Getting into a new television show can be a daunting prospect. Unlike a movie, where you consume the story all in one go, shows require you to dedicate lots of time to watching them, especially if they are serialized and tell one continuous story. While this can result in amazing character arcs that audiences will talk about for years after the show is concluded, it can also lead to immense frustration if the ending is bad or lackluster.
The fantasy genre is no stranger to this, with several fantasy TV shows having first seasons that are comparatively slow due to needing to establish the rules of the world and the background of its characters. However, they tend to get the ball rolling pretty quickly, which can result in some of television’s most unforgettable experiences.
1
‘Lost Girl’ (2010–2015)
Bo (Anna Silk) is a young woman with the power to kill anyone she kisses, forcing her to live on the run. She later learns that she is a Succubus who was raised by humans, and that there is a hidden world of magical creatures divided into Light and Dark camps. Rather than join one, Bo chooses to remain neutral and teams up with a human named Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) to create a detective agency that helps humans and fae with magic-related problems.
Lost Girl is one of those underrated fantasy shows that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but has plenty to offer thanks to its inventive worldbuilding and diverse characters. The first season is comparatively slower than the others, since it has to set up the world and rules for the magical creatures, with a major storyline involving Bo’s mother only appearing in the last few episodes. Come Season 2, though, the show focuses a lot more on long-form storytelling, with ancient evils, magical conspiracies, and question upon questions regarding the nature of Bo’s lineage.
2
‘Legend of the Seeker’ (2008–2010)
Woodsman Richard Cypher’s (Craig Horner) life changes forever when he learns she is one of the prophesied Seekers. He is joined by fellow Seekers Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (Bruce Spence) and Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan), and armed with the magical Sword of Truth. Together, they travel the land to thwart the evil wizard, Darken Rhal (Craig Parker), who seeks to harness the power of three magic artifacts called the Boxes of Orden.
Legend of the Seekerfamously had two disastrous first episodes due to the writers trying to cram the entire plot of the first book of the Sword of Truth series into them. Things calmed down afterward, and the show settled into a more reasonably paced story with plenty of fantasy clichés. Season 2 took things further by making the show darker and pushing the characters even further, but it was canceled before we could see just how far they could go.
3
‘The Witcher’ (2019–)
Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth) is a Witcher, a magically-enhanced monster hunter who is both feared and depended upon by humanity to keep them safe. During his travels, his destiny becomes intertwined with Princess Ciri of Cintra (Freya Allan), and he fights to keep her safe from numerous factions who seek to use the princess for their own ends. Other frequent companions include a traveling bard named Jaskier (Joey Batey), and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), a powerful sorceress.
The Witcher‘s first season left many audiences confused due to its non-linear storytelling, which saw episodes jump around in the timeline of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer’s stories before finally converging near the end. Still, there was enjoyment to be found, such as Cavill’s fantastic performance as Geralt, and things improved in Season 2 when the timeline stayed linear. Time will tell if The Witcher can keep this good momentum going with Cavill leaving the show before Season 4.
4
‘His Dark Materials’ (2019–2022)
Lyra Belaqua (Dafne Keen) is a young girl living in Jordan College in a world where human souls walk outside their bodies as animal daemons. She observes a presentation by her uncle, Lord Asriel (James McAvoy), where he talks about a strange particle called Dust, which is linked to other worlds. He refuses to let Lyra accompany him on an expedition to the Arctic to study Dust, but she soon goes on her own adventure when a mysterious group nicknamed the Gobblers start kidnapping children, including Lyra’s friend Roger (Lewin Lloyd).
Based on the beloved books by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials is an ambitious show that spans multiverses with themes of freedom vs authoritarianism, the loss of innocence, and the pursuit of the truth. Comparatively, the first season is much smaller in scale as it focuses on developing Lyra as a character and setting up questions to be answered later. Once she meets Will Parry (Amir Wilson), things really take off and escalate to a full-on war against Heaven.
5
‘Shadow and Bone’ (2021–2023)
Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is a Cartographer in the First Army of Ravka, a nation that is cut in two by an inhospitable shadowland called The Fold. During one excursion throuth The Fold, Alina is revealed to be the Sun Summoner, a prophesied spellcaster (called Grisha) who will destroy The Fold and save Ravka from its enemies, namely the Grisha-hating Fjerdans. Meanwhile, Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and his gang, the Crows, are hired to kidnap Alina, which Kaz sees as an opportunity to take down his hated rival, Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly).
Shadow and Bone is, sadly, another victim of Netflix’s incomprehensible business decision to end beloved shows after a few seasons. Season 1 hooks you with its interesting characters and unique magic system, but things got even better in Season 2. The various storylines ramped up in interesting ways, the action scenes got even bigger and more intricate, and now that the setup was finished, the characters could really flex their metal, especially the Crows.
6
‘House of the Dragon’ (2022–)
During the height of House Targaryen’s power in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock and Emma D’arcy) is named heir to her father, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), which goes against the normal succession laws of a male family member inheriting before a female. Even after Viserys has a son, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), with his second wife, Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke), he stands by his decision. Unfortunately, Rhaenyra does little to endear herself to the kingdom, and Alicent’s father, Otto (Rhys Ifans), schemes to place his grandson on the throne, leading to a civil war between dragons.
House of the Dragonhas managed to win back a lot of the goodwill that was burned by the finale ofGame of Thrones,though its first season was less than its predecessor’s. It was still good, but the constant time jumps between episodes led to some characters not getting the development they needed or being killed off too quickly, and overall, there was less action. Season 2 still had a bit of pacing problems, but the character work picks up, and the few battles that do pop up rank among some of the best in any fantasy show.
7
‘Charmed’ (1998–2006)
Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) finds a curious book that says that she and her sisters, Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs), are destined to become the most powerful good witches in the world. Sure enough, they begin to develop magical powers, which they use to protect humanity from dark forces such as demons. They also have to keep their powers a secret from their community and try to maintain a healthy social and romantic life when they’re not saving the world.
Charmedstarted off relatively simple, with episodic magical adventures that saw the sisters develop new powers and battle the forces of evil. Then Season 3 happened, and the sisters were introduced to The Source of All Evil (Michael Bailey Smith, Bennet Guillory, and Peter Woodward). From then onward, the show became more focused on long-form story arcs that got dark in places, and Season 4 introduced a new half-sister named Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan).
8
‘Merlin’ (2008–2012)
At the behest of his mother, a young boy named Merlin (Colin Morgan) travels to Camelot to stay with the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson). He saves the life of Prince Arthur Pendragon (Bradley James) and is made his manservant, though he has to keep his magic powers secret lest he be executed by Arthur’s magic-hating father, King Uther (Anthony Head). He also meets the last dragon, Kilgharrah (Sir John Hurt), who says that Merlin is destined to help Arthur return magic and create the kingdom of Albion.
Merlin is a unique take on the Arthurian Legend, asking, “What if Arthur and Merlin knew each other as teenagers?” The first season relies a lot on its monster-of-the-week formula and establishing these interpretations of the characters, while later seasons dive more into the familiar details, including the Knights of the Round Table, the rise of Mordred (Asa Butterfield and Alexander Vlahos), and the Questing Beast. The characters always managed to steal the show, especially Merlin and Arthur, who develop an incredible friendship thanks to Morgan and James’ brilliant chemistry.
9
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Siblings from the Southern Water Tribe Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena) discover a young Airbender named Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) frozen in ice. They learn that he is the Avatar, a medium between the human and spirit worlds who can control all four elements, and the only one who can stop the Fire Nation’s 100-year war of conquest. However, Aang has yet to master water, earth, and fire bending, so Katara and Sokka travel with him to find mentors, while evading pursuit by the banished Fire Nation prince, Zuko (Dante Basco).
Avatar: The Last Airbender has rightfully earned its place as one of the greatest kid’s shows ever made thanks to its immersive worldbuilding, mature storytelling, and for how it blended Eastern and Western philosophies in a way that allowed the virtues of both to shine through. The vast majority of Season 1 is almost like a road trip, with Team Avatar visiting numerous locations on their way to the Northern Water Tribe, which shows how the war is affecting people. Mixed within are also some great character-boding moments, planting the seeds of future story arcs, and setting Zuko up for one of television’s greatest redemption arcs.
10
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)
Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was once an average teenage girl trying to go through life, but that all changed when she learned she was the most recent incarnation of the Slayer. Now her world is one of vampires, demons, and other creatures of darkness that she has to battle to keep humanity safe. She doesn’t face them alone, though: she is mentored by Rupert Giles (Anthony Head), a Watcher assigned to prepare her for her duties, and two of her high school friends, Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon).
Buffy the Vampire Slayeris one of the most influential television shows in history, but you wouldn’t suspect that from how it starts. The first few seasons are well-written, and the characters are lovable, but it focuses a lot on high school drama and relationship plots. Over time, it builds more momentum as the characters mature, leading to some impactful character arcs and high-stakes storylines, while never losing the fun wit and monster hunts of the early episodes.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
- Release Date
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1997 – 2003
- Network
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The WB
- Showrunner
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Joss Whedon
- Directors
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Joss Whedon
