6 Years Before Game of Thrones, 2005 Was a Pivotal Year for Fantasy Television Thanks to These Two Masterpieces

Game of Thrones has a reputation for changing the fantasy TV landscape upon its 2011 debut, but 2005 was also a pivotal year for the genre. It was when two fantasy masterpieces premiered, and both went on to prove what the category was capable of — just like Game of Thrones. They were very different types of shows, both from one another and from HBO’s Song of Ice and Fire adaptation. Yet they demonstrated the demand for fantasy stories on TV years before such series exploded in the 2020s.

They also became staples of the genre and stayed relevant following their finales, which isn’t easy to do. They’ve gone on to influence fantasy projects in the decades that followed, giving fans of the genre plenty to be thankful for. Game of Thrones might have been the big turning point for the category, but these two masterpieces earned their flowers too.

Two Fantasy Masterpieces Debuted in 2005, Years Before Game of Thrones

2005 was the year that both Supernatural and Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered, making it a massive one for fantasy TV in hindsight. Supernatural made its debut on The CW on September 13, introducing viewers to the Winchester brothers and their “family business.” While it took some time for the series to accumulate the following it has today, there’s no denying Supernatural became a phenomenon straight through the 2010s. It reinvented itself multiple times, going from a monster-of-the-week format to a larger fight between good and evil…and sometimes, even delivering iconic parodies of itself.

Avatar: The Last Airbender also arrived in 2005, with the first episode of the animated show airing on Nickelodeon on February 21. Although it was initially thought to be a fun kids’ cartoon, it soon became obvious that the series had serious staying power. Its deeper themes and ability to convey them with subtlety and heart made it timeless and worthy of revisiting. It’s no wonder it saw such a resurgence on Netflix in 2020, or that it’s still popular today. (Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender comes out in just a few days.)

Supernatural & Avatar: The Last Airbender Both Proved What Fantasy TV Was Capable Of

Given how Supernatural and Avatar: The Last Airbender blew up, it’s safe to say they proved what fantasy TV was capable of alongside Game of Thrones. Supernatural confirmed a series in the genre could last for a whopping 15 seasons. Fantasy shows are frequently axed before they can get off the ground, so that’s no small feat. Like Game of Thrones, Supernatural also drew established fans of the genre and more mainstream audiences. Buffy the Vampire Slayer already proved that supernatural fantasy had that broad appeal, but the CW show cemented that truth.

Meanwhile, Avatar: The Last Airbender spawned a sequel series, live-action show, and movie — and there’s more expected from the franchise going forward. It demonstrated the same staying power as Supernatural, just with a few breaks in-between. And its continued success was a bit more surprising, since its reach expanded beyond its target demographic. Yes, kids loved ATLA, but those who grew up with it continued to return to it. And many adult viewers were just as charmed. That was a sign of what fantasy could become on the small screen, but Game of Thrones proved a different approach to the genre could work just as well.

Game of Thrones Proved a Different Type of Fantasy Could Work on the Small Screen

Supernatural and Avatar: The Last Airbender may have been pivotal to fantasy TV, but Game of Thrones proved a different type of story could work on the small screen. Supernatural narratives and animated adventures became common enough in the 2000s and 2010s, even if they didn’t all blow up like Supernatural and ATLA did. High fantasy didn’t have as promising of a track record, likely because of the budget and commitment required to bring it to the screen. (The 2000s and 2010s also saw Hollywood prioritizing many of these narratives as films rather than shows.)

Game of Thrones showed that a long-running high fantasy story could be made with the quality and weight it deserved. Unlike most high fantasy TV that came before it, it succeeded with general audiences, likely because its drama and political intrigue was so well done. Fantasy lovers have so much to thank Game of Thrones for, but they also have a few earlier titles to acknowledge. Supernatural and ATLA are among them, proving how important 2005 was in the grand scheme of things.

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