep them apart.
