Entertainment
7 Forgotten Fantasy Shows That Are Perfect From Start to Finish
Fantasy TV is often dominated by the biggest and flashiest names in the genre. Shows like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power dominate most of the conversation, and for good reason. However, the catch is that while everyone is busy binge-watching the greats, a bunch of other brilliant fantasy shows get left behind.
Some of these shows premiered before the audiences started appreciating fantasy TV, and some lacked the marketing power of bigger franchises. Despite that, many of these overlooked series delivered the same sense of wonder and imagination that viewers appreciate in the more popular titles. For anyone looking to venture beyond the mainstream, here are the forgotten fantasy shows that are perfect from start to finish.
‘The 10th Kingdom’ (2000)
The 10th Kingdom is a true blue fantasy adventure for the whole family. The miniseries focuses on what happens after the happily ever after, and in doing so, it delivers a clever, funny, and surprisingly ambitious story that feels like a love letter to the genre. The narrative follows young New Yorker Virginia Lewis (Kimberly Williams), whose ordinary life is turned upside down when a magical mirror transports her and her father, Tony Lewis (John Larroquette), into a realm made up of the Nine Kingdoms. There, familiar fairy tales have continued long after their original endings, and descendants of legendary characters now rule kingdoms of their own.
Now, when Snow White’s grandson, Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine), is transformed into a dog by the Evil Queen (Dianne Wiest), Virginia finds herself entangled in a quest that could determine the fate of the entire realm. The 10th Kingdom is genuinely one of the most creative fantasy shows of the 2000s. The series constantly finds inventive ways to reinterpret fairy-tale mythology and weaves together characters, locations, and lore from classic stories into a world that feels both familiar and yet completely original. This is what gives The 10th Kingdom a charm that holds up even today. This show is the definition of a forgotten gem that deserves to be rediscovered.
‘Neverwhere’ (1996)
Neverwhere, created by Neil Gaiman, is a six-part BBC miniseries that takes a simple premise and transforms it into one of the most imaginative fantasy worlds ever put on television. The story follows Richard Mayhew (Gary Bakewell), an ordinary London businessman whose life changes forever after he helps an injured young woman named Door (Laura Fraser). That single act of kindness traps Richard in London Below, a hidden realm that exists alongside modern-day London.
As Richard searches for a way home, he joins Door on a dangerous adventure while being pursued by the sinister assassins Mr. Croup (Hywel Bennett) and Mr. Vandemar (Clive Russell). Neverwhere really shines in its worldbuilding because of how the show takes familiar London landmarks and transforms them into fantastical locations. It’s easy to tell that the show was made on a modest budget, but what it lacks in technicality, it more than makes up for with its compelling storytelling.
‘Pushing Daisies’ (2007–2009)
The premise of Pushing Daisies sounds absurd on paper, but the show is whimsical and quirky in all the right ways. The series follows pie-maker Ned (Lee Pace), who has the extraordinary gift of bringing the dead back to life with a single touch. Of course, that ability comes with strict rules, and if Ned touches someone a second time, they die forever. If he leaves a revived person alive for more than a minute, someone else nearby must die in their place. Chaos ensues when the protagonist starts helping private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) solve a murder and ends up resurrecting his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel), whom he does not want to lose again.
Aside from this hooking premise, Pushing Daisies feels like a storybook come to life with its colorful, elaborate sets and playful dialogue. Ned and Chuck’s love story is the most heartwarming part of the show. The two are hopelessly in love, yet can never physically touch each other without catastrophic consequences. Most would treat that limitation as a gimmick, but Pushing Daisies turns it into the emotional heart of the series. The fantasy comedy revolves around the idea of death itself, but never feels cynical. Even years after its cancellation, audiences still celebrate it as a one-of-a-kind TV masterpiece that ended way too soon.
‘His Dark Materials’ (2019–2022)
His Dark Materials, based on Philip Pullman‘s acclaimed novels, begins with the story of Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), a seemingly ordinary orphan living at Jordan College in an alternate version of Oxford, where every human soul exists outside the body as an animal companion called a daemon. Things take a turn when Lyra’s best friend mysteriously disappears, and she sets out on a journey to find her. Along the way, she crosses paths with armored polar bears, witches, scholars, angels, and Will Parry (Amir Wilson), a boy from another world whose destiny becomes linked to her own.
His Dark Materials is one of those rare shows that grow with the audience. Season 1 has all the makings of a classic fantasy, but as the story progresses, the show makes way for its more philosophical themes to coexist with its elements of adventure and wonder. The series stays true to Pullman’s immersive world-building and, across three seasons, tells a complete story with a powerful emotional payoff.
‘The Almighty Johnsons’ (2011–2013)
The premise of The Almighty Johnsons could have easily taken a ridiculous turn, but the New Zealand series remains surprisingly grounded till the very end. The show follows Axl Johnson (Emmett Skilton), an ordinary student who discovers he is actually the reincarnation of Odin on his 21st birthday. Not just that, but all his family members are reincarnated Norse gods, whose divine abilities are weakened. It’s up to Axl to find the reincarnation of Frigg (Siobhan Marshall), Odin’s destined wife, to restore his family’s full powers.
The reason why The Almighty Johnsons is so entertaining is that the show runs wild with this setup. It treats mythology less like a spectacle and more like a series of relatable family problems in modern Auckland. This approach gives The Almighty Johnsons a personality that is unlike the standard, flashier fantasy shows. The series builds its fantasy through sharp writing and the idea that ancient gods might be just as confused and emotionally complicated as everyone else.
‘Carnivàle’ (2003–2005)
HBO’s Carnivàle is one of the most underrated fantasy shows of all time. The series is set during the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression and follows Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl), a young farm boy with mysterious healing abilities who joins a traveling carnival after his mother dies. As Ben travels across the American Southwest with the carnival’s collection of performers, fortune-tellers, and outcasts, he becomes haunted by strange visions that seem connected to a drifter named Henry Scudder (John Savage). Simultaneously, in California, charismatic preacher Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) begins discovering supernatural powers of his own, completely unaware that his path and Ben’s are leading toward an inevitable confrontation.
Carnivàle blends intimate character drama with a grand battle between good and evil. The show’s mythology is extremely ambitious. It draws from religion, folklore, tarot symbolism, prophecy, and even American history, but never loses sight of the character arcs that drive the narrative. Carnivàle also remains one of the most visually stunning fantasy shows ever produced, accurately portraying the era in which it is set. However, the show’s greatest strength is how confidently it embraces mystery. It trusts the audience to piece together clues and symbolism, which makes for the kind of active viewing experience that the fantasy genre calls for.
‘The Magicians’ (2015–2020)
The Magicians is a treat for anyone who loves Harry Potter but wants a story that feels more grown-up. The series, based on Lev Grossman‘s novels, begins with Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), who discovers that magic is real when he is unexpectedly accepted into Brakebills University, a secret institution that trains magicians. Things quickly become far more complicated as Quentin and his fellow students learn that magic is dangerous, unpredictable, and often comes with devastating consequences. The real twist comes when they discover that Fillory, the magical fantasy world from Quentin’s favorite childhood books, isn’t fiction at all.
Not only is it real, but it’s also far more dangerous than anyone imagined. Now, Quentin definitely serves as the entry point to the story, but The Magicians quickly evolves into a true ensemble show. It follows characters including Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve), Eliot Waugh (Hale Appleman), Margo Hanson (Summer Bishil), and more as they grow, fail, lose friendships, and deal with personal struggles along with the magical threats they face. The series isn’t afraid to tackle dark themes like depression and addiction, but even then, it never loses its sense of wonder. Obviously, the cast’s brilliant performances allow such tonal shifts to work without ever feeling disjointed. The Magicians kept reinventing over its five seasons, and is easily one of the distinctive fantasy shows of the last decade.
The Magicians
- Release Date
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2015 – 2020-00-00
- Directors
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Chris Fisher, James L. Conway, Joshua Butler, John Scott, Carol Banker, Scott Smith, Guy Norman Bee, Rebecca Johnson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Meera Menon, amanda tapping, Bill Eagles, Jan Eliasberg, Kate Woods, Shannon Kohli
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Olivia Taylor Dudley
Alice Quinn
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