Forget period dramas like Bridgerton – let’s talk about fantasy. It turns out, over the years we have all grown to have a little thing for vampires, like Damon Salvatore or Edward Cullen. As Chris from Gogglebox once said, “we all like a bad boy, don’t we?”… and, well, it seems as though we do.
Vampires that literally drink blood have gotten a good rep over the years. We have begun to see them mingling with humans romantically. Alongside this, in many films and shows they have been known to work closely with witches. These films and TV shows have proven great for means of escapism.
Here is a list of five fantasy shows that you can escape in for a while.
The Vampire Diaries (2009-17), Netflix
This much loved teen fantasy series was taken off Netflix not that long ago, but at the demand of fans around the world, it has finally been made available again. Of course, it is all about vampires. But, there are also witches and werewolves, which makes it all the more exciting.
Unlike the Twilight films, these vampires can walk around under the sun because of their special rings. They have to be invited in to someone’s house or they simply can’t enter. And brothers Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) have been part of a love triangle for years now. These little details make it even more worth the watch. It is truly an original show with the addition of character history and doppelgängers.
The hit series is based on L.J. Smith’s novels and over the seasons we see the characters grow. They fall in and out of love at numerous points. The show is one to be re-watched for years to come.
Fate: Winx Saga (2021-), Netflix
Based on popular animated series Winx Club (2004-19), the new live action adaptation has been welcomed by many. We are introduced to fire fairy Bloom, a new addition to Alfea (a school for fairies). Over the series we see Bloom and the other characters learn to control their magic and learn new spells. It’s sort of like Harry Potter meets Gossip Girl in a way. There’s drama between the characters, with lots and lots of magic.
It is quite refreshing to see a series surrounding fairies, as we get to explore core elements: earth, wind, water, fire, light and mind. Personally, I think mind would be the coolest power to have, though I would love to be able to cast spells using the earth.
Judging by the way the last episode ended, there should be a season two announced very soon.
Game of Thrones (2011-19), Sky/HBO
The award winning HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s novels is truly epic. There’s dragons and literally an army of frozen dead people. There may be no magic, but Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) three dragons make up for this. Although the eighth and final season may have been disappointing to some, there was amazing character development within the other seven seasons. For me, I have always admired the character development of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner).
Over the course of the series you can start to pick apart who you think is truly meant to be king or queen. Over time you will often be left surprised at certain events, leaving you eager to watch more. And must I say, its cast is just brilliant.
A spin off series called House of the Dragon is currently in the making and set to be released in 2022.
A Discovery of Witches (2018-), Sky
Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy was brought to life by Sky back in 2018. The series really captures what having witches, vampires, and demons in the modern day could be like. And the lovely Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer have some of the best on screen chemistry I have seen in a while. Their chemistry is evident from the start, and makes it more exciting as we see witches and vampires mix.
The second season is currently airing on Sky One and those who watched the series when it first aired in 2018 can finally get all the answers they needed.
The Witcher (2019-), Netflix
The world in which we find Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), The Witcher, has had its latest adaptation onto screen. Originally a series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, the Netflix show is also a bestselling video game. I would probably describe it to be a cross over between Merlin and The Lord of the Rings.
At first I will admit I didn’t quite understand the timeline, but I soon realised it was jumping back and forth. All in all this is a brilliant series to watch. We also learn to love comedic relief Jaskier (played by Joey Batey) as the plot thickens.
Definitely keep your eyes peeled for a season two trailer!
Jen Charlton
Tweet to @jenjcharlton
Featured image courtesy of Marko Blažević via Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
Jen Charlton
Hey! I am a 20 year old student in my final year studying media production: journalism at York St. John University. I am currently working towards being a BJTC accredited entertainment writer.