The fantasy genre has a loaded catalogue of some great pieces of films and TV. Between highly popular titles like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, there is no dearth of richly crafted worlds filled with stellar details. Be it book adaptations or original content, the genre usually demands huge productions backed by bigger budgets. It’s no wonder the results are some of the most immersive stories that stay with and find new audiences over the years. This year is no different with new as well as returning series. One of the much-awaited shows is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The project has been in talks for a while now. Meanwhile, The Wheel of Time will return for Season 2.
With several fresh titles added to the mix, here are some of the best fantasy shows to add to your watchlist:
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones wasn’t as much of a show as it was a worldwide obsession. Based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the show starring Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and others in a star-studded cast, was peak television. Not only did it capture our imagination one cinematic sequence at a time, but it also was a show that audiences watched together. GoT Mondays became a thing as viewers rushed to watch each episode as soon as they premiered on OTT. The struggle to avoid spoilers was real. Post the pandemic, it became the last show that kept fans gripped with its highly addictive weekly release model. While the show’s finale disappointed many across the board, the show still managed to set the bar for fantasy shows a little too high.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon arrived and attempted to fill the Game of Thrones-sized hole in our hearts. The prequel series set thousands of years before the events of the hit show adapted from George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire & Blood, opened to good critical reception. It delved deep into house Targaryen and the bloody succession war that sparked years before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth. The plot followed Rhaenyra Targaryen as she navigated power and politics while the house was at the peak of its power. The show featured brilliant performances from its cast comprising Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Paddy Considine and more. While the show might not have topped its predecessor, it is still a worthy successor and a great addition to Martin’s TV universe.
The Witcher
Whoever decided to cast Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in the live-action adaptation of the popular book series which inspired a video game franchise, is a genius. The star inhabited the role effortlessly and owned his physicality. He played the lone wolf tasked with ridding the world of monsters. The plot revolves around the monster hunter as his path crosses with the princess of the king of Cintra – Ciri, a powerful sorceress Jennifer of Vengerberg and more. After three seasons, the show is set to return for Season 4. However, Cavill will not reprise his role and it will be taken up by Liam Hemsworth who is set to play a young Geralt.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is based on a must-read book series by Robert Jordan. It features Rosamund Pike, Barney Harris, Daniel Henney and Josha Stardowski, among others. The fantasy show revolves around Moiraine Aes Sedai, a powerful group of women who can harness the One Power. After an attack, she sets out for the remote Two Rivers to find five unsuspecting villagers and one of them is the reincarnation of the Dragon as per a prophecy. The show takes its liberty with its source material. Its second season premieres this week.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings show The Rings of Power is the most recent iteration of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. Based on the appendices, the show chronicled the Second Age in all its glory. Set after the fall of Morgoth and thousands of years before LOTR and The Hobbit, we see Elven warrior Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark) who senses darkness during a relatively peaceful time. The show takes on the making of the rings, the rise of Sauron and the fall of Numenor. The show will return for a Season 2.
Exclusive: Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power creator J.D. Payne on getting Middle-earth right
The Sandman
One of the reservations fans had going into the live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy horror comic book run, The Sandman, was whether or not the show would do justice to Gaiman’s vision. And the show managed to impress fans. The beloved story came to life in an immersive 11 episodes. It adapts the first two books – Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House and packs all the source material’s larger-than-life concepts. The show follows Morpheus (played by Tom Sturridge) , the personification of dreams and nightmares. After escaping a cult, he sets out to right the wrongs in his universe.
Good Omens
A lot of shows cannot retain their audiences if their seasons are set too far apart. But that is not the problem Good Omens faced. Led by the capable David Tennant and Michael Sheen, the fantasy show’s instalments were released four years apart. Yet, loyal fans returned, eager for more. The recently released Season 2 capitalises on the duo’s onscreen chemistry. With more bizarre situations thrown at Aziraphale and Crowley, the show is an entertaining watch through and through.
Sweet Tooth
The pandemic saw a bunch of films and TV shows that commented on epidemics and global disasters. Sweet Tooth is a heartwarming addition to the list. In the show, a deadly virus outbreak halts life as we know it. During this time, hybrid children (half-human and half-animal) were mysteriously born. With no clarity of whether the virus caused the mutation, the hybrid kids find their lives in danger. The plot follows a half-deer child as he discovers the harsh world outside the wilderness where he was raised.
Outlander
Outlander is a fantasy period drama that combines action and intrigue beautifully. It revolves around Clair Randall, a woman who served as a nurse during World War II. During her second honeymoon with her MI6 officer-husband, she finds herself wandering into a different time period – 1743 where her life is in danger.
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials, starring X-Men actor James McAvoy and Dafne Keen, is a criminally underrated fantasy show. Adapted from the trilogy of the same name by Phillip Pullman, the show follows an orphan who in search of her missing friend, unravels a kidnapping by a cosmic entity called Dust.
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