7 Most Underrated Fantasy TV Shows of the 21st Century (So Far)

Fantasy has never gone out of style on TV. But between dragons, witches, and prophecies, a lot of great stuff has flown under the radar. Lately, audiences have dived into worlds like Game of Thrones and The Witcher, yet plenty of shows with creative ideas, strong casts, and original concepts never got the attention they deserved. Some were poorly marketed, others suffered from bad time slots or budget cuts, but they all had one thing in common: they offered something truly different in the genre and were worth discovering. You might think you’ve seen it all when it comes to fantasy — but you haven’t. The real magic lies in these shows, which, while some people may have heard of them, never got the full viewership they deserved.

In this list, you’ll find the 7 most underrated fantasy TV shows of the 21st century, so far. Each one definitely deserves a spot on your must-watch list.

7) Outlander

Outlander is one of those shows everyone’s heard of, but hardly anyone actually puts it in the same conversation as other big fantasy TV hits — and that’s a huge mistake. Sure, it’s a story about love and time travel, but it’s also historical fantasy packed with risk, trauma, and moral complexity. The series follows Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), a WWII nurse who’s transported to 18th-century Scotland, where she has to survive a brutal world while getting involved with warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

What a lot of people don’t realize is just how well Outlander handles its fantasy elements. Time travel isn’t just a gimmick here; it’s a tool to explore identity, destiny, and even psychological trauma. It’s adult, emotional, and completely cinematic (the only difference is that there are no dragons or elves). At its core, the show is underrated because it defies its label: it’s a fantasy disguised as a period romance, and it pulls it off better than almost any other series in the genre. It might not be for the general audience, but for anyone who enjoys well-crafted fantasy, it’s hard to regret watching.

6) His Dark Materials

One of the fantasy shows that got the short end of the stick when it comes to viewership is His Dark Materials, because it deserved way more attention than it got. Adapting Philip Pullman’s books is no easy task, but the series has managed to deliver one of the smartest fantasy shows on TV over the past few years. The story follows Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), a girl in a parallel universe where souls exist outside the body as animals (called daemons), and a conspiracy involving a mysterious substance known as Dust threatens to shake the very foundation of her world.

Its biggest issue might be that it wasn’t made for binge-watching. His Dark Materials is dense, deliberate, and full of heavy themes like religion, power, and free will. It’s the kind of show that requires time and attention; otherwise, it’s easy to give up too soon. But for those who stick it out, it’s one of the rare fantasy series that actually has something meaningful to say. It rewards patience and will probably be appreciated even more in a few years than it was when it first aired.

5) Penny Dreadful

This one’s already a classic. When Penny Dreadful first aired, it might have looked like just another stylish horror show — but it was always so much more than that. Set in Victorian London, the series mixes iconic characters like Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and Dracula into a shared, dark, visually stunning, and intense universe. Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) practically carries the entire show on her back, and her performance alone is worth more hype than the series ever got. It’s a dark fantasy gem that a lot of people completely missed — and it had all the ingredients to be huge.

What really held Penny Dreadful back, though, is simple: it didn’t fit into any neat box. Even within its subgenre, it was too gothic for fans of lighter fantasy and too philosophical for those looking for straight-up suspense. The result? It became a niche show. Did it have an audience? Yes, but a very small one. And honestly, it’s not an exaggeration to say this was one of the boldest TV productions of its time — it was way ahead of its era.

4) Merlin

Before Game of Thrones redefined what fantasy on TV could be, Merlin was already there, delivering adventure, humor, and heart across consistently solid seasons. The show follows young Merlin (Colin Morgan) as he tries to protect Prince Arthur (Bradley James) in a kingdom where magic is banned. The story mixes action, drama, and a genuinely well-crafted friendship that’s a pleasure to watch. It’s kind of a family-friendly fantasy, but with a lot of soul. For anyone who’s into the genre, it’s not completely unknown, but it definitely didn’t get the widespread attention it deserved.

If you try to understand why it’s so underrated, it probably comes down to accessibility. Merlin didn’t have a massive budget or the epic scope of other fantasy shows — and we all know that can turn people off at first, since high production value is often expected. But the show made up for it with charm and strong character development. The dynamic between Merlin and Arthur, for instance, is still one of the most engaging in fantasy TV. It’s not “serious,” but it’s insanely effective at what it sets out to do.

3) Grimm

Grimm is another show most people have at least heard of, yet it still fell into obscurity for the majority. Part of the reason is that it seemed underrated even by the networks airing it. The premise follows homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who discovers he’s a descendant of hunters tasked with maintaining the balance between humans and folkloric creatures known as Wesen. At first, it might seem like just another monster-of-the-week procedural, but season after season, the show grows into a solid, creative mythology.

Its biggest mistake may have been airing on network TV in the 2010s, because a lot of people never took it seriously. And at a time when streaming was rapidly gaining ground, it ended up being sidelined. But Grimm was a pioneer in blending urban fantasy and crime — something that feels commonplace today, thanks to it. The world it built, the creatures, the humor, and a consistently strong cast made it one of the most unfairly overlooked shows. Fans know the Wesen world was far more interesting than it seemed.

2) A Discovery Of Witches

When you first come across A Discovery of Witches, your initial thought might be that it’s just another generic show about witches, vampires, and a forbidden romance. But what sets it apart is the execution. Based on Deborah Harkness’ books, the story follows Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), a reluctant witch and historian, who becomes involved with ancient vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) in the middle of a power struggle between supernatural species. Sound cliché? Totally, but the show elevates it through atmosphere, pacing, and characters you gradually grow attached to.

It’s true that the series never had the mass appeal of something like The Vampire Diaries or even True Blood, but that’s part of its charm. A Discovery of Witches handles romance with maturity and treats the supernatural world seriously. It delivers adult fantasy without being pretentious, proving that the genre can be sophisticated even when centered on a couple. Unfortunately, it slipped into viewers’ awareness mostly through recommendations, because it wasn’t on a major streaming platform, so it didn’t get the exposure needed to become a phenomenon.

1) Galavant

This is what being truly underrated looks like — so much so that it almost feels criminal. Few shows have been treated as unfairly as Galavant, even if the reasons are somewhat understandable. The series is basically a medieval musical comedy with songs by Alan Menken (the same guy behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), metalinguistic satire, and sharp, witty humor. It’s an audacious, original idea, but it seemed almost too good to survive on network TV. The story follows Sir Galavant (Joshua Sasse) on his quest to win back his love, turning every fantasy cliché into a conscious joke. For reference, it holds a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The only problem? Literally, almost no one watched it. Lack of marketing or general confusion about what the show even wanted to be are likely the reasons. But Galavant was fun and seemed to know exactly how to grab viewers’ attention because of that. It’s self-aware and incredibly creative. It was obviously canceled, but even today it’s worth checking out — the finale still delivers. The show became something of a cult favorite, and if it had premiered in a streaming era with more freedom to be weird and bold, it would probably be remembered as one of the most original series of the decade.

Have you checked out any of these shows? Which one do you think is the most underrated? Let us know in the comments!

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