5 Fantasy Shows Everyone Should Regret Ignoring

The fantasy genre is so popular that nobody can watch every show when it first comes out. Networks and streamers often take a chance on fantasy because they’re hoping to find the next Game of Thrones or Harry Potter, but some shows don’t get the attention they deserve when they are first made.

Unfortunately, when fantasy shows don’t land immediately, sometimes they are canceled before they get a chance to develop a fanbase. There are several no-longer-airing series that have finally become popular, sometimes years after they ended. Fans often regret not watching these shows when they are on, especially if they ended prematurely because of a lack of viewership.

5) Shadow and Bone

Unlike some fantasy series, Shadow and Bone was well-known enough to prompt massive disappointment when Netflix didn’t renew it for a third season after the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were settled. It’s a shame that this gorgeous fantasy series didn’t have a massive enough viewership for Netflix to justify its high costs.

Shadow and Bone is an epic fantasy centered around an orphan soldier with the unique ability to summon light — but whose powers lead her to be taken for training with the Gisha, where she must navigate political corruption, pressure to turn to the dark side, and similar problems in order to truly be the hero her world needs.

The second season is especially underrated, leading viewers who recently discovered it to regret not watching it when there was still a chance that Netflix would greenlight a third season. Shadow and Bone‘s cancellation also scrapped plans for a spinoff that would have continued the story, making new viewers doubly remorseful about ignoring this show while it was on.

4) The Magicians

The Magicians is one of those rare fantasy series where many viewers feel it was even better than the books it was based on. Unfortunately, many viewers overlooked it until after it was over.

Although The Magicians shares the premise with Harry Potter of a school for magically talented children, it is a completely different story that is well worth watching. It involves the story of one such magician discovering his favorite book from childhood is real and poses a danger, while his friend is rejected from the school and must learn magic on her own.

The Magicians ran for five seasons on Sy-Fy, suggesting it was successful in its original run. However, its fanbase has expanded exponentially since it ended, and newer fans often regret that they didn’t check it out when it originally aired.

3) His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials ran for only three seasons on HBO, not because it was canceled, but because it followed a trilogy of books by Philip Pullman. Nevertheless, it’s a shame that many fans didn’t discover this series until it was over.

The series is a brilliant adaptation of the source material about a young girl who travels through parallel universes looking for her kidnapped friend. The acting, settings, and cinematography are exactly what fantasy fans hunger for. Unfortunately, many people first discovered the series after it ended rather than watching it as it unfolded.

2) Carnival Row

Carnival Row is one of the fantasy series that most deserves a reboot. The series has received critical acclaim for its original premise and setting: it takes place at a Victorian-era carnival, where a human detective investigates gruesome murders that threaten to destroy the fragile peace between humans and mythological creatures, such as the fae.

When people discover this hidden gem, they fall hard for it, but unfortunately, it’s too late. Amazon canceled Carnival Row after only two seasons, partially because of COVID-related challenges.

1) Emerald City

Emerald City was likely far ahead of its time, considering how popular Wicked is now. This fantasy series was a dark reimagining of The Wizard of Oz. In this gritty fantasy, Dorothy was an adult — a nurse who was swept away to Oz —and she finds herself in the middle of a war between the Wizard (who has outlawed magic) and the Witches who want to dethrone him.

Surprisingly, this adult version of The Wizard of Oz originally aired on NBC rather than on streaming. Unfortunately, it was canceled after one season, to the disappointment of new fans who are first discovering it now and wish they had watched it when it premiered in 2017.

What fantasy show do you think people should most regret ignoring? Leave a comment and join the conversation at the ComicBook Forum.

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