Television is an excellent medium for adapting fantasy, because it allows the plot time to develop, and has the room to introduce the characters and build this world. Many classic fantasy series have made for fantastic television adaptations, like Game of Thrones, Interview with the Vampire, and Shadow and Bone. Even great fantasy movies can be improved as TV shows, like What We Do in the Shadows and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
There are so many phenomenal fantasy shows out there that are adaptations of books, movies, mythology, and even existing TV series. Occasionally, though, there will be a truly excellent fantasy show that is wholly original, and not adapted from any existing media. These shows stand out in a different way, introducing a story that has never been told, through the perfect medium for fantasy. These are the best original fantasy TV shows, ranked.
Extraordinary takes place in a version of the real world where nearly every single person alive has a superpower that they got on their eighteenth birthday, ranging from traditional ones like super-strength, to very specific ones like the ability to summon sea creatures. Jen (Máiréad Tyers) is the only person she knows without a power, leaving her feeling insecure and lost.
With its incredibly unique premise, Extraordinary plays around with the existence of many bizarre superpowers in very silly and creative ways. It also has some really emotional moments, as Jen often feels very isolated due to her lack of powers, leading her to take drastic measures to try to finally bring her power out once and for all.
7
‘Once Upon a Time’ (2011–2018)
Once Upon a Time takes a number of existing fairytale characters and brings them together for a very original premise. Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) is a normal woman living in the real world, who is visited one day by Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), the son she once gave up for adoption. Henry tells Emma about the existence of fairytale characters in the real world, and introduces Emma to the town of Storybrooke, Maine.
As it turns out, the entire town of Storybrooke is made up of characters from fairytales, who have been cursed by the Evil Queen, Regina (Lana Parrilla), to live out their days there. The series alternates between the present day and the past, which shows flashes from each of the characters’ lives before they get stuck in Storybrooke. Once Upon a Time builds off of the existing fairytales to create some new lore around the characters, gradually revealing the events that led to the curse.
6
‘Charmed’ (1998–2006)
Charmed follows the Halliwell sisters: Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and eventually Paige (Rose McGowan). The sisters’ lives are turned upside down after learning that they come from a family of witches, right at the same time that they all develop powers. They use these powers for good, protecting beings who need them from those who use their powers for evil.
With its unique premise and nuanced cast of characters, Charmed is definitely one of the best original fantasy shows. It takes existing mythology around witches and other supernatural beings and expands on it, telling a really powerful and emotional story over the course of its eight seasons. Although Charmed is wholly original, it was so beloved that it was eventually adapted into a comic series as well after the show ended.
5
‘Supernatural’ (2005–2020)
Supernatural is entirely original, but has since been adapted as an anime, and had a prequel spin-off made called The Winchesters. The series follows Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), two estranged brothers who reconnect after their father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) goes missing. Like their parents before them, Sam and Dean are hunters of evil supernatural beings.
The fantasy elements in Supernatural are excellent, driving each episode, while also making for a number of suspenseful and emotional storylines. What really cemented Supernatural‘s legacy are its three main characters: Sam, Dean, and later Castiel (Misha Collins). The individual and group dynamics between the three of them are really well-written, and these characters’ journeys serve as the emotional throughline for the series.
4
‘Galavant’ (2015–2016)
Galavant is a musical fairytale comedy with a truly creative premise, and some of the catchiest songs ever put on television. Once the most lauded knight in the kingdom, a bad heartbreak leaves Galavant (Joshua Sasse) spending most of his time just lying around doing nothing. He is tricked into going on a quest to save his former love, Madalena (Mallory Jansen), but the whole thing is a ruse concocted by her husband, King Richard (Timothy Omundson), in order to kill him.
With two wildly different and equally excellent seasons, Galavant is truly something special. It utilizes its fairytale-esque setting for some really fun quests, hilarious storylines, and creative musical numbers. The second season really amps up the fantasy, with the addition of an evil sorcerer (Robert Lindsay), a whole lot of magic, and even a dragon.
3
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Twenty years ago, Nickelodeon struck gold with Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the most creative fantasy series with some seriously detailed and well-thought-out worldbuilding. The series starts when Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena), two siblings from the Southern Water Tribe, find Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the Avatar and the last living Airbender, trapped inside an iceberg after 100 years.
Avatar: The Last Airbender has since been adapted for live-action twice — once as a movie and most recently as a television show that is now going into its third season. It has been adapted into a number of other mediums as well, and had a television spin-off, The Legend of Korra. Although Avatar: The Last Airbender now has quite a legacy, it is wholly original, and all started with that pilot episode.
2
‘The Good Place’ (2016–2020)
The Good Place is a sitcom that takes place in a “Good Place” neighborhood in the afterlife. When a selfish woman named Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) suddenly dies, she is sent to “the Good Place” by mistake. Desperate to avoid being discovered, Eleanor convinces Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), her mistakenly-assigned soulmate, to teach her how to be a good person.
With four wildly inventive seasons and some really creative lore, The Good Place is a very detailed and well-written fantasy series. It also examines complex moral and ethical questions over the course of its run with a great deal of thought and nuance, while using its unique setting to weave in some of the most over-the-top and hilarious scenarios. Additionally, its Season 1 finale contains the greatest sitcom plot twist of all time.
1
‘Pushing Daisies’ (2007–2009)
Pushing Daisies is a fairytale-procedural hybrid that follows Ned (Lee Pace), a piemaker who can bring the dead back to life with a single touch. The world of Pushing Daisies is extremely cozy, with bright colors, a whimsical aesthetic, and an abundance of delicious-looking pies. It’s a one-of-a-kind series with a unique premise that sees Ned using his power to help P.I. Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) solve murders.
When Ned’s childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), is the latest murder victim, Ned can’t bring himself to touch her back to being dead. Thus, Chuck enters his life once again, but they can never touch. Pushing Daisies later inspired a comic book, but the show itself is entirely original, with one of the most unique and delightful fantasy worlds to ever grace a television screen.
