There are times when you need to go out from the real world to have a better time and get refreshed. Day-to-day activities are boring and for a proper refreshment what can be better than the fantasy shows on TV that transports you to a magical world where you can forget about your daily tensions and problems!
Though there are many books for fantasy and every language is filled with such literature, television has taken the world of fantasy to a new extent. It has forwarded the genre in a much better way through graphics and other modes of representation.
The credit of doing such always goes to blockbusters like the “Game of Thrones”. Not only have the fantasy shows increased the budget of the shows, but also have made the expectations of the audience higher. These fantasy shows have an effective impact on the views also. There is an exploration into everything starting from the happenings around to mythology.
Amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, everyone had to sit inside the house and wait. Now as the situation has changed a bit, people are going out, but hanging out is still not that easy. So for a refreshment, many have been focusing on the fantasy shows of Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and other OTT platforms. If you don’t have access to these sites you can also visit other platforms.
There are plenty of such platforms to binge-watch fantasy shows. You can go on an exploration of the deep dark and fantasy world that these platforms offer you to stay amazed. Starting from magical academics to robots, demon-slaying to dark fantasy, there is something or the other for everyone who visits.
Here are 19 such fantasy shows across various OTT platforms in which you can escape now!
Game of Thrones
Directors: David Benioff, David Nutter, Alan Taylor, Alex Graves, Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa.
Cast: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, and many more.
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%
The platform of streaming: HBO, HBO Go, Disney Hotstar
The world of Westeros was a series of novels created by Geroge R.R. Martin was unfinished yet it was brought to the limelight and on the small screen by HBO. Though the season finale was divisive, it is enthralling to audiences of all ages. It is a saga of Lannisters, Targaryens, Starks, and much more people. The series is a phenomenon for a reason indeed. It is built very skillfully and is an escape to the world of fantasy very easily. This kind of fantasy shows had one of the most lauded casts. Even some dragons were very impressive and cool.
Outlander
Creator: Ronald D. Moore
Cast: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%
The platform of streaming: Netflix, Starz
Based on Diana Gabaldon’s novels and a Starz Series, ‘Outlander’ has gained a huge audience and a strong fanbase. It has attracted many towards its gorgeous scenery, slowly burning relationships, political intrigue, plus the erratic chemistry between Balfe and Heughan. Even the sec scenes and female gaze have also attracted many to it. Such refreshing fantasy shows has been less seen, and thus this show gained much popularity.
The Shannara Chronicles
Creator: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar.
Cast: Austin Butler, Poppy Drayton, Ivana Baquero, Manu Bennett, Aaron Jakubenko, Marcus Vanco, Malese Jow, Vanessa Morgan, Gentry White.
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%
The platform of streaming: Netflix
Though the series ended just after two seasons, it had a good impact on the audience. It is an adaptation of Terry Brooks’ book, ” The Shannara Trilogy”. It had a disturbing and bouncing run from MTV to Spike. The whole series is filled with fantasy of the highest order. The story is about a half-human or half-elf and eleven princesses, ancient druids, and human rovers who go on a voyage to rebuild the Ellroy’s. Ellroy is a living tree that protects them from demons. Though it might sound too unnatural, while you watch the show, you will surely love it. It will also make proper sense once the visuals are in front of you.
Supernatural
Creator: Eric Kripke
Cast: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Katie Cassidy, Lauren Cohan, Misha Collins, Mark A. Sheppard, Mark Pellegrino, Alexander Calvert.
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
The platform of streaming: Amazon Prime, TheCW.com, Netflix.
Are you wanting to stay lost in the world of fantasy for a long time? Then, nothing other than “Supernatural” can be the best option for you! It is not only the longest-running fantasy series on TV but also filled with live-action. Dean and Sam, both chase for evils in the fantasy world, the world is very dark. Both the brothers are stuck in complex mythology. Supernatural is no doubt one of the self-referential, as well and emotionally heartbreaking fantasy shows that is worth watching.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Creator: Joss Whedon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, James Marsters, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson.
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%
The platform of streaming: Hulu
Hardly people will dislike “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as it had extraordinary characters. Even there is a “Buffy Studies” academia too. Buffy is an inspiring series for many Science fictions which followed it. It was indeed far ahead of time. Besides being creative it was also unique. There were fantastic descriptions of Vampires and other supernatural forces of the dark world. The main plot revolves around Sarah Michelle Gellar aka Bluffy’s endorsement of fate and her complicated journey.
The Umbrella Academy
Creator: Steve Blackman
Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, John Magaro, Adam Godley, Colm Feore, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya, Yusuf Gatewood, Marin Ireland, Kate Walsh.
IMDB rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%
The platform of streaming: Netflix
Based on the comic series of Gerard Way’s “The Umbrella Academy”, the web series showcases the reuniting of the super-powered and adopted siblings for resolving the reason for their father’s death. They also gather to face the apocalypse that is to follow. There are small action scenes and the use of superpowers, however, the main attraction of the whole series is the assembling cast. You should not believe in the first thing that you see in the series, as there are a lot of things to unfold. Even the relation between each character and their background is also revealed as the story moves.
The Magicians
Creator: Sera Gamble, John McNamara
Cast: Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Hale Appleman, Arjun Gupta, Summer Bishil, Rick Worthy, Jade Tailor, Brittany Curran, Trevor Einhorn
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91%
The platform of streaming: Netflix
The plot of ” The Magicians” will seem secondhand at the beginning, where some students get admitted to an academy that educates them in magic. Over there they see that their childhood fantasy world has turned real. However, the series invests most of the time in making the tropes of the genre witty and changing the course of the genre cleverly. They balance the high stakes and grim with expert humor. After the first season comes to an end, the show gets much more interesting and better.
Also Read: The 15 Best Sci-Fi Shows to Watch on Netflix
The Witcher
Creator: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Eamon Farren, Anya Chalotra, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, Royce Pierreson, Mimi Ndiweni, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte, Anna Shaffer, Mahesh Jadu.
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 67%
The platform of streaming: Netflix
If you want a proper escape in the world of fantasy, “The Witcher” is the ideal choice for it. This is a series starring Henry Cavil as Geralt of Riva, the titular monster hunter. Frega Allan played the role of Princess Ciri and Anya Chalotra played the role of Sorceress Yennefer. The story of the three characters comes together and it can be enjoyed with proper forbearance and fondness. It is obvious that if you toss a coin, The Witcher will always be your head.
American Gods
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Creator: Bryan Fuller, Michael Green
Cast: Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Crispin Glover, Bruce Langley, Yetide Badaki, Pablo Schreiber, Ian McShane, Orlando Jones, Mousa Kraish, Omid Abtahi, Demore Barnes, Ashley Reyes.
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 74%
The platform of streaming: Starz, Starz on Hulu
“American Gods” is a novel by Neil Gaiman that has been adapted for the small screen most innovatively. This series, which is often pointed to as ambitious, follows the earlier inhabitant Shadow Moon because of the Old Gods as he finds himself between them. He falls in between a power struggle of the old and new gods. It is an eye-appealing series where many storage things happen in a fanciful way. Season 2 of this show has a few behind the scenes but all over the drama is entertaining and enthralling.
His Dark Materials
Director: Ariyon Baker’s, Tom Hooper, Otto
Bathurst, Jamie Childs, Charles Robinson
Cast: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Anne-Marie Duff, Clarke Peters, James Cosmo, Ariyon Bakare, Will Keen, Lucian Msamati, Gary Lewis, Lewin Lloyd, Daniel Frogson, James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruta Gedmintas, Amir Wilson, Nina Sosanya, Jade Anouka, Sean Gilder, Simone Kirby, Andrew Scott
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 81%
The platform of streaming: HBO Go, HBO Now, Disney Hotstar
This series is an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novel series. It is a fantasy story where you will find an alternate world with armored polar bears, witches, demons, and something more than that you expect out of a series. The series has tried to capture a lot about the magical universe of Pullman’s novel, with the outstanding performance of Dafne Keen and Ruth Wilson. Everything is quite aptly designed and instead of a lot of exposition in the beginning episodes, there is no compromise with the adventure.