8 Underrated Fantasy TV Shows You Need To Watch

The fantasy genre has many great TV shows, but there are some amazing ones that have, unfortunately, gone unnoticed. The fantasy genre is a versatile one, as there are many topics and themes it can cover, and it often mixes with other genres, like horror and drama, with great results.

Some of the best TV shows of all time come from the fantasy genre, such as Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the genre is so vast that many shows have flown under the radar. However, it’s not too late to give some of the most underrated fantasy TV shows a chance.

Merlin

For those looking for a fantasy adventure show with legendary characters, Merlin is a great option. Loosely based on Arthurian legends, Merlin follows the title young wizard (played by Colin Morgan) as he arrives in the kingdom of Camelot. There, he learns that King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Stewart Head) outlawed magic years earlier.

King Uther also imprisoned the last dragon, Kilgharrah (voiced by John Hurt), whom Merlin finds in a cavern beneath the castle. The dragon tells Merlin that his destiny is to protect King Uther’s only son, Prince Arthur (Bradley James), who will be the one to return magic to the kingdom and unite the land of Albion.

However, the young prince is arrogant and a bully, but after Merlin saves his life, he’s appointed as his personal manservant, going on different adventures together. Despite being nominated for various awards and building a loyal fanbase, Merlin unfairly became a forgettable fantasy show, but it’s worth the chance.

American Gods

American Gods is based on Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel of the same name, developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green. American Gods follows Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), who is released early from prison to attend his wife’s funeral. Shadow is offered a job by Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), a con artist and charismatic Old God.

Shadow eventually accepts the job and finds himself in the middle of a war between the Old Gods, linked to ancient mythologies and who are losing power and facing irrelevance, and the New Gods, the embodiments of modern society, such as technology and media.

American Gods was nominated for various awards and was praised by critics for its concept, take on mythology, visual style, and performances. American Gods explores themes like identity and grief, adding depth to the characters and their stories.

Carnival Row

Carnival Row was created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham, based on the latter’s unproduced spec script. Carnival Row is set in a Victorian-style city, in a world where mythical creatures are real, and they have escaped their war-torn homeland. Now, they must survive in the human world, but that brings many challenges.

The creatures begin to be linked to different murders, and it’s up to human detective Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) to investigate what is truly going on. In the process, Philo rekindles his romance with Vignette Stonemess (Cara Delevingne), a faerie refugee who ended up in a group of fae extremists.

Carnival Row was praised for its visuals and mythology, though it has been criticized for being too saturated and not being cohesive. Still, Carnival Row is a different look at a world where mythological creatures and humans coexist, with a touch of crime and mystery.

Carnivàle

Despite their similar titles, Carnival Row and Carnivàle are two very different fantasy shows. Created by Daniel Knauf, Carnivàle takes the audience back to the 1930s, during the Great Depression. There, Carnivàle introduces Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl), a teenage runaway with healing powers and the ability to raise the dead, who joins a traveling carnival.

Carnivàle also follows Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown), a devout and powerful evangelical preacher with prophetic visions. The show brings both together in a war between good and evil, a battle prophesied to happen in each generation as they birth a creature of light and one of darkness destined to clash.

Carnivàle was praised for its originality, mythology, atmosphere, setting, and characters, through which it explores themes like religion, identity, good, and evil. Unfortunately, it was canceled after two seasons, which makes it both easier to watch but also can be frustrating as it’s an unfinished story.

Grimm

Grimm is a fantasy police procedural drama horror show based on the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, by the Brothers Grimms. Grimm follows homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who works for the Portland Police Department. Nick finds out that he descends from a line of “Grimms”, who, he later learns, have to keep the balance between humans and mythological creatures.

As a Grimm, Nick can see supernatural creatures called Wesen that live among humans, and he has to find a way to balance his work as a detective with his inherited duty as protector. On top of that, this new journey leads Nick to learn more about his family, their legacy, and a whole new world with different creatures.

Grimm can be seen as a modern but darker fairy tale, without being an adaptation of one. With its combination of police procedural, fantasy, drama, horror, and fairy tale elements, Grimm is quite unique among fantasy shows and deserves a lot more attention.

Being Human (UK)

One of the most underrated fantasy and horror TV shows ever is Being Human. Created by Toby Whithouse, Being Human takes the audience to Bristol to meet friends John Mitchell (Aidan Turner) and George Sands (Russell Tovey), who are a vampire and a werewolf, respectively. John and George move into a new house, where they have an unexpected roommate.

At their new house is Annie Sawyer (Lenora Crichlow), a young woman who recently died there and is now a ghost attached to the hole. Together, they do their best to live “normal” lives as much as they can, while dealing with the consequences and specifics of their respective conditions.

In addition to blending fantasy with horror and drama, Being Human has many comedic moments that don’t mess with the rest of the show’s tone. However, its biggest strengths are its concept of humans and certain creatures and spirits coexisting (even if humans aren’t aware), emotional depth, and performances.

Wynonna Earp

For those looking for a fantasy show mixed with Western, Wynonna Earp is one of the best and most underrated shows out there. Created by Emily Andras and based on the comic book series of the same name by Beau Smith, Wynonna Earp introduces the title character (played by Melanie Scrofano), the great-great-granddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.

On her 27th birthday, Wynonna inherits the special power to return the reincarnated outlaws that Wyatt killed back to hell. With the help of his magic gun, “Peacemaker”, Wynonna seeks to break her family’s curse by sending demons back where they belong, while also facing other supernatural beings.

Wynonna Earp has been praised for its lead character and its mix of western, fantasy, action, and supernatural elements. Unfortunately, despite building a strong fanbase, Wynonna Earp has faded into obscurity, but it’s definitely worth watching.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies is not only one of the most underrated fantasy TV shows of all time, but also one of those TV shows that were canceled too soon. Created by Bryan Fuller, Pushing Daisies introduces the audience to Ned (Lee Pace), a piemaker with a very special power.

Ned can bring the dead back to life if he touches them, but if he touches them again, they die for good. In addition to having his own bakery, Ned works with Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), a private investigator who uses Ned’s ability to briefly revive murder victims and ask them what they remember so he can solve their cases.

Ned’s life takes a turn when his childhood crush, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel), is murdered, and he has to bring her back for Cod’s investigation… but he can’t bring himself to kill her again. Pushing Daisies brings together fantasy, comedy, and drama, with a unique visual style, quirky characters, and fast-paced dialogue that make it hard to stop watching.