Some wonderful fantasy TV reveals from many years previous is likely to be thought of classics, however they’d by no means get made right this moment. Fantasy has been a staple of TV and films because the invention of the medium, however the panorama has modified drastically over time. Whereas community TV was once the first supply of reveals, streaming has taken over.
Streamers have turn into extra cautious of recent concepts, solely taking an opportunity on one thing experimental or costly if they’re sure it can succeed. Moreover, they’re faster to tug the plug.
On prime of that, streaming websites demand a really completely different format, which incorporates fewer episodes that includes fewer principal characters. The tales have shifted from sitcoms and tales of the week to season-long narratives. Finally, a number of the finest fantasy TV reveals from the previous wouldn’t get greenlit or exist in the identical format these days.
10
Supernatural
Accessible To Stream On Netflix
The hit fantasy present Supernatural is extensively thought of one of many finest fantasy TV reveals of the 2000s, but it surely more than likely wouldn’t get made right this moment. Though Supernatural’s premise nonetheless holds up virtually 19 years after its debut, the present would completely by no means exist within the format that it did.
The seasons ran for a mean of twenty-two episodes every, and the present ran for 15 seasons. As of 2023, the common variety of TV episodes in a season is 10.2 for community TV and 9.6 for streaming TV (by way of Parrot Analytics).
Whereas I might see them making a present about two brothers preventing monsters and demons, there’s just about no likelihood it will run for almost as lengthy.
9
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Accessible To Stream On Hulu, Disney+, And Sling TV
Like many Millennial fantasy followers, I completely adore Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Nonetheless, once I take a look at it with a vital eye, I acknowledge that the primary season of this beloved present was, admittedly, not superb. The story and characters had been fairly shaky, and it didn’t come into its personal till the sophomore season.
Sadly, in right this moment’s TV panorama, streamers and networks are fast to tug the plug on something that doesn’t instantly strike gold. If Buffy the Vampire Slayer had been made right this moment with comparable visuals and the identical story, it will have gotten canceled by virtually any streamer earlier than it had the chance to turn into a cult basic.
8
The Shannara Chronicles
Accessible To Buy Or Lease On YouTube, Fandango, Prime Video, And Apple TV
The Shannara Chronicles is a TV present that might solely have been made the way in which it did on MTV in 2016 and 2017. The collection blends collectively MTV’s teen cleaning soap actors and tone with the excessive fantasy tropes and tales. If the collection had been on one other community or produced in a unique yr, it will have regarded totally completely different.
On prime of that, The Shannara Chronicles is a high-fantasy present that requires ridiculously good VFX for TV. It might be an excessive amount of of an funding for a community to take an opportunity on it in the event that they weren’t positive it will succeed.
7
The Vampire Diaries
Accessible To Stream On Peacock And HBO Max
Due to the present franchise, I might simply see different reveals set in The Vampire Diaries’ universe being made right this moment. Nonetheless, the OG present wouldn’t get made if it had been supplied up as an idea right this moment.
In addition to the poisonous relationship storylines that wouldn’t fly in 2025, The Vampire Diaries falls into the soapy teen style, which was wildly widespread within the late 2000s however isn’t actually widespread proper now. On prime of that, it isn’t as frequent for TV reveals to give attention to 8 to 10 principal characters without delay.
Even when it was greenlit, The Vampire Diaries wouldn’t look the identical means it does. There are too many seasons for a contemporary fantasy present. Plus, until the TV present is The Witcher, it’s not going to outlive the lead actor leaving.
6
Endlessly Knight
Accessible To Stream On Tubi And The Roku Channel
The fantasy TV present Endlessly Knight is extraordinarily entertaining, but it surely admittedly had a wierd format even for its time. The A-plot is Nick Knight attempting to unravel a detective case in actual time, and the B-plot occurs centuries earlier. The one trendy fantasy TV present that has dabbled in that sort of timeline is Interview with A Vampire, and even that appears vastly completely different.
Whereas the story nonetheless holds up, I can’t think about a community or streaming platform taking an opportunity on this model of present. Sadly, the present wouldn’t work with out its bizarre format, so it will most likely get scrapped as an thought.
5
The Sales space on the Finish
Accessible To Stream On Tubi, Roku Channel, And Prime Video
The 2010 TV present The Sales space on the Finish is fantasy in idea, relatively than in visuals. The fundamental premise is that The Man grants the desires of his shoppers however at a value to their morals. It’s a standard monkey’s paw premise that we’ve all seen in fantasy and horror for years.
The issue is that they don’t present the overwhelming majority of the motion onscreen. As a substitute, it focuses on the psychology of the characters. By right this moment’s requirements, this concept could be too minimalist and character-driven. They must fully rework the format, which might change the basic traits that outline The Sales space on the Finish.
4
Charmed
Accessible To Stream On Pluto TV, Peacock, And Prime Video
As a lot as I really like the unique Charmed, the fantasy TV present seemingly wouldn’t be made right this moment due to the sheer variety of episodes and seasons. Like many different reveals on this listing, Charmed got here out at a time when networks wouldn’t bat an eye fixed at a present getting 20-plus episodes per season. Furthermore, fantasy reveals ran for for much longer again when the unique got here out.
These days, it’s exhausting to think about that any Community could be keen to offer the present the 20-episode seasons that most of the character and narrative arcs want. On prime of that, the present would have ended with season 3 as a result of a principal character’s loss of life and substitute wouldn’t be as accepted these days. It was even controversial then.
3
I Dream Of Jeannie
Accessible To Stream On Tubi & Roku Channel
The fundamental premise of I Dream of Jeannie wouldn’t be acceptable lately. A lady is captive to a person whose each want she has to grant, after which she falls in love together with her captor. It labored for the time interval, but it surely’s outdated now.
Nonetheless, the idea isn’t the one motive I Dream of Jeannie wouldn’t get made right this moment. TV general, however particularly fantasy, has moved away from the sitcom, story-of-the-week format, in favor of season-long storylines.
The fusion of sitcom and magic isn’t actually getting made these days, until you rely the deliberately meta collection WandaVision and Agatha All Alongside. Even that had an overarching narrative, although, and it bought away with a extra experimental model as a result of it’s hooked up to the MCU.
2
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Accessible To Stream On Prime Video
As a lot as they’re thought of classics, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spinoff, Xena: Warrior Princess, would most likely not get made if it had been supplied up as an thought right this moment. The dialogue and storylines typically fell into the class of “tacky,” which wouldn’t work in a Sport of Thrones and Rings of Energy world.
On prime of that, the visuals would wish a large overhaul in the event that they had been made right this moment. The visible results regarded low-cost, even for the 90s. That is a part of its campy appeal, but it surely wouldn’t look that means if it got here out these days. A contemporary model of the present would most likely lean closely into CGI.
Finally, even when they stored the essential characters and storylines, any model of Hercules made right this moment would look unrecognizable. It might be related solely in identify, leaning right into a closely edited model and way more critical tone.
1
She-Wolf of London
Accessible To Stream On The Roku Channel
The darkish fantasy TV present She-Wolf of London ran from 1990 to 1991 and was canceled after a single season. The story follows an American grad pupil who will get bitten by a werewolf whereas in London. After turning into a werewolf, she groups up with an English professor to turn into a supernatural crime-solving duo.
Sadly, She-Wolf of London wouldn’t get made right this moment, regardless of it being a cult basic. City fantasy isn’t being made fairly often anymore. What’s extra, this isn’t only a typical city fantasy. It’s an city fantasy with a monster-of-the-week format and a rom-com subplot, which appears unimaginable these days.
