These Shows Prove That TV Fantasy Exists Beyond Game Of Thrones

gamerant.com:

There can be no denying that fantasy TV shows are proliferating rapidly—rushing to fill the void left by Game of Thrones (one of the most successful series of all time). The glut of releases in the month of December highlighted this phenomenon, offering a cornucopia of new worlds for viewers to explore, with comprehensive franchises to pursue in between seasons. But in the era of binge-watching, audiences are sure to consume quickly; where does the fantasy-hungry viewer go to find more?

While traditional high fantasy is really only just emerging, low fantasy (fantasy that takes place in the so-called ‘real world’) has long been a television staple. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost brought fantasy elements into the digital age, with passionate online fanbases endlessly dissecting and debating both the supernatural elements in their plots and the deeply human stories that gave weight to their themes. This duality is the core of fantasy, which uses supernatural or magical elements to express truths about humanity.

Game Of Thrones' Lord Varys Looks Unrecognizable With A Full Head Of Hair

In more recent years, those supernatural or magical elements have taken many forms—blending in with monsters-of-the-moment or blasting off with fantasy’s contentious cousin, science fiction. Shows that openly embraced traditional fantasy tropes were often dismissed as ‘campy’, or shuffled aside by the emergence of prestige drama. But with the genre now ascendant, those same shows have the opportunity to find new fans and finally be celebrated.

Before basic cable became the laboratory for prestige drama, TNT put out a made-for-TV movie called The Librarian, resurrecting a long-absent Noah Wylie to star as a lifetime student who