5 Fantasy TV Shows You Probably Forgot About (But Were Really Good)

While the realm of fantasy television series continues to expand thanks to series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, there has always been a place for the genre on the small screen. However, even though fantasy has long been an entertainment staple and continues to grow its audience, there are some fantasy television series that you may have forgotten about that were still really very good. Somehow, despite the age of streaming making it easier than ever to discover new-to-you series, there are titles that have slipped under the radar for some viewers — and we have a list of five such series you definitely want to give a chance.

The Magicians

The Magicians ran for five seasons from 2015 to 2020 on the Syfy channel. Based on
The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman, the series chronicles a group of students who learn magic at a special academy and particularly follows Quentin Coldwater who discovers that the magical world from his favorite childhood books is real, but also poses a serious danger to humanity.. Created by Sera Gamble and starring Stella Maeve, Hale Appleman, Arjun Gupta, Summer Bishil, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jason Ralph, and many more, The Magicians boasts a mystical narrative with a group of compelling personalities. The show has a 91% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 74% audience score. The Magicians recently left Netflix, but has not yet found a new streaming home.

Lost Girl

Airing from 2010 to 2016, Lost Girl tells a fascinating magic-inspired story throughout its five seasons. Anna Silk stars as Bo Dennis, a girl with succubus powers who was born in a human family. Bo’s journey involves her trying to discover where she and her unique abilities originated from. Kris Holden-Ried, Zoie Palmer, Rick Howland, Ksenia Solo, and K.C. Collins are also part of the cast. Lost Girl earned an impressive 80% score from Rotten Tomatoes audiences, making the show well worth taking a chance on. Viewers can stream all seasons of Lost Girl through the CW.

Pushing Daisies

One has to look all the way back to 2007 to recall the premiere of Pushing Daisies. The supernatural comedy aired its second and final season in two parts in 2008 and 2009. Despite its shorth length, Pushing Daisies was well received among those who watched it, scoring 96% among Rotten Tomatoes critics and landing a 95% audience score. Lee Pace stars as Ned, a pastry chef who can resurrect the dead. The show’s narrative revolves around Ned and his cohorts – which includes his formerly deceased childhood crush- as they solve various murder mysteries. The supporting cast includes Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen Greene, and Swoosie Kurtz. Both seasons of Pushing Daises are available to stream on Max.

His Dark Materials

HBO and the BBC’s His Dark Materials aired from 2019 to 2022. The series’ three seasons are based on Phillip Pullman’s trilogy of novels. The story takes place in a multi-dimensional world in which human souls can become animal companions known as daemons. Written for television by Jack Thorne, His Dark Materials follows Dafne Keen’s Lyra Silvertongue —an orphaned girl who embarks on a search for her missing friend and discovers groundbreaking secrets about her universe along the way. Kit Connor, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James McAvoy make up the remainder of the series’ Rated at 84% by critics and 82% by audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, His Dark Materials ranks as one of the more successful fantasy shows in the last five years. Viewers can stream every season of His Dark Materials on Max.

Bitten

Bitten has fallen especially far under the radar compared to the other shows on this list. Werewolf lovers are in luck, though, because the Canadian series has everything to do with the nocturnal supernatural creatures. Bitten is based on author Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld book series, as its story follows Laura Vandervoort’s Elena Michaels — who exists as the only living female werewolf. Throughout the show’s three seasons, which ran from 2014 to 2016, Elena attempt to balance her human life with her werewolf life. Also featuring in Bitten‘s cast are Greyston Holt, Greg Bryk, Steve Lund, Michael Xavier, Genelle Williams, Paul Greene, and Tommie-Amber Pirie. While not enough critics weighed in for Bitten to have a Rotten Tomatoes score, it was rated 70% by audiences. As of now, Bitten is not available to stream anywhere, however, the show can be purchased or rented through Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube TV.