Some of the best fantasy television shows of the last two decades aren’t the ones that ran for eight seasons. Instead, they are the hidden gems that networks pulled before the mainstream audiences caught onto their brilliance. It seems that every year, there are great genre shows that networks give up on too fast and pull the plug before they have a chance to really show why people need to be watching them. As a result, there are many of these TV shows that genre purists have always praised, but most people have never heard of, and few people are actively talking about and praising.
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The best thing is that most of these shows are still available to stream, and it is time that audiences started talking more about these five great fantasy TV shows.
5) Kaos (2024)
Kaos seemed like a perfect cult hit from the start, but it was a series that Netflix seemed to have no faith in after dropping it on the streaming service. Kaos is a British dark-comedy reimagining of Greek mythology created by Charlie Covell (The End of the F***ing World) for Netflix, released as an eight-episode first season in 2024. Jeff Goldblum stars as a vain, paranoid Zeus, who fears his reign is coming to an end as he realizes he is physically aging (he found a wrinkle on his forehead). Three mortals then end up involved in a prophecy that threatens the gods.
The series has a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score, and Goldblum received universal praise for his performance. The biggest praise was for how the series blended the themes of religion and belief with a comedy format. Netflix canceled Kaos after one season because it didn’t get enough early views, and it ended with a cliffhanger ending that left the viewers who did fall in love with it angry.
4) Legend of the Seeker (2008–2010)
Released in 2008, Legend of the Seeker is a fantasy television series produced by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert (Evil Dead). Based on The Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind, this series ran for two seasons on first-run syndication on ABC. The story follows woodsman-turned-hero Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), the Confessor Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan), wizard Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander (Bruce Spence), and the Mord-Sith Cara (Tabrett Bethell) as they fight the tyrant Darken Rahl.
The second season loosely adapts the novel Stone of Tears, sending the heroes to find the Stone and seal rifts between the world of the living and the dead. The series was filmed in New Zealand by the same team that made Hercules and Xena, and the series offered a lot of big, practical stunts, sword fights, and great location work. Sadly, it was the production company’s financial troubles that forced them to cancel Legend of the Seeker, despite fan praise at the time.
3) Reaper (2007–2009)
Reaper is a supernatural fantasy comedy that aired on The CW from 2007 to 2009. Kevin Smith (Clerks) even directed the pilot episode. The series opens with a slacker named Sam Oliver (Bret Harrison), who learns on his 21st birthday that his parents promised his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise). The Devil then conscripts him as a bounty hunter to recapture souls that have escaped from Hell. Sam then works with his friends, Sock (Tyler Labine) and Andi (Missy Peregrym), to fulfill his duties
The show is a buddy comedy ensemble, and even Wise’s gleefully sinister Devil looks to be having a great time. The series still has a strong critical score, sitting at 81/100 on Metacritic. The CW canceled it after two seasons thanks to lower viewing numbers, but for people who followed the series, it remains one of the best underappreciated fantasy shows of the 21st century.
2) Galavant (2015–2016)
Galavant should have been a monster hit. This is a musical fantasy comedy by Dan Fogelman, with original songs by Tangled and Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater. It aired on ABC, but it only ran for two short seasons in 2015 and 2016. The story follows down-on-his-luck knight Galavant (Joshua Sasse) as he tries to win back his reputation and his love, Madalena (Mallory Jansen), from the bumbling villain King Richard (Timothy Omundson), aided by squire Sid (Luke Youngblood) and Princess Isabella (Karen David).
The cast is great, and there is even a role for Vinnie Jones in the cast as Gareth, Weird Al Yankovic as a Head Monk, Rutger Hauer as Kingsley, Anthony Head as Arnold, and John Stamos as Sir Jean Hamm. The show leaned into fairy-tale parody with a full original musical number nearly every episode. Critics loved it, and Galavant has a cult following, but it had terrible ratings and was canceled after two seasons.
1) Merlin (2008–2012)
Merlin ran longer than most recent underappreciated fantasy television shows, and it was on the BBC from 2008 to 2012. However, as popular as it was in Britain, it never picked up as much steam from audiences in the United States. Merlin reimagines the Arthurian legend with a young warlock, Merlin (Colin Morgan), arriving in Camelot and becoming a servant to Prince Arthur (Bradley James), hiding his magic in a kingdom where it is punishable by death.
The ensemble features Katie McGrath as Morgana, Angel Coulby as Guinevere, Anthony Head as King Uther, Richard Wilson as Gaius, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon. This was a solid show when it was on television in Britain, and it lasted for five seasons, ending with a two-part Christmas finale in 2012. While Merlin has aired on Tubi, Netflix, and Prime Video in the United States, it still doesn’t get talked about enough.
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