10 Perfect Fantasy Shows That You Need To Watch At Least ...

10 Perfect Fantasy Shows That You Need To Watch At Least Twice James McAvoy in His Dark Materials

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By Cathal Gunning Published 2 minutes ago Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

From Game of Thrones to His Dark Materials, some truly great fantasy shows deserve to be seen more than once. Fantasy shows get a bad reputation sometimes, thanks to their intense buy-in. Often, there is a lot of world-building required to make a fantasy show’s universe feel truly real, and this can result in big budgets and lots of exposition.

However, the best fantasy shows can be as re-watchable as any classic thriller series and just as lithe, propulsive, and fast-paced, too. Make no mistake, there are plenty of plodding fantasy shows that take forever to get to the interesting stuff and waste a lot of screen time. However, the classics of the genre are well worth revisiting.

From a sitcom full of undead characters to a supernatural spin on the police procedural formula, the following fantasy shows are re-watchable for a variety of reasons. Some are purely escapist fun, while others are so dark and heavy that a re-watch is required just to keep track of their grim, murky stories. However, all of them are unmissable fantasy shows.

10 What We Do in the Shadows

lazlo and guillhermo in what we do in the shadows go flip yourself-1

Adapted from director Taika Waititi’s 2014 comedy movie of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows is a sitcom that follows a group of vampires, Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin Robinson, as they uneasily co-exist in their Staten Island home. Both a heartwarming hangout show and a hilarious spoof of vampire movies, What We Do in the Shadows is a must-(re)watch.

9 Legacies

Danielle Rose Russell looking serious from Legacies

The second spinoff of The Vampire Diaries, Legacies, made the canny choice to opt for a lighter, sillier tone than its predecessor, The Originals. While the final season of Legacies might be a letdown, the rest of this magic school series is one that viewers will not want to miss.

Legacies follows Danielle Rose Russell’s Hope Mikaelson as she navigates life at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, a safe haven for anyone blessed (or cursed) with supernatural powers. Since those students include vampires, witches, werewolves, and many more magical creatures, the show is inventively chaotic in a way that feels more playful than The Vampire Diaries ever did.

8 Good Omens

Crowley and Aziraphale looking at each other suspiciously in Good Omens

Although disgraced author Neil Gaiman’s association with Good Omens has tarnished the show in the eyes of some viewers, it is reassuring that the source novel of the same name was co-written by the beloved fantasy author Terry Pratchett. Released in 2019, this fantasy show follows a demon and angel as they try to stop Armageddon.

Since the duo happen to enjoy their charmed lives on earth, neither is particularly interested in allowing the end of the world to come about, and both are willing to put their differences aside to ensure it doesn’t happen. Their efforts involve a lot of quirky characters, absurd adventures, and uniquely clever, subversive takes on classic fantasy tropes.

7 Stranger Things

While the upcoming Stranger Things spinoff Tales from ’85 might expand the universe of the original Netflix series, the show is already a fantasy classic in its own right. From Vecna’s debt to the original ‘80s dream demon Freddy Krueger to Dustin’s season 3 sing-along from The Never-Ending Story, Stranger Things has never hidden its fantasy influences.

The show blends sci-fi, horror, mystery, and thriller elements into its story, too, but Eleven’s powers and the Upside-Down owe as much to the world of fantasy as they do any sci-fi story. Ultimately, it is this unique blend of genres that has proven so popular, and so hard to replicate in the many shows that tried to replace Stranger Things.

6 The Good Place

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) in The Good Place

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) sitting in an office in the pilot episode of The Good Place

The very premise of The Good Place subverts a classic fantasy trope, as the show begins where most stories end. Eleanor Shellstrop is first seen navigating The Good Place, or Heaven, shortly after learning she has died. She’s confused by the afterlife, but luckily, the angel Michael is there to guide her.

Only that’s not what is really happening at all, as The Good Place gradually reveals. To say more would be to give the game away, but suffice to say that an ingenious twist reveals that The Good Place is even more indebted to fantasy lore than viewers might have thought.

5 Once Upon a Time

Regina with a basket of apples in Once Upon A Time

While The Good Place is one of the most successful examples of a TV show lying to its audience, the show’s twists and turns pale in comparison to ABC’s soapy fantasy series Once Upon a Time. Set in the small town of Storybook, Once Upon a Time takes place in a world where every fairy tale is true.

However, since the town’s inhabitants have had their memories erased, they don’t realize they are Snow White, Prince Charming, The Big Bad Wolf, or any number of other iconic characters. Thus, the show’s heroine needs to uncover the truth about the town and save it from its Evil Queen, cannily disguised as a corrupt mayor.

4 His Dark Materials

Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter in His Dark Materials

Beginning in 2019, His Dark Materials adapted the trilogy of the same name by British fantasy writer Philip Pullman to the screen. The show’s heroine, Lyra Belacqua, lives in an alternative reality that blurs with the real world as the series continues, and she, alongside a handful of heroes and villains, learns to move between parrallel realities.

Densely packed with symbolism and extraordinarily thoughtful in its interrogation of faith, logic, belief, and zealotry, His Dark Materials is also a satisfying adventure and a consistently twisty, original story. While Dafne Keen’s central performance as Lyra is superb, she is surrounded by stellar supporting turns from Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and many more.

3 Supernatural

Jensen Ackles as a demonic Dean Winchester with black eyes in Supernatural.

Every horror fan needs to watch Supernatural at least once, but fantasy fans need to give the show a little more time than that. After all, the adventures of the Winchester brothers end with the pair fighting angels, demons, and even God itself at one point. It’s fair to say the series falls headlong into fantasy territory by its ending.

However, it is worth noting that Supernatural starts out as a relatively straightforward buddy procedural show where the heroes are a pair of brothers tasked with stopping supernatural threats across America. Equally fun as a monster-of-the-week procedural and a more ambitious, knotty story of family, Supernatural is one of network TV’s most admirably ambitious fantasies.

2 Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Although Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s title promised viewers one brand of horror antagonist, the ‘90s classic actually delved much deeper into the world of fantasy than just vampires. There were demons of all sorts, evil entities, gods and goddesses, and many more supernatural threats that tested the mettle of the titular heroine.

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s upcoming reboot needs to bring back these inventive villains to satisfy fans, ultimately, it was the camaraderie and chemistry between the Scooby Gang that grounded the series. Without them to anchor its story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s entire fantasy world would feel empty.

1 Game of Thrones

Kit Harington as Jon Snow in the middle of a blizzard in Game of Thrones

While the final season of Game of Thrones might remain divisive, the show is still a gigantic achievement in the annals of fantasy TV. Ambitious, complex, sprawling, and original, this unapologetically dark adaptation of George R. R Martin’s epic novel series was like no show that came before it.

The series had its flaws, but its sheer scope was commendable, and its ambition broadened the horizons of fantasy on the small screen. Ultimately, it is this that makes Game of Thrones a fantasy show, like His Dark Materials, that every viewer needs to see at least twice.

612 9.1/10

10/10

Game Of Thrones

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones

10 Images

Samwell Tarly And Jon Snow In Game Of Thrones Season 1

Lena Headey as Cersei in Game of Thrones

Tyrion Finds Jaime And Cersei in the wreckage of King's Landing in Game of Thrones season 8

Daenerys attacks King's Landing in Game of Thrones

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen standing in the snow in Game of Thrones Richard Madden as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones season 3, episode 9

Ned Stark in Game of Thrones season 1 Pedro Pascal in Game of Thrones

Peter Dinklage Looking Disheveled As Tyrion Lannister In Game Of Thrones Season 8

Daenerys Targaryen In Game Of ThronesClose

Cast

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Kit Harington Jon Snow
Isaac Hempstead Wright Brandon Bran Stark

Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Fantasy Creator(s) David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Powered by

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His Dark Materials

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Do you think the final season of a show can significantly impact its overall re-watchability?

Cathal

Cathal

Cathal #JD414179 Member since 2023-10-24 0 Reviews 0 Ratings Following 0 Topics 0 Users Follow Followed 0 Followers View 2 minutes ago Some viewers may feel that a disappointing final season can tarnish their enjoyment of a series, making them less likely to re-watch it. However, others might argue that if the majority of the show was enjoyable, they can still appreciate it despite a lackluster ending. Ultimately, it depends on how much weight the viewer puts on a satisfying conclusion versus the journey of the series overall Reply / Post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.

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